No. 2 St. Cloud State (9-5-0)
11/19/2021 – No. 2 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 13 Western Michigan 6
11/20/2021 – No. 2 St. Cloud State 0 at No. 13 Western Michigan 4
No. 3 Minnesota State (11-3-0)
11/18/2021 – St. Thomas 0 at No. 3 Minnesota State 9
11/20/2021 – No. 3 Minnesota State 5 at St. Thomas 0
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (8-3-1)
11/19/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 4 at No. 6 North Dakota 1
11/20/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 6 North Dakota 2
No. 5 Quinnipiac (10-1-3)
11/20/2021 – St. Lawrence 0 at No. 5 Quinnipiac 8
11/19/2021 – RV Clarkson 2 at No. 5 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)
No. 6 North Dakota (9-4-0)
11/19/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 4 at No. 6 North Dakota 1
11/20/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 6 North Dakota 2
No. 7 Minnesota (8-6-0)
11/19/2021 – RV Penn State 5 at No. 7 Minnesota 3
11/20/2021 – RV Penn State 2 at No. 7 Minnesota 4
No. 8 Massachusetts (7-4-1)
11/19/2021 – New Hampshire 0 at No. 8 Massachusetts 3
11/20/2021 – No. 8 Massachusetts 1 at New Hampshire 2 (OT)
No. 13 Western Michigan (8-4-0)
11/19/2021 – No. 2 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 13 Western Michigan 6
11/20/2021 – No. 2 St. Cloud State 0 at No. 13 Western Michigan 4
No. 18 Northeastern (9-4-1)
11/19/2021 – No. 18 Northeastern 1 at RV Boston University 0 (OT)
11/20/2021 – RV Boston University 2 at No. 18 Northeastern 2 (OT)
No. 19 Boston College (7-5-2)
11/18/2021 – Maine 2 at No. 19 Boston College 6
11/19/2021 – Maine 2 at No. 19 Boston College 2 (OT)
No. 20 Bemidji State (7-5-0)
11/19/2021 – RV Michigan Tech 4 at No. 20 Bemidji State 3
11/20/2021 – RV Michigan Tech 3 at No. 20 Bemidji State 4
The CCHA announced Sunday a one-game suspension for Bowling Green sophomore forward Chrystopher Collin.
The suspension stems from an incident at 15:06 of the third period on Saturday, Nov. 20 against Lake Superior State where Collin was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct penalties for contact to the head.
After further league review, the CCHA has determined that the penalty will result in supplemental discipline.
The suspension will be served during the Falcons’ next game, which is Friday, Nov. 26 against Northern Michigan. Collin will be eligible to return to the Bowling Green lineup on Saturday, Nov. 27.
Brandon Budy scores the game-winning goal in the third period as No. 6 North Dakota bounces back with a win, 2-1, over No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (Photo: Russell Hons/UND Athletics)
North Dakota’s defense was able to bottle up No. 4 Minnesota Duluth on Saturday as the sixth-ranked Fighting Hawks rallied from a goal down to earn a hard-fought, 2-1 victory and a weekend split with the Bulldogs.
Brendan Budy’s goal with 14:55 remaining in regulation was the game-winner as goaltender Zach Driscoll stopped 22 of 23 shots to earn the victory.
The opening goal, for the second straight night, proved a bad omen. A night after North Dakota scored early only to surrender the game’s final four goals, it was Minnesota Duluth’s Blake Biondi who broke open the scoring, though this goal coming with 5:09 left in the second.
It appeared the lead would last into the final frame before Ethan Frisch scored with nine seconds remaining in the second to send the game into the third tied at 1.
For the second straight night, Notre Dame found magic in 3-on-3 overtime, this time as Max Ellis completed a hat trick lifting the Irish to a 5-4 win over top-ranked Michigan.
The Wolverines, despite taking two games in the loss column, still come away from the series with 2-of-6 points in the Big Ten standings, while Notre Dame begins its ascent up the standings with a four-point weekend.
After a tight-checking 3-2 Notre Dame OT win on Friday, Saturday’s game was a little more wild, as Michigan jumped to a 2-0 lead then fell behind as Notre Dame rallied, the third of those goals coming from Ellis.
Nick Blankenberg drew Michigan even at 9:48 of the second before Ellis scored his second, on the power play with 54 seconds left in the middle frame.
Thomas Bordeleau forced the overtime session with 6:31 remaining before Ellis capped his career night. It was the first collegiate hat trick for the junior forward who posted two-goal games this season against RIT and Wisconsin.
No. 13 Western Michigan 4, No. 2 St. Cloud State 0
Goaltender Brandon Bussi stopped all 36 shots he faced to earn the shutout and Paul Walshe tallied a goal and an assist as the Broncos completed a much-needed home sweep of second-ranked St. Cloud State, 4-0.
Jason Polin and Michael Joyaux each scored in the second period before Western Michigan added two late empty-net goals to secure the victory.
The game was almost won by UNH in regulation before defenseman Scott Morrow scored an extra-attacker goal with 1.1 seconds left in the third.
Liam Devlin’s goal at 17:33 of the first held up as the only goal for much of the night.
No. 15 UMass Lowell 3, Connecticut 0
For the second straight game, UMass Lowell junior Andre Lee scored two goals, both coming in the third period to break a scoreless tie as the River Hawks skated past UConn, 3-0, in the opener of a home-and-home matinee series.
The two teams travel Hartford, Conn., on Sunday for the backend of 3:30 p.m. starts.
Lee, who twice redirected pucks for goals last Saturday against Boston College, made it three straight, tipping a pass from Carl Berglund at 4:34 of the third to break the 0-0 deadlock. He then added a second goal with a snipe against the grain as he moved to his left with 3:43 remaining.
Hockey East announced Saturday that Boston University freshman forward Tyler Boucher has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 9:18 of the second period on Friday, November 19 against Northeastern.
No penalty was called on the play.
Boucher will miss the game on Saturday, November 20 at Northeastern and will be eligible to return to the Terriers’ lineup on Saturday, November 27, when BU plays Cornell.
