Niagara and Canisius split a home-and-home series last weekend with the road team winning each game (photo: Joe Hrycych).
It’s an old cliché, but in rivalry games, you throw out the records.
On Saturday, Niagara traveled to Canisius for Part II of their annual “Battle of the Bridge” series between the rival schools, the last regular-season game of the season for each.
The night before, Canisius spotted Niagara a 1-0 lead in early in the third period before rattling off a quintet of unanswered goals for a 5-1 win, putting the Golden Griffins on the precipice of Atlantic Hockey’s West Pod regular-season title. Two out of three points on Saturday would seal it.
Niagara was already locked into the fifth and final seed in the West Pod and had only 17 players available due to COVID protocols.
But in a rivalry, pride is on the line.
“People who aren’t a part of this don’t understand how big this rivalry is,” said Niagara coach Jason Lammers.
“(Canisius) is Jesuit. Niagara is Vincentian. Even the priests are into it.”
Niagara again opened a 1-0 lead, but this time made it stick, going on to a 4-0 win to spoil Canisius’ chance at a title. Robert Morris is the top seed in the West Pod.
“We embraced the challenge,” said Lammers. “We actually played pretty well the night before. And we got the first goal like the night before but the difference was we scored earlier and to our credit, the guys believed in themselves.”
Goaltender Chad Veltri stopped all 16 shots he faced on Saturday. The sophomore was making his fourth straight start of the season after sharing time with senior Brian Wilson and junior Michael Corson, who transferred from Denver after two seasons. But Veltri has the hot hand right now.
“Chad’s got some experience in the postseason,” said Lammers. “Our goaltending has been a challenge with COVID protocols. It’s been all over the map. The guys have done a good job, but we wanted to get better.”
Niagara hopes to have all of its players back for a first round game at Mercyhurst on March 8. At full strength, Lammers has 19 upperclassmen on the roster.
“It’s great to have that experience this time of year,” said Lammers. “Experience is a great teacher.
“We need to get off to a good start (against Mercyhurst) and hold the line from there.”
Postseason’s greetings
In case you missed it, the final seedings for the Atlantic Hockey tournament are:
East Pod:
1. American International
2. Army West Point
3. Sacred Heart
4. Bentley
5. Air Force
6. Holy Cross
West Pod:
1. Robert Morris
2. Canisius
3. Rochester Institute of Technology
4. Mercyhurst
5. Niagara
Why is Air Force in the East Pod? Here’s the league’s explanation:
“Air Force was placed in the eastern region based on the point percentage of the third-placed team in each region. The playoff format was designed to protect the higher placed third seed by not having them play on the first weekend. Therefore, with RIT at 0.5897 and Sacred Heart at 0.5128, Air Force was placed in the eastern pod.”
The first round of the Atlantic Hockey tournament consists of single elimination games as follows:
March 7: Holy Cross at Sacred Heart
March 8: Niagara at Mercyhurst
March 9: Air Force at Bentley
The three survivors will advance to the best-of-three quarterfinals, which will stay within each pod. AIC and Army have byes in the East; Robert Morris, Canisius and RIT have byes in the West.
The highest surviving quarterfinal seed will host the remaining three, with a pod crossover in the semifinals I.e. the top seed from the East will face the second seed from the West and visa versa.
All games will be played on campus (or at the school’s designated off-campus rink).
Award season
With the postseason upon us, it’s time for Dan Rubin and I to hand out our awards, which for the past few seasons Dan has designated “The Lerchies” in deference to my seniority (advanced age).
Atlantic Hockey is changing things up this season. Due to a lack of play between the two pods, the conference will name all star and individual awards for each pod. So I’ll concede to calling my picks “The Lerchies” but we’ll also refer to Dan’s accolades as “The Rubies,” which actually sounds kind of cool.
Without further ado:
Dan’s East Team:
F: Colin Bilek, Army West Point
F: Chris Dodero, AIC
F: Luke Santerno, Bentley
D: Drew Bavaro, Bentley
D: Brennan Kapcheck, AIC
G: Trevin Kozlowski, Army West Point
Dan’s West Team:
F: Jonathan Bendorf, Mercyhurst
F: Will Calverly, RIT
F: Randy Hernandez, Robert Morris
D: Logan Gestro, Canisius
D: Nick Jenny, Robert Morris
G: Jacob Barzewski/Matt Ladd, Canisius
Dan’s Individual Awards:
East Player Of The Year: Colin Bilek, Army West Point
West Player Of The Year: Randy Hernandez, Robert Morris
East Coach Of The Year: Brian Riley, Army West Point
West Coach Of The Year: Trevor Large, Canisius
East Rookie Of The Year: Drew Bavaro, Bentley
West Rookie Of The Year: Randy Hernandez, RMU
Chris’ East Team:
F: Colin Bilek, Army West Point
F: Chris Dodero, AIC
F: Tobias Fladeby: AIC
D: Anthony Firriolo, Army West Point
D: Brennan Kapcheck, AIC
G: Trevin Kozlowski, Army West Point
Chris’ West Team:
F: Jonathan Bendorf, Mercyhurst
F: Will Calverly, RIT
F: Randy Hernandez, Robert Morris
D: Nick Jenny, Robert Morris
D: Dan Willett, RIT
G: Jacob Barzewski, Canisius
Chris’ Individual Awards:
East Player Of The Year: Colin Bilek, Army West Point
West Player Of The Year: Will Calverly, RIT
East Coach Of The Year: Brian Riley, Army West Point
West Coach Of The Year: Trevor Large, Canisius
East Rookie Of The Year: Drew Bavaro, Bentley
West Rookie Of The Year: Randy Hernandez, RMU
Good luck to everyone in the postseason. Fingers crossed that players will end things on their terms, where it should: on the ice.
