Wisconsin’s Dylan Holloway was fifth in NCAA scoring during the 2020-21 season (photo: Greg Anderson).
Wisconsin sophomore forward Dylan Holloway signed with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers on Friday, giving up the last two years of his NCAA eligibility.
“Dylan has been a pleasure to coach,” Badgers coach Tony Granato said in a statement. “What he did this year in the second half of the season equals what most people do in a full season. He was a big part of what we accomplished as a team and it will be fun to follow along with his pro career as it progresses. Edmonton is getting a talented and hard-working player and a great kid.”
During the 2020-21 season, Holloway finished fifth in the nation with 35 points on 11 goals and 24 assists. He finishes his UW career with 19 goals and 52 points over 58 games.
The Bragg Creek, Alberta, native served a key role in helping the Badgers to the 2021 Big Ten regular-season championship. He earned individual recognition as one of the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and also earned 2021 Second-Team All-America honors.
Holloway was originally chosen by the Oilers in the first round (14th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Joel Johnson has coached with the Minnesota women’s team the past 16 seasons (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
Minnesota women’s team associate head coach Joel Johnson, who brings more than two decades of coaching experience and has been involved with the U.S. Women’s National Team program since 2015, was named interim coach of the team Friday night by USA Hockey.
Bob Corkum, who served as head coach of the team since the 2018-19 season, has stepped down from his role.
“Bob put his heart and soul into continuing to build on the legacy of our women’s national team program over the past three seasons and we’re grateful for all he did,” said Katie Million, director of women’s national team programs for USA Hockey, in a statement. “While he’s stepping away, he’ll always be a big part of the USA Hockey family and we’ll certainly miss him.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone like Joel to step in and guide our team at the world championship. He’s been an important part of our program and is well positioned to help build on the success we’ve enjoyed.”
Johnson has been a longtime contributor to the U.S. women’s program, including guiding the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team to four straight gold medals (2015-18) as head coach at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
In the 2017-18 season, Johnson served as head coach of the U.S. Under-22 Women’s Select Team at the 2018 U22 Series vs. Canada in Calgary and led Team USA to a three-game sweep.
He made his debut with the U.S. Women’s National Team as an assistant coach in 2018-19 and helped guide the U.S. to its fourth straight Women’s Four Nations Cup that season, as well as the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Espoo, Finland.
Johnson finished his 16th season on the University of Minnesota bench as associate head coach in 2020-21. He has helped guide the Golden Gophers to six national titles (2000, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016).
Prior to his time at Minnesota, he spent six seasons (2004-10) coaching at Bethel.
Joining Johnson as part of the U.S. coaching staff are assistant coaches Brian Pothier and Allison Coomey and goaltending coach Alli Altmann.
Team USA will play in the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship May 6-16, in Halifax and Turo, Nova Scotia, seeking a sixth straight gold medal in the event. The U.S. begins its training camp ahead of the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship Saturday in Portland, Maine.
The United States has won the last five IIHF Women’s World Championship titles and captured gold a total of nine times (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), including eight of the last nine tournaments.
From left, Ian Andriano, Nick Bruce, Jake Hamacher, Dan Willett.
The RIT men’s hockey team will welcome four familiar faces back to the program next season.
Goalie Ian Andriano, forward Nick Bruce and Jake Hamacher and defenseman Dan Willett will all be returning to use their extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are excited to welcome back these four players that have already made a lasting impact on our program,” said Tigers coach Wayne Wilson in a statement. “We are appreciative of the opportunity they have been granted by the NCAA and look forward to the experience and leadership they will bring back to the team.”
Willett was tabbed a First-Team Atlantic Hockey-West All-Conference selection this past season after leading RIT and tying for 12th in Atlantic Hockey with 30 blocked shots. He also tied for first for RIT with 14 assists and was fourth with 18 points. He will lead all Tiger returners next season with 61 career assists while ranking second with 70 career points.
Hamacher will lead all returners with 85 career points and 34 career goals, while his 51 assists only rank behind Willett. He tied for the 2020-21 team lead with 14 assists while finishing third with 21 points and seven goals. He and Willett have also played a team-best 128 games over the last four seasons.