Brendan Brisson had a goal and an assist for Michigan, but the Wolverines blew a 2-0 lead and fell 3-2 in overtime to Notre Dame Friday night (photo: Michigan Photography).
No. 14 Notre Dame erased a 2-0 third-period deficit to defeat top-ranked Michigan 3-2 in overtime Friday night at Yost Ice Arena.
Ryder Rolston scored a pair of goals, including the overtime game winner, while Hunter Strand’s goal got the Irish on board to kick start the comeback.
Grant Silianoff had a pair of assists and Ryan Bischel earned the win with a 28-save performance.
“Our guys had no quit,” said Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson. “I thought we played well for the first 40 minutes but they got that late power-play goal for the second goal and we had a little dip on the bench but not for long. Great effort by Hunter Strand’s line going out there and scoring that first goal.”
Ryan Bischel made 28 saves for the win while Erik Portillo stopped 36 for the Wolverines.
at No. 13 Western Michigan 6, No. 2 St. Cloud State 2
Ethen Frank became the first Western Michigan player to score four goals in a game since 2006 as the 13th-ranked Broncos downed No. 2 St. Cloud State 6-2 at Lawson Ice Arena.
Frank finished with a career-high five points on four goals and an assist. The last Bronco to put four in the net in a single game was Brent Walter back on Jan. 16, 2006 in a 5-4 win at Bowling Green.
Hats off to @efrank_98 who completes the 🎩 trick! 🧢🧢🧢
Victor Ostman stopped 29 shots for the Black Bears, while Eric Dop tallied 29 saves for Boston College.
at No. 5 Quinnipiac 3, Clarkson 2 (shootout)
Clarkson scored the game’s first two goals only for Quinnipiac to come back and get the next two, including the game-tying goal by Guus van Nes 7:30 into the third period.
Here's a look at Guus' first of the year and boy, what a time to get on the board!
“This game came down to special teams and we won that battle,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “Our guys fight so hard and Alex Schilling was good for us. Sacred Heart is an old and deep team and they have some dangerous offensive players. Our guys are a very difficult group to play against. The physicality of our young team can tip the scales at times. We can play better and we will have to tomorrow. We need to take care of the puck better, but we play with a lot of spirit and spunk and the bounces went our way tonight.”
Schilling made 23 saves for the Falcons. Justin Robbins had 20 for the Pioneers.
Michigan Tech 4 at Bemidji State 3
Michigan Tech earned its second straight CCHA road win with a 4-3 victory at No. 20 Bemidji State Friday night.
Tristan Ashbrook collected a pair of goals as the Huskies and Blake Pietila had 22 saves for the win.
“I thought our guys played extremely hard and were resilient all night,” Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “These are huge league points for us against a ranked team and highly-respected team. I’m very happy for our players. We’ll enjoy it for a bit before we get some rest and get ready for tomorrow.”
Wisconsin-Stevens Point takes on Wisconsin-River Falls Friday night in a key WIAC matchup. Photo Credit: UW-Stevens Point Athletics
League play gets into full swing this week in the west region of Division III hockey and there is no shortage of interesting matchups. Among the highlights is a key NCHA two-game series between Trine and Adrian. In the MIAC, Augsburg will aim to keep its overall unbeaten record intact and Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Stevens Point face off in a one-game scenario.
Nov. 19-20
Concordia at St. Olaf
The Cobbers currently sit atop the conference standings, but that doesn’t mean anything will come easy against Oles.
Tyler Bossert leads the MIAC in points (11) while Cole O’Connell and Brady Tatro each have five goals on the season. They’ll be a tough team for the Oles to slow down.
St. Olaf has shown it can score as well, putting up five goals in a game against St. Scholastica last week. Ashton Altman leads the offense with two goals and four assists. Concordia, 5-2 and 4-3
St. Scholastica vs. Augsburg
The Auggies are playing a MIAC opponent for the first time and they come in unbeaten through their first four games.
Augsburg features one of the top goaltenders in the league in Jack Robbel. He boasts a goals against average of 0.67 and the Auggies have been tough defensively as a whole, giving up just three goal in their first four games.
The Saints will try to counter with standout Arkhip Ledenkov, who has racked up three goals and three assists and is among the MIAC leaders in points on the season.
This home-and-home series could be one of the best of the weekend. Augsburg, 4-1 and 3-2
Bethel vs. Gustavus
The Royals are off to an impressive start, winning five of their first six, and they’ll try to keep things rolling against the Gusties.
Bethel has scored three or more goals four times and has recorded two shutouts. The team is playing with confidence to say the least.
Gustavus is looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Getting its offense going is key. The Gusties have managed just four goals in their last four games. Bethel, 5-2; Gustavus, 3-2
Lake Forest vs. Aurora
This home-and-home series should be interesting. Aurora looks to keep its hot start to the year rolling along. The Spartans have won their first six games, outscoring the opponents 33-9. Jack Jaunich, Andrew Lane and Simon Boyko are the top three in points in the conference. Boyko has scored eight goals.
The Foresters have Nick Wiencek in goal and he’ll be tasked with keeping the Spartan offense in check. He’s fashioned a 1.68 goals against average on the year. Aurora, 5-3; Lake Forest, 3-2
Trine vs. Adrian
It’s a huge early-season showdown between two of the top teams in the NCHA.
Both the Thunder and the Bulldogs are unbeaten in league play. Trine has been impressive offensively, racking up 22 goals. Garrett Hallford and Bobby Brice have fueled the offense with four goals apiece. Trine has won its last three games. Adrian has rattled off three consecutive wins as well. Matthew Rehding has four goals for the Bulldogs. Adrian, 5-4; Trine 6-4
Concordia vs. Marian
The Falcons and Sabres come in looking for their first conference wins of the season. Both teams are 0-2 in the NCHA.
Concordia has dropped three in a row, giving up four or more goals in each of those losses. The Falcons will have to shore things up defensively to have a shot.
