Atlantic Hockey 2021-22 Season Preview: Conference parity a strong suit as teams look to get back to normal in ’21-22

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October 5, 2021

American International repeated as Atlantic Hockey tournament champs in 2021 (photo: AIC Athletics).

At the Atlantic Hockey media day last week, the word “normal” kept coming up in conversations with the league’s coaches.

We’re not there yet, but hopefully moving in the right direction as the 2021-22 season gets underway.

Teams are back to most of their pre-pandemic routines, but this offseason, while not as bizarre as the one before the 2020-21 campaign, was far from normal.

Rule changes that allow for an additional year of eligibility and the ability for players to transfer and play immediately caused a record number to change teams, or stick around for another season.

The shocking cancellation of Robert Morris’ hockey programs in May, followed by the news of a possible reprieve, also made for more player moves and more chaos.

Good News

Things have been off to a good start, with teams able to meet and practice together without many of the COVID precautions that made things difficult last season.

“It looks like, knock on wood, we’re going to get back to a normal year,” said Army West Point coach Brian Riley. “Everybody’s keeping their fingers crossed.”

“We had 12 total team practices last year,” said Niagara coach Jason Lammers. “We’ve had more practices than that already. I’m more grateful than ever to go to the rink every day.”

“Now you don’t take for granted just being able to come to the rink every day,” added Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist. “The ability to come together in one locker room. Team meetings and team outings are really important.”

Fans will be back after a year of games played in mostly empty buildings.

“We missed the fans and the atmosphere,” said Riley. “They make college hockey what it is. It’s exciting to be able to play back in front of good crowds whether that’s here or on the road.”

RIT coach Wayne Wilson said that while his players learned to cope with an empty Gene Polisseni Center, he’s happy to be able to have fans back.

“(Last year) was weird but the players adapted to it very well,” he said. “It was strange coming out at the start of the game and hearing crickets. But once the puck drops you’re right into the game. You focus on your team and the play on the ice. That said, it’s going to be great to have fans back in the building.”

But as we’ve learned over the past 18 months, nothing is ever certain.

“I supposed COVID is in the back of all of our minds,” said Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin. “But, hopefully, things will be back to normal.”

Bad News

On May 26 came the shocking news that Robert Morris was eliminating its men’s and women’s hockey programs, effective immediately.

Within days, efforts began to reinstate the programs, but with their hockey futures in doubt most players left for opportunities at other schools. At least 20 members of the men’s program will start this season on other teams, including five now playing elsewhere in Atlantic Hockey.

“It caught everyone flatfooted,” said Sacred Heart coach C.J. Marottolo. “It’s gut wrenching. Hopefully they’ll be back, but you have to feel bad for those student athletes. The way it went down left a bad taste in my mouth, personally.”

Since then, RMU’s administration has backpedaled a bit, re-hiring coach Derek Schooley and agreeing to reconsider its decision to field teams if fundraising goals can be met.

The deadline, which has been a moving target, is now December 15 to raise $1.4 million in immediate contributions and another $1.4 million in pledges.

Unknowns

The turbulent offseason has teams entering the 2021-22 campaign with a lot of unknowns, especially about the competition.

The league is dealing with unprecedented player movement, with a total of 29 transfers into the conference and three players transferring out, not including the departures from Robert Morris.

Factoring in at least a dozen AHA players who would have normally graduated but opted for an extra year of eligibility, the makeup of many teams is different than one would normally see on a four-year cycle.

Contributing to the uncertainty is last year’s schedule, which in an effort to minimize travel, limited teams to playing just four inter-pod opponents plus Air Force.

“There are a lot of unknowns in terms of what everyone’s going to bring to the table, especially with your opponents,” said Wilson.

“This year will be very unusual,” said Air Force coach Frank Serratore. “I’ve been in collegiate athletics for decades. We’re dealing with a different animal. There’s been only one time in my career where I’ve known less about opponents than this year, when I went from college to the pros.”

A sure thing is that the conference will play an aggressive non-conference schedule, possibly the toughest to date. In October alone, AHA teams will face off against teams ranked in the USCHO Poll 21 times.

“I believe our job is turn this league into a two-bid league,” said Lammers. “We’re hopeful to take advantage of that schedule.”

Chris Dodero is back for a fifth season with AIC (photo: Kelly Shea).

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL

HEAD COACH: Eric Lang (6th season)

LAST SEASON: 15-4-0, 11-1 AHA (1st in East Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Graduate student forwards Chris Dodero (7-11-18) and Justin Cole (9-7-16), senior forwards Chris Theodore (5-15-19) and Elijah Barriga (7-6-13), sophomore goalie Jake Kucharski (5-0, .916 save percentage).

KEY LOSSES: Defenseman Brennan Kapcheck (East Pod player of the year), forward Tobias Fladeby (all conference first team), goaltender Stefano Durante (all conference second team).

KEY ADDITIONS: Sophomore defenseman Brian Kramer (a transfer from Robert Morris who was on the AHA All-Rookie team last season), defensemen Alex Tertyshny (31 points in 55 games for the Northeast Generals (NAHL)), and Luis Lindner (alternate captain for Austria in last year’s World Junior tournament).

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Yellow Jackets first part of the 2021-22 schedule is a gauntlet with games against Providence and Quinnipiac, plus a pair with crosstown rival and defending national champions Massachusetts.

AIC lost some key cogs to its success over the past three seasons, but retain more than enough to be the favorites to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive regular season title.

Predicted finish: First

AIR FORCE

HEAD COACH: Frank Serratore (25th season at Air Force)

LAST SEASON: 3-9-1, 3-8-1 (9th) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior defenseman Brandon Koch (3-6-9), junior forward Willie Reim (6-6-12), senior goalie Alex Schilling (4.32 GAA, .847 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Forward Shawn Knowlton, defenseman Jake Levin, goaltender Zack LaRocque

KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Clayton Cosentino (60 points in 56 games for Aberdeen (NAHL)) and Andrew DeCarlo (57 points in 54 games for Lone Star (NAHL)), goaltender Guy Blessing (2.44 GAA and .907 save percentage for Lone Star (NAHL))

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Falcons, with 18 underclassmen including nine freshmen, are one of the youngest teams in college hockey.