Bruce returns after finishing fifth on the squad with 16 points and 12 assists. He has totaled 40 points on 10 goals and 30 assists in 79 appearances in a Tiger sweater.
Andriano started six games this past winter, including back-to-back victories over then 19th-ranked Robert Morris to close the regular season. He started with a career-high 39 saves in the opening 6-1 win before notching 29 saves in the 4-3 victory the following evening. Andriano owns 24 career appearances and 17 career starts for RIT.
All six conferences are represented on USCHO.com’s All-USCHO Teams for the 2020-21 college hockey season.
Voting was conducted by USCHO.com staff members.
From left, Cole Caufield, Shane Pinto, Odeen Tufto, Cam York, Zac Jones, Dryden McKay.
First Team All-USCHO
F: Cole Caufield, Wisconsin
F: Shane Pinto, North Dakota
F: Odeen Tufto, Quinnipiac
D: Cam York, Michigan
D: Zac Jones, Massachusetts
G: Dryden McKay, Minnesota State
From left, Bobby Trivigno, Sampo Ranta, Jordan Kawaguchi, David Farrance, Matthew Kessel, Filip Lindberg.
Second Team All-USCHO
F: Bobby Trivigno, Massachusetts
F: Sampo Ranta, Minnesota
F: Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
D: David Farrance, Boston University
D: Matthew Kessel, Massachusetts
G: Filip Lindberg, Massachusetts
From left, Matt Boldy, Colin Bilek, Cole Koepke, Matt Kiersted, Nick Perbix, Jack LaFontaine.
Third Team All-USCHO
F: Matt Boldy, Boston College
F: Colin Bilek, Army West Point
F: Cole Koepke, Minnesota Duluth
D: Matt Kiersted, North Dakota
D: Nick Perbix, St. Cloud State
G: Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota
Next week, the USCHO.com coach, rookie and player of the year will be announced.
Alaska announced Thursday its second wave of games for the 2021-22 hockey season.
On Feb. 12, 2021, Alaska announced the first wave of games against Arizona State, Boston University and Maine, with plans to fill out a complete 34-game schedule as an independent school.
The Nanooks have now added Clarkson, Denver and the Minnesota Duluth to their upcoming schedule.
Clarkson
The Nanooks and Golden Knights will face off in a home-and-home series with the two teams playing Alaska’s home-opener on Oct. 8-9 at the Carlson Center before Alaska hits the road and heads to Cheel Arena in New York for a matchup on Oct. 22-23, 2021.
Denver
Dates and times are TBD and the Nanooks will play Denver on the road at Magness Arena.
Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota Duluth and the Nanooks will play for the first time since 1988. The Nanooks will hit the road and face UMD at AMSOIL Arena, dates and times TBD.
“We are excited to announce early home games against Clarkson University,” said Alaska coach Erik Largen in a statement. “They always seem to be in contention to make national tournaments and will make for an exciting opening-weekend. Playing against other prominent programs, including Frozen Four participant UMD, will help in our development of our student-athletes. Alongside those two, we are excited to once again play eight-time national champion Denver.”
Largen is also thrilled about the Nanooks return to the Carlson Center in 2021-22.
“We are really excited to be in the Carlson Center for the long term,” Largen added. “This will provide our student-athletes and Nanook Nation with a fantastic college hockey experience, both on the ice and in attendance. We can’t wait for next season and for our brand-new game experience.”
Tomáš Vomáčka spent three seasons in the blue paint for UConn (photo: Stephen Slade).
The Nashville Predators announced Thursday that the team has signed UConn junior goaltender Tomáš Vomáčka to a two-year, entry-level contract.
In signing, Vomáčka forgoes his senior year with UConn.
Vomáčka closed out his junior season playing in all 23 of the Huskies’ games in 2020-21, suiting up for 1333:43, the fourth-most minutes played among NCAA goaltenders, while going 10-11-2 with a 2.84 GAA, a .909 save percentage and one shutout. He faced 682 shots against this season, the most out of Hockey East goaltenders, and made 622 saves, the fourth-most nationally.
