Georgiana Santullo has been an offensive catalyst this season for Utica (photo: Jeff Pexton/Perfect Game Imaging).
The UCHC women’s conference announced Tuesday its 2021-22 award winners.
Player of the Year: Georgiana Santullo, Utica Rookie of the Year: Ally Nolan, Chatham Goaltender of the Year: Angela Hawthorne, Utica Defensive Player of the Year: Morgan Miller, Manhattanville Coach of the Year: Chris Baudo, Nazareth
First Team All-UCHC
Forward: Georgiana Santullo, Utica
Forward: Erica Sloan, Utica
Forward: Abbey Luth, Nazareth
Defense: Madison Novotny, Utica
Defense: Sydney Bradley, Alvernia
Goaltender: Angela Hawthorne, Utica
Second Team All-UCHC
Forward: Madison Nichols, Nazareth
Forward: Hailey Redders, Nazareth
Forward: Allison Corser-James, Chatham
Defense: Stephanie Kubis, Nazareth
Defense: Olivia Gilida, Alvernia
Goaltender: Adriana Brehm, Nazareth
Honorable Mention (appears on minimum of three coaches’ ballots)
Forward: Rebecca Brown, Utica
Forward: Carly Stefanini, Utica
Forward: Ally Watrous, Nazareth
Forward: Morgan Miller, Manhattanville
Forward: Gabrielle Cox, Manhattanville
Defense: Gabriella DeMeo, Nazareth
Defense: Tia Martignetti, Manhattanville
Goaltender: Julia Beaven, Alvernia
Goaltender: Franny Gerardi, Manhattanville
Emma Polusny was solid between the pipes this season for St. Cloud State (photo: St. Cloud State Athletics).
The WCHA has announced four individual award winners for the 2021-22 season.
Minnesota’s Taylor Heise has been named WCHA Offensive Player of the Year while fellow Gopher Peyton Hemp takes home the WCHA Rookie of the Year title. Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques earns WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and St. Cloud State’s Emma Polusny has been named WCHA Goaltender of the Year.
“This is an impressive group of honorees,” WCHA commissioner Jennifer Flowers said in a news release. “I want to congratulate the recipients being recognized for their outstanding accomplishments that continue to elevate the success of their programs and the WCHA. We are proud to be the home to so many incredible student-athletes and coaches and are excited to celebrate this special group’s excellence.”
The individual awards continue tomorrow, March 2, with the announcement of WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year and WCHA Coach of the Year. The overall WCHA Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, March 3.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Year Taylor Heise – Minnesota, Sr.
A two-time WCHA Forward of the Month, Heise follows up her First Team All-WCHA nod by being voted as the league’s offensive player of the year. Through the regular season, Heise stood as the nation’s leading scorer with 60 points by 26 goals and 34 assists, becoming the first Gopher since 2016-17 to register 60-plus points in a season. Tallying a nation-leading four short-handed goals on the year, Heise also earned national recognition when she was named Hockey Commissioners Association’s National Player of the Month for November.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Sophie Jaques – Ohio State, Sr.
After earning eight WCHA Defender of the Week titles throughout the regular season, Jaques has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Jaques collected three WCHA Defender of the Month titles on her way to garnering First Team All-WCHA accolades, all while setting the single-season program record for points by a defender. From the blueline, Jaques registered 53 points in the regular season by 18 goals and 35 assists, including a nation-topping 10 power play goals. While skating to a plus-43 rating on the ice, Jaques added 32 blocked shots and four game-winning goals.
WCHA Goaltender of the Year Emma Polusny – St. Cloud State, Grad.
After becoming the first First Team All-WCHA honoree in St. Cloud State program history, Polusny garners goaltender of the year accolades. Polusny registered a .925 save percentage through her 926:57 of action in the regular season, while making 546 for a 2.85 GAA. Polusny earned a career-high of 55 saves against No. 1 Minnesota (Feb. 11) after surpassing her 54 saves against then-No. 2/3 Wisconsin (Jan. 28). The performance helped St. Cloud State claim its first point from Wisconsin since 2015. Overall, Polusny set the program record with her 3,343 career saves (as of Feb. 24), and currently leads all active players in the NCAA in the career save category.
WCHA Rookie of the Year Peyton Hemp – Minnesota
After earning a spot on the WCHA All-Rookie Team, Peyton Hemp has been voted as the league’s 2021-22 Rookie of the Year. Hemp led all WCHA freshmen with 31 points through the regular season as well as with 12 goals. Only taking one penalty all season, Hemp scored five game-winning goals and scored in every situation by adding both a power play and shorthanded goal on the year. Hemp’s Rookie of the Year honor comes after being a two-time WCHA Rookie of the Month honoree in the regular season.
Western Michigan captain Paul Washe is facing a sexual assault charge after an incident at a Dec. 5, 2021 party, according to ClickOnDetroit.
A fellow WMU student said she was sexually assaulted by Washe on that night and Washe admitted to having sex with the woman, but said it was consensual, according to authorities.
“Paul Washe was suspended from the hockey team for violating team rules and remains indefinitely suspended from all team activities,” WMU said Feb. 25 in a statement to News 8. “We are aware of the charge against him. This is a matter we take very seriously. The university has been cooperating with law enforcement and following the federal Title IX processes, including conducting our own investigation.”
Washe was arraigned Feb. 25 in Kalamazoo County on one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bond was set at $500, cash/surety. He isn’t allowed to contact or cause a third party to have any contact with the victim.
Washe faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 9, and a preliminary examination is set for 1:30 p.m. March 16.
Geneseo is one of many teams in the east looking to celebrate winning their conference and advancing to the NCAA tournament (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)
All I can say about last week is, it probably reflected the incredible parity, across all of the teams and conferences. This is exactly what you want in the playoffs – teams needing to go out an earn the win. My picks at 9-10-0 (.474) last week mirrored the stunning results – took too many presumed favorites. The overall numbers of 103-62-11 (.616) are good but not championship caliber so one last shot before the annual head-to-head contest with Brian Lester in the NCAA tournament. Everything is on the line this week and upcoming weekend. With semifinal action taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, here are this week’s expanded picks including predicted weekend matchups from the earlier results:
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
MASCAC Semifinals
Framingham State v. Plymouth State
The Rams are coming off an immense high while the Panthers have been off for a week. Blake Carlson has been amazing in goal for FSU but now faces a potent Panther attack that comes in waves. It’s closer than score indicates with an empty-net goal , or two – PSU, 4-1
Salem State v. Westfield State
The Vikings didn’t seem to have much going until the calendar turned to February where they have picked up 50% of their win total for the season. Erik Larsson and Joe Smith are dangerous scorers and Aaron Mercer has been steady in goal. Vikings surprise the Owls in OT – SSU, 3-2
NE-10 Semifinals
Post v. Southern New Hampshire
The Penmen earned the top seed with a great first half and enough good play when it counted in the second half. It counts most now so look for George Thurston, Joe Fiorino and goaltender Adam Mercer to lead the home team to the win – SNHU, 5-2
Stonehill v. Assumption
UPSET ALERT – the Greyhounds best not take the Skyhawks lightly as St. Anselm found out this past weekend. Game against Franklin Pierce showed need to lay the full 60 minutes so look for the home team to start fast and finish strong – Assumption, 6-3
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
SUNYAC Semifinals
Brockport v. Geneseo (3)
The Knights are home and well rested but face an invigorated Brockport team that found a way to win in a hostile atmosphere. This one is close but the regular season champs punch their ticket to the title game – Geneseo, 4-3
Cortland v. Oswego (12)
Luca Durante vs. Steven Kozikoski. The goaltenders will be key here in a game that may not see a goal in regulation but will definitely need one in overtime to decide a winner. Lakers eke it out – Oswego, 2-1
CCC Semifinals
Nichols v. University Of New England (11)
The Nor’easters are very tough at home and Nichols will try to slow them down. Tough to do for three periods and the power play will be key for the home team. Jake Fuss and company use a big third period for the win – UNE, 5-2
Curry v. Endicott (13)
This one will be a battle from the drop of the first puck. Both teams are fast and skilled and highly opportunistic. Only going with the Gulls because of home ice, home crowd and Conor O’Brien between the pipes – Endicott, 2-1
Saturday, March 5, 2022
CCC Championship
Endicott (13) v. University of New England (11)
The championship game won’t be high scoring like their game a couple of weeks ago in Biddeford. This one will be a chess match with the visitors scoring late to win the game and defend their 2020 CCC title – Endicott, 3-1
MASCAC Championship
Salem State v. Plymouth State
The seniors and graduate students back to make this final run are not going to fall short by one game, especially at home. JR Barone leads the Panthers to the win but not without a little nail-biting – PSU, 3-1
NE-10 Championship
Assumption v. Southern New Hampshire
This one will see a lot of goals because both of these teams will take advantage of special team opportunities. Home team rallies in the final period to send game to overtime and celebrate in grand style – SNHU, 5-4
NEHC Championship
Skidmore v. Babson (6)
The NEHC is the deepest conference in the country with both of the finalists having taken out the top two seeds last weekend. Surprise, surprise it will be a Babson overtime win. Only question is who gets the championship goal – Babson, 2-1
NESCAC Semifinals
Williams v. Trinity
The Bantams have been the hottest team in NESCAC over the past three weeks winning six in a row. Make it seven against a solid Williams team that can’t score enough to take down the Bantams – Trinity, 3-2
Hamilton v. Colby (14)
The Mules get to show off their new facility as the hosts of the Final Four weekend, but it won’t mean anything if there not playing on Sunday. Mules take care of business with Andy Beran shutting the door on the Continentals – Colby, 4-3
SUNYAC Championship
Oswego (12) v. Geneseo (3)
The Lakers have not fared well in the two games against the Knights this season and they say the hardest thing is to beat a team three times. Knights have enough playoff experience at home to defend their crown – Geneseo, 2-0
UCHC Championship
Wilkes (8) v. Utica (2)
The Pioneers are locked and loaded with a roster built for playoff hockey but so too are the experienced Colonels who lost a shootout to Utica just a few weeks ago. This one will be a very intense game with the home team winning it in overtime – Utica, 2-1
Sunday, March 6, 2022
NESCAC Championship
Trinity v. Colby (14)
The Mules will have learned something from their last loss at Trinity and that is to get the first goal of the game and build from there. Mules score early but still need overtime to decide the NESCAC champions – Colby, 4-3
Lots of presumptive results that may be a reach on the prediction side but regardless, everything is on the line this weekend with conference titles and NCAA tournament berths up for grabs. Tons at stake, so go get it – “Drop the Puck!”