It’s been a tough start to the year for the reigning conference tourney champs. The Sabres have lost their last two and will try to tighten things up defensively as well after giving up 11 goals in the last two games. The team that plays the best on defense likely prevails in this series. Marian, 4-3; Concordia, 5-4
Nov. 19
Wisconsin-Superior at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Yellow Jackets have won two in a row, scoring 11 goals in that stretch, and they’ll aim at keeping things going against the Blugolds in a huge WIAC opener. They have outscored the opposition 21-9, with Dylan Johnson and Chad Lopez paving the way with four goals apiece.
The Blugolds have won two of their last four. Sammy Martel leads the team with two goals. UW-Superior, 2-1
Wisconsin-River Falls at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Falcons have lost just once this season and look to gain early ground in the race for a conference championship. They have scored at least two goals in every win this season and have held four teams to one goal. Dysen Skinner has been solid in goal for UW-River Falls, fashioning a 3-0 mark and a 1.67 goals against average.
The Pointers have won their last two and have shown their ability to generate offense, scoring four goals three times. Colin Raver has been on point early in the year, racking up five goals to go along with seven assists. UW-Stevens Point, 3-2
Williams’ Evan Ruschil, along with Cossimo Lazzarino, provides strong goaltending depth for the Ephs (Photo by Kris Dufour/Williams College)
When we last saw NESCAC hockey Wesleyan had won their first ever conference title and saw their first round NCAA tournament game with Babson canceled due to the pandemic. That was the spring of 2020, so it has been quite awhile since this conference laced them up in a competitive fashion beyond a handful of games in the very limited 2020-21 season. So what does the conference look like heading into the opening of the season this weekend?
“That is the big question for everyone.” Said Amherst coach Jack Arena. “We had 15 kids take the ice on October 15 that had never experienced a college hockey practice before. I think some teams are better situated based some activities last season, I think it is going to be important to see how quickly teams can improve the conference may be decided by the teams that do that the quickest. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens across the league starting this weekend.”
The Favorites
While Wesleyan won the last contested championship game, their opponent from Hartford, CT has a long memory so look for Trinity to contend for another shot at the title with an experienced group that returns the likes of Cole Poliziani, Lucas Michaud and Ben Pirko. There is a talented crop of new players anxious to prove themselves to coach Matt Greason and his staff so while the names and numbers have changed the style and depth are still there for the Bantams.
Bill Kangas’ Williams squad is always in the mix and this year should be no different with their balanced line-up and excellent goaltending tandem in Evan Ruschil and Cosimo Lazzarino. The Ephs have always had a great leadership group and coming through COVID, that strength will be relied upon heavily in getting the first-year players productive on the ice.
The Dark Horses
Amherst can never be counted out with any line-up that coach Jack Arena puts on the ice. Their style of play causes difficulties for any opponent and their excellence on special teams is a difference maker on the scoreboard. Seniors Pieter von Steinsbergs and Nick Bondra will be key in bringing the new Mammoths to the top of the standings. The Mammoths will need to develop quickly as their early schedule is brutal with only one home game among road trips that include Hamilton, Utica, Trinity, Wesleyan, Williams and Middlebury.
Colby quietly unveiled their beautiful new arena during last season’s COVID impacted schedule. This year they get to show it off to the conference along with the talented roster coach Blaise MacDonald has assembled to win games. Forwards like Justin Grillo, Alex Borhas, Quinn Doyle and Jake Klein should provide some balanced scoring for the Mules this season.
Players to watch
Amherst: Alex Wisco – goaltender; Nick Bondra – forward
Bowdoin: Albert Washco – forward; Cam Berube – defenseman
Williams: Nick Altman – forward; Niko Karamanis – forward
USCHO Predicted finish
Trinity
Williams
Amherst
Colby
Hamilton
Wesleyan
Connecticut College
Middlebury
Bowdoin
Tufts
It is the same every year, well most years, with NESCAC joining the campaign several weeks after other conferences. This time around they will be knocking off some rust extending out over quite a long period of time which should really have adrenaline flowing come the drop of the puck for conference play this weekend.
Ethan Haider leads Clarkson into this weekend’s games at Quinnipiac and Princeton (photo: Gary Mikel).
Why as gamblers are we often times hesitant to pull the trigger on a bet?
Case in point last week. I noticed when I wrote this column that all five games that I handicapped were available on DraftKings Sportsbook to place wagers. And, yours truly happened to be in New Hampshire, a state where making such wager would’ve been legal.
I talk about the five-team parlay each and every week in the column. The reality, though, is that I’m aware it’s a sucker bet.
Well, this sucker should have bet it as I went a perfect 5-0. If I had placed that $100 wager, I’d be $1,794.50 richer. What’s the old cliché? You can win if you don’t play. Oh well.
We only had one real upset last weekend – Ohio State over Minnesota on Friday – so there wasn’t a lot of upside unless you want with a multi-way parlay. And over the last few weeks, at least on the games we preview here, upsets have become a little to rare for this degenerates likings.
This week’s slate is interesting as all five games feature conference opponents battling and one – Minnesota Duluth at North Dakota – has both teams putting forth negative odds. We do have a couple of heavy underdogs (Notre Dame at +235, anyone?). But it should be a pretty fun week to handicap.
As usual, a disclaimer:
Understand, this is for entertainment purposes only. USCHO.com is not a licensed gambling platform and no money may be wagered through this site or any subsidiary of USCHO.
All games are the first games when they occur in a two-game series.
Enjoy and, if you bet, may you be successful.
* Games marked with asterisks indicates odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
On paper, this matchup looks lopsided. But there is one factor bettors should take into account: history.
Notre Dame has won four of the last six games between these two squad played at Yost Ice Arena. The Irish, in fact, were an excellent road team last season, going 9-2-1 away from home and just 5-11-1 at Compton Family Ice Arena.
And Michigan has two blemishes on their schedule this season – losses to Western Michigan and Wisconsin – both coming at home. Coach Mel Pearson acknowledged that home ice can often come with distractions in the USCHO Spotlight podcast.