Originally drafted in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Vomáčka appeared in 71 games across three seasons for UConn, posting a 32-33-5 record, 2.88 GAA, a .906 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Save Seawolf Hockey volunteer group has surpassed the $2 million fundraising mark in its effort save the Alaska Anchorage program from elimination, according to a news release.
The group must raise $3 million by Aug. 30, 2021 for the Division I college hockey program to be reinstated.
To date, $2.1 million has been raised. The group has also worked with the university and NHL’s Seattle Kraken to support behind-the-scenes business efforts to help the team relaunch with solid footing, beginning in the 2022-23 season.
Michigan State’s Mitchell Lewandowski celebrates a goal during the 2019-20 season against Minnesota (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Michigan State forward Mitchell Lewandowski will return to the Spartan hockey team for the 2021-22 season.
Lewandowski, a senior, is able to return by virtue of an NCAA ruling that allows an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to return to East Lansing next season and wear the Green and White one last time,” Lewandowski said in a statement. “Go Green.”
Lewandowski has appeared in 135 games for the Spartans, producing 101 points on 49 goals and 52 assists.
Western Michigan blueliner Ronnie Attard was tabbed the NCHC offensive defenseman of the year for the 2020-21 season (photo: Ashley Huss).
Western Michigan announced Wednesday that senior forwards Ethen Frank, Josh Passolt and Paul Washe, along with sophomore defenseman Ronnie Attard, will all be returning for the 2021-22 season.
Frank, Passolt and Washe are all using their extra year of eligibility granted to them by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic while Attard, a Philadelphia Flyers’ draft pick, has chosen to return for his junior season.
“We are excited and appreciative of the fact that seniors Paul Washe, Josh Passolt, Ethen Frank and sophomore Ronnie Attard have decided to return next season despite contract opportunities with NHL organizations,” said Broncos coach Andy Murray in a statement. “It is a strong testament to their commitment to WMU and their ability to get better in our program. Like the rest of us, they cannot wait for the start of next season.”
With the returners, the Broncos get back four of their top five scorers and the group combined tallied 83 points on 36 goals and 47 assists.
Attard had a career season despite the shortened schedule, recording personal best marks in points with 22 (eight goals, 14 assists). He went on to be named the NCHC offensive defenseman of the year and recently was named a CCM/AHCA West First Team All-American.
“With the way this year was with COVID and how it ended in the playoffs, it didn’t feel right leaving,” said Attard. “This group has the opportunity to accomplish something very special.”
Frank led the team with 13 goals, also adding eight assists for 21 points. Through his four seasons, he has amassed 79 points on 44 goals and 35 assists in 120 career games.
“I’ve decided to come back because the culture we have been building in the past four years means a lot to us,” said Frank. “We feel that we have some unfinished business left from last season and I am more than happy to come back and spend another year at WMU.”
Passolt finished fifth on the team in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists and was second on the team in shots on goal with 70. In his career he has racked up 80 points on 36 goals and 44 assists in 128 games.
“After much thought and consideration, I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to play another year at Western Michigan,” added Passolt.
With Washe returning the Broncos get back one of the best faceoff takers in the NCAA. This past season, he won 323 draws and last season led the nation with a winning percentage of .642. He also tied his career-best for points with 21 on eight goals and a career-high 13 assists during the 2020-21 season and also led the team in plus/minus at plus-7.
From left, Daryl Watts, Makenna Webster and Aerin Frankel – the national players of the month for March.
The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the final monthly honorees for NCAA women’s hockey for the 2020-21 season.
Wisconsin senior forward Daryl Watts is the player of the month, joined by teammate and forward Makenna Webster, named the rookie of the month, while Northeastern senior Aerin Frankel is the goaltender of the month.
Watts had five points in the Badgers’ five wins and saved her best for when it mattered. In leading Wisconsin to its ninth WCHA tournament crown, she scored twice in the 3-2 overtime WCHA Final Faceoff championship game win. Then she delivered Wisconsin’s sixth NCAA crown by scoring the overtime game-winner in the thrilling 2-1 win over Northeastern.
