Ty Gallagher has been a solid presence on the Boston University back end this season (photo: Rich Gagnon).
With the single-elimination Hockey East tournament set to begin Wednesday, there’s only one absolute certainty — one team will win it, hoist the Lamoriello Trophy at TD Garden on March 19, and earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
And while it’s unthinkable that Hockey East will wind up with the tournament winner as its sole representative in the NCAA tournament, it’s safe to say that all 11 teams will be playing with the urgency befitting a team on the bubble. Of the seven schools in the top 20 of the PairWise rankings, none is ranked higher than No. 12 UMass.
The Minutemen (19-12-2, 14-8-2 Hockey East), the tournament’s second seed, earned a bye into the quarterfinals along with regular-season champion Northeastern (24-11-1, 15-8-1), and No. 3 UMass Lowell (20-9-3, 15-8-1).
One quarterfinal matchup is set — No. 4 UConn (18-15-0, 14-10-0) will host No. 5 Boston University (19-12-3, 13-8-3) on Saturday.
UMass-Amherst senior forward Bobby Trivigno said a mix of holdovers from last year’s NCAA championship team and a group of talented and seasoned younger players should bode well for the Minutemen going into the postseason.
“Our freshmen have done a good job and younger guys have done a good job of acclimating to the league,” Trivigno said. “You can see as the season has gone on, they’ve gotten better. I hope they continue to do that throughout (the) playoffs. The older guys, the senior guys, they’ve had those deep playoff runs, those championship games. I’m sure they’re going to lead by example.”
UMass had the regular-season crown all but wrapped up heading into the final weekend of the regular season, needing just one point in a home-and-home series vs. Boston College (14-17-5, 9-12-3), but lost twice to the Eagles.
Despite the sweep, senior forward Anthony Del Gaizo said he’s not too worried the Minutemen will get back on their feet for tournament time.
“We’re a resilient group,” Del Gaizo said. “When things don’t go our way we always seem to respond. (We) have a lot of games left to play. This team’s capable of going on a deep playoff run like we do every year. I’m excited for the next couple of weeks.”
For the first time ever, Northeastern is the tourney’s top seed after clinching the regular-season title with a win over Merrimack, a 1-0 thriller that was scoreless for 59 minutes and 50.5 seconds. Aiden McDonough’s 23rd goal of the season clinched the title for the Huskies.
McDonough said Northeastern’s turnaround since a 1-0 loss to Boston University in the Beanpot final on Feb. 14 (5-2-0 since then) puts his team in a good place heading into the conference tourney.
“Moving past the Beanpot and being done with it, (we’ve) been holding each other more accountable. The coaches have held us more accountable. We’re expecting more of each other, and it’s paid off.”
This is the second straight year the tournament will be a one-and-done format, a break from past tournaments where the first round (or two) was a best-of-three format. Wednesday’s winners will advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal round, and the four winners that night will advance to the March 18 semifinals at TD Garden in Boston.
Other first-round games include No. 6 Merrimack (18-14-1, 13-11-0) hosting No. 11 Maine (7-21-4, 5-17-2); No. 7 seed Providence (21-13-2, 12-11-1) hosting No. 10 Vermont (8-24-2, 6-16-2) in the first postseason meeting between the two schools, and (No. 8 Boston College (14-17-5, 9-12-3) hosting No. 9 New Hampshire (14-18-1, 8-15-1). All games are set for 7 p.m. EDT.
UNH-BC will air on NESN Wednesday, while Vermont-Providence is on NESN-plus. The field will be re-seeded for the quarterfinals. UMass Lowell’s home game will air Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EDT on NESN-plus.
Stephen Castriota, Joe Cardarelli and Nick Harper, the Cortland hockey coaches (photo: Darl Zehr Photography).
Cortland men’s hockey head coach Joe Cardarelli and assistant coaches Stephen Castriota and Nick Harper have been selected as the 2021-22 SUNYAC coaching staff of the year.
Cortland finished the season with a 15-10-2 overall record for the second-highest win total in school history. The Red Dragons finished fourth in the SUNYAC regular season with a 9-5-2 mark, setting a school mark for conference victories, and advanced to the SUNYAC tournament semifinals with a 5-1 home win over Fredonia in the first round.
Cardarelli took over as Cortland’s head coach in the 2014-15 season. The program averaged just over six wins per season in the five years prior to his taking the role, and the Red Dragons are averaging more than 10 victories per year during his tenure.
This season, Cortland made its first SUNYAC playoff appearance since 2008 and earned its first playoff victory since 2002.
Cortland set school single-season records with a 2.30 team goals-against average and an 86.9 penalty-kill percentage.
The Red Dragons posted a 2-0 win and 2-2 tie versus eventual SUNYAC champion and nationally ranked Geneseo, a 2-1 win at nationally ranked and New England Hockey Conference regular-season champion Hobart, and a 4-3 win at nationally-ranked Wilkes.
Nazareth celebrates its first UCHC championship after a 7-0 win over Manhattanville on March 5 (photo: Nazareth Athletics).
The NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Committee has announced the 10 teams selected for the 2022 NCAA Division III women’s national tournament.
Of the 10 teams in the championship field, seven of the teams received automatic berths as winners of their conference championship. Three schools were selected from Pool C, which consists of institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that were not the conference champion and independent institutions.
Conferences and teams receiving automatic qualification:
Commonwealth Coast Conference, Endicott
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Gustavus Adolphus
New England Hockey Conference, Elmira
New England Small College Athletic Conference, Middlebury
Northeast Women’s Hockey League, Plattsburgh
United Collegiate Hockey Conference, Nazareth
Women’s Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, Aurora
The three institutions selected from Pool C were Colby, Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-River Falls.
Two first-round games will be played on March 9 and four quarterfinal games will be played on March 12. All tournament games will be played on campus sites. First-round games will be played at 7 p.m. local time. Quarterfinal-round games will be played at 3 p.m. local time.
The host for the championship final will be confirmed Saturday night, March 12, after the conclusion of the quarterfinal games. The semifinals will take place at one of the four remaining institutions on March 18 and the third-place game and championship game March 19.
In 2019, Plattsburgh State defeated Hamline 4-0 in Mendota Heights, Minn., to win its seventh overall national championship. The 2020 and 2021 championships were not contested due to COVID-19.
Dryden McKay gets mobbed by his teammates after becoming the NCAA’s career shutouts leader as Minnesota State downed Northern Michigan 7-0 on Oct. 30, 2021 (photo: Mansoor Ahmad).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Jim: I don’t remember, Ed, a weekend as crazy as this past one was.
A Hockey East regular season that went down to the last seconds, a co-championship in the NCHC when North Dakota was less than a minute away from owning the Penrose Trophy (and the top seed in the playoffs) to themselves. And six game threes in playoff series with three teams rallying from two goals down to win in the deciding games. Crazy!
I want to start, though, with the PairWise, which has shown such vulnerability, especially this last week. Teams made some slight moves up, but the biggest moves were in the wrong direction.
Defending national champion Massachusetts was swept by Boston College, costing them the regular-season title in Hockey East. More so, it dropped the Minutemen, at one point, to as low as 14th in the PairWise. By the end of the weekend, they rose back to 12th, mostly because of Ohio State dropping their best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinal series to Penn State.
That has placed the Buckeyes is a precarious situation. Ohio State has no more games before Selection Sunday and must sit in wait squarely on the PairWise bubble at 15th.
It wasn’t too long ago – February 7 according to my notes, that Ohio State was greater than 99 percent to make the NCAA field. Now the Buckeyes chances are less than 40 percent.
I guess this really defines my point that 99.9 percent does not equal 100 percent when it comes to predicting the PairWise. But certainly an unenviable situation for OSU.
Ed: That’s got to be the toughest position for a team to be in: knowing that you still have an outside chance to make the tournament, but having to keep practicing. Every time you hit the ice, you’re remembering what put you in that position.
Still, there are scenarios that will get the Buckeyes in, and they’ll want to root for teams above them in the PairWise to win so as not to see the cutoff line move above them. There will be a lot of fans watching the PairWise as final scores come in when conference championships are decided on March 19 as decimal points determine whether it’s postseason or golf season.
As you noted, the series loss by Ohio State did help out three Hockey East teams in the PairWise. That conference’s playoffs will determine whether there are more than three eastern teams in the NCAA tournament. Right now it looks like four or five could make it, and six is still possible.
We could see two teams from ECAC Hockey, but it likely will only happen if Quinnipiac is not the league champion. Clarkson could sneak in as an at-large, but things have to fall the right way. And Atlantic Hockey is only going to get its tournament champion into the NCAAs.
What about Hockey East? Can we still see three or possibly four teams from the league make it in?
Jim: I don’t see any chance for Hockey East to get four teams into the NCAA field, but three looks feasible the longer I study the numbers.
Let’s put UMass in – they can only lose one more time – but like I said earlier they still aren’t 100 percent and I try to never anoint a team as in if they aren’t 100 percent (that cutline right now is at nine – Notre Dame – with Notre Dame around 99 percent and UMass around 98 percent).
For this exercise, count UMass as in. If UMass Lowell AND Northeastern get past the quarterfinals, they both jump above 90 percent, chances I like barring teams below the cutline winning their conference tournaments.
If Northeastern or UMass Lowell lose, there is still a path for three teams from Hockey East to get in and that includes a team below the cutline winning the tournament.
So that does beg the question, “Why not four?” Well, a fourth team that comes from below the cutline would knock out a Hockey East team, in my opinion.
And they said there wouldn’t be math.