Notre Dame’s Dylan St. Cyr is 9-8-1 this season with a 2.38 GAA, a .918 save percentage and three shutouts (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).
There’s no denying that Dylan St. Cyr has earned his opportunity in net.
Notre Dame’s senior netminder appeared in only 11 contests during his first three seasons on campus after being a mainstay for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program the two years prior.
This season, after splitting time in the fall with sophomore Ryan Bischel, St. Cyr has been coach Jeff Jackson’s guy during his final semester.
“Sometime in mid-January, I thought that Dylan started showing some positive signs, but the thing that probably opened the door mostly was that Ryan got injured,” Jackson said. “It opened the door for Dylan to play six straight games. We played Penn State, Ohio State and then he played both games against Michigan.
“I did give Ryan a game against Minnesota, but Dylan, even in those tough games against Michigan, I thought he played fairly well. I think he’s been more consistent, (and) he’s given us a chance to win every night.”
St. Cyr picked up back-to-back shutouts last weekend against Michigan State, making 27 saves on Friday and 29 on Saturday. They were his second and third shutouts of the season and gave him five for his career. The Irish close out the regular season by hosting Penn State this weekend.
“He’s made some real growth and he’s always been a confident kid,” Jackson said. “I never have to worry about that, but the big test for him is yet to come. As good as he has played, we need to give him some more help and try to score a few more goals because the games against the top-end teams, you’re not going to shut them out. He gave us good games against Minnesota and Michigan, but we didn’t win those games, so we have to find a way to give him more production so all the pressure’s not on him to get a shutout every night.”
St. Cyr waited mostly in the wings during his first three seasons at Notre Dame behind Cale Morris, who now plays for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Jackson said he was impressed with how he carried himself despite not regularly playing in games.
“He’s a real intentional young man,” Jackson said. “He’s very focused and he knows what he’s doing in every aspect of life. He’s really good in the classroom, he’s focused academically, and he’s a good teammate, but I think the biggest thing is he’s so dialed in.
“He knows the position, he knows how to play it technically, and he’s very good at separating that technical aspect from his performance, which not every goalie can do. That gives him a real advantage.”
Wolverines travel to Minnesota looking to play spoiler
Michigan has faced its share of ups and downs this season, but it’s probably not wise to psychoanalyze the early-December series between the Gophers and Wolverines in Ann Arbor when it comes to making a prediction about this weekend.
The Gophers swept that weekend, winning 3-1 in 4-0 to extend their start to 8-0, but with the amount of talent for both teams that will be on Minnesota’s larger ice sheet this weekend that wasn’t at Yost Ice Arena in December, this one could be different.
Michigan’s young team was also a lot younger back in December.
“There’s nothing like playing the games and learning how you have to compete and what it takes to have success,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “If we’re not the youngest team, we’re one of the two or three youngest teams in college hockey and experience is so important. They got that on-the-job training, so you start the understand the urgency and how you need to play and how there’s different styles and how you have to be able to play against a skilled skating team versus a grinding hard-nosed team.”
Pearson said he thought he had the team in a good place, and then came the COVID-related pause.
“We’re still coming back from that, we’re still working our way back from that pause, but I do like the resiliency and the things that they’ve had to overcome, not only on the ice but off the ice,” he said.
The Wolverines typically prepare for the trip to Minnesota by skating at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube, which has an Olympic-sized ice sheet like the one at the Gophers’ home rink, but Pearson said they were unable to do that this year because of the backlog of games and practices already being held at the arena.
Michigan picked up a win and tie against Arizona State last weekend and Pearson said that the challenge will now be to prepare for the style that the Gophers play compared to the Sun Devils.
“The pace is going to be a lot quicker and we’re going to have to make sure we’re on the right side of the puck defensively,” he said. “There will be some definite adjustments where we have to be a lot better, and they’re playing for a Big Ten championship, just like they were last year when we walked in there.”