Jim
Dan
Ed
Paula
John
Nate
Chris
Jack
Matt
Drew
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
Michigan Tech (+105) at No. 20 Bemidji State (-125)
Bemidji State’s season started with three losses against top ten teams, but a 4-3 overtime win against North Dakota on October 15 turned things around. Since that time, the Beavers are 6-1-0 and one of the hottest teams coming into the weekend.
Michigan Tech is hardly as hot, but has been steady, playing near .500 hockey (5-4-0) and finding ways to salvage splits the last two weekends after dropping the opening games of series.
Historically, Bemidji State has been the stronger of the pair, including last season with the Beavers won 5-of-6 games, including a two-game sweep of Tech in the WCHA playoffs.
Jim
Dan
Ed
Paula
John
Nate
Chris
Jack
Matt
Drew
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
Clarkson (+185) at No. 5 Quinnipiac (-250)
Last season’s crazy ECAC schedule, where only four of 12 teams fielded teams, Clarkson and Quinnipiac had a scheduling anomaly likely to never be duplicated.
The Golden Knights and Bobcats played six times IN A ROW over a 17-day span in January. To say there was some animosity between the clubs is an understatement. And it’s unclear if much of those feelings will remain as Quinnipiac hosts a single game between these clubs on Friday.
If last season was a Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday would be the must awaited game seven as the two clubs split the six-game slate last year, 2-2-2 (each team won one shootout).
Jim
Dan
Ed
Paula
John
Nate
Chris
Jack
Matt
Drew
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (-105) No. 6 North Dakota (-115)*
This weekend’s heavyweight battle is also the most difficult to handicap, hence why DraftKings lists both teams as negative money line favorites.
Many will remember the last meeting of these two teams, a five-overtime classic in the NCAA regional that produced the longest game in tournament history. That game was won by Minnesota Duluth after the teams skated to a 2-2 tie and a 2-1 North Dakota victory during the NCHC bubble.
If there is one consolation to this game? It will be decided a whole lot quicker than last year’s regional. Although the hockey was so good in that game, many of us would be happy to watch another six-hour bout with this pair.
Jim
Dan
Ed
Paula
John
Nate
Chris
Jack
Matt
Drew
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 2 St. Cloud State (-200) at No. 12 Western Michigan (+165)*
St. Cloud State and Western Michigan feel like two teams heading in different directions.
Sure the Huskies lost in 3-on-3 overtime to Omaha last Friday but still haven’t lost in regulation since October 16. The Broncos, on the other hand, started the season red hot and enjoyed a victory over No. 1 Michigan back in October, but last weekend’s sweep at the hands of Denver has Western on the three-game skid.
These clubs met six times over the course of last season: twice in the NCHC pod, and twice at each campus. Western Michigan had the best of the series, winning four of six including four of the last five.
Jim
Dan
Ed
Paula
John
Nate
Chris
Jack
Matt
Drew
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
Pick records to date (last week):
Jim Connelly – 23-7 (5-0)
Dan Rubin – 21-9 (3-2)
Chris Lerch – 20-10 (4-1)
Ed Trefzger – 18-12 (3-2)
Drew Claussen – 18-12 (3-2)
Paula Weston – 18-12 (4-1)
Matthew Semisch – 17-13 (2-3)
Jack Hittinger – 16-14 (1-4)
Nate Owen – 16-14 (3-2)
John Doyle – 16-14(4-1)
Hockey East announced Friday that Maine senior forward Grant Hebert has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 18:11 of the third period on Thursday, November 18 at Boston College.
On the play, Hebert was given a two-minute penalty for roughing.
Hebert will miss the game on Friday, November 19 at Boston College and will be eligible to return to the Black Bears’ lineup on Saturday, November 27, when Maine hosts UMass Lowell.
When Robert Morris University chose to cut their men’s and women’s hockey programs, Bob DeGregorio, Commissioner of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) that the men’s team played in and Collegiate Hockey America (CHA) that the women’s team played in, found out mere minutes before the general public did.
“We were caught off guard. We had no idea this was happening. I was called five minutes before the announcement was made and told it was happening. I was astonished. I couldn’t believe the lack of foresight for something like this,” he said.
Beyond leaving players and recruits scrambling for somewhere else to play and that staff without jobs, the move had farther-reaching implications. Losing Robert Morris left the CHA with just five member institutions – one below the NCAA requirement for a conference to receive an auto-bid to the post-season tournament. The conference is given a two-year grace period to operate below the minimum, but by the 2023-24 season, the CHA has to have added a sixth team or they will lose their league’s auto-qualifier spot.
DeGregorio, who is also Commissioner of the New England Women’s Hockey Association (NEWHA), might be one of the busiest men in college hockey. Even with everything else going on, finding a team to play in the CHA by that deadline is a priority. He is not thinking about possible longer-term solutions. This is a problem that has to have a solution in time for the 23-24 season. There is no other option.
To that end, DeGregorio has already identified some targets for schools to join the CHA.
“Without disclosing who they are, we are talking to a couple of institutions about elevating their program to Division I and moving into our league and then another one that is (already) Division I,” he said.
“I want to get us to six teams. With the support of my directors, the support of our coaches, we will get one of those teams playing with us by Fall 2023.”
At this point, the CHA is not counting on the return of Robert Morris. There are too many unanswered questions and DeGregorio says he’s unsure that the current approach to bringing back the programs, through sponsorship, is sustainable.
Beyond that, the women’s team does not currently have a coach. Paul Colontino left to be an administrator and coach at Bishop Kearney Selects.
“They haven’t conducted a search for a head coach of the women’s program. Where is the commitment? If you’re going to bring it back, you need that,” said DeGregorio.
“Somebody should be out there recruiting. If you’re going to have a women’s team in the fall of 2022, who’s recruiting? You need someone to be finding players that can come in and help that program compete again.”
There are more questions than answers surrounding the future of Robert Morris Hockey and it would be difficult as a prospective student-athlete to commit to playing there when they can’t be reassured that there will definitely be a program that will definitely have affiliation with a league, DeGregorio said. Until staff can offer reassurance that the players won’t suffer the same fate as last year’s teams, it’s going to be a difficult to sell to get people to commit to play at RMU.