Frank Serratore’s teams tend to get better as the season goes on, but this year’s version might have a long way to go.

Predicted finish: Ninth

ARMY WEST POINT

HEAD COACH: Brian Riley (18th season)

LAST SEASON: 15-6-1, 10-4-1 (2nd in the East Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forwards Colin Bilek (18-7-25), junior defenseman Thomas Farrell (5-9-14), sophomore forward Lincoln Hatten (Rookie of the Year in the East Pod)

KEY LOSSES: Goaltender Trevin Kozlowski (all conference first team), defenseman John Zimmerman (all conference second team), forward Mason Krueger (second on the team in scoring last season with 19 points).

KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Joey Baez (121 career points with Lone Star (NAHL)) and Josh Bohlin (27 points for Minnesota (NAHL)), goaltender Evan Szary (2.71 GAA, .929 save percentage for South Shore (NCDC))

2021-22 PREDICTION: Bilek, the pre-season Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s coaches, leads an experienced group with one exception: goaltending. Riley leaned heavily on the departed All-American Trevin Kozlowski, who started 51 of 54 games over the past two seasons.

“I’ve been going to church every morning. I hope that helps (the goaltending situation),” said Riley. “We have a total of two games experience in net. (Goaltending) is yet to be determined. I think we have good goalies.”

Predicted finish: Third

Arizona State goaltender Evan DeBrouwer stops Harvard forward Wyllum Deveaux in the first period of Game 1 of the SoCal Clash Saturday at Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena in Irvine, Calif., during the 2019-20 season (photo: Anthony Ciardelli).

BENTLEY

HEAD COACH : Ryan Soderquist (20th season)

LAST SEASON: 5-11, 4-11 (4th in the East Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior forward Matt Gosiewski (7-8-15), sophomore defenseman Drew Bavaro (2-10-12), sophomore goalie Nicholas Grabko (2.85 GAA, .894 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Jakov Novak (a team-leading 17 points last season) and Luke Santerno (16 points)

KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Evan DeBrouwer (transfer from Arizona State where he posted a 3.02 GAA and .908 save percentage in three seasons), forward Phil Knies (transfer from Miami where he totaled 49 points over four seasons), forward Cooper Connell (52 points in two seasons with Coquitlam (BCHL))

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Falcons look to put in the rear view mirror a difficult 2020-21 season that saw them unable to compete in the AHA postseason due to COVID protocols.

Losing his top two scorers, Soderquist is looking for a more balanced approach this season.

“We’re going to be structured very differently,” he said. “(Last season) we were top heavy, relied on one line and power play unit.

“We wanted to get back to our culture of having a deep team.”

Predicted finish: Eighth

CANISIUS

HEAD COACH: Trevor Large (5th season)

LAST SEASON: 12-6, 8-5 (2nd in the West Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior forward Keaton Mastrodonato (9-9-18), senior forward Mitchell Martan (6-9-15), junior goaltender Jacob Barczewski (2.29 GAA, .926 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Grant Meyer (3rd in scoring last season) and Matt Long (6th in scoring)

KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Randy Hernandez (transfer from Robert Morris, where he was the West Pod’s Rookie of the Year) and Alton McDermott (81 points in 103 games for Oakville (OJHL)), goaltender John Hawthorne (transfer from Northern Michigan, where he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie team in 2020)

2021-22 PREDICTION: With seven transfers, the Griffs have beefed up a lineup that got to them within a period of the NCAA tournament last year.

Expect them to finish in the top four and make a return to at least the conference semifinals.

Predicted finish: Second

HOLY CROSS

HEAD COACH : Bill Riga (1st season)

LAST SEASON: 4-12, 3-9 (5th in the East Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior forward Alex Peterson (4-5-9), senior forward Anthony Vincent (3-2-5), senior goalie Erik Gordon (2.68 GAA, .906 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Jake Pappalardo (2nd on the team in scoring last season) and Logan Ferguson (4th).

KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards John Gelatt (54 points in 51 games for Johnstown (NAHL)) and Matt Guerra (transfer from Robert Morris)

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Crusaders struggled across the finish line last season, losing their final 10 games and getting shut out of the Atlantic Hockey tournament due to COVID protocols.

New head coach Bill Riga brings an opportunity for a fresh start.

“Our entire staff is new,” he said. “That’s a whole lot of change. It’s an exciting time but also a lot of unknowns.”

Predicted finish: 10th

MERCYHURST

HEAD COACH: Rick Gotkin (34th season)

LAST SEASON: 8-12-1, 7-8-1 (4th in the West Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Sophomore forward Carson Briere (5-14-19), junior forward Jonathan Bendorf (11-4-15), defenseman Joseph Marziarz (1-12-13), goaltender Hank Johnson (3.45 GAA, .900 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Senior defenseman Quinn Wichers (118 career games)

KEY ADDITIONS: Grad student forward Pierce Crawford (transfer from Notre Dame, where he played in 108 games), defenseman Jake Beaune (19 points for Lincoln (USHL)), forward Garrett Dahm (31 points for Youngstown (USHL)).

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Lakers have been in rebuilding mode the past couple of seasons, and that should start to pay off.

“We’ve been a young team the past two years, which is becoming an older team,”said Gotkin. “We graduated just one senior defenseman and added what we think are some key elements.”

Predicted finish: Seventh

NIAGARA

HEAD COACH: Jason Lammers (5th season)

LAST SEASON: 7-12-3, 3-9-3 (5th in the West Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Walker Sommar (8-7-15), junior goalie Chad Veltri (2.60 GAA, .914 save percentage), grad student defenseman Chris Harpur (0-8-8).

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Ludwig Stenlund (second on the team in scoring last season), Jack Billings (3rd) and Eric Cooley (73 career points)

KEY ADDITIONS: Goaltender Jake Sibell (1.19 GAA, .952 save percentage for Aberdeen (NAHL)), forward Jay Ahearn (62 points in 52 games for Johnstown (NAHL)), defenseman Lars Rødne (played for Norway in the 2020 World Junior tournament).