Badgers hope to leapfrog Minnesota
If Michigan can topple Minnesota this weekend, it will give Wisconsin an opportunity to do something that it has not done since 2000 — win a regular-season conference championship.
Even with mathematical equations being brought into the picture due to an unbalanced schedule, the scenarios for Wisconsin are still rather simple. The Badgers can sweep Michigan State on the road this weekend and they would need Minnesota to lose once or tie twice. If Wisconsin wins and ties, the Gophers will need to lose twice or lose and tie. If the Badgers win once or tie twice, Minnesota needs to lose twice.
The opportunity to hang a banner would not be a fluke for Wisconsin as it has reeled in the Gophers since the calendar rolled over and posted a 12-3-1 record in the new year.
“We’re excited about where we’re at, but we also know that there’s still lots of hockey in front of us to play well in and try to continue to get better at,” UW coach Tony Granato said on Monday. “Let’s not kid ourselves, we’re on a good enough run that we should feel good about ourselves at how our games have gone, but we’re trying to focus on Friday night’s game and not look past it.”
Thinking about the title or not, goaltender Robbie Beydoun said that a solid performance against the Spartans this weekend would be key as the Badgers advance to the Big Ten Tournament and, hopefully, the NCAA tournament.
“It is really exciting, not too many teams that I’ve been on have a chance to win the regular season going into the last weekend,” he said. “Regardless of the standings and what could happen or could not happen, we want to be playing our best hockey going into the playoffs, right? We want to have our best weekend of the year because right after that there’s a quick turnaround heading into the Big Ten tournament.”
Ten NCAA Division I men’s hockey players who excel both on and off the ice were selected as finalists today for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 15 candidates announced earlier in the season. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 29. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the Frozen Four in April.
Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Kevin Fitzgerald, St. Cloud State
Matt Hellickson, Notre Dame
Nick Jenny, Robert Morris
Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota
Alex Limoges, Penn State
Brannon McManus, Minnesota
Scott Reedy, Minnesota
Zach Solow, Northeastern
Odeen Tufto, Quinnipiac
The 2020 winner of the award was Alaska Anchorage defenseman Nolan Nicholas.
Well, well, well, another mid-week series in the WCHA, and it is a doozy of a series. The Lake Superior State Lakers and the Bemidji State Beavers clash in a series that has huge playoff implications. Just what you want as the season heads to a close.
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State
Jack: A great series that will do a lot in determining playoff seeding, this one could also be essentially a play-in series for the chance at an at-large bid. Although I don’t know if the most likely result (a split) will help either team. Beavers win 3-1 Tuesday, Lakers win 4-2 Wednesday
Daver: Here we go. What a matchup. This could be a playoff matchup and no one would be surprised if it went the distance. However, I really like what Damon Whitten’s group has done recently, despite the misstep at Michigan Tech, and I think they are well-built for a tough series like this. Lakers sweep, 4-1 Tuesday, 3-2 Wednesday.
American International clinched its third consecutive Atlantic Hockey regular season championship – no small feat for a team that few had heard of five years ago.
Head coach Eric Lang joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about the growth and success of the program, a team that lost 10 seniors but which didn’t skip a beat, the recovery of Eric Otto from cancer, mentoring others, and keeping sharp in a season filled with cancellations and pauses.
Providence closed out the first half of a home-and-home series with Northeastern with a 4-2 win on the road against the Huskies Saturday afternoon at Matthews Arena (photo: Providence Athletics).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Jim: Well, Paula, there’s a new No. 1 team as North Dakota has overtaken Boston College atop the USCHO.com poll.
It’s not too surprising as the divide between the two has been razor-thin over the past few weeks, so with Boston College slipping with a 3-2 overtime loss to Massachusetts in an entertaining battle on Friday, the Fighting Hawks, winners of five straight, were nearly unanimous as the top team.
Though the USCHO.com poll has often guided our discussion in this space over the years, I particularly want to look at it right now. In a year where using the PairWise to compare teams nationwide and select an NCAA field isn’t possible, I have to wonder if any credence will be given to both of the national poll when the NCAA committee and its two regional advisory committees come together on March 21 to select the at-large NCAA participants.
When I look at the current top 16 teams in the USCHO.com poll, it almost nearly matches the 16 teams I came up with when I tried to put together a current projected field. Not surprising, the spots where I don’t directly match the poll is at the bottom. So believe it or not, I feel the NCAA selection may not be as difficult or controversial as many have imagined.
Will there be a bubble like there is in most years? Yes. But I think the NCAA committee will be able to get to a field of 16 with relative ease.
Do you agree?
Paula: I do, Jimmy. Not only can I see the current top 16 teams comprising the entire NCAA tournament field, but I can see the current top four teams being the top four seeds, based on season-long performance and win percentages, plus perceived strength of schedule.