American International and Niagara tied last Friday night before AIC defeated the Purple Eagles Saturday night in overtime (photo: Kelly Shea).
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.
Dan: Well, everyone, we finally made it, and we’re here.
March.
The glorious month when the games start counting for real, and the postseason starts. No better way to ring it in, in my opinion, than with my co-host for this week, Paula Weston.
A couple of quick hit thoughts here.
I’ve heard a number of people say that over the years, that this is the “real season.” I’ve absolutely said it myself. The more I think about it, though, the more I think that the statement somehow invalidates the last few months of hockey, and the playoffs only exist because of how teams played over the course of the entire season. Somehow, whether we realize it or not, a game in October adds pieces to why we care so much or how we perceive the games in March, and I’m glad more and more coaches are talking about those games when the year begins.
The second thought is more about postseason hockey on the whole. I have been vocal about my conflicted feelings about the 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts in general, but I’m glad that when the playoffs roll around, we settle things the way it oughta be settled: five-aside until someone scores a goal. I can’t wait for that first game to go deep into the night.
Paula, how are you feeling this week? The postseason is back, and with it, I’m sure, can you offer your thoughts on what we might see when things kick off this weekend?
Paula: Dan, the two thoughts you have there are worth addressing before we get to your question. (Short answer: I’m good. You?)
As I told Jimmy Connelly last week, I love conference playoff hockey. To me as a fan of the game, a conference championship is every bit as exciting as the national championship. We know that winning the conference is often the first stated goal of contending teams at the start of every season, and there are plenty of good reasons for that. One of the reasons is what you mentioned, that every game in October counts – and the season is so freaking long that it’s important for teams to maintain a focus. What better way to do that than to concentrate on winning the games against a finite number of known conference foes?
Another reason to love the conference championship – and to value the entire season that comes before it – is the relatively small pool of D-I programs and the big differences from conference to conference. College hockey is still a sport of the haves and have nots. There is a small number of programs that can maintain success annually, and the teams in that number change from time to time. And there are conferences that are consistently haves while others are challenged to rise to that consistent level of successful competition. The conference championship is a payoff for a long, hard-fought season playing mostly against teams that are peers. Winning a conference championship is a reward for a lot of guys who may never get the chance to compete for a national championship.
And every championship game is exciting, which is in itself a reward for everyone.
As for postseason hockey, I can’t wait until every conference gets there. Both Hockey East and the NCHC still have another week of regular-season hockey. While it’s likely that Massachusetts and North Dakota will hold onto the top spots of their respective leagues, that’s by no means a lock.
Even though I love to watch the conference championships for their own glorious sakes, it’s impossible to ignore the PairWise implications as March begins. Look at the very, very good teams on the bubble, both above and below the PWR cutoff line: Ohio State, Northeastern, UMass Lowell, Boston University, Clarkson, Providence, Merrimack. Northeastern and Merrimack are tied for second place in Hockey East and there is a possibility that one or both of them will sit out the NCAA tournament.
With all of the conference tournaments, I’m curious to see how recent momentum vs. seeding will play out, too.
What are you keeping an eye on as the postseason begins?
Dan: A return to normalcy…
No, but seriously, I can’t believe it’s been three years since conference tournaments played out under their standard formats.
Take both Atlantic Hockey and ECAC.
Atlantic Hockey played a pod-based format last year and didn’t experience a single crossover between the west and east until the single-elimination semifinal round. Air Force traveled to play Bentley, but Air Force wasn’t tied to any one particular pod because its geographic location was such an anomaly in comparison. Then Bentley, after beating Air Force, had its season ended by COVID-19, so AIC, the eventual league champion, didn’t play its first postseason game until it played Niagara in the semifinals.
This year alone, teams that didn’t see each other at all last year are scheduled to play in three different postseason series, including both this weekend when Bentley heads to Niagara and Mercyhurst hosts Holy Cross. Oh, and the fourth series is Air Force at Army, in case we needed any more intrigue to a playoff that saw anything other than a No. 1 seed win over a six-year span in a league that will send a single team to the postseason.
ECAC, meanwhile, is actually going to look like a postseason tournament after the four-team league finished the season with a sneaky-good three-team, single elimination bracket that saw St. Lawrence beat both Colgate and Quinnipiac in overtime last year. Say what you will, SLU did what it needed to, and its title defense starts at Appleton Arena this year after it won its way into eighth spot by passing Brown over the weekend.
But one of the things that I’m most interested about, on top of everything, is seeing which teams adapt to the postseason after those breaks. Almost none of the players taking the ice this weekend are used to playing in a best-of-three series, and for teams with younger players, critical experience awaits. With any luck, a team that doesn’t know that it’s supposed to lose is going to go on a run and ruin someone else’s season. That’s the drama.
Enough about the east, though. I’m switching gears to the Big Ten and a league that I think is as wide-open as it gets. I can see any of the six teams advancing this weekend, and gaining some due momentum could set up Minnesota for a brutal semifinal matchup next weekend, especially since anything can happen in a single-elimination game.
That said, anything I say might be on a dart board in the Minnesota dressing room by now after I left that team for dead a month or so ago. How are we sizing up the Big Ten, and what kind of chaos can we expect from it since it is probably the tightest in talent of all?
Paula: There is so much about the Big Ten that is fascinating this season. Congratulations to the Golden Gophers, who capture their first regular-season title since 2017, a year that capped a six-season run of regular-season championships that spanned the WCHA and Big Ten. The Gophers ended their season with an eight-game win streak during which they outscored opponents 37-11, including last weekend when Minnesota outscored Wisconsin 13-0 in two consecutive shutouts.
I can’t say enough about this Minnesota team. At several points earlier in the season, they looked like they had the potential to be unstoppable; now they look like the team to beat not only in the Big Ten playoffs but perhaps in the national championship tournament as well.
The Gophers have a winning record on every B1G opponent except Michigan, with whom they tied the season series. They’re beatable, but I don’t see a huge upset loss for the Gophers in the B1G tourney.
The team to keep a close eye on, I think, is Notre Dame. They’re entering the weekend with a five-game win streak after sweeping Michigan at home last weekend, keeping the explosive Wolverines offense to two goals. The Fighting Irish have won eight of their last 10, and the first win in that span was in OT against Minnesota.
It’ll be interesting to see how Ohio State responds to their bye weekend last week following four straight losses to end the season.
I don’t see a lot of chaos happening in B1G Hockey. While no game in the Big Ten playoffs will be a gimme, I think the second half of the B1G season showed a separation between the top and bottom teams and exposed a two-tier league that maybe appeared tighter than it actually was.
Dan: Ohio State is the one team that troubles me because I’ve seen teams limp into the postseason before finding the right sauce.
In the 2019 Hockey East postseason, Boston College looked like it was done for the season after it lost to Providence in overtime in the first game of the quarterfinals, but the Eagles rallied to win the series in Rhode Island with a pair of two-goal wins. After beating UMass, a team bound for the national championship game, in the semifinals, BC came within a bad first period against Northeastern of winning Hockey East after losing 20 games – and eight of its last nine in the regular season.
That’s the beauty of the postseason, and it’s a big reason why I’m not my usual cranky self at this time of year. While Ohio State was swept in its last two weekends, losses to Minnesota and Michigan are hardly bad results, and there’s something to the matchup against Penn State that I like for that team. Big if, but if they get through, I wouldn’t mind seeing them make some noise, especially since another matchup with either Minnesota or Michigan awaits depending on which teams work their way through the first round.
All of that said, there is still plenty of hockey left to be played, and with Hockey East and the NCHC joining the postseason next week, plenty will change between now and the end of the weekend.