With everyone league now in their conference tournaments, do you see any major upsets on the horizon? I think the biggest possible upset could come from Penn State. The Nittany Lions already picked off Ohio State, as we mentioned. Now they’ll face Minnesota, which didn’t play this past weekend.
There is something to be said for earning some playoff confidence, which Penn State now has. Is it enough to battle Minnesota’s talent? Tough to say, but we know that the Penn State offense can generate. Get good goaltending and you never know in a single-game scenario.
See some other teams ripe for an upset?
Ed: Let’s stick with the Big Ten. It’s a little hard to call it an upset if Notre Dame were to beat Michigan, especially because the Fighting Irish are 4-0 against the Wolverines this season, including twice in OT at Yost. But I really like Notre Dame’s depth, maturity, and goaltending.
Boston College’s sweep of UMass caught everyone’s attention last weekend. In Hockey East’s single-elimination tournament, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Eagles get at least to the conference semifinals. So I guess anyone facing BC is ripe for an upset.
I’ll add one more that most college hockey fans aren’t paying that much attention to: American International. The four-time Atlantic Hockey champions host Bentley this weekend in a three-game series. The Falcons advanced to this round with a two-game sweep at Niagara and are playing up to the level we saw when they were in second place in the league only a few weeks ago. AIC has shown some vulnerabilities in February.
I’d also keep an eye on a couple of other close matchups that probably don’t rise beyond mild upset, but the Omaha at Western Michigan NCHC series and the single-game semifinal sending Bemidji to Michigan Tech are certainly not beyond the reach of the lower seeds.
I’d like to shift gears a bit. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like the discussion about the Hobey Baker Award has been a bit quiet this year. Perhaps it’s because the storylines on the ice have been so great or because everyone is so happy to be back essentially to normal. Who do you have your eye on for the Hobey?
Jim: You’re correct that Hobey discussions have been a bit quiet, but I also feel that may be related to the fact that no one player is running away with things. We don’t have a Cole Caufield or a Jack Eichel on the ice this year. Instead, we have a lot of players putting forth great but maybe not worldly performances.
I think Bobby Brink from Denver is a frontrunner at this point, potting 53 points already in just 34 games. That’s seven clear of any other player in the nation.
To that list, you can also add Aidan McDonough from Northeastern, the hero for the Huskies who won the regular-season championship with 9.5 seconds remaining on Saturday. He has 23 goals and 36 points in 35 games. Decent numbers, though not earth-shattering.
Honestly, I feel like – and I’m aware it isn’t likely – but we really should be talking about a goaltender to win the Hobey this season. Since the creation of the Richter Award in 2014, I feel like goalies are now in a category of non-consideration, if that’s even possible given how little consideration goaltenders have gotten in the history of the award. But this year feels like the year of the goaltender.
Yaniv Perets at Quinnipiac is going to break the all-time mark for goals against average and needs one shutout to tie Greg Gardiner’s all-time mark for shutouts in a season. Devon Levi at Northeastern has played 29 games this season and has made 839 saves (average of 29 saves per game). He now has 10 shutouts.
Both of those goaltenders should be the top two favorites for the award, but I’m still not sure how you convince the Hobey committee of that.
Do you agree?
Ed: I completely agree. Before the Richter award, we always used to talk about a goalie needing Ryan Miller numbers to be considered a Hobey Baker winner. Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay was close to those numbers last season but missed the Hobey and, in my opinion, was robbed of the Richter.
However, I would be surprised to see both Perets and Levi as finalists. They say “Hobey loves goals,” but I don’t think he likes goalies quite so much.
Ryan Miller numbers? Miller in his sophomore season had a .950 save percentage, a 1.32 goals-against average and 10 shutouts in 40 games in 2000-01. Perets has a .956 save percentage, a .82 goals against, and those 11 shutouts have come in 25 games. Meanwhile, Levi has a .953 save percentage and a 1.45 goals against.
And McKay this season? His nine shutouts, .932 save percentage, and 1.28 goals against are not too shabby either.
Perets, Levi, and McKay would be my pick for this year’s Mike Richter Award finalists. And it would not surprise me to see the Quinnipiac sophomore as a finalist for the Hobey, too.
Shai Buium has had a solid freshman season on the Denver back end (photo: DU Athletics).
For the first time in NCHC history, only two teams are represented on the all-rookie team as co-Penrose Cup champions Denver and North Dakota make up the entire team.
2021-22 NCHC All-Rookie Team
F: Carter Mazur, Denver – 42 (14 first-team votes)
F: Massimo Rizzo, Denver – 34 (10)
F: Matteo Costantini, North Dakota – 30 (8)
D: Sean Behrens, Denver – 39 (12)
D: Shai Buium, Denver – 29 (7)
G: Jakob Hellsten, North Dakota – 45 (15) – unopposed/unanimous
Voting was conducted by the eight head coaches at each school and eight media members, one covering each member school. Coaches and media voted for six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders, awarding first-team votes for six players (three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender) and second-team votes for the other six selections. Three points were awarded for a first-team vote while one point was awarded for a second-team vote, with the most points at each position earning the honors.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, making 15 first-place votes (45 points) the maximum a player can receive.
The NCHC will announce its all-conference teams on Wednesday and its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the NCHC awards celebration in Saint Paul, Minn. on Thursday, March 17 on the eve of the 2022 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
Yale advanced to their first-ever ECAC championship game with a 3-1 win on Friday. Mia Coene scored right away in the first to put Princeton on the board first. It took more than a period for the Bulldogs to respond. When they did, it was a redirection from Emma Seitz that tied the game. Charlotte Welch stripped the puck in the final minute of the second and Claire Dalton put Yale up 2-1. Elle Hartje’s empty-netter iced the win.
Quinnipiac vs. Colgate
Colgate came from behind twice and scored two goals in the third to pull out a 3-2 win in order to advance to the ECAC title game. After a scoreless first, Sadie Peart scored on the power play to give Quinnipiac a 1-0 lead. Eleri Mackay tapped in a rebound late in the period to tie the game. In the third, Olivia Mobley scored in the opening few minutes to put the Bobcats up 2-1. Kalty Kaltoukova tied the game with about six minutes to go and it was Allyson Simpson’s one-timer two minutes later that secured the win.
Colgate vs. Yale
Colgate claimed their second-straight conference tournament title in another come-from-behind win on Saturday. Yale’s Claire Dalton scored midway through the first period and that stood as the only goal into the third. Kaitlyn O’Donohoe tied the game about 90 seconds into the third, putting away a loose puck. In overtime, Kalty Kaltounkova stole the puck and flipped a backhander into the net to end the game.
Hockey East
Connecticut vs. Vermont
Freshman goalie Megan Warrener had 30 saves to lead Connecticut to a 3-1 win over Vermont and berth in the Hockey East title game. The Huskies scored once in each period to stake a 3-0 lead. Claire Peterson lit the lamp right before the first intermission. Morgan Wabick had a power play goal in the second and Jada Habisch scored in the third. Ellice Murphy got the Catamounts on the board in the final seconds, but UConn took the win.
Maine vs. Northeastern
The Huskies outshot the Black Bears 13-2 in the first, but neither team found the back of the net. It wasn’t until the second half of the middle fram that Northeastern was able to break the deadlock. Maddie Mills scored first and then Maureen Murphy added a power play goal a few minutes later to make it a 2-0 game heading into the third. Ida Kuoppala scored an extra attacker goal of her own to cut the lead to 2-1. Murphy responded three minutes later to ensure the Huskies advanced to the title game.
Connecticut vs. Northeastern
Northeastern won their fifth-straight Hockey East Tournament title thanks to a 3-1 win. They scored three unanswered goals in the final two frames to take the win. Morgan Wabick scored late in the first to put Connecticut up 1-0. Northeastern wasn’t able to respond until the final seconds of the second period. Alina Mueller tied the game and then 22 seconds into the third, scored again to net the game winner. Chloe Aurard put away an insurance goal to give Northeastern the 3-0 win.
NEWHA
Sacred Heart vs. Franklin Pierce
The Ravens’ game-winner came from freshman Geno Hendrickson, who forced a turnover and took the puck in for a goal. It was the only goal they needed to advance to the NEWHA title game. Ava Kison added an empty-net insurance goal to give Franklin Pierce a 2-0 win. Each goalie made 23 saves in the game.
LIU vs. Saint Anselm
Saint Anselm scored a goal in each period to advance to their fourth NEWHA title game. Freshman Audrey Jackson and seniors Kelly Golini and Erin Meyers each lit the lamp for the Hawks. Golini and Meyers also each had an assist and now have 30 on the season. Alva Johnson scored for LIU in the loss.
Saint Anselm vs. Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce set a new program record with their 22 win and earned their first conference tournament title with a 1-0 win over Saint Anselm on Saturday. The win was made even sweeter because the win came over the Hawks, the Ravens inter-state rival who they could not beat in the program’s first seven years. Ava Kison scored the game’s only goal on the power play midway through the first period and that’s all it took to take the championship. Franklin Pierce blocked 18 shots and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, goalie Suzette Faucher made 26 saves. Allie Kelley made 51 saves in the loss, crossing the 1,000 save barrier in her first year at Saint Anselm.
WCHA
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
The Buckeyes advanced to their third straight WCHA Championship game with a 2-1 win over Wisconsin on Saturday. All the scoring in this game happened in the span of seven minutes in the middle frame. After a scoreless first, the Badgers scored first as Sophie Shirley buried a breakaway. But Ohio State saw two quick goals from Liz Schepers and Gabby Rosenthal put them ahead. Wisconsin outshot OSU 34-18, but were unable to find the back of the net in the third.