I don’t know everyone who votes on the USCHO.com poll, but even if there isn’t overlap with the NCAA committee, everyone on that committee is already part of the ongoing, season-long conversation we’ve all had about how to paint a national picture in a when competition is limited almost exclusively to intraconference play.
As you’ve said before, there is reason to have faith in the committee simply based on the expertise of each individual member, but there’s something to be said for each member’s participation in a wider community that has been concerned with this – publicly, actively – since the start of the season.
As I said last week, it’s a bit freaky how normal the top 10 look to me in this abnormal season, and even the PWR props up most of the top 10. There’s something to be said, too, for programs that are able to sustain a certain level of competition from year to year, and that has to be something that the committee can rely on.
Like you, most of my questions surround the bottom six teams in a field of 16 – but I’m always a little squishy in the bottom eight or so teams on my weekly poll ballot. What I mean by “squishy” is that I sometimes don’t see a lot of difference among teams that aren’t solidly top-tier in the country. After that definitive drop-off, a spot that varies season by season I think, we run into teams that aren’t performing with the same consistency as teams above them, and teams that are often inconsistent for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes these teams get it together by the end of the season. Sometimes they don’t. That’s where I think the committee may have difficulty.
I also wonder about how the committee will handle surprises in the conference playoffs. Maybe we’re making a case here, Jimmy, that they’ll pretty much do as they have in the past. I’m intrigued, though, by the subjectivity and flexibility hinted at in the memo we saw two weeks ago.
Jim: Here’s how I would see the discussions with both the regional advisory panel and the NCAA committee:
Heading into Saturday, when I believe five of the six conference championship games will be played (Big Ten tournament will be concluded), the two committees likely have generated a list of the 16 teams that would qualify IF the higher-seed wins the tournament. Should there be an upset that awards a team NOT on that list to receive the automatic qualifier, then the committee needs a “next team out” list. And then, if you have one or more upsets in the conference tournament, you begin bumping teams out, one by one.
This likely only impacts a maximum of four teams, maybe five. But in most likely scenarios, impacts just one or two. So while most committees in recent years might have simply waited for the PairWise to be calculated, this season might require a little more preparation. But all of this is something that could be ironed out prior to Selection Sunday and let the meeting on Sunday really be about what it has in the past – seeding the tournament and placing teams in regionals.
So yes, I feel like at the end of the day, things may be more normal that we all have been making out. But…
Let’s find a scenario where we could have some controversy.
Say, for instance, that the final two teams being considered for an at-large bid are Bemidji State and Providence (don’t send hate mail, I’m just trying to make a comparison). If you use the traditional PairWise formula to compare the two, the only category that has impact is RPI. Bemidji State has earned a higher RPI, but also has done so in a conference that some think isn’t as strong top to bottom as Hockey East.
At this point, would the regional advisory committees have to have a debate to determine which team gets in? It’s not supposed to, but does how each team performed in their conference tournament matter?
Questions like these are the major potential I see for controversy.
Paula: That is the kind of scenario that I’m sure is giving the committee members heartburn. There are fans out there – and maybe others among the press and certainly coaches of teams left out – that the choices made are indefensible precisely because there is no way to quantify a conference’s relative strength based on this season’s play alone.
I’m not trying to both-sides this at all, but the choices really are indefensible and completely defensible when we consider the words “flexible” and “subjective,” the second being the one that will garner the most attention.
I like the idea of flexibility on all kinds of levels. This season has been impossible, and yet we have the majority of D-1 teams nearing the completion of something extraordinary – a (relatively) normal, competitive hockey season. I think it will be years before we know the full story of how some teams made this happen, the lengths to which people went to stay safe, stay healthy, and to fight to produce something that connects so many people in a time of great disconnection.
I see the ability to be flexible key to juggling last-minute issues relating to COVID as well as some seeding and invitation choices.
That subjectivity, though, is where people think that is trickier than it is. The outcome of the example scenario that you bring up – Bemidji State or Providence – is bound to divide. The committee members, though, should make their choice in such a case, publish their rationale, and walk away from it after that, letting the conversation go where it goes.
Maybe that will lead to productive discussions about equity and conference strength. Maybe it won’t.
While I’m more of a proponent than most about performance within individual conferences in determining the field this year – and I think that conference play is super important overall, because it’s more equitable play on many levels – an argument for using the relative strength of individual conferences in recent years is valid.
Again, I don’t envy the committee.
This whole conversation, Jimmy, highlights something that we don’t discuss enough, in my opinion. We are always talking about growing the sport, and we all want college hockey to have a bigger footprint than it does. We know that the bigger it grows, the stronger and more viable it becomes as a nationwide product.