Paula: The Buckeyes were picked last in the Big Ten in preseason and defied everyone’s expectations for much of the year, in no small way due to the steady presence of freshman Jakub Dobeš and his .931 save percentage. Another rookie, Georgii Merkulov, surprised everyone with 18 goals. As you say, Ohio State’s four losses were against Minnesota and Michigan, but the Buckeyes struggled for some overall team consistency down the stretch. I wouldn’t count them out completely, for sure.
For all my Big Ten love – and the CCHA, which we didn’t even discuss this week – I have to confess that I’m most captivated by how Hockey East will end its wild ride. Merrimack is 10-2-0 in HEA play heading into the final weekend against Northeastern, with whom the Warriors are tied in conference standings. Can the Warriors ride that momentum to a conference playoff championship? What about Boston University’s stunning second half?
Merrimack at No. 19 in the Pairwise, BU at No. 16, Omaha and Cornell at No. 21, Harvard at No. 23 – perhaps the craziest thing that March and playoff hockey will bring is a number of teams sitting out the NCAA tournament with performances that nearly any other year would have them sitting pretty.
Kristin Della Rovere has been a key cog in the Harvard lineup this season (photo: Gil Talbot).
ECAC Hockey has announced the 2022 all-league teams, with 18 players representing seven schools.
FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Goaltender: Lucy Morgan, St. Lawrence
Defenseman: Emma Buckles, Harvard
Defenseman: Emma Seitz, Yale
Forward: Elle Hartje, Yale
Forward: Kristin Della Rovere, Harvard
Forward: Gillis Frechette, Cornell
Ryan Romeo has been a steady presence on the Brockport back end this season (photo: Katie Wilson).
The SUNYAC has announced the 2022 all-conference teams as nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
Eighteen players from six different schools were recognized on the first, second and third teams.
First Team
Dan Bosio, Geneseo, F, Sr.
Peter Morgan, Geneseo, F, Fr.
Travis Broughman, Oswego, F, Jr.
Ryan Romeo, Brockport, D, Gr.
Chris Perna, Geneseo, D, Sr.
Luca Durante, Cortland, G, Jr.
Second Team
Justin Cmunt, Geneseo, F, Jr.
Joey Mancuso, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Bennentt Stockdale, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Matthew Doran, Geneseo, D, Sr.
Matt Araujo, Plattsburgh, D, Sr.
Logan Dyck, Fredonia, G, So.
Third Team
Andrew Harley, Brockport, F, So.
Michael Sciore, Cortland, F, Sr.
Carson Gallagher, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Nick Grupp, Cortland, D, Jr.
Jacob Modry, Plattsburgh, D, Jr.
Steven Kozikoski, Oswego, G, Jr.
Lucas Sowder picked up the fourth game-winning goal of his career when he scored Minnesota State’s second goal in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Michigan Tech (photo: MTU Athletics).
Minnesota State garnered 48 first-place votes this week and remains the top team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
Minnesota vaults two spots to No. 2 and picked up one first-place vote, while Denver stays No. 3, North Dakota is up three to No. 4, and Michigan falls three to sit fifth this week.
Quinnipiac is down one to No. 6 and earned the last first-place vote.
Notre Dame is up two to No. 7, Western Michigan falls two slots to No. 8, Massachusetts is up one to No. 9, and St. Cloud State moves up one to No. 10 in this week’s rankings.
Eighth last week, Minnesota Duluth tumbles to No. 11 this week.
Omaha reenters the latest poll at No. 20.
In addition to the top 20 teams, seven other schools received votes in this week’s poll.
The DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Ice Hockey 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.
Brockport was one of several teams across the region that found their way to an upset win on the road in conference tournament action (Photo by Gabe Dickens)
The best thing about playoff hockey is you never really know what is going to happen. How about a No. 1 seed, three No. 2 seeds and four No. 3 seeds all being dispatched from their conference tournaments this week? The NEHC championship is going to be hosted by the No. 4 seed (Babson) playing against the No. 6 team (Skidmore). There were six overtimes and two lowest seeds that advanced setting up more drama for the upcoming week. Before we get there, here is the weekend wrap-up:
CCC
The University of New England earned the top spot and faced Western New England in quarterfinal action on Saturday. After Daniel Winslow gave the Nor’easters a 1-0 lead late in the first period, the game became the Jared Christy show. Christy recorded a natural hat trick during the second and third periods to give UNE a 4-0 lead before the Golden Bears broke the shutout bid of Billy Girard IV on a goal by Sam Mitchell. Alex Sheehy, Jake Fuss and Austin Morgan each had two points for the Nor’easters in the win.
Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov setup one goal and scored on the power play to give the Gulls a 2-1 lead after two periods of their quarterfinal matchup with Wentworth. In the third period the Gulls broke the game open as Connor Amsley and Ryan Gaulin each scored a pair of goals for a 6-1 win. Conor O’Brien made 25 saves to earn his 18th win of the season.
There are some matchups that look great on paper for the higher seeded team but not so much on the ice. For the second consecutive time, Nichols knocked Salve Regina out of the playoffs with a 3-1 win over the Seahawks. Despite being outshot by a 44-24 margin, the Bison took an early lead on a goal by Owen Gonter setup by Curtis Carlson. Peter Miko extended the lead to 2-0 and Carlson sealed the win with a late goal to support a 43-save effort by goaltender Korbinian Lutz.
Curry also faced a challenge from Suffolk’s goaltender, Cal Wilcox on Saturday but came away with a 2-1 win over the Rams. Devin Lowe gave the visitors a first period lead but goals by Timmy Kent in the second period and Alexander Bouchard in the third period were just enough to overcome a 45-save effort from Wilcox.
The semifinals are now set for Wednesday, March 2 with UNE hosting Nichols and Endicott hosting Curry.
MASCAC
While Plymouth State was enjoying the bye week from their winning the regular season, three quarterfinal games created a lot of excitement and a major upset as No. 2 seeded Fitchburg State was ousted by Framingham State. The Falcons threw 40 shots at Blake Carlson who stopped everything that came his way. Neither team could score in regulation time but as is often the case, an unsuspecting hero emerged for the Rams, with sophomore forward Kaleb Kinskey scoring his first collegiate goal at the eight minute mark of overtime to give the Rams the 1-0 victory.
The No. 3 seeded Worcester State lancers also ran into a hot team in the Salem State Vikings on Saturday, dropping a 4-3 decision on Saturday. The Vikings seemed to have control of the game when Keagan O’Donoghue scored an empty-net, shorthanded tally late in the third period to give the visitors a 4-1 lead. The Lancers fought back with the extra attacker to score twice in the final minute off the sticks of Max Moriarty and Mike Wilson but ran out of time before they could get the equalizer. Aaron Mercer made 35 saves in the win.
In the No. 5 vs. No. 4 game, it was again the visitor that came away with the victory as Westfield State downed Massachusetts-Dartmouth 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. After Melker Kroon and Chuck Costello exchanged goals in the first two periods, neither team could solve the goaltending excellence of Valtteri Valtonen (38 saves) and Daniel Davidson (33 saves) for their respective teams. It took an overtime and a quick strike attack from the Owls early in the extra session to punch their ticket to the semifinals on a goal from Justin Collins.
As all of the lower seeds won on Saturday, Tuesday’s semifinals look like this – Plymouth State hosts Framingham State while Westfield State will host their game against Salem State.
NE-10
Southern New Hampshire enjoyed the bye week from winning the regular season and probably enjoyed scoreboard watching the three quarterfinal games where two took overtime to settle.
Stonehill was the lowest seed in the tournament and traveled to face No. 2 St. Anselm on Saturday where the offense was on display for both teams. Will Christensen scored a pair of goals in the first period for the Hawks who held a 3-2 lead after the first 20 minutes. Ryan King tied the game for Stonehill in the second period setting up and exciting third period and overtime. Trevor Hott gave the home team a 4-3 lead in the first wo minutes of the third period but once again Stonehill fought back to tie with an unassisted goal from Max Pineo with less than seven minutes remaining. As neither team could score in regulation, the game went to overtime where Mike Seoane cashed in on a rebound off the post on a shot from John Peloso giving the Skyhawks the 5-4 victory. John Day made 35 saves in the win for Stonehill.
Post playing for the first time in the NE-10 playoffs earned their first tournament win with a 3-1 decision over St. Michael’s on Saturday. Niko Grollman scored his first of two goals to level the game at 1-1 in the second period. Connor Barter would score the eventual game winner while Grollman added an insurance goal in the third period to support Brandon Brown’s 27-save effort for the Eagles.
Assumption and Franklin Pierce played a seesaw affair on Saturday that needed overtime to settle as well in their NE-10 matchup. Collin Philippon, Ronny Paragallo and Michael Zampanti gave the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead ,but the Ravens weren’t going to go away quietly. One goal from Chris Stevenson and two more from Conor Foley tied the game at three midway through the third period. Nothing was decided in regulation and the Greyhounds found some overtime magic off the stick of senior Robert Holyoke with assists to Devan Sheth and goaltender David Altman at the 9:11 mark.
On Tuesday, March 1, Southern New Hampshire will host Post in the semifinal round while Assumption will play Stonehill.