DeGregorio’s comments will surely start people speculating about which schools the CHA is targeting to become their sixth member. He did not differentiate whether the schools they’re talking about elevating are Division III or Club level. The CHA itself is populated with teams that elevated their programs. Lindenwood, RIT and Penn State all elevated programs that played at the club level in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (AHCA).
________________
DeGregorio believes that the NCAA Championship Oversight Committee will approve a plan for the extended DI women’s hockey tournament at their next meeting and feels sure that expansion to 11 teams will occur this season.
“It’s not what everybody wanted, but 11 is better than 8. I’m very happy they expanded the bracket to create opportunities,” he said. “Take it and run with it. It’s better than eight. Let’s live with it. The most important thing is we continue to move forward, show progress, add programs, increase visibility and create exposure.”
But women’s expansion isn’t the only change he’s hoping to see from the NCAA. He is very passionate about the need to change the structure of how voting and decision-making are handled at NCAA Conventions. Currently, he said, no NCAA member institution that does not sponsor football cannot vote on legislation about football.
But no other sport gets that consideration. That means, DeGregorio said, that although there are only 61 institutions that sponsor men’s hockey and 40 that sponsor women’s hockey, all 391 NCAA member institutions are able to vote on hockey legislation.
His suggested solution is a more federated approach – where the individual sports hold some autonomy over themselves in terms of voting for the rules and regulations that govern them.
“They need to federate by sport so that hockey people make decisions on hockey. That should be for all sports. It should be maintained and run by those administrators that are involved, that care, that have a passion for that sport. The process could be better if it was more federated. People who know the games are not going to do stupid things to administrate them,” he said.
Massachusetts skated to a 2-2 tie with Boston University last Friday night and then took the extra point with freshman Lucas Mercuri converting his attempt as the lone goal scorer in the shootout (photo: Thom Kendall/UMass Athletics).
With about one-third of the regular season in the books, Hockey East teams have played seven overtime games.
Two of those contests — both of which occurred last weekend — remained tied after five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, requiring a shootout (Massachusetts won at Boston University on Friday, while Vermont beat New Hampshire the following night).
The overtime format — which gives teams participating in overtime or a shootout two points in the standings for a win and one for a loss — had been in use by other conferences in recent seasons but was mandated by the NCAA for the first time at the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Games that end in regulation result in three points for the winner and zero for the losing squad.
According to the NCAA rulebook, if a game goes to a shootout, it is officially a tie in the in-conference and overall records. Also, team and coach records remain W-L-T.
There are mixed feelings about the format, and interviews this week with some of the league’s coaches revealed strong opinions on both sides of the issue.
Greg Carvel of UMass gives the format a big, and unambiguous, thumbs down.
“I don’t like (3-on-3 overtime) at all,” he said. “You come to college hockey to play four years, and I love the tie. There’s nothing wrong with a tie. You play hard for 60 minutes and then turn the game around. (I) hate it. I voted against it. (I) don’t like the shootout either.”
Vermont coach Todd Woodcroft said one thing he likes about 3-on-3 is how, from a coach’s standpoint, it combines preparation with on-the-fly decision making.
“It’s kind of like jazz music, and I know nothing about jazz music,” Woodcroft said immediately following the Catamounts’ shootout win at UNH on Saturday. I know that there’s improvisation — but there’s structure inside the improvisation. I’m not going to give away our secrets, but we have two or three things that we’re going to do inside our 3-on-3 that’s important.
“It’s also about feeling in the game who’s been good,” he continued. “We had two players on the ice late (vs. UNH) who were tired — we weren’t sure they would be able to go again, but they wanted it. So you listen to them.”
The new tie-breaking format mimics the one the NHL started using in 2005, when shootouts were introduced following a 4-on-4 overtime period. A decade later, the NHL changed overtime to 3-on-3.
UNH coach Mike Souza said he’s a big believer in college hockey being as closely aligned with the pro game as possible, as it will help those players with pro hockey in their future.
“Every one of our players, whether they can actually get there or not, aspires to play there or aspires to get as close to there as they can,” Souza said. “The more we can do to align ourselves with the National Hockey League, the better it is for college hockey in general. The 3-on-3 format (brings) us closer to the NHL.”
That feeling is not shared by Merrimack coach Scott Borek, who said 3-on-3 overtime and the shootout are more suited for the pro game, which plays a longer schedule and makes each result less consequential.
“It’s not something I enjoy or would have put in place,” Borek said. “It’s a pretty big difference when you play 82 games vs. 34, where every point is critical at the end of the year. I think we’re deciding our games in a way that was built for a bigger schedule.”