But I think people are especially nostalgic right now for the coziness of how college hockey used to be for all kinds of obvious reasons. What we don’t talk about, though, is that we are lucky in many ways that college hockey is as small as it is, that the NCAA committee is used to scheduling a field of only 16, that we only have six conferences and 60 teams to contend with.
I’m not advocating for keeping college hockey small, but the size of the sport does help with logistics right now and, beyond that, helps those of us in this community maintain a conversation and keep connected on a level that other sports communities cannot enjoy.
Jim: That’s a good point. I can’t imagine that the Men’s Division I Basketball Committee will have an easy go of it with plenty of scenarios around the nation mimicking what college hockey is going through this season.
Before we get to the NCAA tournament, of course, we do need to get through conference championships. That, itself, could be challenging. There will be more travel, potentially, than some teams have had to go through this season.
We look at Atlantic Hockey, which on the final week of the regular season had to cancel nine of 11 games within the conference. It feel ominous that potentially one or more teams across the six conferences could have their season ended because of a postseason COVID outbreak, one that could force games to be forfeited and teams to be eliminated without every playing a game.
Scary thought or am I just someone who sees the glass as half-empty too often?
Paula: I don’t think you’re seeing the glass as half empty at all. Hey, at least there’s a glass! We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of mourning the abrupt end of the 2019-20 season. This year, teams will play for titles. Thinking about how the pandemic may affect the next few weeks isn’t pessimistic. It’s responsible.
I saw those cancellations and my heart sank. We know that COVID protocols can extend beyond a week or even two, and when so many teams are affected within the same conference, it’s natural to think of forfeiture and elimination. Every team must know that this is a possibility.
As we write this, I still haven’t heard what’s happening with Penn State. The Nittany Lions haven’t played since Jan. 29. Their first series in February against the Wolverines was cancelled because of COVID issues in the Michigan athletic department. Since then, it’s been all about tier-1 positive tests at Penn State. They may be out before the Big Ten playoffs begin. Even if they can return, how can they be competitive after a month without play?
Every time I see a story about COVID affecting a school where college hockey is played – even if the COVID protocols don’t currently affect the hockey team – I hold my breath and say a little prayer. We’d all hate to see seasons end now because of COVID with the end so near.
But, Jimmy, think of it this way: In December, I had serious doubts that we’d even get this far. None of us knew how COVID would affect our everyday lives in the coming months. With February behind us, I’m confident that teams will play for conference titles, that someone will earn a national championship.
Frankly, at this point an alternative is too much to think about.
Hockey East announced Tuesday schedule updates for men’s and women’s teams for the coming week.
Wednesday, March 3
Women’s Semifinals
UConn at Northeastern – 4:30 p.m. (NESN)
Maine at Providence – 7 p.m. (NESN)
Thursday, March 4
New Hampshire at Boston University (men) – 4 p.m.
Friday, March 5
Maine at Massachusetts (men) – 2:30 p.m. (NESN)
Northeastern at Boston College (men) – 5 p.m.
Providence at UConn (men) – 5 p.m.
Vermont at Merrimack (men) – 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 6
Boston University at UMass Lowell (men) – 3 p.m.
Vermont at Merrimack (men) – 6 p.m.
Women’s Championship – 7 p.m. (NESN)
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation announced Tuesday its 2021 Legend of College Hockey recipient as Mike Sertich from Minnesota Duluth.
Sertich’s run with the Bulldogs spanned 25 years beginning in 1975 and culminated in 2000. Retirement was short-lived as Sertich went behind the Michigan Tech bench mid-season in 2000-01 and continued for two more full seasons.
Following a career as a Bulldog defenseman in the mid-1960s, the Virginia, Minn., native started coaching with Gus Hendrickson at Grand Rapids (Minn.) High School. Together, the two moved on to Minnesota Duluth in 1975 with Sertich serving as assistant coach under Hendrickson. Sertich was chosen to take over the head coaching reins in 1982 and saw immediate success.
Minnesota Duluth made the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons, including two straight Frozen Four appearances. In just his second season (1983-84), the Bulldogs won the WCHA regular-season and playoff titles, then marched all the way to the national championship game, losing in an NCAA classic to Bowling Green in four overtimes.
The same script followed the next season as UMD won league and playoff banners, but suffered a three-overtime loss in the national semifinal game to Rennselaer. In each of his first three seasons guiding the Bulldogs, Sertich was named WCHA Coach of the Year and added national coach of the year accolades in 1984 (Spencer Penrose Award).
Overall, Sertich procured a 350-328-44 record in 18 seasons as the Bulldogs’ head coach. He enjoyed one more WCHA regular-season title and league coach of the year honors for the 1992-93 season. Sertich produced three Hobey Baker Award winners, 11 NCAA All-Americans, five WCHA Player of the Year honorees and 21 future NHL performers during his 18-year tenure.