NEHC
The No. 1 seed Hobart and No. 2 seed Elmira both played host on Saturday in semifinal games and both now find themselves awaiting their NCAA fate looking for an at-large bid after losses to Skidmore and Babson respectively.
Skidmore’s Zach Frisk, Zach Lindewirth and Kaeden Patrick (all freshmen) scored all the goals that Tate Brandon would need in downing Hobart by a 3-2 score. Brandon was especially good in the final two periods where he made 24 of his 32 saves for the game. The win was the Thoroughbreds first in seven appearances in the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
Babson used Ryan Black’s overtime goal to down Elmira 3-2 on Saturday night. Black’s goal was his eighth game-winning goal of the season which leads the nation across all NCAA divisions. After Babson’s Matt Wiesner and Elmira’s Adam Eby exchanged first period goals, the goaltending was on display for both teams. In the third period, Elmira’s Shawn Kennedy and Babson’s Mike Egan exchanged power play goals just 30 seconds apart to end regulation tied at 2-2. With just over a minute left in the extra period, Black fired in a rebound that beat Elmira’s Chris Janzen for the win. Brad Arvanitis made 47 saves for the Beavers.
Babson as the highest remaining seed will now host Skidmore in the championship game on Saturday, 3/5.
NESCAC
After Tufts downed Middlebury, 4-1 and Connecticut College upset Bowdoin by the same score on Friday night, the quarterfinal matchups were set for the weekend with three games being played on Sunday afternoon.
Connecticut College earned the right to face a red-hot Trinity squad and saw the game quickly go awry when the Bantams posted goals by Lucas Michaud and Gerard Maretta in the first 22 seconds of action. Paul Selleck and Cole Poliziani would make it 4-0 before the end of the first period and the Bantams would add Michaud’s second of the game to close out a 5-0 win. Jax Murray picked up three assists and goaltender JP Mella picked up the 34-save shutout. The win extended the Bantam streak to six games.
Tufts drew another Maine opponent this week with a game against the top-seeded Colby squad. The first period ended with the teams deadlocked at 1-1 and then the home team got the offense rolling. John McElaney and Jacub Thousand gave the Mules a 3-1 lead after two periods before McElaney would net his second and setup Carter Breitenfeldt for the final goal in a 5-1 Colby win. Andy Beran stopped 19 of 20 shots in the win that secured Colby being the host site for the semifinals and championship game next weekend.
Hamilton traveled to Wesleyan for their quarterfinal matchup on Sunday and no surprise the game was close between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the NESCAC tournament. The Continentals proved to be the only visiting team to win in the quarterfinal round with a 3-2 win over the Cardinals. Nick Rutigliano, Cade Groton and Sean Thompson each scored to give the Continentals a one goal lead with Thompson’s goal proving to be the decisive one late in the second period. Goaltender Sean Storr made 26 saves to earn the victory.
In the only game played on Saturday, No. 3 seed Williams hosted Amherst in a re-match from the final weekend of the regular season. The Ephs took the season sweep by adding a quarterfinal playoff win by a 3-1 score. In a game that showed some high intensity, the Ephs scored once in each period to put away the challenge from the Mammoths. Niko Karamanis and Jack Forrest gave Williams a 2-1 lead and Sean Clarke’s empty-net goal sealed the victory.
Next Saturday, Colby will play host to the remainder of the tournament. The Mules will host Hamilton while Trinity will face-off against Williams in the other semifinal. The winners advance to the championship game on Sunday, March 6.
SUNYAC
The Geneseo Knights and Oswego State Lakers both earned byes to the semifinals as the quarterfinal round played out on Saturday in the SUNYAC playoffs.
Cortland, who earned the home-ice spot by beating Fredonia on the final day of the regular season, hosted the Blue Devils again on Saturday. The teams were tied at 1-1 after the first period before Cortland took a second period lead on a goal from Matt Jahn. A three-goal third period sealed the 5-1 win as Fredonia outshot the Red Dragons by a 40-36 margin with Luca Durante making 39 saves in the win.
In perhaps the wildest game of the weekend, Brockport traveled to No. 3 Plattsburgh and skated away with a 7-6 overtime win where the Golden Eagles rallied from a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes of regulation. Brockport started fast taking a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals from Connor Galloway. They extended the lead to 3-1 early in the second period on a power play goal from Andrew Hartley before the home team found their offense with five unanswered goals. Christian DeFelice scored twice in the period to give the Cardinals a 6-3 lead at the second intermission, but there were more fireworks to come. Jacob King’s power play goal early in the third period closed the gap to 6-4 before the late drama ensued for the Golden Eagles. With the extra attacker on the ice, Anthony Hora scored at 18:28 to make it 6-5 and just 15 seconds later Galloway completed his hat trick to tie the game at 6-6. In the overtime session, it was Brockport’s Scott Ramaekers that scored the golden goal for the Eagles and advanced them to the semifinals by a 7-6 final. Nolan Egbert made 46 saves, including 22 in the first period to earn the win for Brockport.
The semifinals are set for Wednesday, March 2 where Geneseo will host Brockport and Oswego will host Cortland.
UCHC
The quarterfinals played out on Tuesday and Wednesday with a bit of drama and an upset to kick-off the conference tournament. While No. 1 Utica easily dispatched Lebanon Valley, 11-1 on Tuesday night and No. 2 Wilkes took out Neumann, 7-4, the other two quarterfinals were much more competitive.
Chatham earned its first ever playoff win with a hard-fought and gritty 4-2 win over Nazareth on Wednesday earning them a semifinal date with Wilkes. Four different Cougars scored in the quarterfinal win. Playing against No. 3 Stevenson, Manhattanville stunned the Mustangs with a three-goal first period led by two goals from AJ Bella, on the way to a 4-1 win and a semifinal matchup with Utica.
Looking for more early magic against Utica, Manhattanville was stymied by Chris Dickson in the Utica goal as the first period was scoreless. In the second period Eric Holland and John Moncovich gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Buster Larsson and Regen Cavanaugh would score in the third period for the final 4-0 score. Dickson made 16 saves to earn the shutout win.
Chatham’s Matthew Doyle gave the Cougars an early 1-0 lead against Wilkes, but the Colonels would then score the next five goals on the way to a 5-1 win. Phil Erickson and Ben Stefanini would give the Colonels a 2-1 lead before the end of the first period and Tyson Araujo, Taylor Brierley and Donald Flynn would score in the second period to give Wilkes a comfortable lead. Michael jones-Paterson stopped 34 of 35 shots to pick-up the win.
Wilkes will travel to face Utica for the UCHC championship on Saturday, March 5.
Three Biscuits
Blake Carlson – Framingham State – stopped all 40 shots he faced from Fitchburg State as the Rams upset the Falcons 1-0 in overtime on Saturday.
Ryan Black – Babson – scored his nation-leading eighth game-winning goal in Babson’s 3-2 overtime win over Elmira on Saturday.
Connor Galloway – Brockport – recorded a five-point game including three goals and two assists for the Golden Eagles in their come-from-behind, 7-6 win over Plattsburgh in overtime on Saturday night.
Bonus Biscuits
Zach Frisk – Skidmore – scored the Thoroughbreds’ second goal and setup the game winner in their 3-2 upset of Hobart on Saturday.
Kaleb Kinskey – Framingham State – made the most of his first collegiate goal with the overtime winner against Fitchburg State on Saturday.
Brad Arvanitis – Babson – stopped 47 of 49 shots to backstop the Beavers to a 3-2 overtime win at Elmira on Saturday.
Jared Christy – University of New England – scored a hat trick in the Nor’easter’s 4-1 quarterfinal win over Western new England on Saturday. Christy became just the second player in program history to achieve the feat.
Scott Ramaekers – Brockport – netted the overtime winner for the Golden Eagles in their 7-6 overtime win over Plattsburgh on Saturday.
Robert Holyoke – Assumption – scored the overtime winning goal to advance the Greyhounds past Franklin Pierce on Saturday, 4-3
Justin Collins – Westfield State – scored the overtime goal advancing the Owls past Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday.
John McElaney – Colby – scored two goals and set up another in Colby’s 5-1 win over Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Sunday.
With all of the upsets and top seeds getting bounced, it is not just the conference titles that get interesting but also the makeup of the contenders for the NCAA tournament. One more week of action to go starting with some mid-week semifinals and conference championships next weekend.
The Tigers won just their second game of the season thanks to Abby Davies’ hat trick. After a scoreless first, RIT went up 2-0 thanks to goals from Davis and Lindsay Maloney. Gigi Pora cut the lead in half and the teams headed to the locker rooms for the final time with RIT up 2-1. Davis scored twice in the opening few minutes of the third, including a short-hander to make it 4-1 RIT. Jordan Marchese scored to make it 5-1 Tigers before Val Caldwell and Sierra Burt cut the lead to 5-3. Athena Vasdani extended RIT’s lead to 6-3. Casey Adimey scored in the final minute to make it 6-4, but Lindenwood ran out of time to complete a comeback.