Minnesota Duluth vs. Minnesota
Minnesota looked about as good as they ever had in this 5-1 semifinal win. The Gophers pressured the Bulldogs on every inch of the ice, taking away time and space and forcing them into quick decisions that often led to turnovers. Catie Skaja scored just 51 seconds into the game on a puck that snuck through Jojo Chobak’s armpit and into the net. Crystalyn Hengler scored in the closing seconds of the period on a shot that deflected off two UMD players before finding the back of the net. It proved to be too much of a deficit for the Bulldogs. Abigail Boreen scored in the third and then Taylor Heise scored 14 seconds into the third. Élizabeth Giguère got one back for UMD, but Emily Brown scored on the empty net to secure the 5-1 win.
Ohio State vs. Minnesota
Minnesota took an early penalty and found it difficult to settle in during the opening frame, but Ohio State was unable to take advantage. In the second, the Gophers took control and opened the scoring on a quick transition and breakaway from Taylor Heise and Abigail Boreen. It looked like that’s how the teams would start the third, but just before the horn, Payton Hemp deflected a puck from Olivia Knowles past Amanda Thiele to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. OSU coach Nadine Muzerall said she got into her players’ ears at the second intermission and the Buckeyes came out unwilling to give up the game. Sara Saekkinen deflected a puck in during the opening minutes of the period to cut the lead in half and give Ohio State even more confidence and momentum. Sophie Jaques tied the game up midway through the third as she hit a puck from her knee while in the slot. The teams fought for the game-winner, but they needed overtime to name a champion. Knowles took a penalty in the final few seconds of the third, giving the top power play unit in the country not just the player advantage in the extra frame, but a full intermission to plan it. It took just 23 seconds for Jaques to end the game. As the Gophers tried to clear the puck, Jaques intercepted. Her first shot was blocked by Lauren Bench, but the rebound came back to her and she roofed the puck to win the game. It’s the Buckeyes’ second tournament title in three years.
Ondrej Pavel celebrates after scoring one of his two goals for Minnesota State in Saturday’s 8-2 win over St. Thomas (photo: David Faulkner/SPX Sports).
Minnesota State is once again on top of the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, picking up 46 first-place votes in this week’s poll.
Minnesota again sits No. 2 with one first-place vote, while Denver stays No. 3, also with a first-place vote, Michigan is up one to No. 4, getting one first-place vote, and North Dakota is down one to sit fifth this week.
Quinnipiac retains the sixth spot, garnering the last first-place vote, Western Michigan is up one to No. 7. Notre Dame down one to No. 8, St. Cloud State up one to No. 9, and Minnesota Duluth is also up one to go to No. 10 in this week’s poll.
No new teams enter the rankings from 11-20, but Massachusetts falls out of the top 10, going from No. 9 to No. 12.
In addition to the top 20 teams, nine other teams received votes this week.
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.
The Adrian Bulldogs won the NCHA regular-season championship and will await the winner of Hobart and Elmira in the quarterfinal round the NCAA Division III men’s championship (Photo: Adrian Athletics)
Adrian, fresh off its NCHA tournament championship and a near-perfect 28-1 season, is one of four teams that received first-round byes in the Division III men’s ice hockey tournament, announced by the NCAA on Monday morning.
Joining Adrian in hosting quarterfinal games are Augsburg, St. Norbert, SUNY Geneseo and Utica. They will each face the winner of an opening-round game.
Eight conferences were warded an automatic qualification. The remaining four teams were selected at-large by the committee.
The championship playoff format involves four first-round games and four quarterfinal games that are played on the campuses of the participating institutions. All games in the championship are single elimination. The four quarterfinal winners will advance to Lake Placid, N.Y., for the semifinal and championship games, which will be conducted March 25 -26 at the Herb Brooks Arena.
The remaining eight teams in the field are Hobart, Elmira, St. Norbert, St. Olaf, Babson, Trinity, University of New England and Plymouth State.
Game times and dates for the opening and quarterfinal rounds remain TBD.
Mercyhurst goaltender Kyle McClellan has been red-hot as of late (photo: Ed Mailliard).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Everything came together in the last few seconds
Heading into the last weekend of Hockey East action, Northeastern needed everything to line up just right for the Huskies to win their first-ever regular-season title. First, Boston College needed to sweep UMass. The resurgent Eagles survived with a 2-1 win on Friday after a Minutemen goal was found to have come after the buzzer, and then earned the sweep, 4-3, on Saturday. Northeastern also needed at least five points against Merrimack in their two-game series to earn at least a tie for first. With time ticking down on a 0-0 regulation tie vs. the Warriors on Saturday, Aidan McDonough found himself unmarked in the slot in front of the Merrimack net and buried a shot on a pass from Jack Hughes with 9.6 seconds left, giving Northeastern sole possession of the conference regular-season championship. Devon Levi notched his 10th shutout of the season for the Huskies.
2. Penrose Cup(s) awarded
North Dakota needed two points over the weekend to clinch a share of its third consecutive Penrose Cup and earned them with an overtime win over Omaha, 5-4, on Friday. Denver’s 5-0 shutout of Colorado College that same night kept the Pioneers’ own hopes for the NCHC regular-season trophy – and a top seed in the conference playoffs – alive. Omaha’s 4-1 defeat of the Fighting Hawks on Saturday – North Dakota’s first regulation loss since January 22 – combined with DU’s 5-2 win at home vs. Colorado College tied Denver and North Dakota with 53 points. The Pioneers earned the playoff top seed by virtue of more regulation wins; because North Dakota hosted the only two games between the Fighting Hawks and Pioneers, that head-to-head first tiebreaker was thrown out per NCHC rules.
3. You guys again?
Heading into Saturday night’s contest at AMSOIL Arena, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth knew they’d face each other in the first round of the NCHC playoffs, but that night’s game would decide where. The Bulldogs had pulled three points ahead of the Huskies on Friday with a 3-2 overtime win and needed at least to make it to another overtime to stay alone in fourth place. But David Hrenak’s third shutout of the season backstopped SCSU to a 2-0 win and a tie in the NCHC standings. The regulation win gave St. Cloud State the tiebreaker and the Huskies will host UMD next weekend.
4. A pair of sweeps in the CCHA quarterfinals
Despite being heavily outshot both nights, Ferris State took Michigan Tech to overtime on Friday and double overtime on Saturday before falling to the Huskies with identical 3-2 scores. Bemidji State will visit Michigan Tech in a single-elimination semifinal next Saturday. Meanwhile, Minnesota State came back from a 2-1 late-second-period deficit to down St. Thomas, 3-2, on Friday and rolled to an 8-2 victory on Saturday. The Mavericks will host Northern Michigan in Saturday’s other semifinal.
5. And two three-game series in the CCHA
Bemidji State advanced past visiting Bowling Green with a 3-1 win on Sunday. The game was scoreless until early in the second period when the Beavers’ Ethan Somoza gave Bemidji a 1-0 lead. Bowling Green’s Evan Dougherty tied it at 1-1 at 7:43 of the third. Lukas Sillinger scored the game-winning goal at 10:13 of the final period, and Owen Sillinger added an empty-net goal with 32 seconds left. Bowling Green had won game one, 2-1, on Friday and Bemidji countered with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.
Northern Michigan downed host Lake Superior State, 5-4, on Sunday in a back-and-forth affair. The Lakers opened up a 3-1 lead early in the second period before the Wildcats responded with four unanswered goals, all after the midway point of the period. Northern Michigan won Friday’s game, 5-1, with the Wildcats scoring five straight goals after a scoreless first 30 minutes. Lake Superior State had evened the series on Saturday, 3-2.
6. Other than Michigan’s sweep, the Big Ten needed three to decide
Michigan swept arch rival Michigan State 4-1 and 8-0 over the weekend in the only Big Ten sweep. The second-seeded Wolverines will host Notre Dame in the conference semifinals next Saturday. The Fighting Irish won all four games against Michigan in the regular season, with two overtime victories at Yost Ice Arena.
Notre Dame advanced Sunday night with a 4-2 win after Wisconsin had climbed back to within 3-2 late in the third period. The Badgers had taken a 1-0 lead in the series, stunning Notre Dame in Friday’s game, 3-1, despite being outshot 50 to 27. The Fighting Irish came back with a 3-2 victory on Saturday. Notre Dame opened up a 2-0 lead in the first period in the series’ second game, only to see the Badgers come back to tie it in the second period on a pair of power-play goals. Trevor Janicke then slammed home the gamewinner on a pass from behind the Wisconsin net from Spencer Stastney with 20 seconds left to even the series at two.
Top-seeded Minnesota will welcome Penn State in the other Big Ten semifinal. Penn State’s Dylan Lugris tallied the game-winning goal with 6:53 left in the contest on Sunday to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 win over host Ohio State. The Buckeyes took Friday’s game, 4-3, with Ohio State goalie Jakub Dobeš making 49 saves in the victory. Penn State evened up the series, 3-2, on Saturday, scoring a goal in each period and putting up 46 shots on net. Ohio State’s at-large probabilities are very slim.
7. Colgate, Union sweep in ECAC Hockey’s first round
Colgate’s Josh McKechney notched the overtime game winner on Friday to down Yale, 3-2, after the Bulldogs had tied the game with 7.1 seconds left on Teddy Wooding’s extra-attacker goal. The Raiders rolled over Yale, 5-1, on Saturday to win the series. Colgate will face ECAC travel partner Cornell in next weekend’s quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Union also got the sweep with 3-2 and 5-1 wins over Princeton. The Dutchmen will head up north to Clarkson next Friday.