He assumed the Michigan Tech head coaching job in October 2000 and went on to coach the rest of that year and two more full seasons before retiring with an overall college head coaching record of 375-397-53.
Not quite done with the hockey bug, Sertich served as a volunteer assistant coach at St. Scholastica for three years (2011-14). Additionally, he was involved with USA Hockey in a variety of roles over a 40-year period, including coaching the National Sled Hockey Team.
Sertich was honored with several more awards in 2005: WCHA Distinguished Service Award, the AHCA Founders Award and was inducted into the Minnesota Duluth Athletic Hall of Fame.
Good things run in the family as Mike’s nephew Marty Sertich won the Hobey Baker Award in 2005 while skating for Colorado College.
Sertich will be honored along with this year’s Hobey Baker Award winner at the annual Hobey Baker Award Banquet and golf outing this summer in St. Paul, Minn. Banquet and golf information will be available soon by visiting the Hobey Baker website.
NEWHA members Long Island and Sacred Heart will vie for the Commissioner’s Cup, a unique championship experience that will reward one of the two remaining teams competing in the league.
A three-game series will be played between LIU and Sacred Heart this week with the winner awarded the championship. In lieu of a formal conference championship due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the series will recognize the two programs that have persevered through a season unlike any other.
The first game is slated to be played on Tuesday, March 2 with the Pioneers hosting LIU at 1 p.m. The second game will be played on Thursday, March 4 at 2 p.m. on Long Island. If necessary, the third and final game of the series will be hosted by LIU at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 5.
“We are excited for the opportunity to play against Sacred Heart for the NEWHA Commissioner’s Cup,” said second-year LIU coach Rob Morgan in a statement. “It is a tremendous way for our student athletes to conclude this unprecedented college season.”
“With this being a different year, and with all of the difficulties that have been associated with it, we are all just very grateful for the ability to be on the ice this year,” added SHU coach Thomas O’Malley. “We look forward to competing for the Commissioner’s Cup.”
The Pioneers began their season in December with the Sharks taking the ice just after the New Year. The squads have met on four occasions with the Sharks claiming victory in three of those fixtures. In postseason play, Sacred Heart won the initial NEWHA postseason title in 2018 with the Sharks claiming victory in 2020, their first season of competition.
Denver and Colorado College will not play this weekend’s home-and-home series to wrap up the NCHC regular season (photo: Casey B. Gibson).
Due to a combination of positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Colorado College hockey program, the Denver and Colorado College home-and-home series scheduled for this weekend has been canceled.
The final Gold Pan games were scheduled for Thursday, March 4 in Denver and Saturday, March 6 in Colorado Springs, which is the final weekend of the NCHC’s regular season. The series had already twice been postponed, first on Jan. 8-9 and again on Jan. 29-30. Denver and CC did play four times this season, with DU retaining the Gold Pan with a 3-1-0 record in the series.
Per NCHC policy for 2020-21, the canceled games will be considered no contests, having no impact on either team’s record. With the cancellations, Colorado College and Denver both finish the regular season with 22 conference games, two short of the 24 scheduled NCHC games. Per NCHC policies and procedures, the conference will use points per game to determine the final order of the standings and seedings for the NCHC tournament where teams do not complete all 24 games.
All four teams in the bottom half of the standings have now completed the regular season, allowing for final seedings to be determined. Denver finishes with 1.409 points per game (31 points in 22 games), while Western Michigan played all 24 games, totaling 33 points for 1.375 points per game. The Pioneers will be the No. 5 seed in the 2021 NCHC Frozen Faceoff, while the Broncos will be the No. 6 seed.
Colorado College and Miami each finish with 18 points, but the Tigers played two fewer games, making them the No. 7 seed (0.818 points per game), while the RedHawks are the No. 8 seed (0.750 points per game).
Friday’s Omaha at North Dakota game and Saturday’s Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State game, which will determine the second and third seeds, are still on as scheduled. UND is locked into the No. 1 seed as Penrose Cup champions and Omaha cannot move out of the No. 4 seed, with all four teams having only one game remaining (23 games played).
The 2021 NCHC Frozen Faceoff will then take place March 12-16 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D., where a tournament champion will be crowned.
At No. 6, Massachusetts is up three, followed by Michigan staying seventh, St. Cloud State down two to No. 8, Minnesota Duluth up one to No. 9 and Boston University falling a pair to round out the top 10.
No new teams enter the rankings this week.
In addition to the top 20, seven other teams received votes.
The USCHO.com Poll consists of 40 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.