Mercyhurst vs. Penn State
Jordan Mortlock scored twice to lead Mercyhurst to a 4-2 win in the CHA semifinal. Her goal put the Lakers up 1-0 after the first. In the second, Amy Dobson and Olivia Wallin replied for Penn State in the second to put them up 2-1. Mary Kromer’s goal in the final minute tied the game at two. Mortlock scored again to open the third to give Mercyhurst the lead and Sara Boucher’s goal secured the 4-2 victory.
RIT vs. Syracuse
RIT nearly pulled off a massive upset on the back of rookie Sarah Coe’s 51-save outing, but Syracuse pulled out the 3-2 win in overtime. Abby Moloughney scored just 32 seconds into the game to put the Orange up in the first. In the second, Abby Davies scored on the power play and in the third, Kyla Bear added an extra attacker goal of her own to put RIT up 2-1. Moloughney scored early in the third to tie it up, but Syracuse could not break through in regulation. Moloughney was the star of the night, completing her hat trick on a game-winning, sudden-death overtime goal to send her team to the CHA tournament championship game.
Mercyhurst vs. Syracuse
Syracuse earned their second-ever NCAA tournament berth with a second-straight 3-2 overtime win on Saturday. Abby Moloughney scored her fourth goal in a row for the team to put the Orange on top late in the first. Sarah Marchand extended Syracuse’s lead in the second. Sara Boucher responded at the midpoint of the game to put Mercyhurst on the board. Alexa Vasko tied the game in the third to force the extra frame. Sarah Thompson scored the championship winner, burying a rebound to send Syracuse to the NCAA tournament.
ECAC
Cornell vs. Colgate
In the first game, Colgate outshot Cornell 44-27, but needed until the final seconds of the first overtime period to find the game-winner. Dara Grieg put away a rebound from Danielle Serdachny shot to give Colgate the win. On Saturday, Colgate came back from a two-goal deficit in the final 23 minutes to take a 3-2 win and advance to the ECAC semifinal. Gabbie Rud and Athena Song had Cornell up 2-0 until 17:08 of the second when Allyson Simpson scored. Katie Chan scored 44 seconds later and suddenly it was tied at two heading into the third. Kalty Kaltounkova’s third-period power play goal gave Colgate the win. They’ll face Quinnipiac on Friday.
Princeton vs. Harvard
In the first game of the series, co-captains Shannon Griffin and Sharon Frankel combined for three goals and Princeton never trailed as they took a 4-2 win off top ECAC seed Harvard. Annie Kuehl opened the scoring and Harvard responded with a goal from Brooke Jovanovich. In the second, it was Frankel to put Princeton up 2-1 early in the period. Kate Glover tied it up in the final minute of the frame. The Tigers pulled away in the third as Griffin scored twice to close out the win. On Saturday, Harvard’s first lead of the series came in overtime, as Kristi Della Rovere scored the game-winner to tie the series. Grace Kuipers had Princeton on the board in the second, but Shannon Hollands tied it up and forced overtime with a goal early in the third before Della Rovere won the game. In the rubber match, the Tigers made history, becoming the first 8th seeded team to win a series in the 20 years ECAC has used this tournament format. Becca Gilmore, Harvard’s top scorer, got on the board for the first time in the series, opening the scoring on Sunday. Frankel tied it up before the end of the first. After a scoreless second, Maggie Connors and Griffin each scored to put Princeton up 3-1. Harvard pulled their goalie with about three minutes to go and appeared to have scored quickly thereafter, but it was called off for goalie interference. The Crimson didn’t give up and did actually cut the lead to one with 1:10 to go, but ran out of time as Princeton took the historic 3-2 win.
Clarkson vs. Quinnipiac
Five different Bobcats scored and Corinne Schroeder made 36 saves in Quinnipiac’s 5-1 win over Clarkson on Friday. Kristina Schuler actually had Clarkson up 1-0 near the end of the first, but Olivia Mobley replied to make it 1-1 at period break. Renee Saltness and Alexa Hoskin scored in the second and Taylor House and Sadie Peart lit the lamp in the third to give the Bobcats the win. On Saturday, Maddy Samoskevich, Mobley, House and Nina Steingauf all scored and Schroeder made 39 saves to lead Quinnipiac to a 4-0 win and a berth in the ECAC semifinals.
St. Lawrence vs. Yale
St. Lawrence scored the upset in the first game of the series thanks to a two-goal performance from Brittney Gout. After a scoreless first, Gout scored early in the second. Anna Bargman responded for Yale to make it 1-1 after two. Just 73 seconds into the third, Abby Hustler put St. Lawrence up 2-1. Tabea Botthof tied it up a minute later, but then St. Lawrence took control as Rachel Bjorgan and Gout scored to close out the 4-2 win. In the second game, Emma Seitz scored twice in the opening ten minutes to give Yale a 2-0 lead and then Elle Hartje extended the lead. St. Lawrence made it 3-1 before the end of the period with a goal from Shailynn Snow. Nara Elia cut it down to one in the second, but the Saints couldn’t complete a comeback and Yale won 3-2 to force a game three. On Sunday, Yale qualified for their second-ever conference semifinal with a gritty 4-2 win. The Bulldogs came from behind twice before closing out the game. Elia scored for St. Lawrence first and then Seitz scored on the player advantage to tie the game at one heading into the first intermission. In the second, Aly McLeod put the Saints ahead one more time, but Seitz once again tied it up and then 13 seconds later, Anja Tummer gave Yale the lead for good, making it 3-2 at the start of the third. Charlotte Welch added a power play goal midway through the frame to complete the 4-2 win.
Hockey East
Merrimack vs. New Hampshire
The Warriors earned their first-ever program postseason win on Wednesday as they defeated New Hampshire 4-1. Sam Lessick and Gabby Jones scored in the second to put Merrimack up 2-0. In the third, Courtney Maud capitalized on the power play to make it a 3-0 lead. Chavonne Truter scored late in the third for UNH, but Teghan Inglis’ shorthanded tally in the final minute ensure the 4-1 win.
Holy Cross vs. Providence
Carlie Magier had Holy Cross up 1-0 at the end of the first, but Providence scored three unanswered to take this opening round playoff game. Caroline Peterson, Ashley Clark and KC Brooks all scored for the Friars in the 3-1 win.
Maine vs. Boston College
Boston College scored first with a lamp-lighter from Willow Corson, but were stymied from there on out by Maine’s defense and goalie Jorden Mattison’s 27 saves. Alyssa Wruble tied the game for Maine with 2.1 seconds left in the first period. Taylor Leech added a power play goal in the second and that was enough to end Boston College’s season. Maine advances to the Hockey East semifinal and will face Northeastern on Saturday.
Providence vs. Vermont
The Catamounts advanced to the Hockey East semifinal for just the third time in program history with a 4-1 win over Providence. Conference scoring champion Theresa Schafzahl put Vermont on the board first, scoring in the opening two minutes. Antonia Matzka scored her first goal as a Catamount for what would prove to be the game-winner to send the team to the locker room up 2-0. In the second, Lily Humphrey added a power play goal to extend the lead to 3-0. Lily Hendrickson scored on the player advantage for Providence in the third to make it 3-1, but Schafzahl scored again to close out the win.
Boston University vs. Connecticut
Courtney Correia scored 43 seconds into the game, but that was all the offense BU could mount and Connecticut replied with three straight goals to take the win. Jada Habisch, Summer Rae Dobson and Morgan Wabick all lit the lamp to give the Huskies the win. They advance to play Vermont in the semifinals on Saturday.
Merrimack vs. Northeastern
Maureen Murphy notched her fourth hat trick of the season to lead Northeastern to an 8-0 win. Aerin Frankel became the sixth player ever to earn 100 wins in net, earning her 11th shutout of the season. Miceala Sindoris scored twice and Chloe Aurard, Mia Brown and Andrea Renner also scored in the win.
WCHA
Minnesota vs. St. Thomas
Audrey Wethington, Taylor Heise, Abigail Boreen and Amy Potomak all scored to leave Minnesota to a 4-0 win on Friday. In the second game, Heise scored her fifth short-handed goal of the season and Catie Skaja lit the lamp twice to lead the Gophers to a 5-1 win. Emily Oden and Wethington scored the other two goals for Minnesota. Jenn Hartung was St. Thomas’ goal-scorer. The Gophers will play Minnesota Duluth on Saturday in the WCHA semifinal.
Ohio State vs. St. Cloud State
On Friday, Paetyn Levis scored four times and had an assist to power the Buckeyes to a 6-0 win. Jenna Buglioni and Liz Schepers also scored in the win. In game two, OSU scored once per period to take a 3-0 victory and advance to the WCHA Final Faceoff. Gabby Rosenthal, Schepers and Lauren Bernard each found the back of the net. Ohio State will face Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinal on Saturday.
Wisconsin vs. Bemidji State
Graysen Myers scored in the final minutes of the first period to send the teams to the first intermission with Bemidji State up 1-0. Maddi Wheeler scored midway through the second to tie the game and Brette Pettet’s goal in the first minutes of the third would be the game winner. Kerigan Dowhy made 38 saves in the loss. On Saturday, Casey O’Brien broke out with a two-goal, three-assist game to lead Wisconsin to a 5-0 win and their 12th straight trip to the WCHA semifinal. She scored 66 seconds into the game, putting away a rebound for the game-winner. Nicole LaMantia scored from distance during a five minute major that saw Paige Beebe ejected for high sticking. Daryl Watts wove through the defense to make it 3-0. O’Brien potted her second on a perfect cross-ice pass from Chayla Edwards and Makenna Webster scored the final goal on a beauty of a drop pass from O’Brien. Wisconsin will play Ohio State in Minneapolis on Saturday evening.