8. While Rensselaer, St. Lawrence need a third game to advance
Rensselaer scored four unanswered third-period goals, including an empty-netter, to take game three of its ECAC Hockey first-round series on Sunday. The Engineers scored all but one of those goals on the power play. Despite being outshot 38-20 by Rensselaer on Friday, Dartmouth had taken a 1-0 series lead on Friday, 3-2, at Houston Fieldhouse. The Engineers tied the series at one apiece with a 3-2 win Saturday. The win moves Rensselaer to a quarterfinal matchup at Harvard starting Friday.
St. Lawrence advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 4-3 win thanks to Reilly Moran’s goal just 46 seconds into overtime. The Saints had come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie it midway through the third period. After a 4-1 Friday loss to St. Lawrence, Brown needed just 2:06 in overtime on Saturday for Justin Jallen to break a 1-1 tie that had lasted since late in the first period, forcing Sunday’s tilt. St. Lawrence heads to top seeded Quinnipiac for the ECAC quarterfinal round next weekend.
9. Mercyhurst’s McClellan continues his torrid pace in net
Blazing hot Mercyhurst goaltender Kyle McClellan kept his winning ways going as Mercyhurst notched a pair of 2-1 home wins over Holy Cross to advance to the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals at Canisius next week. The Lakers were outshot by an at-times dominant Crusaders 33-15 in Friday’s overtime win and by 43-20 on Saturday. Mercyhurst travels to Buffalo to take on Canisius in the quarterfinal round. The Lakers swept the Golden Griffins in a home-and-home weekend to end the regular season. In his last 12 games, McClellan has three shutouts and has given up only 19 goals.
10. We’re on to Springfield (and can we get Disney tickets)?
After dropping from second to ninth place in the last two months of the season, Bentley found itself on the road at Niagara for the Atlantic Hockey first-round. The Falcons had appeared to go up 3-2 in regulation on Friday on what looked like a goal for Kohei Sato, but video review overturned the goal despite Sato looking to have been helped into Purple Eagle goaltender Chad Veltri by a Niagara defender. Collin Rutherford then got the game-winner at 9:47 of overtime for the Bentley victory. The Falcons cruised to a 4-1 win on Saturday and will face American International next weekend, not at the MassMutual Center – which is booked solid with Disney on Ice – but at the Yellow Jackets’ former home in Springfield, Mass., Olympia Ice Center. AIC has installed cameras at its old barn and promises a full FloHockey video production.
Ten NCAA men’s hockey student-athletes who excel both on and off the ice were selected as finalists today for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 20 candidates announced earlier in the season.
Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 28. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the Frozen Four in April in Boston.
2021-22 Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Nick Blankenburg, Michigan
Wyatt Bongiovanni, Quinnipiac
Zach Driscoll, North Dakota
Quinn Preston, Ohio State
Will Riedell, Ohio State
Graham Slaggert, Notre Dame
Spencer Stastney, Notre Dame
Colin Theisen, Arizona State
Sammy Walker, Minnesota
Taylor Ward, Omaha
Parker Saretsky scored 6:34 into double overtime to send No. 15 Michigan Tech to the CCHA Mason Cup semifinals after a 3-2 victory over Ferris State Saturday night (photo: Michigan Tech Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Feb. 28 fared in games over the weekend of March 4-6.
No. 1 Minnesota State (33-5-0)
03/04/2022 – St. Thomas 2 at No. 1 Minnesota State 3 (CCHA Quarterfinal Game 1)
03/05/2022 – St. Thomas 2 at No. 1 Minnesota State 8 (CCHA Quarterfinal Game 2)
No. 2 Minnesota (23-11-0)
Did not play.
No. 3 Denver (25-8-1)
03/04/2022 – No. 3 Denver 5 at Colorado College 0
03/05/2022 – Colorado College 2 at No. 3 Denver 5
No. 4 North Dakota (22-12-1)
03/04/2022 – No. 4 North Dakota 5 at No. 20 Omaha 4 (OT)
03/05/2022 – No. 4 North Dakota 1 at No. 20 Omaha 4
No. 5 Michigan (27-9-1)
03/04/2022 – Michigan State 1 at No. 5 Michigan 4 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 1)
03/05/2022 – Michigan State 0 at No. 5 Michigan 8 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 2)
No. 6 Quinnipiac (28-5-3)
Did not play.
No. 7 Notre Dame (27-10-0)
03/04/2022 – Wisconsin 3 at No. 7 Notre Dame 1 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 1)
03/05/2022 – Wisconsin 2 at No. 7 Notre Dame 3 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 2)
03/06/2022 – Wisconsin 2 at No. 7 Notre Dame 4 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 3)
No. 8 Western Michigan (22-10-1)
03/04/2022 – Miami 3 at No. 8 Western Michigan 5
03/05/2022 – Miami 0 at No. 8 Western Michigan 3
No. 9 Massachusetts (19-12-2)
03/04/2022 – No. 9 Massachusetts 1 at Boston College 2
03/05/2022 – Boston College 4 at No. 9 Massachusetts 3
No. 10 St. Cloud State (18-12-4)
03/04/2022 – No. 10 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 3 (OT)
03/05/2022 – No. 10 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 0
No. 11 Minnesota Duluth (17-15-4)
03/04/2022 – No. 10 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 3 (OT)
03/05/2022 – No. 10 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 0
No. 12 Ohio State (22-13-2)
03/04/2022 – Penn State 3 at No. 12 Ohio State 4 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 1)
03/05/2022 – Penn State 3 at No. 12 Ohio State 2 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 2)
03/06/2022 – Penn State 2 at No. 12 Ohio State 1 (Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 3)
No. 7 Notre Dame survived a scare from Wisconsin in its best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinal series with a 4-2 victory on Sunday (Photo: Fighting Irish Media)
Though on paper, a series between seventh-ranked Notre Dame and Wisconsin, a nine-win team in the regular season, seemed like a mismatch.
Once the series played out on the ice, it became a barn-burner.
On Sunday, in a winner-take-all Game 3, four different Irish players scored as Notre Dame survived the quarterfinal round scare, 4-2. The Irish will face #2 seed Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals next Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
After Wisconsin won game one, 3-1, Notre Dame needed a Trevor Janicke goal with 20.7 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 2-2 tie in a 3-2 victory to force Game 3.
On Sunday, Notre Dame never trailed, jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals by Jack Adams and Landon Slaggert. But things were hardly comfortable.
Sam Stange pulled the Badgers within a goal at 16:01 of the first. And after Jake Pivonka stretched the Irish lead back to two 1:55 into the second, Daniel Laatsch scored with 4:38 left in the middle frame, sending a one-goal game to the third.
Notre Dame goaltender Matthew Galadja, who made 24 saves in the game, stopped all nine shots he faced in the third and Jack Gorinak’s empty net goal advanced the Irish to a date with Michigan.
When the two teams meet, the Wolverines will be looking to exact revenge. Notre Dame swept Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season, preventing the Wolverines from earning first place in the Big Ten and a first-round bye. Notre Dame won all four meetings thus far against Michigan this season.
Penn State 2, No. 12 Ohio State 1
A goal by Dylan Lugris with 6:54 remaining gave Penn State an upset win over No. 12 Ohio State and advances the Nittany Lions, two-games-to-one, in the Big Ten tournament.
Penn State will travel to top-seed Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinals.
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 7, 2022
The Nittany Lions have been on the brink all weekend, losing 4-3 in Friday’s series opener. It took a late-game goal by Ryan Kirwan on Saturday for force a third game and even then, there was little room on either side.
Kirwan tallied again on Sunday, this time opening the scoring with 6:30 remaining in the second period. But Ohio State’s Tate Singleton responded prior to the end of the period.
Penn State held a shot advantage of 13-8 in the third and Lugris finally broke the deadlock late to send the Nittany Lions to the semifinals.
Ohio State will be forced to wait out the final two weekends to understand their NCAA fate. The loss placed the Buckeyes square on the PairWise bubble with no ability to control their own destiny.
ECAC Tournament
St. Lawrence 4, Brown 3 (OT – St. Lawrence wins series, 2-1)
Host St. Lawrence overcame a 3-1 deficit midway through the game and Reilly Moran’s goal 46 seconds into overtime was the series clincher as the Saints defeated Brown, 4-3, to advance in the ECAC playoffs.
After Brown’s Tristan Crozier spotted the Bears a 3-1 lead at 11:11 of the second, Ty Naaykens’ response 28 seconds later gave St. Lawrence life.
Cameron Buhl tied the game with 8:09 remaining in regulation setting up Moran’s dramatic clincher.
St. Lawrence will now face top-seeded Quinnipiac next weekend in Hamden, Conn., beginning Friday.
Rensselaer 5, Dartmouth 3 (RPI wins series, 2-1)
Despite falling behind 2-0 and 3-1, host Rensselaer scored the game’s final four goals to rally for a 5-3 victory and win their ECAC first round series over Dartmouth, two-games-to-one.
The series was one of comebacks for the Engineers after losing the series opener, 3-2.
On Sunday, Simon Kjelberg scored twice and Ryan Wahshie buried the eventual game-winner on the power play, breaking a 3-3 tie with 3:56 remaining in regulation.
RPI advances and will begin its best-of-three quarterfinal series against third-seed Harvard on Friday.
CCHA Tournament
Northern Michigan 5, Lake Superior 4
Visiting Northern Michigan trailed Lake Superior, 3-1, midway through a decisive game three in the CCHA quarterfinals on Sunday.