Felix Brassard scored one goal in a four-goal, second period to help Norwich to a season opening win over Connecticut College (Photo by Norwich Athletics)
While some cancellations continue to COVID, several new teams kicked off play this weekend including Norwich, Nichols, and Connecticut College. Action in the UCHC continued with a mix of tight games and a couple of upsets. Here is a summary from this past weekend’s action:
Non-Conference
Castleton v. New England College
The two NEHC rivals played a home-and-home series with the Pilgrims taking both games. On Friday, NEC took a 3-1 lead early in the third period on a goal by Linus Udd Hellgren only to see the Spartans battle back to tie the game at 3-3. Connor Inger and Anton Tarvainen exchanged goals over the final five minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 4-4. In the extra session Inger scored his second goal of the game for the 5-4 win for the visitors.
Saturday found Inger and the Pilgrim offense in high gear as NEC took the return engagement by an 8-3 score. Inger scored a hat trick and added an assist while defenseman Josh Chamberlain picked up four points with two goals and two assists in the win that leveled the season record at 3-3-0 for the Pilgrims.
Albertus Magnus v. Anna Maria
A seven-goal third period broke open a 2-1 game in an exciting 6-4 win for the Falcons in their debut against Anna Maria. Owen Allan scored twice in the final period, including an empty-net goal to seal the win in the final five seconds.
Massachusetts-Dartmouth v. Southern Maine
The Corsairs and Huskies opened their season with UMD rallying from a 2-1 deficit in the third period to take a 4-2 win on Saturday. After Matt Fuller and Antoine Gignac scored in the second period to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead, the visitors scored three unanswered goals in the third period off the sticks of Jimmy Pelton, Dillon Radin and Kai Kapossy to earn the win. Daniel Davidson made 24 saves and earned the win for UMD.
Connecticut College v. Norwich
The Cadets finally made their debut against Connecticut College and took advantage of a four-goal second period to runaway with a 6-2 win. After Brett Stirling scored early in the second period to tie the game at 1-1, the Cadets scored three in quick succession from Carter Cowlthorp, Felix Brassard and Michael Korol to take a 4-1 lead. Korol’s goal came on a penalty shot and was followed late in the period by a Niks Krollis goal that put the Cadets on cruise control in the final period. Ben Nelson made 18 saves for Norwich to earn the win.
Nichols v. Suffolk
Alex Kolowrat provided the scoring early for Suffolk as his hat trick in the first two periods helped build a 3-1 lead over Nichols. The Bison rallied behind goals from Hunter Fraser and Curtis Carlson before Gavin O’Neill gave the rams the lead for good and Griffin Clark iced the contest with an empty-net goal in the final minute that preserved a 5-3 win.
UCHC
Chatham v. Stevenson
On Thursday, Chatham built a 4-1 lead in the third period and then held on as Stevenson mounted a furious comeback. Michael Lamison extended the Cougar lead early in the third period before Ryan Patrick scored twice in a ten second span to cut the lead to a single goal. Ricardo Gonzalez made sure nothing else got by him in the Cougar goal as he finished with 40 saves in the 4-3 win.
Utica v. Chatham
Sean Dickson made 24 saves to earn the shutout win for Utica over Chatham on Saturday. The Pioneers scored a goal in each period off the sticks of Brett Everson, Buster Larsson, and Brandon Osmundson to earn a 3-0 win over the Cougars.
Elmira v. Neumann
On Friday, Chance Gorman scored shorthanded and power play goals to give Elmira an early 2-0 lead, but Neumann fought back on third period tallies from Auston Boyle and Evan Hoey. Neither team could settle the game in overtime, but Shawn Kennedy and Gorman again beat the Knights’ Kyle Pantelone in the shootout to decide the game
Stevenson v. Wilkes
Chad Watt’s power play goal late in the third period broke a 1-1 tie and led Stevenson to the upset win over Wilkes on Friday night. Ryan Patrick sealed the win with an empty-net goal just 35 seconds later and Ryan Kenny stopped 26 of 27 shots in the 3-1 win for the Mustangs.
Nazareth v. Lebanon Valley
Lebanon Valley rallied with two goals late in the third period to take a 3-2 win over Nazareth on Friday night. Max Loga scored for the Flying Dutchman at the 16-minute mark of the third period to tie the game at 2-2. Riley Johnson scored just over a minute later for the game winning goal to help LVC to open conference play with a win.
Elmira v. Nazareth
Elmira scored early, late, and often in a 10-0 win over Nazareth on Sunday. Shane Haviland led the way with a pair of goals and two assists while Jake Russo picked up a goal and three assists and Nicholas Domitrovic scored twice in the rout. In all fourteen Elmira players picked up points in the win that moved Elmira to 1-0-1 in conference play.
Three Biscuits
Connor Inger – New England College – After picking up the overtime winner on Friday, Inger scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Pilgrims’ 8-3 win over Castleton.
Alex Kolowrat – Suffolk – scored a hat trick in the first two periods of play to help lead the Rams to a 5-3 win over Nichols in their first game of the season.