2021-22 PREDICTION: So far, the Purple Eagles under Lammers have played their best hockey in the postseason, throwing out regular season records and storming through the playoffs, making the semifinals in their past two attempts.

Despite losing a ton of offense, Niagara can finish in the top half of the standings, or close to it.

Predicted finish: Sixth

RIT senior Will Calverley will provide points up front for the Tigers (photo: RIT Athletics).

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

HEAD COACH: Wayne Wilson (23rd season)

LAST SEASON: 9-10-2, 7-5-1 (3rd in the West Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Will Calverley (12-13-25, co-AHA West Pod Player of the Year), grad student forward Jake Hamacher (7-14-21), grad student defenseman Dan Willett (4-14-18)

KEY LOSSES: Forward Alden Depuis (12 points last season), Goaltender Logan Drackett (99 career appearances)

KEY ADDITIONS: Goalie Thomas Scarfone (2.50 GAA, .922 save percentage for Surrey (BCHL)), defensemen Doug Scott (31 points in 36 games for Humboldt (SJHL)) and Gianfranco Cassaro (a transfer from national champions Massachusetts, where he appeared in 40 games over two seasons)

2021-22 PREDICTION: The Tiger’s will be deep with a lot of scoring returning and experience on the blue line.

Goaltending is the main question. If RIT can find consistency in that area, the Tigers will contend for a first round bye.

Predicted finish: Fourth

SACRED HEART

HEAD COACH: C.J. Marottolo (13th season)

LAST SEASON: 5-10-2, 5-7-1 (3rd in the East Pod) in Atlantic Hockey

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior forwards Braeden Tuck (6-10-16) and Kevin Lombardi (8-4-12), senior goalie Josh Benson (3.02 GAA, .899 save percentage)

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Marc Johnstone (95 career points) and Marcel Godbout (a career-high 11 points last season)

KEY ADDITIONS: Defenseman Connor Hutchison (14 points for Tri City (USHL)), Forwards Dante Palecco (transfer from Yale, where he appeared in 91 games, scoring 26 points) and Dakota Raabe (transfer from Michigan, where he played 113 games and scored 32 points)

2021-22 PREDICTION: With 11 new players including seven transfers, it’s difficult to gauge the Pioneers’ chances. But if they can gel early, I think they’ll finish in the top half of the league.

“Our biggest challenge is how quickly we can get this group together,” said Marottolo. “We’ve done a lot of team building and I’m happy with the mindset right now.”

Predicted finish: Fifth

Theme of ‘creating excellence’ highlights opening day of College Hockey Inc.’s Virtual Coaching Clinic

By USCHO Staff

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October 4, 2021

“Creating excellence” was the opening day theme of the College Hockey Inc. Virtual Coaching Clinic which got underway on Monday.

The first three presentations featured Seattle Kraken and former North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol, Rensselaer men’s head coach Dave Smith, and Princeton women’s head coach Cara Morey.

Access to the remaining live sessions – which includes replays of Monday’s presentations – is still available at The Coaches Site.

Building a tradition

When the Seattle Kraken drop the puck for their first ever regular-season game on October 12, the team’s quest for a Stanley Cup officially begins.

But that quest to put the Kraken together began much earlier, and Hakstol has played a major role in that.

Hakstol sat down with Aaron Wilbur, founder of The Coaches Site, to discuss the process of laying a foundation of an expansion franchise and where building a winning tradition begins. Below is an excerpt from that discussion.

Neutral Zone Offense

Turnovers happen all over the ice and being able to successfully transition from offense to defense, or vice versa, is vital to overall team success.

Smith focused specifically on transitioning to offense in his presentation as he walked through the keys to developing a quick transition game and generating offense from the neutral zone. Below is a sample from that presentation.

Dancing on the bench: Tips on creating a culture of excellence

Following six years as an assistant at Princeton, Morey is in her fifth year as head coach, during which time the Tigers won their first ECAC tournament title, an Ivy League championship, qualified for two NCAA quarterfinals, and set the program wins record.

Morey’s presentation focused on how she created a championship culture and the secrets for developing an environment that inspires excellence.

Virtual Coaching Clinic schedule of events

Here is the complete schedule of Virtual Coaching Clinic events.

Minnesota State ascends to top of USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll after sweeping defending national champ UMass

By USCHO Staff

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October 4, 2021

Nathan Smith scored twice and assisted on another as Minnesota State rallied for a 6-3 win at No. 1 UMass on Sunday (photo: Matt Dewkett).

After sweeping defending national champion Massachusetts, Minnesota State is the new No. 1 team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.

The Mavericks jump four spots in this week’s rankings.

Rounding out the top five, St. Cloud State remains No. 2, as does Michigan at No. 3 and Minnesota at No. 4. Minnesota Duluth is up one to sit fifth this week.

Boston College jumps one spot to No. 6, while UMass tumbles to No. 7, down from the top spot last week.

North Dakota (No. 8), Quinnipiac (No. 9) and Boston University (No. 10) finish off the top 10 with each of the three teams ranked where they were a week ago.

Northeastern is the lone new team in the top 20, joining the poll this week at No. 18.

In addition, 16 other teams received votes in this week’s poll.

The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll consists of 50 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.

Minnesota State sweeps, Tommies D-I debut, UML and ASU split, and that Michigan power play: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 1

By Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger

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October 4, 2021

This season, hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley while his program is on hiatus.

In this episode, we look at:

• The aftermath of the demise of collegehockeystats.net and how much it’s missed already;
• Then-No. 5 and new No. 1 Minnesota State’s sweep of defending national champion and preseason No. 1 UMass;
• No. 2 St. Cloud State’s sweep of St. Thomas in their D-I debut;
• The weekend split in the final season at Oceanside between Arizona State and visiting UMass-Lowell;
• An immensely talented Michigan power play unit;
• Huge crowds on opening weekend;
• And D-I teams playing exhibitions: Will this be permanent?