Webster was named the Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player in leading the Badgers to the title. The rookie scored twice and added an assist during the Frozen Four and also had a pair of goals in the WCHA Final Faceoff.
Frankel makes it three straight national goaltender of the month honors with a 1.49 GAA and a .945 save percentage while going 4-1-0 in March, the only blemish being a 2-1 overtime loss to
Wisconsin in the NCAA championship game. She was also presented the Patty Kazmaier Award for the 2020-21 season as the top women’s player in NCAA Division I college hockey.
From left, Bobby Trivigno, Filip Lindberg, Riese Gaber and Adam Scheel – the national players of the month for March/April.
The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the final monthly honorees for NCAA men’s hockey for the 2020-21 season.
The co-players of the month are Massachusetts junior forward Bobby Trivigno and junior goaltender Filip Lindberg.
Trivigno collected points and MVP awards, earning such trophies in both the Hockey East and NCAA tournaments. Overall, he collected three goals and 10 points in leading UMass to a 7-0-1 record and league and national titles.
Lindberg delivered two first-time titles for the Minutemen, shutting out UMass Lowell 1-0 in the Hockey East title game, and then blanking St. Cloud State 5-0 in the NCAA championship game. He also had a 4-0 shutout of Bemidji State in the final of the NCAA regionals. In all, Lindberg had an NCAA-best 0.99 GAA and a save percentage of .955.
National rookie of the month is North Dakota forward Riese Gaber.
Gaber’s five points included a 2-1-3 line in the championship game of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, including the game-winning goal as North Dakota defeated St. Cloud State 5-3 on March 16. He ended up with three goals and five points in this stretch.
Gaber’s teammate, junior Adam Scheel, is the national goaltender of the month.
Scheel led North Dakota to the NCHC tournament championship and a 4-1 record, the only blemish being the historic 3-2 five-overtime loss to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA regionals. In that game, Scheel had 51 of his 148 overall saves in March and April. Final numbers for this period include a 1.55 GAA and a save percentage of .937.
Scott Owens and Marty Sertich will enter the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021 (photos: Colorado College Athletics).
Scott Owens, the winningest head coach in the history of Colorado College hockey, and Marty Sertich, the Hobey Baker Award winner in 2005, have been selected for induction into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
Owens, a 1979 Colorado College graduate, posted a record of 324-228-54 as head coach at his alma mater from 1999 to 2014. He was a goalie for the Tigers from 1975 to 1979 and played in 51 career games.
Sertich led the nation in scoring as a junior in 2005 with 64 points, (27 goals, 37 assists) and earned first-team All-America honors. He ranks 12th on the school’s career scoring list with 182 points (61g, 121a).
The hall of fame class of 2021 will be formally introduced on Nov. 1 at the Broadmoor World Arena.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Ben Guite’s experience and character to guide our program through this difficult time,” said Maine director of athletics Ken Ralph in a statement. “Ben is a Black Bear alum, a national champion, played in the National Hockey League, and has established himself as one of the top assistant coaches in college hockey. More importantly, there is no one who cares more about the University of Maine and the success of its hockey program.”
Guite, who joined Gendron’s staff in the summer of 2013, recently completed his eighth season as a member of the Maine staff. Guite served as an assistant coach for two years before being promoted to associate head coach on Oct. 14, 2015.
“I would like to thank director of athletics Ken Ralph and president Joan Ferrini-Mundy for their confidence in me to help guide our team through this difficult time,” said Guite. “At the moment, our thoughts are with Coach Red’s wife Jan, and their daughters, Katie and Allie, and we are here to support our players in any needs that they may have. Our program will honor Coach Red through our passion for Maine hockey and our effort on and off the ice. I am honored to serve on the Maine hockey staff and strive to represent all that Maine hockey means to myself, our university, our state, and our region. I will continue to give back to a program which has given so much to me both as a player, and as a coach.”