Brockport hopes to keep the early season celebrations going against Oswego on Friday night (Photo by Leah Bisgrove)
It is a big and full weekend slate of games with all teams now officially playing meaningful games. Lots of interesting matchups to choose from including some great ranked opponents facing off against each other. Fell off a bit with last weekend’s picks that finished at 5-3-2 (.600) which makes the overall record 20-8-4 (.688) so looking for moving above that 70% threshold again this week. Here are the picks for this weekend that finds NESCAC added to the mix:
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Massachusetts- Dartmouth v. Fitchburg State
The Falcons have jumped to a quick start in conference play displaying both some offensive firepower and solid goaltending. At home it is hard to go against Brian McGrath who will make life difficult for Corsair forwards – FSU, 3-1
Friday, November 19, 2021
Massachusetts-Boston (15) v. Hobart (6)
Interesting look at momentum from two lenses – Beacons on a high after downing Babson while Hobart unhappy with loss at Cortland. This one is close, but Statesmen don’t drop two in a row – Hobart, 4-3
Williams v. Colby
The first NESCAC game that counts in the new arena, and it will be a great game with goals at a premium. The Ephs eke it out with an overtime goal to open the season – Williams, 2-1
St. Anselm v. Southern New Hampshire
The backyard brawl in Manchester, NH is always a hard fought game, but Nick Howard has been a difference maker in goal for the Hawks and makes one more save to down the Penmen – St. Anselm 4-3
Oswego v. Brockport
The current streak of five wins to open the season ties the 1980 record but to beat it, the Golden Eagles are going to have to beat a challenging Oswego team. There is a new record on the books – Brockport, 5-3
Manhattanville v. Stevenson
The Mustangs need to rebound from the loss to Utica and the Valiants are certainly not going to make it easy for them. Home team gets it done with a fast start and hanging on at the end – Stevenson, 4-3
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Plymouth State v. Worcester State
This one is more high-scoring than the panthers would like but a win is a win, and they will gladly take the two points that come with tough road win – PSU, 5-4
Wentworth v. Salve Regina
The Seahawks have started out well but should be wary of a talented Leopard squad still searching for its best hockey. An empty-net goal provides the final margin in a win – Salve Regina, 5-3
Rivier v. Morrisville
The Raiders overnight first road trip goes a lot like their learning experiences in their first season to date. After Friday night’s loss they bounce back to gain a split of the two-game series – Rivier, 4-3
Wesleyan v. Connecticut College
The Camels and Jim Ward would like nothing better to start the season with some positive results. Definitely a positive to knock off the still defending NESCAC champion Cardinals – Connecticut College, 3-1
Skidmore v. Babson (8)
Should be a four-point weekend for the Beavers who win a close one at home against a Skidmore team that always competes. Egan and Black lead the way for the home team – Babson, 3-2
Albertus Magnus v. Hamilton
First game jitters will be gone having played Amherst on Friday night but the newness to the season doesn’t have the Continentals running away from the Falcons. It’s a win but close – Hamilton, 4-2
There’s no just showing up and winning against anyone that wears a different color jersey. There are strong motivations for every team to get their game in the right direction as the weeks in the first half begin to dwindle – “Drop the Puck!”
The RMU Celebrity Hockey Faceoff, the recent charity hockey game that featured RMU hockey alums facing off against Pittsburgh Penguins alums and Pittsburgh celebrities on November 7, was a great success.
The game featured a sold-out crowd at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, practice rink of the Penguins. The RMU alums won 12-11 in a game that featured a hat trick by former Penguins star Colby Armstrong, two goals by Jacob from “On The Bench,” and some physical play by former Pittsburgh Steelers football player Brett Keisel. Former U.S. Olympians Ryan Malone and Brianne McLaughlin also suited up in support of RMU hockey.
As a result, significant progress has been made in the “Hockey is the Goal” fundraising campaign to reinstate RMU Division I men’s and women’s hockey. The game, including ticket sales and the pre- and post-game online auctions, raised over $65,000. Additional donations have come in bringing the Hockey is the Goal campaign to $738,868 as of Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.
“Growing up here, there was never a Division I college (hockey team), so you had to leave home,” Malone said. “That dream of playing college hockey at home was never realistic. The RMU program has succeeded with the men’s and women’s programs. It says it here in the (Penguins) practice rink, the kids are the future. So to give these kids a little hope and be able to dream to be around their family (for D-I college hockey) is something I think is very important and hopefully we can all come together and accomplish this great goal.”
“It was really cool to see that much support come out, and that’s a testament to what hockey means in this city,” added McLaughlin. “We’ve made a dent in this fundraising goal and we still have a lot of work to do and a month or so to go.”
Limited season tickets are still available, and interested parties can fill out the online form.
There is still work to be done by the deadline of December 15 as the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation and Robert Morris University work towards the reinstatement of the Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs for 2022-23.
Fans can come to 31 Sports Bar & Grille in Bridgeville on Saturday, November 20, for “The Yinzer Cup: Bubble Hockey to Save RMU Hockey” to play bubble hockey against Malone and Olly & Jacob from “On the Bench” and watch the Penguins game. Proceeds will benefit the Hockey is the Goal campaign.
Fans can also come to the Pittsburgh College Hockey Thanksgiving Gathering next Wednesday, November 24 , at 5 p.m at the All Star Sports Bar & Grill in Robinson. Proceeds from all tabs will benefit the Hockey is the Goal campaign.
Bill Reichart played for North Dakota from 1954 to 1957, serving as team captain his senior year (photo: North Dakota Athletics).
Former North Dakota hockey player and 1964 U.S. Olympic team captain Bill Reichart passed away on Nov. 12, 2021.
He was 86.
“North Dakota hockey is deeply saddened to hear the passing of Bill Reichart,” said Fighting Hawks coach Brad Berry in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Reichart family. Bill will always be remembered and honored within our program.”
Reichart was a forward for the Fighting Sioux from 1954 to 1957, serving as team captain as a senior. He still stands as one of just two players in program history to be named first-team All-American three times, joining his fellow teammate Bill Steenson with that honor.
He is the last player in program history to lead the team in both goals and points over three straight seasons while also holding the school record for the most points in a single game. Reichart scored seven goals and added two assists for a nine-point night against Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 29, 1954.
The Winnipeg native finished his UND career with 97 goals and 59 assists for 156 points in 85 career games.
Reichart was part of the inaugural North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame class in 1975, which also included other UND athletics legends such as Fritz Pollard and Red Jarrett, becoming the first hockey player enshrined.
He became an American citizen in 1963 and chose to don the red, white and blue in international play. Reichart was named team captain of the 1964 USA Olympic Team in Innsbruck, leading the team in scoring with 10 points in eight games. He suited up alongside Herb Brooks, Warroad’s Billy and Roger Christian, and UND’s Don Ross and Tom Yurkovich at the games.
Reichart is survived by his wife, Betty, his three children, Renee Falzone (Michael), Wendy Caldwell (John) and Ron (Tracey), as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A moment of silence will be held at this Friday’s game against Minnesota Duluth in his memory.
Jennifer Flower s is currently in her third season as WCHA commissioner (photo: WCHA).
The WCHA has agreed to a three-year contract extension with commissioner Jennifer Flowers that will keep Flowers with the league through the 2024-25 season.