Minnesota Duluth vs. Minnesota State
Minnesota State took a 3-2 lead after a fast-paced first period. Kelsey King scored in the first two minutes to put Mankato up 1-0. Elizabeth Giguere responded a few minutes later and Kylie Hanley gave the Bulldogs their first lead just 30 seconds after that. But Minnesota State responded, with a second goal from King and another from Brooke Bryant seconds before the horn to have the Mavericks in control after one. But Naomi Rogge scored a natural hat trick in the second period helped UMD pull away. Brittyn Fleming scored in the final minute to close the lead to one goal, but MSU ran out of time to complete a comeback and Duluth took game one 5-4. On Saturday, Fleming opened up the scoring to put Mankato on the board first once again. Gabbie Hughes responded later in the period to make it a tie game at the period break. Alexis Paddington scored on the power play in the second for what was the eventual game winner and Fleming scored again in the third to give the Mavericks a 3-1 win to force game three. On Sunday, Giguere scored her 26th career game-winning goal in one of the most crucial spots, using her superior vision and stick handling skills to beat Minnesota State in overtime and send UMD to the WCHA semifinal. UMD had a 2-0 lead after Anna Klein scored on the power play in the first and Taylor Anderson scored early in the second. Fleming continued her stellar weekend by cutting the lead in half and Jessica Kondas tied the game early in the third. But Giguere showed incredible patience and waited for the perfect time to place the puck past Chantal Burke.
Cornell goalie Ian Shane made 42 saves as the Big Red shut out Quinnipiac 1-0 last Friday night (photo: Chip DeLorenzo/Chip Shots Sports Photography).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Irish sweep Michigan
Notre Dame wrapped up the regular season with a bang over the weekend, taking a pair from second-ranked Michigan by scores of 4-1 and 2-1 at home. The Irish clinched the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which it will kick off next weekend at home against Wisconsin.
Trevor Janicke’s late third-period tally clinched Saturday night’s win before a sellout crowd of 4,903. Notre Dame swept the four-game season series against s the Wolverines. Hunter Strand also scored for Notre Dame, while Matthew Galajda made 31 saves to earn the victory.
With the win, the Irish improved to 25-9-0 on the year and will be the third seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
2. Mavericks continue to roll
There should be no change at the top of this week’s DCU/USCHO.com men’s D-I poll, as top-seeded Minnesota State earned a sweep at No. 14 Michigan Tech over the weekend.
The Mavericks extended their winning streak to 11 games with a pair of 2-1 wins, including Friday night’s overtime affair.
Nathan Smith scored his 17th goal of the season on Saturday to spark a third=period comeback. Lucas Sowder then scored on the power play for the game winner
3. Denver splits with Omaha
No. 3 Denver bounced back from a loss at NCHC rival Omaha on Friday night with a come-from-behind 5-2 win when the two teams met the next night. The Pioneers scored five unanswered goals to erase a two-goal deficit.
Denver thrice scored on the power play in the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead, as Carter Savoie, Mike Benning and Cameron Wright all found the back of the net. Benning scored the go-ahead goal with 4:49 remaining and one second after a 5-on-3 expired.
4. Cornell has Quinnipiac’s number
Quinnipiac has spent most of the season near the top of the DCU/USCHO.com poll, but Cornell apparently hasn’t gotten the message. The Big Red completed the season sweep of the Bobcats with a 1-0 win Friday night in Hamden, Conn.
Junior forward Jack Malone scored on the power play 5:58 into the game, and freshman goaltender Ian Shane took care of the rest with a career-high 42 saves to earn his second collegiate shutout.
With a 4-0 win the next night at Princeton, Cornell clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming ECAC tournament.
5. NoDak sweeps Western Michigan
The Fighting Hawks moved to within a win of clinching their third straight NCHC regular-season title with a 5-2 win over Western Michigan to complete a weekend sweep of the team that swept them earlier this season.
Special teams were key for North Dakota in the win, with two goals coming on the power play and one coming shorthanded. Judd Caulfield scored one of each for his eighth and ninth goals of the season.
6. Minutemen hammer Vermont, all but clinch Hockey East regular-season title
Eight different Minutemen scored goals on Saturday night in an 8-2 win at Vermont to complete a series sweep. With the win, UMass improved to 19-10-2 on the season, 14-6-2 in Hockey East. UMass now has 46 points in the league standings, putting them a full five points ahead of Northeastern and UMass Lowell, who are tied for second (though Northeastern has a game in hand).
The Minutemen will close out the regular season next weekend with a home-and-home against Boston College.
7. BC, BU split Battle of Comm Ave
It’s been a season of struggles for Boston College, but the Eagles will be able to hang their hat on winning the season finale against rival Boston University 3-1 on Sunday, salvaging a split of the weekend series.
Drew Helleson blasted a left wing one-timer from Marc McLaughlin with 5:20 left in regulation for the game winner on Saturday. It was the 287th edition of the classic rivalry. Eric Dop posted a season-high 42 saves for the Eagles. BC extended its home unbeaten streak against the Terriers to four games (3-0-1).
8. Gophers clinch Big Ten regular-season crown
Minnesota goalie Justen Close earned his first two collegiate shutouts over the weekend as the Gophers swept Wisconsin by scores of 5-0 and 8-0. The wins clinched the Big Ten regular-season title for Minnesota.
It was the fifth regular-season championship for the Gophers in the nine-year history of the Big Ten as a hockey league. Minnesota was a perfect 8-0-0 in the month of February for the team’s longest winning and unbeaten streak of the season.
9. Northeastern sweeps battle of Huskies
While UMass has a sizable lead for the No. 1 seed in Hockey East going into the final weekend of the regular season, who will be the No. 2 through 7 seeds is anyone’s guess — five teams are within three points of each other as of Monday morning.
Northeastern got a slight edge in the multi-team battle for the upper hand with a sweep of Connecticut over the weekend, winning by scores of 3-1 and 5-2. Northeastern is currently tied with Merrimack for second place in the conference, while UConn is in a three-way tie for fifth with BU and Providence.
10. UNH salutes Scarano
Just before dropping the puck against Merrimack on Saturday night at the Whittemore Center, New Hampshire saluted outgoing athletic director Marty Scarano, who announced his retirement last fall, effective at the end of the school year.
Scarano came to New Hampshire in 2000 from Colorado College and was chair of the NCAA men’s ice hockey committee from 2005-07.
“Being together for so long, he’s a great friend and mentor professionally,” said Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf, who worked with Scarano at UNH for the better part of two decades. “I learned so much from him — all things hockey.”
Trevor Janicke celebrates his late third-period goal last Saturday night during Notre Dame’s two-game sweep over Michigan (photo: Notre Dame Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Feb. 21 fared in games over the weekend of Feb. 25-27.
No. 1 Minnesota State (31-5-0)
02/25/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota State 2 at No. 14 Michigan Tech 1 (OT)
02/26/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota State 2 at No. 14 Michigan Tech 1
No. 6 Western Michigan (20-10-1)
02/25/2022 – No. 6 Western Michigan 1 at No. 7 North Dakota 2
02/26/2022 – No. 6 Western Michigan 2 at No. 7 North Dakota 5
No. 7 North Dakota (21-11-1)
02/25/2022 – No. 6 Western Michigan 1 at No. 7 North Dakota 2
02/26/2022 – No. 6 Western Michigan 2 at No. 7 North Dakota 5
No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (16-14-4)
02/22/2022 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 11 St. Cloud State 1 (OT)
02/25/2022 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 3 at Miami 1
02/26/2022 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 0 at Miami 4
No. 11 St. Cloud State (17-11-4)
02/22/2022 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 11 St. Cloud 1 (OT)
02/25/2022 – Colorado College 1 at No. 11 St. Cloud State 4
02/26/2022 – Colorado College 2 at No. 11 St. Cloud State 6
No. 12 Ohio State (21-11-2)
Did not play.
No. 13 Boston University (18-11-3)
02/26/2022 – Boston College 3 at No. 13 Boston University 6
02/27/2022 – No. 13 Boston University 1 at Boston College 3
No. 14 Michigan Tech (19-11-3)
02/25/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota State 2 at No. 14 Michigan Tech 1 (OT)
02/26/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota State 2 at No. 14 Michigan Tech 1
St. Norbert celebrates its overtime win against Aurora Saturday in an NCHA tournament semifinal. Photo courtesy of St. Norbert Athletics.
Neither team wanted its season to end. St. Norbert and Aurora, both nationally ranked, gave it their all in their NCHA tournament semifinal showdown Saturday night.
One team had to win, and when it was all said and done, it was the Green Knights, who escaped with a 5-4 victory in overtime.
Brendan Mark scored the game winner with 37.2 seconds left in the extra period of hockey.
St Norbert, ranked sixth in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll, seemed to be on its way to dominating the game, scoring three times in the first period.