But four goals in exactly eight minutes in the second half of the middle frame turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead as the Wildcats held on for a 5-4 victory and two-games-to-one victory over the Lakers to advance to the CCHA semifinals.
Mack Byers and Trevor Cosgrove scored 1:25 apart to even the game by 12:01 of the second, then a Hank Crone goal on the power play at 17:09 gave the Wildcats the lead. Tanner Vescio tallied another goal 95 seconds later, the eventual game winner.
AJ Vanderbeck assisted on all three of the final Northern Michigan goals and Charlie Glockner made 17 saves to earn the win.
Northern Michigan now takes on top-seeded Minnesota State in the CCHA semifinals on Saturday.
Bemidji State 3, Bowling Green 1 (BSU wins series, 2-1)
Lukas Sillinger’s goal with 9:47 left in regulation broke a 1-1 tie and his brother Owen added an empty-net goal with 32 seconds remaining as Bemidji State advanced past Bowling Green in the CCHA quarterfinals.
Ohio State, which won the WCHA tournament in overtime on Sunday, is one of four schools that will host regional sites in the Women’s National Collegiate ice hockey championship, beginning on Thursday (photo: Ohio State Athletics)
Ohio State, which defeated Minnesota, 3-2 in overtime on Sunday to capture the WCHA women’s championship, will be the top overall seed in the newly-expanded Women’s National Collegiate ice hockey championship, it was announced during Sunday evening’s selection show.
The Buckeyes, second seed Minnesota and third seed Northeastern will each host three-team regionals with the higher seed awaiting the winner of a first-round game in the regional final. Each regional will include a day off between the first-round game and regional final.
Colgate, the ECAC champion and fourth overall seed, is the only host of a single-game regional, and they will face Yale in a rematch of the ECAC final, with a direct bid to the Frozen Four on the line.
This is the first year of the expanded Women’s NC tournament, moving from eight teams to 11 after a vote by the NCAA in December.
Below is a complete schedule of the regional tournament. The four remaining teams at the conclusion of the regional tournament will participate in the Women’s Frozen Four, March 18-20, at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena.
ALL TIMES EASTERN
Columbus Region
Thursday, March 10 (6:00 PM)
Quinnipiac vs. Syracuse
Saturday, March 12 (5:00 PM)
Winner vs. 1. Ohio State
Hamilton, N.Y. Region
Date/time TBD
No. 5 Yale vs. No. 4 Colgate
Boston Region
Thursday, March 10 (7:00 PM)
Wisconsin vs. Clarkson
Saturday, March 12 (1:00 PM)
Winner vs. No. 3 Northeastern
Minneapolis Region
Thursday, March 10 (7:00 PM)
Minnesota Duluth vs. Harvard
The teams skated to a scoreless tie in the first. Ohio State had one unsuccessful power play and outshot the Gophers 12-9 through the first 20 minutes.
In the second, a defensive breakdown at the blue line allowed Taylor Heise and Abigail Boreen to enter the zone with the puck. The Buckeye defenders focused on WCHA Player of the Year Taylor Heise, leaving Boreen free on the right side to beat Amanda Thiele and put Minnesota up 1-0.
In the final minute of the second, Olivia Knowles put a puck on net from the right faceoff dot. Payton Hemp was unmarked at the near post and able to tip the puck just past Thiele to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead at the second intermission.
Minnesota had 21 blocks through the first two periods.
Ohio State cut the lead in half 3:14 into the third. Gabby Rosenthal had the puck behind the Gopher net with no pressure. She slotted a pass forward to Lauren Bernard at the bottom of the right circle. Bernard one-timed it on net and Sara Saekkinen redirected it in.
They tied the game at the midway point of the period. Once again, the set up came from behind the net. Clair DeGeorge nabbed the puck from a scrum on the boards and fed Jaques, who was alone in the slot. Jaques went down on one knee to get the shot off. It hit Bench in the shoulder and popped up and into the net.
The Gophers thought they scored with about four minutes left in the game, but it was waved off and called no goal upon review. It came on the heels of an unsuccessful power play where Minnesota was getting looks close in on Thiele.
Olivia Knowles was sent to the box with just seconds left in regulation for body checking and Ohio State started the sudden death overtime with a player advantage.
The Buckeyes, who have the best power play unit in the country, needed just 23 seconds in the extra period to end the game. It was an unlucky play for Minnesota as Emily Brown won the puck along the back boards, but her clearing attempt ended up on Jaques’ stick at the left faceoff dot. Bench made the initial save, but the rebound came right back to Jaques and this time she lifted the puck to the top netting to beat Bench, who was down in her butterfly, and win the game.
Quotable:
Minnesota coach Brad Frost
It’s what you would expect from the best league in the country and two of the top teams in the country. We’ll learn from it. Fortunately, we’re playing next week, so we’re excited about that.
It took a little bit to get our feet going.
On Sophie Jaques: Her shot and her offensive instincts are really good, obviously. Their D as a whole, do a great job of shrinking the zone and getting to the tops of the circles, or lower and that’s how she scored tonight.
After they tied it, I was really proud of our team and how they came back. We had three or four glorious chances and Thiele made some great saves.
They’re the best team we’ve seen. For sure.
Gopher forward Taylor Heise
I have so much confidence in this team. We bounce back so hard from losses. We’re a dominant force.
Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall
Kind of feels like a national championship. You have 1 and 2 in the country. You have two phenomenal teams.
Our philosophy doesn’t change. Playing relentless and playing aggressive with speed and fitness. That doesn’t change no matter who we play.
On getting an intermission to talk about the overtime power play: It came at a very good time. It’s just a very long timeout. Even if we didn’t have it, I would have felt comfortable, too. I would have trusted them.
On what she said to the team during the second intermission: I wanted more from them. I wanted them to want more from each other, as well. We didn’t play elite. You’re playing the number one team in the country and you want to win, you have to play better. You have to hold yourselves to a higher standard. I said we just need to get to one. If we can just get to one then it’ll change the whole course of the game. And they did that and they did it early, which was another important thing.
On whether or not they’ll receive the #1 overall seed: We’re just going to be happy to host and (have) that immense amount of pride of hosting the first NCAA regional tournament (at OSU).
Just think of where we were six years ago and in a very short span of time where we are now. I’m just very proud for all those kids that believed in what we were trying to do at OSU and bought in and came to the school.
Ohio State forward Liz Schepers
I couldn’t be more proud of our group. It speaks so much to who we have in our locker room and our culture and the way we believe in each other. We knew that if we could get on the board early in the third that we were really going to give ourselves a chance. We never felt like we were out of the game.
It’s a great feeling knowing we have one more home game, especially in my final season. I couldn’t be more excited to get back to Columbus and share that with our university. It says a lot about how far this program has come and and where we’re headed and what our goals are and the new standard of Ohio State hockey, so I couldn’t be more proud.
UNE captured the CCC title in dramatic fashion with a final minute tying goal and an overtime winner over Endicott (Photo by Tristan Durgin – UNE Athletics)
The prize was there for all to see and no matter how your team got to the semifinals or finals of the conference tournament, there was everything to play for in this ultimate week of conference action. So, congratulations to Assumption, Babson, Geneseo, Plymouth State, Trinity, University of New England and Utica who played great hockey to win their conference championship. Some results are going to have an effect on the selections for the NCAA tournament but what a week of hockey deciding the six D-III conference champions in the east as well as the NE-10 crown in D-II. Here is the wrap-up for the outstanding tournament action:
CCC
The semifinals played out with a lot of excitement as No. 1 seed University of New England played an upstart Nichols squad while No. 2 Endicott hosted Curry.
The top-seeded Nor’easters came out with a lot of jump but ended the first period tied at 1-1 as a Jake Fuss goal was answered by Nichols’ Nathan Karl in the final minute of the period. That is all Billy Girard IV would surrender as UNE would get goals from Chad Merrill, Jared Christy and Tyler Seltenreich to close out a 4-1 win and move on to play host for Saturday’s championship game. UNE outshot the Bison by a 43-18 margin and posted their 20th win of the season.
The Curry v. Endicott game was low-scoring as expected as neither team gave much open ice for Grade A scoring opportunities, but it was the Colonels who struck first just over a minute after the opening face-off with Timmy Kent scoring for a 1-0 lead. Mitch Shaheen would answer for the Gulls to tie the game at 1-1 and the third period could not decide a winner due in part to the great play by goaltenders Reid Cooper for Curry and Conor O’Brien for Endicott. In overtime it was Zach Mazur who sent Endicott to the championship game with assists to Connor Amsley and Erik Manoukian at 5:50 of the extra session. Mazur’s made a sensational individual move cutting across the slot from the face-off dot before ripping a shot past the Curry netminder. Cooper was outstanding stopping 41 of 43 shots while O’Brien was a save better stopping 27 of 28 shots on goal.
In the title game, things were tight and neither team could break the ice scoring against Billy Girard IV for UNE or Conor O’Brien from Endicott. In the second period, the visitors broke through on the first of two goals on the night from Mitch Shaheen with just over one minute remaining in the middle period. The Gull 1-0 lead lasted to midway through the third period when Chris Jones tied the game at 1-1. Shaheen again gave Endicott the lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation and that is when the excitement started. With the goalie pulled for the extra skater, Aaron Aragon stuffed in a rebound from the front of the crease to tie the game with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation. The game went to overtime where the Gulls Derek Contessa was called for slashing at 3:05, just the second penalty in the game, and UNE cashed in less than 30 seconds later for the win and championship as Jared Christy found the back of the net with a redirect of Liam Darcy’s shot from the point in the 3-2 OT win. Jake Fuss added the other assist on the winning goal. For the game UNE outshot Endicott by a 35-24 margin including 6-0 in overtime and the Nor’easters did not take a penalty in the game while Endicott was assessed just two.