“I am grateful for the support of our membership. Leading this league is an opportunity that means so much to me,” said Flowers in a statement. “The foundation of this league is so strong and with many big opportunities on the horizon, I’m looking forward to continuing to elevate the profile of the WCHA.”
Currently in her third season, Flowers recently coordinated a revolutionary partnership with the Big Ten Network and B1G+ as the WCHA’s exclusive streaming partner, a deal that’s been activated for the 2021-22 campaign. The streaming deal includes two nationally televised games on the Big Ten Network.
“Securing Commissioner Flowers for the years to come is a win for the WCHA,” said Jason King, WCHA Board of Directors chair. “Jen is invested in expanding opportunities for our student-athletes, building the branding and recognition of the league, and continues to implement initiatives that make a difference in college hockey. We believe that many more good things are ahead for the WCHA with Commissioner Flowers leading the way.”
Flowers previously guided the WCHA through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 season, and the transition of the WCHA to a solely women’s hockey league. The WCHA was the first women’s league to return to the ice last season, a move that paid off as Wisconsin won the league’s 18th national championship in March.
She has continued to elevate the student-athlete voice with the addition of “Commissioner’s Corner,” a weekly interview series with student-athletes across the league. Flowers is also invested in the brand enhancement of the league, as she continues to expand social media coverage, website, and communication efforts promoting women in sports.
As the chair, Flowers has played a vital role in the establishment of College Hockey for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, an initiative that aims to create positive cultural change in the sport through communication, education, allyship, and advocacy. The mantra “One Shift at a Time” reflects the group’s determination to pursue the challenging and necessary work of creating positive cultural change.
Flowers’ first year was capped with the announcement of St. Thomas joining the league. This season’s addition of the Tommies returned the WCHA to an eight-team league for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
Her first season with the league also saw another successful WCHA Final Faceoff that culminated with a thrilling overtime win by Ohio State in the championship game. The tournament received rave reviews for the increased branding presence throughout the venue, as well as the increased engagement of youth hockey players, implementation of a more robust in-arena game presentation, and alumni relations. After a closed tournament setup for the 2021 championship, Flowers is excited to welcome back fans for the 2022 Final Faceoff at Ridder Arena.
“We want our championship to reflect the excellence of our membership,” said Flowers. “We aim to create an environment that is unrivaled in women’s college hockey.”
In addition to her work with the WCHA, Flowers is currently the co-chair of the Minnesota Coalition for Women in Athletic Leadership, serves on the 2022 advisory council for the NCAA Women’s Final Four, and continues to serve as a mentor in the Women Leaders in College Sports mentoring program.
One of the major renovations to Meehan Auditorium this past offseason was updating the locker rooms (photo: Brown Athletics).
With 13 new players this season, Brown’s roster has gone through plenty of turnover since the Bears last took the ice in March 2020.
But there’s been plenty of changes behind the scenes of the program as well.
Meehan Auditorium, home to the Brown’s men’s and women’s hockey teams, underwent a $7.5 million dollar renovation this offseason. The project updated both the men’s and women’s locker rooms as well as the premium seating skybox. The entire project was funded by donors.
“The wonderful thing about it is that we have alums in our program and the university and when the call went out that these renovations were going to be moving forward, their response was amazing,” Brown coach Brendan Whittet said.
In addition to the donor-funded upgrade, the university spent $4.8 million dollars on HVAC upgrades and structural improvements. Whittet said planning for the project started several years ago, while construction began in April.
Outside of several small visual details, interior updates were completed before the start of the season, but HVAC and structural improvements are still underway after the equipment needed for the work arrived late due to a shipping delay.
Upgrades in the locker room include teaching tools such as an 85-inch touchscreen, team lounges, a bike room, and a training room with hot and cold hydrotherapy tanks.
“From my end, it’s been transformational, from showing recruits to our guys wanting to spend time down there, which they didn’t before,” Whittet said, “It’s the outward appearance of the excellence that we preach and the locker room center reflects that.”
While other league schools have completed arena renovations in recent years and Colgate opened a new rink in 2016, Whittet compared the Meehan renovations to nearby Schneider Arena, home of Hockey East member Providence. The arena underwent an eight-month renovation in 2013 and the Friars won the program’s first national title in 2015.
“We didn’t want to continue to remain where we were,” Whittet said. “That progression in chasing excellent is there and your facility has to project the same values. [Providence] is a program that invested heavily in their facility, among other things, and they won a national championship. Is that happenstance or is that the outward appearance of supporting the excellence that we talk about?”
The additions to the locker room are a much needed addition to Meehan, which opened in 1961. Brown opened its season with three straight games at its renovated arena, but now heads to the road for four consecutive games before hosting Providence in the Mayor’s Cup on Nov. 27.
“I’ve been here for a long time,” said Whittet, who is his 19th year with Brown as either a player or coach. “A large portion of my adult life has been spent in Meehan. It was something that was necessary. The energy that was generated though what those dollars are going to do for our current student-athletes was something that really unified our alumni base.”
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Clarkson head coach Casey Jones to preview his Golden Knights in ECAC Hockey play Friday at No. 5 Quinnipiac.
Jim and Ed also look at the other matchups to be featured in this week’s USCHO Bettor’s Edge column: No. 14 Notre Dame at No. 1 Michigan, Michigan Tech at No. 20 Bemidji, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth at No. 6 North Dakota, and No. 2 St. Cloud State at No. 12 Western Michigan.
Bemidji State fifth-year senior Ethan Somoza is now in his second season as captain for the Beavers (photo: BSU Photo Services).
A quick look up and down Bemidji State’s roster would reveal a lot of familiar names: Ethan Somoza. Owen Sillinger. Alex Ierullo. Tyler Kirkup.
All have been contributing to the BSU program consistently since their freshmen seasons, and their presence in the lineup this year — a few back for an extra year of eligibility — are a big reason why the Beavers (6-4-0) were picked to once again compete for a league title this season.
So far, all four of those seniors have found themselves leading by example. Sillinger leads the team with 12 points while Ierullo is close behind with 11. Kirkup is the Beavers’ leading goal scorer so far with six. And Somoza has two goals and three assists to remain in the top five of the Beavers’ scoring list through 10 games.