Aurora answered in the second period, outscoring the Green Knights 3-1. The Spartans then tied the game in the third.
Then Mark ended the game. The Green Knight defenseman scored his fifth goal of the year to lift St. Norbert to the thrilling win and a berth in the Harris Cup final.
Mark scored off a pass from Peyton Frantti, setting off a celebration behind the Spartans’ goal.
Both teams left it all on the ice, taking 43 shots apiece. Colby Entz made 39 saves, 16 of which came in the final period. Josh Boyko tallied 38.
The Green Knights led 4-3 most of the third before Riley Doyon punched in a goal with just under six minutes to play to tie the score.
Adam Stacho led the Green Knights with two goals. Michael McChesney tallied a goal and an assist. Mark dished out one assist and Carter Hottman finished with two assists.
The two regular-season games the teams played were both decided by a goal, including once in OT. St. Norbert won both.
The Spartans, ranked 14th nationally, were hoping this time would be different. Larry Jungwirth, Matt Weber and Adam Keyes scored goals. Aurora’s season ends with an 18-9-1 record.
St. Norbert moves on to play Adrian for the NCHA title on Saturday.
Bulldogs back in championship game
Adrian is now one win away from hoisting the Harris Cup once again.
In a season that has been nothing short of impressive, the Bulldogs continued their dominance with a 5-2 win over Trine in the semifinal round of the NCHA tournament.
The top-ranked team in the nation in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll scored four times in the second period to take control against the Thunder. The Bulldogs have now won 27 consecutive games.
They owned a 34-22 advantage in shots. Sam Ruffin came through with a goal and an assist while Terry Ryder dished out two assists.
Cameron Gray made 20 saves for the Bulldogs. Shane Brancato tallied 19 saves for the Thunder. Adrian moves on to play St. Norbert for the title on Saturday.
Brett Piper and Justin Meers both scored for Trine, which is 19-9 on the season.
MIAC Tournament
Oles stun Cobbers
In its first playoff game in nearly a decade, St. Olaf made it count.
Freshman Sean Walsh scored a game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation to send the Oles past Concordia 3-2 in the opening round of the MIAC tournament Saturday.
The seventh-seeded Oles won their first tourney game since 2014 and advance to the semifinal round of the tournament for the seventh time in program history.
Walsh, a freshman, scored his goal with 1:01 left off a assist from Ashton Altmann. It was his 11th goal of the season.
Lukas Haugen then made sure the Cobbers didn’t force overtime as he made a clutch save with five seconds to play.
The Oles took a 1-0 lead in the opening period off a goal by Jonathan Young , who came through with his fourth goal of the year and his first since Jan. 18.
The Cobbers tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Kevin Ness with 28 seconds left in the first.
Concordia then went ahead 2-1 on a goal by Keaton Leninger at the 4:28 mark of the second. Noa Heisler evened the score up at 2-2 with a one-timer nearly 14 minutes later. It was his first goal since Nov. 6 when he scored the first goal of his college career.
Haugen finished with 28 saves while Jackson Nelson stopped 19 shots for the Cobbers.
While Concordia sees its season end at 13-10-3, the Oles improve to 9-14-3 and keep hope alive of playing in the title game for the first time in 10 years.
Auggies survive upset bid
Augsburg took advantage of the power play and propelled itself into the semifinal round of the MIAC tournament with a 4-3 win over over Gustavus in overtime Saturday.
The Auggies scored all four of their goals on the power play, including the game winner from Austin Martinsen at the 7:35 mark of the OT period.
Martinsen tipped in a shot for his sixth game-winning goal of the year. He has scored 14 goals in all and helps the Auggies, the top seed and the fourth-ranked team in the nation in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll, move on to take on Bethel in the semifinal round.
Augsburg trailed 3-2 in the third after a goal by Patrick Gazich.
But Austin Dollimer answered with his second goal of the game later in the period to tie the score.
Connor Clemons and Toby Sengvongxay also scored for the Gusties, who finish their year with a 6-16-4 record.
Martinsen not only scored a goal, but he also dished out two assists. Dollimer added an assist to his point total and Patrick O’Connor came through with two assists.
The Auggies improve to 23-3 and have now outscored the opposition 99-44. Saturday’s showdown marked the second time this season they have scored four goals on the power play.
Bartoo’s heroics lift Royals to win
Braden Bartoo is only a freshman, but he stepped up like a veteran in Bethel’s thrilling MIAC tourney opener against St. Scholastica Saturday.
Bartoo scored the game-winning goal in overtime to carry the Royals past the Saints 4-3. Bethel is headed to the semifinal round of the the tourney for the first time since 2007
Adam Bricker scored twice to give the Royals a 2-1 lead before the Saints tied the game at 2-2 in the second period.
Jarrett Cammarata put the Royals back in front 3-2 with 3:31 left in regulation. It was his sixth goal of the season.
Filimon Ledenkov scored his second goal of the night 31 seconds later to force OT.
The Saints finish the year at 11-10-2, winning five of their final six games.
Bethel pushes its record to 15-10-1 and takes on Augsburg in the semifinal round Wednesday.
Johnnies advance in tourney
Saint John’s dominated its MIAC tourney opener Sunday night, skating past Saint Mary’s with a 5-1 win.
The third-seeded Johnnies scored two goals in the first and third periods on their way to earning a spot in the semifinal round for the fourth consecutive season. Auggie Moore scored the final two goals of the game while Mac Berglove made 26 saves.
Nathan Solis scored the lone goal for the Cardinals, coming through with it five minutes into the third period.
The Johnnies are 17-7-2 and will play St. Olaf Wednesday in the semifinal round. The Cardinals finish the year with an 8-14-1 mark.
WIAC Tournament
Blugolds continue title run
Once a team struggling to get on track in the first half of the season, UW-Eau Claire now finds itself headed to the championship game of the WIAC tournament.
The Blugolds are there finishing off their semifinal series against UW-River Falls with a 3-1 win Saturday night.
Neither team scored in the first two periods of play. Noah Ganske gave the Falcons the first lead of the night when he punched in a goal at the 5:27 mark of the third period.
Matt Stanton tied the game seven minutes later and Quinn Green gave the Blugolds the lead for good with under four minutes to play in the game. Simon Sagissor’s goal in the final two minutes sealed the deal.
The Blugolds will play for the title Saturday night against rival UW-Stevens Point on the road.
UW-Eau Claire held a 27-22 advantage in shots while Ryan Oullette stepped up with 21 saves for his 16th win of the season. Dysen Skinner tallied 24 saves for the Falcons, who end the year at 13-13-1.
The Blugolds, who were 4-8 heading into Christmas, have lost only three games in 2022. They improve to 17-11-1 and are unbeaten in their last 12 games. They won the series opener Friday with a 3-2 win in overtime.
Ty Readman punched in the game winner at the 3:28 mark of the OT period. It was the second goal of the game for Readman, who also dished out an assist. Readman’s first goal of the night tied the score at 2-2 with under eight minutes to play in regulation.
Pointers back in the title game
David Hill scored a pair of goals to help UW-Stevens Point wrap up its WIAC tournament semifinal series with a 3-2 win over UW-Superior Saturday night.
The Pointers, sitting at 21-5-1 and ranked 10th in the DCU/NCAA Division III men’s poll, are now headed to the WIAC title game for the eighth consecutive year.
Ryan Wagner made 19 saves for the Pointers while Myles Hektor came through with 29 saves for the Yellowjackets, who won the conference crown a season ago and end their year with a 15-12-2 record.
Carter Roo also scored for the Pointers, who have won 10 consecutive games, while Coltyn Bates and Ty Proffitt came through with goals for the Yellowjackets.
The Pointers won Friday’s series opener 4-3 on the strength of two goals by Conor Witherspoon, who scored in each of the first two periods to put UW-Stevens Point ahead 2-0.
Wagner came through with 21 saves and Hektor stopped 36 shots.
C.J. Walker scored twice for UW-Superior, with his second goal of the night in the second period cutting the UW-Stevens Point lead to 3-2.
No. 13 Boston University jumped to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back, earning a 6-3 victory against archival Boston College (Photo: Robert Branning/BU Athletics)
North Dakota scored three times in the game’s first 13 minutes and had a response every time Western Michigan attempted to crawl back, earning a 5-2 win to complete the weekend sweep of the Broncos.
The victory extends the winning streak to six games for the Fighting Hawks which are now 8-1-1 in their last 10.
Judd Caufield scored twice for North Dakota, while goaltender Zach Driscoll made 21 saves to earn the victory.
The Fighting Hawks now control their own destiny to clinch the NCHC regular-season title next weekend. They hold a four-point lead over Denver, a 5-2 victor over Omaha on Saturday, and will need just two of six points next weekend at Omaha to clinch their fifth Penrose Cup in nine seasons.
On Friday night, Minnesota netminder Justen Close earned his first collegiate. He wasted no time to get number two.
Close stopped all 24 shots he faced to complete the perfect weekend between the pipes for the Gophers in an 8-0 victory over rival Wisconsin. The win clinched the Big Ten regular-season title for Minnesota.