MASCAC
No. 1 seed Plymouth State took on the Cinderella squad from Framingham State while Westfield State played host to Salem State on Tuesday night in the MASCAC semifinals.
The Panthers immediately exerted pressure on the Rams but could only manage Whim Stalberg’s goal on netminder Blake Carlson in the first period. In the second period the Panthers exploded for five unanswered goals from five different players for a commanding 6-0 lead. The Rams wouldn’t go away and answered back with a pair of goals by Jacob Garman to close out the second period and open the third period. Dylan Marty added a third goal midway through the period and a power play goal off the stick of Patrick Colgan cut the deficit to 6-4 with five minutes remaining. Framingham State pulled Carlson with under three minutes left in regulation and Mike McPherson iced the game with an empty-net goal before JR Barone added the final tally in an 8-4 final. The win sent the Panthers to their third consecutive MASCAC title game.
The other semifinal saw Salem State travel to Westfield State where the visitors were immediately put under siege. Aaron Mercer was sharp in goal before the Vikings opened the scoring on a goal from Richard Coyle. Connor Woolley doubled the lead to 2-0 before Westfield State’s JoJo Carbone cut the deficit in half with just 13 seconds remaining in the middle period. Joe Smith’ power play goal restored the two-goal advantage, but it wasn’t long before John-Michael DeGrego answered for the Owls to make the score 3-2. The Owls pressured with the goaltender pulled for an extra skater and Smith added his second of the night into an empty-net to close out a 4-2 win. Mercer was outstanding stopping 39 of 41 shots in the win.
The championship game featured the top-seeded Panthers against the No. 6 seed Salem State, and the first period was even with goals from PSU’s JR Barone and SSU’s Luke Day seeing the game tied after one period at 1-1. It was the second period that saw all of the fireworks as the Vikings took the lead on a goal from Billy McGwin just 3:14 into the period and hosts responded back quickly with Barone’s second goal 29 seconds later. Anton Nasstrom, Whim Stalberg and Anton Jellvik padded the Panther lead to 5-2 but the Vikings fought back with a power play goal from Matt Yianacopolus and a late goal from Keagan O’Donoghue to close the gap to 5-4 at the end of the second period. In the third period the scoring was all on the Panthers side as Peter Laviolette and Ethan Stuckless scored power play goals to give PSU a two-goal lead and Kyler Harding iced the championship win with a shorthanded empty-net goal for the 8-4 final. Aaron Mercer made 41 saves in the loss while Kalle Andersson stopped 21 shots in the win that was Plymouth State’s third consecutive MASCAC title.
NE-10
Tuesday’s semifinal games saw Stonehill play Assumption while No. 1 seed Southern New Hampshire hosted upset-minded Post.
After playing each other twice last week to close out the regular season, the Greyhounds and Skyhawks faced-off in the NE-10 semifinals on Tuesday night. Neither team generated much offense in the first period, but the Greyhounds came out firing in the second period. Dante Maribito would figure in three of the team’s four goals with one marker and two assists to build a 4-0 lead. Stonehill responded with two goals in the third period, but Christopher Stalmok would add an empty-net tally late for the 5-2 win.
After a scoreless first period, Post would open the scoring with Patrick Murphy giving the visitors a lead just two minutes into the second period. Jake Cox and George Thurston responded for the Penmen who took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. In the third period, both teams had several prime scoring chances, but Adam Mercer and Brandon Brown were both up to the task between the pipes for their teams. Brandon Crowther leveled the game at 2-2 with a power play goal at 4:38 of the third period and neither team could find the game winner in regulation. In overtime, Jake Raleigh stunned the home crowd with an assist from Niko Grollman and Post advanced to their first ever championship game against Assumption. Brandon Brown was immense in goal making 51 saves including eight in overtime.
It was a No. 3 vs. No. 4 seed in the championship game as Post traveled to Assumption on Saturday. The Eagles coming off their upset win over top-seed Southern New Hampshire were confident and despite being outshot16-8in the first period, the game was scoreless as goaltender Brandon Brown continued his hot play. In the second period a Greyhound turnover led to a Niko Grollman breakaway goal before the teams exchanged power play markers from Devan Sheth and John Krapian for a 2-1 Post lead after 40 minutes of play. In the final period, Dante Maribito, William Smith and Sheth with his second gave the Greyhounds a 4-2 lead but Post kept battling scoring with the extra-attacker on the ice and eight seconds remaining on the clock in a 4-3 game. The visitors would get one more shot on goaltender David Altman but there was not enough time and Assumption claimed the NE-10 title.
NEHC
The championship game featured the No. 4 and No. 6 seeds with Babson playing host to Skidmore on Saturday night.
The title game featured teams with several marque players but a history of role players who step up in big moments. For Babson in their 5-3 win, it was extra forward Rory Casey who scored a pair of goals leading the Beavers to the NEHC championship with a 5-3 win over Skidmore. Casey had open heart surgery and a pacemaker installed in his freshman year but the 13th forward on the bench had a big night giving Babson a 2-1 lead in the first period with an unassisted goal and icing the game in the third period after the Thoroughbreds had closed within one goal for the 5-3 final. Babson outshot Skidmore by a 43-26 margin with both Tate Brandon and Brad Arvanitis making key saves for their respective teams. Mike Gelatt scored a pair of goals for Skidmore while Mike Egan, Ryan Black and Wyatt George added the Babson goals.
NESCAC
After Saturday’s semifinals that saw the top two seeds advance with Trinity downing Williams and the host Colby team defeating Hamilton, there was a lot of anticipation about the title game on Sunday with both teams bringing their best hockey to the championship weekend.
The Bantams jumped out early on Williams as Cole Poliziani scored just 1:26 into the first period. A goal from Richard Boysen just six minutes extended the lead to 2-0 as Williams was being pressured all over the ice by an aggressive Trinity squad. Devan Tongue scored late in the second period and Kyle Tomaso added a goal in the third period for a 4-0 final score. JP Mella picked up the shutout that extended the Bantams win streak to seven games.
In the second semifinal, Colby took a 2-1 first period lead on goals from Jake MacDonald and Quinn Doyle while Nick Rutigliano scored for the Continentals. Cade Groton’s early power play goal tied the game in the second period before the Mules reeled off three unanswered goals from Jake Klein, Jacob Thousand and Michael Thomas for a 5-2 lead midway through the third period. Hamilton was not going to pack it in, and Fred Allaire answered Thomas’ goal less than a minute later before Groton’s second of the game closed the gap to 5-4 with the goaltender pulled for the extra skater. Doyle sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:54 and the Mules advanced to the title game on Sunday against Trinity.
Despite having home ice advantage, Colby was going to have to do something that neither Connecticut College nor Williams could do against Trinity if they were going to win – they needed to score a goal or more against a stingy Bantam defense. Unfortunately, it was Trinity that struck first with Gerard Maretta scoring off the wing against goaltender Andy Beran for a 1-0 lead after one period of play. Maretta was faster to find the back of the net in the second period as he gave Trinity a 2-0 lead just 13 seconds into the second period and the Bantams kept Colby off the board with JP Mella playing well in goal. Jax Murray scored in the first minute of the third period for a 3-0 lead before Jack Sullivan finally broke the Trinity shutout streak with a goal at 16:37 of the third period. Colby then went on the power play with Beran pulled for the extra skater, but Connor Sundquist scored into the empty-net to seal the 4-1 win for Trinity and a sixth NESCAC championship. JP Mella stopped 29 of 30 shots in the win.
SUNYAC
The semifinals on Wednesday, without too much surprise, saw the top two teams advance to the championship game on Saturday night.
After a Brockport game that featured 13 goals last week, it may have been a bit of a surprise to see a game that featured less than 40 shots on goal combined. Geneseo downed Brockport 3-1 to advance to hosting Saturday night’s SUNYAC championship game. A scoreless first period saw the teams playing tight defense, but the home team found the scoreboard in the second period. Dominic Garozzo would break the ice after the midway point of the period and Dan Bosio made it 2-0 just five minutes later to give the Knights a cushion. In the third period, Corey Tam cut the lead in half for the Golden Eagles, but Bosio found the back of the net again late in regulation to seal the 3-1 win. Matt Petizian stopped 17 of 18 shots to earn the win.
Oswego and Cortland expected to be a tight contest with All-SUNYAC netminders Luca Durante and Steven Kozikoski manning the creases for each team. The Lakers jumped out fast as Alex DiCarlo lit the lamp just 23 seconds into the game and Shane Bull extended the lead to 2-0 midway through the period. Neither team could muster a goal in the second period, but it was the Lakers who kept the Red Dragons bottled up and added to their lead on goals from Tommy Cahill and Tyler Falck to close out the 4-0 shutout win. Kozikoski made 29 saves to earn the shutout and Oswego will travel to Geneseo with the conference title on the line Saturday night.
It was a No. 1 v. No. 2 championship game as the Knights played host to the Lakers on Saturday night looking for their fourth consecutive SUNYAC title. Justin Cmunt got the home team on the board in the first period ripping a slap shot past Laker netminder Steven Kozikoski for the only goal in the first 20 minutes of play. In the second period the Knights broke the game open with Peter Morgan adding one and Dan Bosio scoring back-to-back markers for a 4-0 lead. Oswego’s Conor Smart scored late in the second period to get the Lakers on the board, but the third period saw late Knight goals from Henry Cleghorn and an empty-net tally in the final ten seconds from Brendan Miller for the 6-1 final. Matt Petizian stopped 23 of 24 shots for Geneseo picking up his 18th win of the season.