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

Sponsor this podcast: https://www.advertisecast.com/USCHOWeekendReview

Continue

Atlantic Hockey suspends Bentley’s Lombardozzi one game for head contact penalty against Northeastern

By USCHO Staff

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October 4, 2021

Atlantic Hockey announced Monday a one-game suspension for Bentley graduate defenseman Matt Lombardozzi, effective for the Falcons’ next game.

The suspension is a result of Lombardozzi’s five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for contact to the head, which occurred at the 8:25 mark of the third period in Bentley’s game of Saturday, Oct. 2 at Northeastern. Upon review, the infraction was deemed to warrant a suspension.

Bentley’s next scheduled Division I game is Friday, Oct. 8 at home against Ohio State. Lombardozzi is eligible to return for the Falcons’ Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 home game against the Buckeyes.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap October 4, 2021

By Nicole Haase

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October 4, 2021

(1) Wisconsin at Merrimack

Sarah Wozniewicz’s first collegiate goal proved to be the game-winner on Friday afternoon. Casey O’Brien scored twice, to give her eight goals on the year, Daryl Watts added three assists and Makenna Webster had a goal and two assists to lead Wisconsin to a 4-0 win. On Saturday, O’Brien, Webster, Watts and Wozniewicz each scored a goal alongside Marianne Picard, who tallied her first as a Badger. Wisconsin took a 5-0 win and the weekend sweep.

(2) Northeastern vs. Holy Cross

A dominant first period helped the Huskies to a 5-0 win. Skylar Irving scored her first career goal as Megan Carter and Chloe Aurard led the team with a goal and two assists each. Holy Cross’ two goalies made a total of 52 saves and their defense blocked 38 shot in the loss. In the second game, Chloe Aurard scored twice and added an assist to lead the Huskies to a 6-0 win. Katy Knoll had a goal and two assists.

(3) Ohio State at (4) Minnesota

Minnesota jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Peyton Hemp’s first career goal, but penalty difficulties gave Ohio State the opportunity to tie it up before the first intermission thanks to a power play goal by Clair DeGeorge. Jenna Buglioni and DeGeorge scored in the second to put Ohio State up 3-1. Minnesota pulled the goalie and closed the gap on Taylor Heise’s goal with about two minutes left, but Paetyn Levis’ empty-netter sealed a 4-2 win for the Buckeyes. On Saturday, Ohio State jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to two power play goals from Sophie Jacques and a goal from Jennifer Gardiner. Amy Potomak scored a highlight reel goal midway through the third, but Jenna Buglioni responded to give the Buckeyes a 4-1 win and weekend sweep.

Mercyhurst at (4) Colgate

Malia Schneider scored late in the first to give Colgate a 1-0 lead that would hold into the third. Mercyhurst tied the game just 1:11 into the third, but that wouldn’t last long, as Colgate’s Allyson Simpson put the Raiders up 2-1 just 40 seconds after that. Maggie MacEachern scored twice to extend the lead before Liliane Perrault cut the lead to 4-2 with about six minutes to go in the game. Darcie Lappan’s goal in the final minute gave Colgate the 5-2 win. In game two, Jersey Phillips put Mercyhurst on the board first. Rosy Demers scored on the power play to make it a 1-1 game at the first intermission. Dara Grieg gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead in the second and Danielle Serdachny’s goal midway through the third extended the lead to 3-1. Kristy Pidgeon cut the lead when the Lakers pulled their goalie, but Kalty Kaltounkova’s empty-netter secured the 4-2 win and weekend sweep for Colgate.

(6) Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State

Naomi Rogge led the Bulldogs with two goals and two assists, Gabbie Hughes and Anna Klein each had a goal and two assists and Elizabeth Giguere had three assists in their 7-0 win on Friday. On Saturday, Mankato earned their first win over the Bulldogs since 2016 as they skated to a 4-2 upset win. Special teams were key for the Mavericks in the win. After Lizi Norton put the Bulldogs up in the first, Minnesota State reeled off three straight power play goals. Madison Mashuga, Jamie Nelson and Kelsey King each lit the lamp. Giguere cut the lead in half with about five minutes to go in the games, but Kennedy Bobyck’s empty net goal was the finishing touch on Mankato’s big win. Brittyn Fleming had three assists for MSU in the win.

(7) Boston College at Penn State

On Thursday, Penn State outshot BC 37-25, but the Eagles skated away with the 2-1 overtime win. Gaby Roy scored in the second to put Boston College up 1-0. Penn State responded in the third with a goal from Mallory Uihlein. The Nittany Lions had a prime opportunity in OT with the puck sitting in the crease, but couldn’t light the lamp. BC took advantage of the chaos and quickly transitioned down the ice where Abby Newhook scored her first career goal to seal the win. In game two, Penn State once again dominated shots on goal (34-17), but it was BC that came away with the win. Natalie Heising put PSU up 1-0 four minutes into the first. Caroline Goffredo scored her first career goal to even the score midway through the frame. Hannah Bilka’s goal midway through the second would prove to be enough to give Boston College their second straight 2-1 win.

LIU at (10) Quinnipiac

Olivia Mobley had three goals and an assist to lead Quinnipiac in a 9-1 win on Friday. Lexie Adzija added two goals and an assist and Sadie Peart had a goal in two assists, as well. Carrigan Umpherville was LIU’s goal-scorer in the loss. On Saturday, Veronica Bac, Maya Labad, Peart and Mobley each found the back of the net to give the Bobcats a 4-0 win and weekend sweep. LIU goalie Tindra Holm made 43 saves in the loss.

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Oct. 2-3

By USCHO Staff

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October 3, 2021

Senior Sam Hentges is back to lead the St. Cloud State offense in 2021-22 and led the Huskies to two wins over St. Thomas this past weekend (photo: Brad Olson).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of September 27 fared in games over the weekend of Oct. 2-3.