But it’s not just about those experienced players for Bemidji State. The Beavers are also getting contributions from players down the lineup — be they newcomers or just players who haven’t had a whole lot of playing time for whatever reason.
“You take a look at the top end of our scoring, it is our experience that’s scoring the majority of our goals,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “But on Saturday we got three goals from freshmen, and that’s a huge bonus when that happens.”
Take, for example, Jere Väisänen. The freshmen from Finland had played in all nine of Bemidji State’s games until Saturday but hadn’t found his way onto the scoresheet until their game against Lake Superior State. Väisänen popped his first collegiate goal midway through the second period then scored what turned out to be the game-winner early in the third. The game ended up a 4-2 win as the Beavers completed the road sweep.
Jakub Lewandowski, a forward from Poland, also netted a goal on Saturday to add to his point total (2 goals and 2 assists).
Serratore said that although the top-end of the Beaver lineup is currently heavy on experienced players — seniors and juniors — he has room for younger players to impress.
“There’s no exact science to this stuff,” he said. “You’re playing guys, you’re playing four lines, and when they get their opportunity, make the most of it. That’s what Jere Väisänen did. He was opportunistic, they created chances for themselves with some hard work, and he finished. It’s nice to see that. It builds confidence and hopefully that makes them better players and makes our team better.”
Aside from Väisänen and Lewandowski, another freshman who has played a lot is defender Tony Follmer, who hasn’t scored but is playing alongside senior Tyler Jubenvill most nights on the blue line. And sophomore Austin Jouppi, who didn’t play at all as a freshmen, has been in and out of the lineup and getting some playing time this year. He scored his first collegiate goal Oct. 23 against Northern Michigan.
“Any time you can get young guys to contribute, it’s huge,” junior defenseman Kyle Looft said. “Our leadership group and coaching staff has done a great job preparing them, and they’ve come and worked. You saw it this weekend, it all comes together.”
With the sweep against Lake State, Bemidji State went above the .500 mark for the first time this season. They’ve played a tough schedule already, but Serratore is encouraged by their play on the road so far. The Beavers are 5-1-0 away from the Sanford Center, with sweeps against both Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan and a big overtime victory at North Dakota to their name.
“When you can win on the road like that, it’s so important,” Serratore said. “If you can do that, it’s like you’re banking wins. We’ve been very fortunate so far that things have gone our way so far on the road.”
The Beavers must now turn their attention back home. They take on Michigan Tech in a crucial early-season CCHA series in Bemidji. The Huskies and the Beavers have been developing a budding rivalry in the past few seasons, in part due to how frequently they’ve met — they played six times last season, including in the WCHA playoffs.
“When you look at their team, they’re deep. They’re deep in every position, up front, on the backline, they’re getting great goaltending, special teams,” Serratore said. “They’ve got great offensive players and they might be the fastest team in our league. It’s always challenging playing Michigan Tech so they’re going to be great games.”
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Michigan head coach Mel Pearson. The conversation includes the Wolverines’ strong start, the unique aspects of coaching a team loaded with top NHL prospects, roster management and recruiting, facing teams with older players, and this weekend’s games with Notre Dame.
Hunter Sansbury has been a steady presence on the back end in his freshman season for Sacred Heart (photo: Sacred Heart Athletics).
Sacred Heart opened the 2021-22 season with five straight road games before the Pioneers played their first homestand of the season Oct. 29-30 at Webster Bank Arena, a split with Niagara.
Then it was back on the road for C.J. Marottolo’s team, which won’t play another home game until 2022 – January 1 to be exact, against Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I talked to our group at the beginning of the season about it,” said Marolotto. “Thirteen of our first 15 games are on the road. So far we’ve played at some great arenas in front of some rabid fan bases. Our players have enjoyed competing in enemy territory.
“We’ve embraced it.”
Wins at Boston University and Maine have contributed to a 3-4-3 record to date, including a pair of 3-3 ties with Mercyhurst back on Nov. 5-6, the last time SHU was in action. The Pioneers won both shootouts, with the second night going 11 rounds.
That was exciting for the fans and players, but Marottolo had mixed feelings despite coming away with the extra two points.
“I’ve changed my view on the three-on-three overtime and shootout,” he said. “I used to be a proponent, but I think that sometimes after playing 60 or 65 minutes if it ends up in a tie it’s a good game. Nothing wrong with each team getting a well-deserved point. Lose the shootout and even though you get a point, you feel like you lost.”
On the other hand, players seem to prefer the current format.
“Players love it,” said Marottolo. “It’s fun and an opportunity to show off your skills.”
Coming up big in those shootouts was goaltender Justin Robbins, a junior transfer from Arizona State. Three year starter Josh Benson went down with an injury early in the season and since then, Robbins has carried the load.
“Josh was hurt at Merrimack a minute into the second period. Justin was very prepared,” said Marottolo. “He’s given us a chance to win every game. That’s all you can ask from your goaltender.”
Robbins is one of eight transfers on the SHU roster.
“It’s worked out well,” said Marottolo. “The biggest challenge this season for our coaching staff has been getting everyone together as a team. The transfer portal has given us much more depth. Competition to play is fierce. It’s made our team better.”
Sacred Heart’s road trip continues with a rare four-game stint at Air Force. The teams will tangle at Cadet Ice Arena on Nov. 19-20 and 22-23.
“We were supposed to go there last year during the height of COVID and our school made the decision that we weren’t flying,” said Marottolo. “So we have to make up those games from last year plus we were scheduled to go there again this year. It’s quite interesting, but we go where the schedule tells us.”
SHU will play eight more games at Webster Bank Arena this season, as it looks forward to true home games in early 2023, when it will unveil the Martire Family Arena, a $70-million, on-campus, state-of-the-art facility that will seat 4,000 fans.
“It’s going to be great from every perspective – fan and student-athlete,” said Marottolo. “It’s going to have three floors: suites, a main bowl and a level for the players.
“It’s great for our university and great for our league, where things keep getting better and better.”