UCHC
The championship game between Wilkes and Utica played out in dramatic fashion on Saturday night but maybe not the way many had envisioned. Cameron Patton would give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission and then Utica’s offense kicked into high gear. Goals from Regen Cavanaugh, Brandon Osmundson, Khristian Acosta and Cavanaugh’s second of the game, in an eight minute span, blew the game open to 5-0 for the host team. Tyler Dill scored late in the period to get the Colonels on the board but just 30 seconds after the puck drop in the third period, Brian Scoville scored shorthanded for a 6-1 lead. Tyler Barrow and Buster Larsson exchanged power play goals early in the period to make the game a 7-2 score. Nick Fea and Barrow with his second would close out the scoring for the Colonels for the 7-4 final.
Three Biscuits
Jared Christy – University of New England – scored the overtime goal to give the Nor’easters the CCC championship in a 3-2 win over Endicott on Saturday night.
Dan Bosio – Geneseo – scored back-to-back goals to help the Knights to a 4-0 lead in route to a 6-1 win over rival Oswego in the SUNYAC title game.
Rory Casey – Babson – the 13th forward scored a pair goals to help lead Babson to the NEHC title with a 5-3 win over Skidmore on Saturday night.
Bonus Biscuits
Devan Sheth – Assumption – scored two goals in Assumption’s 4-3 NE-10 title win over Post on Saturday afternoon.
JR Barone – Plymouth State – scored two goals in the Panthers’ 8-4 win over Salem State on Saturday afternoon earning PSU their third consecutive MASCAC title.
Regen Cavanaugh – Utica – scored two goals and added an assist in the Pioneers’ 7-4 win over Wilkes in the UCHC championship game on Saturday.
Gerard Maretta – Trinity – scored two goals including the game-winner and added an assist in the Bantams’ 4-1 win over Colby in the NESCAC championship on Sunday.
The conference prizes have been won but now it is on to the national stage with the NCAA tournament selection show on Monday morning showing the make-up of this year’s tournament contenders and the bracket for the 12 teams (Auto-bids: Adrian, St. Olaf, Babson, Geneseo, Plymouth State, Trinity, University of New England and Utica; Predicted At-large bids: Augsburg, Elmira, Hobart and St. Norbert) There is always going to be some team disappointed by their potential omission from the tournament – D-III could easily field a 16-team tournament with worthy contenders – but editorializing aside, the first tournament since 2019, could be one of the most dynamic ever heading to the Frozen Four in Lake Placid on March 25-26!
St. Olaf completed a remarkable run through the MIAC tournament with a win over nationally ranked Augsburg Saturday. night Kevin Healy/St. Olaf Athletics.
One, two, three.
Those are the seeds St. Olaf beat during a remarkable run through the MIAC tournament that ended Saturday night with a stunning win over top-seeded and nationally ranked Augsburg.
Already riding the high of road wins over second-seeded Concordia and third-seeded Saint John’s, the seventh-seeded Oles rose to the occasion once again, earning their first win over a top five opponent since 2014 and securing an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
Jonathan Young helped make it all possible against the Auggies, the fourth-ranked team in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll. He tallied three points, two of which came off goals as he recorded the first multi-goal game of his career.
Sean Walsh, Parker Casey and Brendan Darby also scored for the Oles (11-14-3), who had lost last their last eight against top five opponents. Darby is the only player among the Oles that scored who isn’t a freshman.
Casey scored off a rebound to put St. Olaf up 1-0 after one period, and the Oles stretched that advantage to 3-0 after two periods thanks to goals by Young and Walsh. Young has scored a goal in three consecutive games. Walsh has scored five goals in his last seven games.
Young then added another goal in the third, scoring off the power play, and Darby finished off the scoring with his sixth goal of the year.
Jarod Blackowiak and Austin Dollimer both scored for the Auggies (24-4), who came in searching for their fifth MIAC crown in the last six seasons.
For the Oles, it was just their third time playing for the title and their second time winning it. They last won the championship in 2006. They were the runner-up in 2012.
Lukas Haugen helped seal the deal by making 25 saves in goal as the Oles ended the Auggies’ 16-game home winning streak. Haugen has won five times in his last six starts and helped the Oles beat Augsburg for the first time since 2018.
Though the Auggies came up short in the MIAC final, they are still in a position to make the NCAA tournament when the field is announced Monday morning.
Blugolds stun Pointers for WIAC crown
Heading into Christmas break, UW-Eau Claire was 4-8. Fast forward nearly three months later and the Blugolds are sitting atop the WIAC as owners of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Facing off against ninth-ranked UW-Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire capped off a remarkable second-half of the season with a 6-2 win over the Pointers on the road Saturday night.
A string of five consecutive goals during a stretch in the second and third periods gave the Blugolds control. Sammy Martel fueled the attack, scoring twice as UW-Eau Claire built up a 5-1 lead. Jordan Randall, Quinn Green and Simon Sagissor also scored during the outburst.
Willy Stauber added a goal in the final four minutes of the third to finish off the scoring while Wilson Northey and Noah Finstrom both scored for the Pointers.
Martel’s goal with under six minutes to play in the second period tied the game at 1-1 before Randall gave the Blugolds the lead for good just over a minute later.
Ryan Oullette made 37 saves to earn his 17th win of the year.
Despite the win, UW-Eau Claire isn’t expected to move on to the NCAA tournament as it was ranked 27th in the latest Pairwise Rankings. There is no automatic bid to the tournament out of the WIAC.
The Blugolds improve to 18-11-1 with the win and are unbeaten in their last 13 games. They’ve won their last seven.
The Pointers drop to 21-6-1 and are a long shot to make the tourney after Saturday’s loss as they were 13th in the PairWise rankings. Their 21 wins mark the seventh time in the last eight years they’ve hit that win total.
Bulldogs roll past Green Knights
With two nationally ranked teams squaring off against each other with a championship on the line, the expectation was the game would be close.
Adrian never let that happen.
The top-ranked team in the country in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll crushed rival St. Norbert 12-3 to claim the Harris Cup Saturday night.
Up 4-2 after one, the Bulldogs scored six times in the second period to take control once and for all, setting a record for goals scored in an NCHA tournament final while securing an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
It took less than two minutes for Adrian to get on the board against the fifth-ranked Gree Knights as Jaden Shields scored at the 1:45 mark to put the Bulldogs on top 1-0.
Adrian never looked back from there as it went to stretch its win streak to 28 games, the longest in school history, while winning its 28th game of the season. Now 28-1 on the season, the Bulldogs have set a new mark for best record in program history as well as racking up the most wins in program history.
Zach Goberis and Alessio Luciani scored two goals apiece, with Goberis adding two assists on his way to a four-point night. Shields added a pair of assists to his stat line and Matus Spodniak also scored a goal and dished out two assists.
Tournament MVP Cameron Gray notched his 20th win of the year. He made 20 saves. Shields, Sam Ruffin and Terry Ryder, as well as Gray, earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
The Green Knights (22-6) lost for the third time this season to the Bulldogs. Michael McChesney, Liam Fraser and Peter Bates, the player of the year in the conference, all scored for St. Norbert, which still has an opportunity to pick up an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament when the field is announced Monday morning. Colby Entz made nine saves.
Adrian has been, arguably, the best team in college hockey all season. The Bulldogs have scored five or more goals 20 times this season and the margin of victory against the Green Knights was their largest since a 10–0 win over Concordia on Jan. 29. The NCHA crown is their first since 2020. Adrian as won its last five games against St. Norbert.
MINNEAPOLIS — Ohio State used two goals in the span of three minutes in the second period to defeat Wisconsin and advance to their third-straight WCHA tournament title game.
This will be the first time in nine years that Wisconsin does not make an appearance in the title game.
It was a hard-fought, close game. The Badgers seemed to have the edge early on as Ohio State struggled to settle into their game. Both teams took advantage of a quick transition to catch the defense off guard and capitalize. All of the scoring happened in less than seven minutes at the start of the second.
Wisconsin got on the board first as a long pass from Chayla Edwards found Sophie Shirley cutting through the neutral zone. She took the puck with pace to the net and beat OSU goalie Amanda Thiele to go up 1-0.
Unfortunately for the Badgers, the goal seemed to be the thing that helped the Buckeyes shake off the cobwebs and find their momentum. Ohio State had a number of rushes toward the Wisconsin net that the defense was able to waylay before Liz Schepers and Paetyn Levis broke through for their first goal.
Pressure on the Badgers in the offensive zone led to a turnover and Schepers took off up ice, passing to Levis just after the half line. Levis was able to pull the defender, leaving Schepers wide open and her shot just trickled through Badger goalie Kennedy Blair to tie the game.
“When we play our game, I think we’re successful against anybody in the country,” said Schepers.
A few minutes later, the Buckeyes were fighting for the puck along the boards near the blue line. Gabby Rosenthal skated away with it and despite having four Wisconsin defenders between her and the net, took a shot that caught them all flat and deceived Blair to score the game winner.
“We found a way to get those two goals in and then controlled the lead against a talented team that can turn around and score on a whim. I’ve got to hand it to our girls. They stuck with it and were a united front and did things brilliantly defensively,” said Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall.