No. 1 Massachusetts (0-2-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota State 2 at No. 1 Massachusetts 0
10/03/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota State 6 at No. 1 Massachusetts 3

No. 2 St. Cloud State (2-0-0)
10/02/2021 – St. Thomas 2 at No. 2 St. Cloud State 12
10/03/2021 – No. 2 St. Cloud State 2 at St. Thomas 0

No. 3 Michigan (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – RV Bowling Green 1 at No. 3 Michigan 7 (exhibition)

No. 4 Minnesota (0-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 5 Minnesota State (2-0-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota State 2 at No. 1 Massachusetts 0
10/03/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota State 6 at No. 1 Massachusetts 3

No. 6 Minnesota Duluth (0-0-0)
10/03/2021 – No. 6 Minnesota Duluth 4 at No. 11 Wisconsin 2 (exhibition)

No. 7 Boston College (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 20 AIC 1 at No. 7 Boston College 4 (exhibition)

No. 8 North Dakota (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 14 Bemidji State 1 at No. 8 North Dakota 2 (exhibition)

No. 9 Quinnipiac (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – Maine 0 at No. 9 Quinnipiac 7 (exhibition)

No. 10 Boston University (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – Holy Cross 1 at No. 10 Boston University 5 (exhibition)

No. 11 Wisconsin (0-0-0)
10/03/2021 – No. 6 Minnesota Duluth 4 at No. 11 Wisconsin 2 (exhibition)

No. 12 Providence (1-0-0)
10/02/2021 – RV Army 0 at No. 12 Providence 7

No. 13 Denver (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – Lindenwood* 1 at No. 13 Denver 9 (exhibition)

No. 14 Bemidji State (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 14 Bemidji State 1 at No. 8 North Dakota 2 (exhibition)

No. 15 Cornell (0-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 16 Harvard (0-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 17 Omaha (1-1-0)
10/02/2021 – RV Lake Superior State 4 at No. 17 Omaha 3 (OT)
10/03/2021 – RV Lake Superior State 0 at No. 17 Omaha 3

No. 18 Notre Dame (0-0-0)
10/03/2021 – U.S. Under-18 Team* 4 at No. 18 Notre Dame 3 (exhibition)

No. 19 Clarkson (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – RV St. Lawrence 3 at No. 19 Clarkson 0 (exhibition)

No. 20 AIC (0-0-0)
10/02/2021 – No. 20 AIC 1 at No. 7 Boston College 4 (exhibition)

* – not eligible for poll
RV = Received Votes

No. 5 Minnesota State overcomes 3-0 deficit, scored six straight to sweep No. 1 UMass, 6-3; No. 2 St. Cloud State shuts down St. Thomas

By USCHO Staff

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October 3, 2021

Julian Napravnik scored his second goal of the and Dryden McKay made 18 saves as Minnesota State completed a weekend sweep of #1 UMass, 6-3 (File photo: Russell Hons)

No. 5 Minnesota State completed a dramatic weekend sweep of No. 1 Massachusetts in style, reeling off the game’s final six goals to overcome a 3-0 deficit and earn a 6-3 win.

Facing a three-goal hole late in the second period, Nathan Smith scored with 1:12 remaining in the second to cut the Minuteman lead and begin the rally.

From there, it was all Minnesota State. Smith added a second goal for a three-point game while Julian Napravnik notched a goal and an assist.

#5 @MinnStMHockey scores 2 goals in 15 seconds to tie the game at #1 UMass! @MinnStAthletics

📺 @NESN+ pic.twitter.com/XNMCVae2IY

— CCHA (@CCHAHockey) October 3, 2021

Dryden McKay made 18 saves to earn the victory.

Combined with a 2-0 win for St. Cloud State over St. Thomas that completed the weekend sweep of the Tommies, it’s almost guaranteed there will be a new number one in the USCHO.com poll on Monday. While some teams did not play and other faced other Division I opponents in exhibition games, no top 10 team other than UMass lost this weekend.

National Scoreboard | USCHO.com Poll (Sept. 27)

No. 5 Minnesota State behind shutout by McKay, spoils banner night for top-ranked Massachusetts, 2-0; St. Thomas begins Division I play

By USCHO Staff

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October 2, 2021

Head coach Enrico Blasi began the legacy of college hockey’s newest program, St. Thomas, though a difficult outcome falling to 12-2 to No. 2 St Cloud State (photo: Brad Olsen)

Prior to April, Minnesota State had never made a Frozen Four. And despite being eliminated in the national semifinal by St. Cloud State, the Mavericks understood how strong their team was.

Six months later, that Mavericks team had the opportunity to play the eventual national champion, Massachusetts, and did what they do best: shut down an opponent.

Dryden McKay made 18 saves to register a shutout after UMass raised their national championship banner as the Mavericks earned a 2-0 victory to open the 2021-22 campaign with a statement victory.

In a game where goals were infrequent, Minnesota State scored early on the power play. Reggie Lutz got the Mavericks on the board just 55 seconds into the game.

https://t.co/9ZDQtHgkfe

— Minnesota State Hockey (@MinnStMHockey) October 3, 2021

While it may have been remarkable for Minnesota State to hold a lead throughout against the nation’s top team, the fan that UMass mustered just eight shots through forty minutes – one in the first period and seven in the seconds – showed how much this team struggled to generate offense.

While UMass finally mustered attempts in the third, outshooting the Mavericks, 10-9, in the frame, Julian Napravnik tallied the only goal of the frame.

National Scoreboard

No. 2 St. Cloud State 12, St. Thomas 2

St. Thomas, playing its first-ever Division I college hockey game, received a difficult welcome to the sport.

Easton Brudziński, who left last year’s NCAA regional game with a devastating leg injury, scored twice and added an assist, and both Chase Brand and Kevin Fitzgerald each added two goals each as the Huskies took care of business on the home half of a two-game series against the Tommies.

Welcome to the Century Club, @Ebrodzy22! 💯#NCHCHockey x @SCSUHUSKIES_MH pic.twitter.com/BLe7g1LdPd

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) October 3, 2021

The two schools will rematch tomorrow night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, the home of the Minnesota Wild.