A member of the Black Bears’ 1999 NCAA national championship team, Guite spent 13 years as a professional hockey player following his graduation from Maine. Guite’s professional career spanned more than 600 games at the ECHL and AHL level along with a 175-game NHL career with Boston, Colorado and Nashville.
Guite earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from
Maine in 2000 before achieving his Masters in Business Administration from Maine in 2009.
Minnesota Duluth’s Cole Koepke tallied a team-best 15 goals during the 2020-21 season for the Bulldogs (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).
Minnesota Duluth junior forward Cole Koepke has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning and will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility.
Koepke was drafted by the Lightning in the sixth round (183rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
Over his three-year span, the Hermantown, Minn., native has scored 38 goals and dished 37 assists for 75 points in 104 games with UMD. He also served as an assistant captain in 2020-21 while collecting 15 goals and 23 points in 28 games.
During his freshman season, Koepke was a part of the Bulldogs’ 2019 national championship team.
Jackson Cates averaged nearly a point per game during the 2020-21 season at Minnesota Duluth (photo: Dave Harwig).
Minnesota Duluth junior forward Jackson Cates signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday afternoon that will start this season.
Cates will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility.
An undrafted college free agent, Cates played in 96 games for the Bulldogs, putting up 64 points (27 goals, 37 assists), winning a national championship in 2019.
During the 2020-21 season, the Stillwater, Minn., native posted 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 28 games.
Zac Jones was a steady defender during the 2020-21 season on the UMass back end (photo: Rich Gagnon)
The New York Rangers announced Tuesday that the team has agreed to terms with Massachusetts sophomore defenseman Zac Jones on an entry-level contract.
In signing the contract, Jones gives up his last two seasons of NCAA eligibility with the Minutemen.
Jones skated in 29 games with UMass this season, registering nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points, along with a plus-17 rating as the Minutemen won the national championship.
Jones was named to the NCAA East Second All-American Team this season, as well as the Hockey East Second All-Star Team and the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. He ranked second among NCAA defensemen in goals, ranked third among NCAA defensemen in points, tied for third among NCAA defensemen in shots on goal (84), and tied for eighth among NCAA defensemen in assists this season.
Among NCAA defensemen who were either a freshman or sophomore in 2020-21, Jones ranked first in points and shots on goal, ranked second in goals, and tied for third in assists. He ranked second on UMass in shots on goal, ranked third in assists, tied for third in points, and tied for fourth in goals in 2020-21.
The native of Glen Allen, Va., skated in 61 career games with UMass, registering 12 goals and 35 assists for 47 points, along with a plus-29 rating and 32 penalty minutes.
Jones was selected by the Rangers in the third round (68th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Massachusetts celebrates its 2021 national championship last Saturday night in Pittsburgh after blanking St. Cloud State 5-0 (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Fresh off its first national championship in the school’s hockey history, Massachusetts wraps the 2020-21 season a unanimous No. 1 in the final USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of the season.
The Minutemen, up five spots from the last poll on March 22, received all 40 first-place votes in this week’s rankings.
National runner-up St. Cloud State sits No. 2, up five spots as well.
Minnesota Duluth is No. 3, up six spots, while Minnesota State is up one to No. 4, and North Dakota down one to No. 5 this week.
Boston College falls four to No. 6, Minnesota drops five to No. 7, Wisconsin is down four to No. 8, Michigan falls one to No. 9, and Bemidji State round out the top 10 at No. 10, up four spots.
No new teams enter this week’s final rankings.
In addition, nine other teams received votes in the final poll of the season.
The USCHO.com Poll consists of 40 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.
Ty Emberson played three seasons at Wisconsin and served as team captain for the Badgers in 2020-21 (photo: Greg Anderson).
Wisconsin junior defenseman and team captain Ty Emberson has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes, forgoing his senior year with the Badgers.
The contract starts with this 2020-21 season, and he will report to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.
“Ty had a strong three years here as a player and as a student and he is ready to start his pro hockey career,” Badgers coach Tony Granato said in a statement. “His leadership helped us get to our Big Ten championship and helped us make our return to the NCAA tournament. He will make Wisconsin proud, like he has since he’s been here.”