Wisconsin out-shot the Buckeyes 34-18 and blocked 17 shots, but once they shook off the first period, OSU were able to stay calm and not get frustrated. The Badgers had a number of opportunities to tie the game up, but could never quite complete the play, as pucks jumped over sticks and hit the crossbar and passes failed to connect.
Despite the loss, Badger coach Mark Johnson said he didn’t find much fault with his team’s performance on Saturday.
“I thought we had a good game tonight. I wasn’t disappointed at all in our effort. The way we played—we played well enough to win, but unfortunately we didn’t, so it’s a learning opportunity for everybody… we’re trending in a good direction,” he said.
Ohio State advances to play Minnesota in the WCHA Championship game, scheduled for 1 pm central on Sunday. The winner of that game is likely to receive the top overall seed, with the losing team receiving the second seed. Both will host an NCAA first round and quarterfinal.
Wisconsin will await Sunday night’s NCAA Selection show (9 pm est, ESPNews) to find out where they will play.
Northeastern celebrated its first-ever Hockey East regular season title, scoring the clinching goal with 9.6 seconds remaining for a 1-0 victory over Merrimack (photo: Jim Pierce)
When the weekend began, the hopes of Northeastern earning its first-ever Hockey East regular-season title were slim.
They needed a minimum of five point against Merrimack and also needed Boston College to beat first-place Massachusetts twice in regulation.
That dream nearly ended on Friday when UMass, trailing 2-1, appeared to score the tying goal as regulation expired, but the goal was ruled to have entered the net a fraction of a second too late. Northeastern beat Merrimack, 6-1, to keep the slim hopes alive.
On Saturday, after UMass lost, 4-3, Northeastern was embroiled in a scoreless tie with Merrimack and seemed headed to overtime. UMass and UMass Lowell each had 46 points; Northeastern 44. An overtime or shootout win would give the Huskies a three-way share of the regular-season title, but the third seed in the playoffs.
— Northeastern Men’s Hockey (@GoNUmhockey) March 6, 2022
With 9.6 seconds remaining, McDonough was improbably left uncovered in front of the net as Jack Hughes won puck battle in the corner and centered a pass that McDonough fired far side on goaltender Hugo Ollas.
The 1-0 victory gave the Huskies the outright title in Hockey East and the top seed in the league tournament.
Goaltender Devon Levi was outstanding at the other end of the ice, earning the victory with 29 saves for his 10th shutout of the season.
Northeastern will play the lowest remaining seed from Wednesday’s opening round games at home next Saturday.
No. 3 Denver 5, Colorado College 1
Similar to Northeastern, the hopes of Denver earning even a share of the regular-season title in the NCHC didn’t seem highly probable. But with multiple scenarios falling right, the Pioneers not only earned a share of the Penrose Cup with North Dakota, they earned the number one seed in the NCHC tournament.
On Friday, a late Omaha goal forced overtime, keeping North Dakota from taking all three points and the outright NCHC crown. Even with an overtime win that evening, the Fighting Hawks only guaranteed a share of the trophy.
With a sweep of the weekend series over Colorado College and an Omaha win on Saturday, the Pioneers and Fighting Hawks each finished the season with 53 points. And despite North Dakota sweeping the head-to-head series, a quirky league rules eliminated that criteria because both games of the series were played at North Dakota.
Thus, based on total league wins, Denver is the top seed in the NCHC quarterfinals next weekend and will host Miami. Colorado College, which fell twice this weekend to Denver, travels to Grand Forks.
Saturday’s win was a cakewalk from the get-go with Denver scoring twice in each of the third two periods while limiting Colorado College to just seven shots total.
While the Tigers got on the board at 1:28 of the third on Marc Pasemko’s goal, Cole Guttman scored shorthanded at 5:05 to snuff out any hope of a miracle comeback.
Folks, it doesn't get any prettier than this. A short-handed, unassisted goal by the senior captain. pic.twitter.com/RlYDqvdxQ4
Carter Savoie scored twice for the Pioneers, while Bobby Brink added two assists to his national point scoring lead.
Atlantic Hockey Tournament
Bentley 4, Niagara 1 (Bentley wins series, 2-0)
Bentley scored the game’s opening two goals and never lost the lead, as Cole Kodsi added two third period goals to give the Falcons a 4-1 lead and a series sweep of 8th-seed Niagara in Buffalo.
IT'S A SWEEP!!
Cole Kodsi added his 2nd of the night with 3:27 left and we win Game 2, 4-1.
Brendan Hamblet and Kohei Sato scored 70 second apart midway through the first period to spot Bentley a 2-0 lead. Walker Sommer got the host Purple Eagles within a goal just 43 seconds after.
The game remained tied with the Falcons limiting Niagara’s opportunities through much of the second and third before Kodsi successfully clinched the series for Bentley.
They will now travel next weekend to top-seeded AIC in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals.
Penn State 3, No. 12 Ohio State 2 (series tied, 1-1)
Ryan Kirwan’s goal with 2:41 remaining broke a 2-2 tie as Penn State upset No. 12 Ohio State to force a third and deciding game on Sunday in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 6, 2022
The visiting Nittany Lions never trailed on the night, opening the scoring with 29 second remaining in the first on a Dylan Lurgis goal. After Ohio State tied the game on the power play with 6:05 remaining in the second, Kevin Wall scored as Penn State retook the lead with 3:48 left in the middle period.
Cole McWard’s goal at 9:33 once again pulled the two teams even at two before Kirwan played the role of hero to bring the two clubs back for game three on Sunday.
Lake Superior 3, Northern Michigan 2 (series tied, 1-1)
Brandon Puricelli and Timo Bakos scored less the two minutes apart late in the second period to break a 1-1 tie as Lake Superior earned a 3-2 victory over Northern Michigan to even the CCHA quarterfinal series at a game a piece.
Lake Superior never trailed and scored twice on power plays, including at 10:15 of the first period when Miroslav Mucha netted his 10th goal of the season. Alex Fyre evened things with the man advantage at 9:54 of the second.
While the Lakers held a lead into the third, AJ Vanderbeck made things interesting, scoring his 24th goal of the season. But the Wildcats got no closer as goaltender Ethan Langenegger finished with 27 saves for Lake Superior.
Other CCHA scores
No. 15 Michigan Tech 3, Ferris State 2 (Michigan Tech wins series, 2-0)
No. 1 Minnesota State 8, St. Thomas 2 (Minnesota State wins series, 2-0)
Bemidji State 4, Bowling Green 2 (series tied, 1-1)
ECAC Tournament
Brown 2, St. Lawrence 1 (OT – series tied, 1-1)
It took Justin Jallen just 2:06 of overtime to score his 10th goal of the season and give ninth-seed Brown a 2-1 victory over St. Lawrence and force a game three on Sunday.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota women’s hockey team advanced to their 18th WCHA tournament championship with a decisive 5-1 win over Minnesota Duluth on Saturday afternoon.
The Gophers scored 51 seconds into the game on their first shot as Catie Skaja put a pretty innocuous-looking shot on Chobak from her right side. The puck squeezed between Chobak’s arm and side and trickled into the net to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead that seemed to set the tone of the game.
Minnesota pressured UMD with a relentless forecheck, taking away time and space and keeping the Bulldogs from ever seeming to get comfortable or settled into their own game. Every time they looked to be generating momentum, the Gophers scored and took a bit more wind out of Duluth’s sails and made the hole they needed to climb out of even deeper.
Crystalyn Hengler extended the Minnesota lead with 12.6 left on the clock when she released an easy shot from the blue line. It careened off one Bulldog and then deflected down off another to bounce past Chobak.
“A lot of their goals came at really opportune times for them and were tough to overcome,” said Minnesota Duluth coach Maura Crowell.
That was tough, but may have been surmountable for UMD if not for another early goal to open the second and make it a 3-0 deficit. The Bulldogs lost track of Abigail Boreen as Madeline Wethington fought for the puck in the far circle. She came away with it and Boreen was sitting all along at the back post. She redirected Wethington’s quick pass into the wide open net to make it a 3-0 lead for the Gophers.
“A fast start from the drop of the puck is huge for us,” Skaja said. “We haven’t really had that the last few games, so I think being able to get a goal or get opportunities early builds confidence throughout the whole lineup and allows us to play free and have some fun.”
The Gophers did a great job of curtailing any advance the Bulldogs might make and coach Brad Frost said his team focuses on having every player on the ice involved in both defense and offense.
“The teams we’re going to face are great in transition, so our forwards have to get back.
Our team is a six person unit out there,” he said. “I thought it was a pretty thorough performance. I felt like there weren’t really any lapses here tonight. It’s really hard to do.”
Taylor Heise let go with a slapshot :14 into the third to score her nation-leading 29th goal of the year to make it 4-0.
UMD got a goal back when Élizabeth Giguère scored a few minutes later, but they could not find a way to cut the lead any more than that.
Emily Brown scored on the empty net to wrap up the 5-1 win for the Gophers.
Both teams should advance to the NCAA tournament based on their season performance, but it was still a tough loss for the Bulldogs, with both Gabbie Hughes and Giguère showing emotion at the loss in the post-game press conference. But Crowell looked at the positive – this was a good time for her team to stumble. Their season goes on with next week’s NCAA quarterfinal and they’ll have a week to learn from their mistakes.
“We know we can beat them. We have got to be ready in these big moments. That’s something that we’ll work on. I’m glad we had this experience. Obviously we wanted it to go better, but to be able to extend the season here – we’re going to play in bigger moments coming up. Hopefully we learn from this.”