If you can pull anything from the season opener from St. Cloud State, it is the performance of the power play. On Saturday, the Huskies scored seven times in 10 opportunities on the power play.

College Hockey Inc. Virtual Coaching Clinic releases full agenda for conference, Oct. 4-8, 2021

By USCHO Staff

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October 1, 2021

The College Hockey Inc. Virtual Coaching Clinic, which begins Monday, October 4 and runs through October 8, released their full agenda for the event.

The event will bring together 15 NCAA Division I coaches, past and present, from some of the most prestigious programs in all of college hockey.

The five-day event will include technical presentations, interviews and panel discussions, leading up to the start of the men’s and women’s college hockey season. The topics have been curated for every level of coaching, ensuring you leave with new tools, tips and techniques to add to your coaching toolbox. Participants can join coaches from around the globe who are committed to offering their players the best development opportunities possible. For more information or to register for this event, click here.

Below is the complete agenda as well as profile of some of the coaches who will present at the event:

Presenter profiles:

Dave Hakstol

Hakstol, an Alberta-product who previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015-2019 and was an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to joining the Kraken this past June, had a wildly successful coaching career with North Dakota and was viewed as one of the most accomplished and well-respected bench bosses in NCAA hockey. Hakstol coached UND for 11 seasons (and was an associate for four seasons prior) taking the Fighting Hawks to the NCAA Frozen Four seven times, finishing with a 289-143-43 record. The 53-year-old captained North Dakota for two of his three seasons as a player.

Greg Carvel

Following seven seasons as an assistant coach in the NHL with Anaheim and Ottawa, Greg Carvel spent five years at St. Lawrence from 2011-16, also his alma mater, where he played from 1989 to 1993. In his third season with the Saints, Carvel was named the 2014-15 Tim Taylor Award winner as ECAC Coach of the Year.

Carvel is now in his sixth season as head coach of Massachusetts, having captured the Spencer Penrose Award as Division I Men’s Coach of the Year in 2019. The 51-year-old from Canton, New York, followed up that award winning campaign by guiding UMass to its first NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship in 2020-21.

Brad Berry

Berry played in the NHL for 241 games between 1985 and 1994, but before that the 56-year-old Alberta product played for North Dakota, where he has been head coach since 2014-15. Berry was an associate under Dave Hakstol for five seasons (with stints assistant coaching the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets in the middle of that) and replaced Hakstol when he moved on to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Over the past six winning seasons, Berry has guided UND to a 138-63-24 record, with three NCAA Tournament appearances and a national championship in 2016. According to his Fighting Hawks bio, Berry helped develop more than two dozen future NHLers in his first five seasons, including Brock Boeser (Vancouver), Drake Caggiula (Chicago) and Troy Stecher (Detroit).

Cara Morey

As a student athlete at Brown, Cara Morey was dominant at field hockey and ice hockey. After hanging up her cleats, Morey played two seasons in the NWHL with the Montreal Wingstars and the Brampton Thunder, before moving into the coaching ranks.

Fast-forward to today and Morey, a 43-year-old Ontario product, is in her fifth year behind the bench with the Princeton women’s hockey program after serving as assistant for six seasons. With Morey as head coach, the Tigers won their first ECAC tournament title, an Ivy League championship, qualified for two NCAA quarterfinals, set the program wins record, and established itself as a weekly inclusion in the national top-10 rankings.

Through three seasons with the Tigers, Morey boasts a 60-28-10 record and a 43-18-5 mark in ECAC Hockey.

Todd Woodcroft

Todd Woodcroft is still relatively new to coaching college hockey having taken on the role as head coach for the Vermont in April of 2020. The former Winnipeg Jets assistant took over coaching duties as the pandemic was taking over the world, meaning his first NCAA season was first delayed, then shortened to 12 games.

Woodcroft, an Ontario native who also worked for the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals in different scouting roles, will finally be able to put his stamp on the Catamounts this upcoming season. And there’s little doubt the team will flourish.

In addition to his NHL coaching stint with the Jets, Woodcroft, 49, coached in six IIHF World Championships, winning gold with Team Canada in 2004 and Team Sweden in 2017.

Alaska college hockey games at Minnesota scheduled for Oct. 2-3 postponed due to COVID protocols

By USCHO Staff

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October 1, 2021

The men’s college hockey games between Alaska and Minnesota have been postponed following COVID protocols.

The games were originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m. CDT and Sunday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. CDT at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

The teams have rescheduled the two games for the weekend of Jan. 14-15, 2022.

Robert Morris women’s hockey grad Welsh makes history as first female linesperson in OHL

By USCHO Staff

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September 30, 2021

Kirsten Welsh played at Robert Morris and will now work the lines in the OHL (photo: Ontario Hockey League).

The Ontario Hockey League on Thursday announced that Kirsten Welsh will become the first woman linesperson in OHL history.

Originally from Blackstock, Ont., Welsh worked Thursday’s game between the host Mississauga Steelheads and visiting Guelph Storm and will also work Friday’s preseason game between the host Oshawa Generals and visiting Windsor Spitfires.

She will be a member of the OHL officiating team for the 2021-22 season after attending the NHL officiating exposure combine this past August in Buffalo, N.Y.

“This is an incredible opportunity and I can’t really put into words what it feels like to be working in the Ontario Hockey League,” said Welsh in a news release. “Just being one of the first women to do this, it really opens that door to women in hockey who want to have an alternate avenue that maybe isn’t playing in the Premier Hockey Federation or playing on a national team.

“Being an advocate and having this opportunity, I just feel so lucky,” she added. “It’s an incredible process to be a part of. I’m so lucky I can be a part of something that is going to affect generations of little girls.”

Welsh, 24, resides in Freedom, Pa., after graduating as captain of the Robert Morris women’s NCAA hockey program where she patrolled the blue line from 2015 to 2019, recording 91 points (34 goals, 57 assists) over 128 regular-season games. Her collegiate career included several awards and honors including being named the 2018 CHA Defender of the Year.