The Gophers entered the weekend without control of their own destiny, two points behind Michigan for first place. But the sweep combined with Michigan falling twice to Notre Dame gave Minnesota the title for the fifth time in nine season though the first time since 2017.
The Gophers receive a bye to the Big Ten semifinals and will face the lowest remaining seed from next weekend’s quarterfinal round.
Tristan Broz paced Minnesota’s offense, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Jackson LaCombe set up three goals himself on a night where eight different players found the back of the net for the Gophers.
No. 4 Quinnipiac 4, Colgate 0
The celebration was delayed a night, but that doesn’t make it any less sweet for Quinnipiac.
Graduate transfer Dylan St. Cyr stopped all 19 shots he faced to earn his fourth shutout in his last six starts. It is the 16th shutout for Quinnipiac this season, expanding its NCAA record for shutouts in a single season by one team.
Quinnipiac finished the regular season three points ahead of Clarkson, a 4-0 winner over Brown on Saturday. The Bobcats will now host the lowest remaining seed after next week’s first round of the ECAC playoffs.
Since joining the ECAC in 2005-06, this is the sixth time that Quinnipiac has emerged as the regular-season champion.
No. 13 Boston University 6, Boston College 3
Luke Tuch and Dylan Peterson each scored twice as Boston University remains red hot, earning a 6-3 victory in the 286th edition of the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue against cross-town rival Boston College.
The Terriers extend their winning streak to eight games and are 14-1-1 since December 1, 2021. They have moved from the bottom of Hockey East to being just a single game out of second place. BU and BC will meet again on Sunday.
Jack McBain scored twice for Boston College in the losing effort.
MADISON — Wisconsin’s top line – nicknamed the WOW line for the first initials of their last names – lived up to the moniker on Saturday afternoon. Casey O’Brien, Makenna Webster and Daryl Watts were responsible for nine of Wisconsin’s 15 points in the game. O’Brien led the team with two goals and three assists. Watts’ goal and assist give her 296 career points – seven shy of Meghan Agosta’s all-time record of 303. Chayla Edwards also added two assists in the win.
“it was nice to see them create some space and get some goals,” said Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson about his top line. “We capitalized when we needed to and talked about trying to play ahead and we did that.”
Wisconsin got out to a quick start with a goal from O’Brien 66 seconds into the game. Nicole LaMantia got the puck from Daryl Watts after a faceoff and put it on net. Bemidji goalie Kerigan Dowhy made the stop but couldn’t hold on to the puck. O’Brien picked it up and skated it around the crease to tuck it behind Dowhy and make it 1-0 early.
Bemidji State’s Paige Beebe was called for a major penalty at 6:33 of the first and was sent off. Wisconsin moved the puck well on the extended power play, but Dowhy kept them off the board until LaMantia cheated in a bit from the point and one-timed a pass from O’Brien at the top of the circles that went bar down to make it 2-0.
In the closing minutes of the opening frame, the Badgers were building out of their defensive zone. O’Brien carried the puck up and hit Watts with a pass right at the center line. From there, Watts did it on her own, weaving through the defense and putting the puck in the far side netting.
Wisconsin outshot the Beavers 24-2 in the first.
The second featured more back and forth play for much of the period before the Badgers lit the lamp two more times in the final three minutes. O’Brien continued her stellar day, this time ending up at the back post to tip in a perfect cross-ice pass from Chayla Edwards. Then, with :41 on the clock, O’Brien got a bit of a breakaway down the left side. She drew the defender, who laid out to try and block a shot, so O’Brien slid the puck back to Webster, who was trailing and beat Dowhy easily to make it 5-0 Wisconsin.
Dowhy made a total of 82 saves on the weekend.
Wisconsin advances to their 12th straight WCHA Final Faceoff and will play Ohio State on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Hockey East announced Saturday that Maine sophomore forward Donavan Villeneuve-Houle has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 3:22 of the first period on Friday, February 25 at Providence.
On the play, Villeneuve-Houle was assessed a major penalty for contact to the head and a game misconduct.
Villeneuve-Houle will miss the game on Saturday, February 26 at Providence and will be eligible to return to the Black Bears’ lineup on Friday, March 4 against Boston University.
Josh Boyko has played a key role in helping put Aurora in a position to contend for an NCHA crown. Photo courtesy of Aurora Athletics.
Josh Boyko almost didn’t play college hockey. He was drafted into the OHL at the age of 16 and considered going that route. And then he got a phone call from South Kent School. That call put him on a path to becoming a standout goaltender for the Aurora Spartans.
“South Kent School reached out and asked me to come out, and looking back on that call now, I couldn’t be more grateful,” Boyko said. “I wouldn’t be here if wasn’t for that. It’s been an unbelievable experience.”
Boyko is in the midst of another solid season with the Spartans, who are ranked 14th in the nation in the DCU/USCHO.com NCAA Division III men’s poll.
Boyko has started all 25 games for Aurora, fashioning a 2.55 goals against average and racking up 674 saves. Now in his fifth and final season at Aurora, this campaign has been his best one yet. But he hasn’t done it alone.
“I’ve gotten a lot of support from my teammates and coaches. They’ve been immensely helpful,” Boyko said. “They always have my back.”
The time he has put into hockey at the college level has helped propel him to new heights this season as well.
“Having experience in the league has helped me big time,” Boyko said. “I’ve learned to slow the game down. I’ve had a chance to play in a lot of games, and reaching the 100-game mark this year was realy cool. Being the first to do that here is awesome.”
Boyko said the talent on the roster as a whole has been instrumental in putting Aurora in a position to spend most of the year nationally ranked while also getting to the semifinal round of the conference tournament for the first time.
“I knew we’d have a competitive team and all of the guys have worked really hard to have a great season,” Boyko said. “We’ve put together some great games and we’re hoping to make a push here.”
What has made this season extra special for Boyko is that his brother, Simon, is now on the roster. He transferred in from Vermont and has scored a team-best 18 goals. Jack Jaunich is second on the team in goals scored with 15.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Boyko said. “We’ve always trained together in the summer and it’s been awesome to see how well he’s done. We compete in practice every day. It’s been a fun year with him.”
And the two often get quite competitive in practice.
“We’ll finish a drill and if he’s taken three or four shots and hasn’t scored on me, I’ll let him know it that I have his number. And vice versa. If he’s done well against me, he’ll give me a hard time about it.”
Boyko and the Spartans are focused this weekend on continuing their quest for an NCHA title, facing sixth-ranked St. Norbert tonight on the road in a 7 p.m. semifinal showdown.
Both games in the regular season were close. The Spartans lost 2-1 and 4-3 in overtime.
“We know we have a legit team and it’s no longer a situation where we are supposed to lose. We believe we can win,” Boyko said. “We can’t wait to get out there and have a chance to try to make more history.”
No matter how things go, it’s been quite a ride for a player who has always embraced the opportunity to be a goaltender.
“I’ve been lucky and blessed to play a lot of college hockey,” Boyko said.
Goals came easy for Minnesota, which skated to an important 5-0 win over Wisconsin to take control of the Big Ten standings (photo: Jim Rosvold)
Minnesota scored one in the first and second periods before it became the Ben Meyers show.
Meyers, fresh off a visit to Beijing and representing the United States in the 2022 Olympics, scored three times in the third period, a natural hat trick, as Minnesota skated to a 5-0 win over rival Wisconsin.
The victory, combined with No. 2 Michigan’s 4-1 loss to No. 9 Notre Dame, propels the Gophers to first place in the Big Ten with one night remaining in the regular season.
Jonny Sorenson gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead at 6:08 of the first. Jaxon Nelson extended the advantage with 29 seconds remaining in the second.
Then it became Meyers show, scoring goals at 4:25, 11:41 and 17:19 of the final frame.
Justen Close made 20 saves for the shutout and win.
The nation’s top team Minnesota State had moments to fret against No. 14 Michigan Tech, but at the end Julian Napravnik’s goal at 1:18 of overtime sent the Mavericks home victorious, 2-1.
The Mavericks never led, falling behind 1-0 on a Tommy Parrottino goal 8:27 into the contest.
Minnesota State evened the score when Nathan Smith, coming off his Olympic stay with Team USA, evened things with 3:39 left in the second.
Dryden McKay earned the victory making 21 saves.
No. 15 Northeastern 3, No. No. 19 Connecticut 1
It took a 60-save effort from goaltender Devon Levi, but Northeastern outlasted UConn, 3-1, in a crazy territorial battle on Friday.
The Huskies never trailed, jumping to a 1-0 lead on a Gunnarwolfe Fontaine goal at 10:47 of the first. But goaltending was the story for Northeastern.
Devon Levi, returning from his stint with the Canadian Olympic team, stopped 15 shots in the first, 19 in the second and 26 more in the third. After Northeastern took a 3-0 lead, Levi allowed his only goal with 1:52 remaining to Hudson Schandor, spoiling the shutout.
No. 18 Cornell 1, No. 5 Quinnipiac 0
Quinnipiac has yet again dominated an opponent offensively, but fallen despite allowing just a single goal.
Jack Malone’s goal at 5:58 of the first period was all Cornell needed in a 1-0 victory over the Bobcats.