A third-round pick (73rd overall) by Arizona in the 2018 NHL draft, Emberson captained the Badgers to their first Big Ten regular-season title and first regular-season conference title since 2000. UW posted a 20-10-1 record, its best since the 2013-14 season, and earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, its first since 2014.
“We are very pleased to sign Ty to an entry-level contract,” said Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong. “Ty is a good two-way defenseman who can play in all situations. He is another good prospect for us, and we look forward to monitoring his development.”
Emberson finishes his Badgers career with nine goals and 25 assists and 34 points in 101 games, including four goals and 13 points in 2020-21. He led the Badgers with a plus-15 and ranked 13th in the nation with an average of two blocks per game in 2020-21.
Massachusetts controlled this play and the national championship game against St. Cloud State Saturday night and brought home the school’s first hockey national title (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of March 22 fared in games since that date.
No. 1 North Dakota (22-6-1)
03/26/2021 – No. 15 AIC 1 vs No. 1 North Dakota 5 (NCAA Fargo Regional Semifinal)
03/27/2021 – No. 9 Minnesota Duluth 3 vs No. 1 North Dakota 2 (5OT, NCAA Fargo Regional Final)
No. 2 Boston College (17-6-1)
03/28/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud 4 vs No. 2 Boston College 1 (NCAA Albany Regional Final)
No. 4 Wisconsin (20-10-1)
03/26/2021 – No. 14 Bemidji State 6 vs No. 4 Wisconsin 3 (NCAA Bridgeport Regional Semifinal)
No. 5 Minnesota State (22-5-1)
03/27/2021 – No. 11 Quinnipiac 3 vs No. 5 Minnesota State 4 (OT, NCAA Loveland Regional Semifinal)
03/28/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota State 4 vs No. 2 Minnesota 0 (NCAA Loveland Regional Final)
04/08/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud State 5 vs No. 5 Minnesota State 4 (NCAA National Semifinal)
No. 6 Massachusetts (20-5-4)
03/26/2021 – No. 13 Lake Superior 1 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 5 (NCAA Bridgeport Regional Semifinal)
03/27/2021 – No. 14 Bemidji State 0 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 4 (NCAA Bridgeport Regional Final)
04/08/2021 – No. 9 Minnesota Duluth 2 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 3 (OT, NCAA National Semifinal)
04/10/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud 0 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 5 (NCAA National Championship)
No. 7 St. Cloud State (20-11-0)
03/27/2021 – No. 10 Boston University 2 vs No. 7 St. Cloud State 6 (NCAA Albany Regional Semifinal)
03/28/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud State 4 vs No. 2 Boston College 1 (NCAA Albany Regional Final)
04/08/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud State 5 vs No. 5 Minnesota State 4 (NCAA National Semifinal)
04/10/2021 – No. 7 St. Cloud State 0 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 5 (NCAA National Championship)
No. 8 Michigan (15-10-1)
Did not play.
No. 9 Minnesota Duluth (15-11-2)
03/27/2021 – No. 9 Minnesota Duluth 3 vs No. 1 North Dakota 2 (5OT, NCAA Fargo Regional Final)
04/08/2021 – No. 9 Minnesota Duluth 2 vs No. 6 Massachusetts 3 (OT, NCAA National Semifinal)
No. 10 Boston University (10-5-1)
03/27/2021 – No. 10 Boston University 2 vs No. 7 St. Cloud State 6 (NCAA Albany Regional Semifinal)
UMass celebrates its first NCAA championship after a 5-0 victory against St. Cloud State in Pittsburgh (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — In a strange college hockey season, where the word “asterisks” was constantly thrown around, Massachusetts ended things with an exclamation point.
Behind a dominating performance from start to finish and a 25-save shutout by goaltender Filip Lindberg, UMass defeated St. Cloud State, 5-0, to capture the program’s first Division I men’s ice hockey national championship.