In September 2019, Welsh became one of four women to officiate at the NHL level for the first time, working in the Buffalo Sabres’ preseason prospects tournament held at the LECOM Harborcenter. She also worked the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 event at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis.

“We first met Kirsten at the NHL exposure combine in 2019 and we were immediately impressed by her presence on the ice,” said OHL director of officiating Conrad Haché. “She approaches and prepares for each game in a professional way, is a great skater and has a tremendous desire to continually improve. These traits will not only make her a great OHL official, but also a great ambassador for our League.”

“On behalf of the OHL and its member teams, I’d like to extend a warm welcome and congratulate Kirsten Welsh on the accomplishment of joining the OHL Officiating Team,” added OHL commissioner David Branch. “Kirsten has demonstrated an ability to officiate the game at a high level and we’re excited to see her break barriers as she continues her development as a linesperson in the OHL.”

Welsh has spent the past year officiating throughout Pennsylvania covering NCAA Division III hockey as well as the NAPHL, Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League and Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League.

Rensselaer adds former Hobart standout Michel to men’s hockey staff as new operations coordinator

By USCHO Staff

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September 30, 2021

Rensselaer has announced the hiring of Ryan Michel as the operations coordinator for the men’s hockey program.

“Ryan is a tremendous addition to our staff,” said fifth-year RPI coach Dave Smith in a statement. “His experience as a player and a coach in pro hockey will bring positive new ideas into our environment. He has values that align with the terrific culture within our hockey program, and when you put that with his work ethic, I am very excited for his future.

“He comes highly recommended from many respected in the game of hockey and we are fortunate to have him join our school and hockey program.”

Among Michel’s responsibilities are video coordination, including breaking down game tapes, preparation and pre-scouting for upcoming opponents, team travel coordination and various administrative duties.

Prior to joining the Engineers, Michel held various coaching positions with the SPHL’s Macon Mayhem. His roles included, head coach, associate head coach and director of player development. He first joined the Mayhem is a player during the 2015-16 season, before taking an assistant coaching spot in 2018. On the ice, he notched nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points over 78 games.

Michel’s college hockey coaching experience came in 2017-18, when he was an assistant at Oneonta. For the Red Dragons, he worked on the defensive side of the puck, creating weekly skill sessions. He was also the team’s recruiting coordinator.

Since 2017, Michel has been an instructor for Salt City Prospects, where he created and instructed practice plans for junior prep school players, working closely with coaches from the NCAA, USHL and prep levels.

A 2015 graduate of Hobart, Michel played 93 games for the Statesmen, recording eight goals and 60 assists for 68 points from the blue line. He was the Boswell Award winner as the team MVP following his senior year, while earning All-ECAC West First Team honors three times. He finished his college hockey career ranked ninth on Hobart’s all-time assists list.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Women’s WCHA balancing history and legacy while looking to the future after men’s league ceases operation

By Nicole Haase

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September 30, 2021

The turmoil of conference restructuring in men’s college hockey largely has not affected the women’s game over the past ten years or so. And while operationally, the shuttering of the men’s WCHA this summer didn’t much change things for the WCHA women, it signaled the end of one era of the league and an interesting opportunity for the future.

Established as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League in 1951, the men’s WCHA was the oldest conference in college hockey. It had operated for 70 years – and for the past 22 years, was separated into men’s and women’s leagues.

Moving forward, the women’s league is carrying on the legacy of the WCHA, no qualifiers needed. The league will be branded as the WCHA, though it will take time to get all the social media handles and website URLs aligned.

“It’s such a bittersweet feeling,” said Commissioner Jen Flowers. “No one wanted the WCHA men’s league to go away. (But) this wasn’t going to be detrimental to us. We could step in and maintain the brand and carry the brand forward and pay homage to what the brand has been for a long time.”

Flowers and the league have the task of balancing the heritage and history of the league as it was with embracing the change, moving forward and really owning the fact that the WCHA is a women’s hockey league now.

“We have an obligation to carry the brand forward,” said Flowers. “ I feel really strongly that we are strong and capable of writing a new chapter of the brand. I think that’s incredibly valuable. Women’s college hockey has the ability to stand on its own. We are fortunate now to have that opportunity to showcase that… I think it’s important – regardless of sport – that people know that women’s sports can handle themselves on their own.”

Flowers acknowledged the need for support from male counterparts, especially in a community as small and tight-knit as college hockey. But there is also power in being able to support the weight of a historic league and know your membership is really strong on their own.

The individual member schools and student athletes are aware of the changes that are happening within the WCHA, but Flowers is proud that there’s been functionally no difference for the teams as they prepare for the new season.

The challenges of this league front office transition would be difficult enough to navigate in any year, but are certainly compounded by happening in the middle of a pandemic. There is no playbook for how a still-new-to-her-job Commissioner handles these two separate, massive, once-in-a-lifetime events happening at the same time. Flowers joked she’s the least experienced third-year leader there is, since she’s not actually been able to run the league in what would be considered normal circumstances.

The chaos of it all has challenged Flowers’ propensity to want to try to plan and control things, but she’s learned to at least try to be more fluid and easy going. At this time last year, there was not yet a viable plan to have a season. The WCHA is heading into its second weekend of games already, so that has to be considered a win. Complications with video streams, live stats and finding out exactly how much college hockey relied on CollegeHockeyStats.com, which shut down this offseason, made for an interesting week one. But those are relatively minor issues that can’t always be worked out before an actual game is played.

“We have two teams. We have four officials. The scoreboard works. The lights are on. The ice is good. The rest of it obviously matters, but we have to keep it all in perspective. Everything else will come together and we’ll keep doing our best,” she said.

Though there are still pandemic issues to contend with, Flowers feels like after last season, the conferences and teams have a handle on how to navigate that. With conference turmoil put to rest, there’s finally a chance for Flowers and the WCHA to look toward the future instead of just trying to survive the past two seasons.

“We’re good. We’re very strong. We’re committed,” she said. “These are young women who are going to make huge impacts on the world in whatever they choose to do, hockey or not or both.
I feel really confident in what we’re doing and where we’re going. That’s a good feeling to have.”

Arizona State moving along with new arena construction, holds ‘topping off’ ceremony

By USCHO Staff

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September 29, 2021

The final beam of the new Arizona State is put in place Tuesday (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).

Arizona State hosted a “topping out” ceremony Tuesday to commemorate the last beam set in place on top of the new multi-purpose arena.

Set to open in late 2022, the new arena will host university and community events and serve as the future home for Sun Devil men’s hockey, wrestling and women’s gymnastics.

Located in the Novus Innovation Corridor, the arena’s steel structure was topped out, completing the final placement of 1,100 tons of steel. In addition, 6,980 yards of concrete have been poured since the project broke ground earlier this year.

The ceremony recognized the major construction milestone, by placing a tree and flags atop the last structural beam that was lifted into place, a custom tradition acknowledging the successful partnership and project progress to date. Having worked more than 124,892 hours since groundbreaking, without a single recordable injury, workers were recognized for their commitment to a safe project site.

“The multi-purpose arena will be a very important piece of the Novus Innovation Corridor — a ‘live, work, play’ community that will span more than 10 million square feet,” said Morgan R. Olsen, ASU executive vice-president, treasurer and chief financial officer, in a statement. “Sun Devils can cheer on ASU athletes in the arena housed in this sustainable, pedestrian-friendly mixed-use development that provides community resources and economic value to the region. We’re pleased that Mortenson and Oak View Group have partnered with us on this exciting arena project.”

In addition to housing Sun Devil athletics’ events and competitions, the 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena, which also includes an adjacent community ice rink, will serve as a public venue for the university and community to host concerts, conferences, youth competitions, educational opportunities, and more.

The arena will feature a wide variety of luxury suites, group suites, a large club lounge, along with premium seating, a 942-seat student section and more than 8,000 square feet of state-of-the-art locker rooms, weight rooms and office space.

Off-season review; Virtual Coaches Clinic preview with CHI’s Snee, Coaches Site’s Wilbur: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 4 Episode 1

By Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger

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September 29, 2021

In the opening segment, hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger catch us up on off-season and preseason news, including the USCHO.com Division I men’s ice hockey preseason poll, transfers and fifth-year players, needing homes for new programs, the cancellation and work toward the resurrection of Robert Morris hockey, and the implications of name, image, and likeness on college hockey.

In the second segment, Jim and Ed are joined by College Hockey Inc. executive director Mike Snee and Aaron Wilbur, founder and CEO of The Coaches Site, to preview next week’s Virtual Coaches Clinic (https://collegehockeyincclinic.com).

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

Sponsor this podcast! Visit https://www.advertisecast.com/USCHOSpotlight for details.

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Former Northeastern hockey players Rice, Thiessen to be inducted into school’s hall of fame

By USCHO Staff

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September 29, 2021

Two former Northeastern hockey players are the newest members of the Northeastern Hall of Fame.

Fiona Rice, class of 1990, and Brad Thiessen, class of 2011, will be inducted with both the 2020 and 2021 hall of fame classes on November 11 at Blackman Auditorium on the university’s campus.

Rice holds the record for most assists in women’s hockey program history with 118, while she sits No. 3 in career points with 181 in 103 games for the Huskies.

Thiessen played in 111 games for the Huskies, posting nine shutouts and a 2.41 GAA in his Northeastern.

After college, he spent time in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames, in addition to 290 games in the AHL for Wilkes-Barre, Norfolk, Adirondack, Lake Erie, and Cleveland

Thiessen is currently the goaltending development coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Northeastern the favorite to claim 2021-22 Hockey East regular-season championship

By USCHO Staff

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September 27, 2021

Northeastern is the favorite to win the Hockey East women’s title in 2021-22 (photo: Northeastern Athletics).

Northeastern garnered nine first-place votes in the women’s Hockey East 2021-22 preseason coaches poll.

Providence came in second and picked up the other first-place nod.

Hockey East 2021-22 Preseason Coaches Poll

Rank — Team — (First-Place votes) — Total points
1. Northeastern (9) 90
2. Providence (1) 75
3. Boston College 70
4. UConn 67
5. Boston University 59
6. Vermont 52
7. Maine 43
8. New Hampshire 40
9. Holy Cross 25
10. Merrimack 19

Hockey East preseason coaches poll has UMass at top with eight first-place votes; BU, BC also get first-place nods

By USCHO Staff

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September 27, 2021

Bobby Trivigno celebrates a goal for UMass against Northeastern during the 2020-21 season (photo: UMass Athletics).

Hockey East coaches have picked defending national champion Massachusetts to win the conference this season.

The results of the Hockey East preseason coaches poll were announced Monday.

Hockey East 2021-22 Men’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Rank — Team — (First-Place Votes) — Total points
1. Massachusetts (8) 107
2. Boston University (1) 95
3. Boston College (2) 89
4. Northeastern 86
5. Providence 75
6. UConn 66
7. UMass Lowell 58
8. New Hampshire 46
9. Merrimack 37
10. Maine 32
11. Vermont 24

Defending national champion UMass named top team in 2021-22 preseason USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll

By USCHO Staff

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September 27, 2021

UMass celebrates its first NCAA championship after a 5-0 victory in April against St. Cloud State in Pittsburgh (photo: Jim Rosvold).

With 19 first-place votes, 2021 national champion Massachusetts is the No. 1 team in the 2021-22 preseason USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll.

National runner-up St. Cloud State earned 13 first-place nods and finished just seven voting points behind UMass in the No. 2 spot.

Michigan garnered 11 first-place votes to sit third, followed by Minnesota at No. 4 (two first-place votes) and Minnesota State at No. 5 (one first-place vote).

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Sept. 27, 2021

No. 6 Minnesota Duluth also earned a first-place vote, with No. 8 North Dakota getting two and No. 13 Denver collecting one as well.

In addition to the top 20 teams, 16 other teams received at least one vote in the rankings.

The USCHO.com Poll consists of 50 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.

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