It was the most lopsided championship game since 2010 when Boston College defeated Wisconsin by an identical 5-0 score.
The Minutemen grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first, doubled that with dominant special teams in the second and then cruised through the final 20 minutes much to the delight of the UMass faithful who traveled to PPG Paints Arena.
The shutout for Lindberg was particularly impressive given that the junior netminder was ruled out of Thursday’s semifinal because of COVID protocols. But after Lindberg and third-string goaltender Henry Graham along with leading goal scorer Carson Gicewicz made the eight-hour drive from Amherst to Pittsburgh on Friday and passed multiple COVID tests, they were cleared to dress on Saturday.
Lindberg said he wasn’t able to skate for the last eight days. Instead he just sat in a hotel room in Amherst, doing nothing but stretching and trying to relax. The turnabout in situation for Lindberg has been a roller coaster.
“Honestly, the day I found out [I couldn’t play] that was probably the worst day I had,” said Lindberg. “But thank God we got the chance to play tonight and got the job done.”
As referenced, special teams played a critical role in the game, particularly in the middle period when UMass killed two penalties, scored a short-handed goal — a highlight-reel tally by senior Philip Lagunov — and capped the frame with a Matthew Kessel power-play goal.
“Special teams played a big role this weekend,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “We had to kill more penalties than we got power plays. But we try to be a really good defensive team and really good on special teams and we were both tonight.”
Massachusetts played opportunistic hockey in the opening period. Though St. Cloud State controlled much of the period territorially, the Huskies mustered just three shots on goal, though that didn’t include Veeti Miettinen’s shot off the crossbar just 90 seconds into the game.
As things settled in for the Minutemen, they found ways to capitalize on mistakes.
St. Cloud State was looking to attack in the UMass zone when defenseman Ty Farmer grabbed a loose puck and hit Aaron Bohlinger with an outlet pass. While Bohlinger was likely to be in alone, two St. Cloud defensemen collided, allowing Ryan Sullivan to jump in the play for a 2-on-0. Working the give-and-go, Bohlinger buried his first collegiate goal at 7:26 for the 1-0 lead.
After UMass killed the period’s only penalty, it was able to extend the lead late. Cal Kiefiuk picked off Sam Hentges clearing pass along the left board, curled below the goal line and fired a goal-mouth pass that Reed Lebster buried at 18:56 for a 2-0 advantage.
Lagunov then scored short-handed at 5:10 of the second and Matthew Kessel scored on the power play at 13:50 to put a stranglehold on the game.
Lagunov’s goal was one that will be shown over and over. It also changed the complexion of the game. Picking up a loose puck on the penalty kill at the defensive blue line, Lagunov accelerated up the right wing. When Nick Perbix went for an open-ice hit and missed, Lagunov was alone on netminder David Hrenak and stuffed a shot under the armpit for a 3-0 lead.
“I think at that point we started pressing a little bit,” said St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson. “We tried to make a zone entry play that was a tough play and then a one-on-one situation where we probably got a little too aggressive. I thought that was the turning point in the game when they were up 3-0.”
After killing the remainder of that penalty and another midway through the period, UMass went to the power play at 12:35 when St. Cloud State was whistled for too many men.
The UMass power play was a clinic in passing and finally Oliver Chau moved the puck back to Kessel who launched it top shelf for the 4-0 advantage.
In the third, UMass scored the only goal, a top-shelf blast by Bobby Trivigno.
For UMass, the national title is the culmination of a remarkable turnaround under coach Greg Carvel.
When Carvel arrived on campus, the Minutemen hadn’t had a winning season in 10 years. His first year, 2016-17, the team struggled to a 5-29-2 mark.
Since that time, the build has been consistent, appearing in the national title game two seasons ago and losing to Minnesota Duluth. They captured the Hockey East tournament title this season and now, 28 seasons after the program was established in Division I, the Minutemen can now call themselves national champions.
“A lot of us came in recruited by coach Carvel,” said senior captain Jake Gaudet. “He had a dream to bring it to a national level and building a culture of really good kids that work really hard and have high character.