Shane Haviland – Elmira – picked up four points with a pair of goals and two assists in Elmira’s 10-0 win over Nazareth on Sunday.
It was great to see more teams taking to the ice in formal competition and the UCHC action continues to create excitement for whatever playoff format the conference chooses come the end of March.
The WCHA regular season title was on the line in this series. The opening game featured a lot of action in the opening frame. The Badgers got on the board first with a power play goal from Nicole LaMantia early in the period. Lizi Norton responded less than two minutes later to tie the game for the Bulldogs and Anna Klein’s goal at the midway point of the period put UMD up 2-1. Brette Pettet tied it up for the Badgers, but Gabbie Hughes’ goal with 22 seconds left in the first would prove to be the game-winner. She added another goal halfway through the game to make it 4-2 Minnesota Duluth. The second game was winner-take-all. Hughes added to her already impressive weekend with a goal in the first period to give UMD a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Dary Watts tied the game for Wisconsin with a goal early in the second, but one again it was Hughes that lit the lamp and put the Bulldogs up 2-1. Anna Klein extended Minnesota Duluth’s lead late in the period, but Lacey Eden responded just 23 seconds later to make it 3-2 UMD. It looked like that might hold, but the Badgers pulled their goalie and Pettet scored with 87 seconds left in the game to make it 3-3 and force overtime. In the extra frame, Daryl Watts placed the puck top shelf and won the game and the regular season crown for Wisconsin.
New Hampshire at (2) Northeastern (Hockey East Tournament quarterfinals)
Northeastern’s depth was on display as seven different Huskies scored in a 7-0 win. Katy Knoll, Katie Cipra, Veronika Pettey, Skylar Fontaine, Kate Holmes, Mia Brown and Alina Mueller each lit the lamp for the Huskies in the win. Northeastern advances to the Hockey East semifinals where they’ll face Connecticut.
(5) Colgate vs. Quinnipiac
Game one started quickly, as Sadie Peart scored five minutes in to give Quinnipiac the 1-0 lead. But Darcie Lappan responded just 23 seconds later for Colgate to tie the game at 1. Taylor Girard gave the Bobcats a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission with a goal in the final minute of the period. Kalty Kaltounkova tied it again 61 seconds into the second period to make it 2-2. Danielle Serdachny’s goal in the final few minutes of the game was the game winner and Allyson Simpson added an empty net goal to give the Raiders a 4-2 win. In the second game, Quinnipiac came out swinging, scoring the first four goals. Girard put the Bobcats up 1-0 after the first. In the second, Grace Markey, Laura Lundblad and Taylor House each lit the lamp to put Quinnipiac ahead 4-0. Sammy Smigliani scored late in the second to get Colgate on the board and make it 4-1. Serdachny scored twice in the final two minutes of the game to cut the lead to 4-3, but Brooke Bonsteel’s empty-netter secured a 5-3 win for Quinnipiac.
Photo: UConn Athletics
Connecticut at (6) Boston College (Hockey East Tournament quarterfinals)
After a scoreless first period, Morgan Wabick scored early in the second to give UConn a 1-0 lead. Viki Harkness doubled the lead on the power play as she corralled the puck off the boards and beat BC goalie Abigail Levy on the near post. Coryn Tormala found a great time to score her first of the season as she made it 3-0 for the Huskies heading into the second intermission. Danika Pasqua made it 4-0 late in the third. Cayla Barnes scored for Boston College to ruin the shutout, but Wabick added her second of the game to secure the 5-1 win for Connecticut. This is the second-straight year the Huskies knocked the Eagles out of the Hockey East Tournament.
(8) Penn State at Mercyhurst
On Friday, Kiara Zanon scored twice in the first period and Amy Dobson added a goal to give Penn State a 3-0 lead. Alyssa Machado increased the lead to 4-0 early in the second. Mercyhurst scored twice late in the middle frame to cut the lead in half. Goals from Summer Rae Dobson and Sara Boucher made it 4-2. Olivia Wallin extended Penn State’s lead to 5-3 in the third and the Nittany Lions took game one. On Sunday, Mercyhurst ended PSU’s 13-game unbeaten streak with a 3-2 overtime victory. The Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to early goals from Alexa Vasko and Sarah Nelles. Penn State clawed back with goals from Julie Gough and Lyndie Lobdell to force the extra frame, but Emily Pinto ended it with an unassisted goal to give Mercyhurst the 3-2 win.
(9) Clarkson vs. St. Lawrence
On Friday, Gabi Jones and Melissa Jeffries put St. Lawrence up 2-0 before Caitrin Lonergan responded with a short-handed tally to cut the lead to 2-1. Julia Gosling scored 40 seconds in to the first for the Saints to make it 3-1 before Nicole Gosling (edit: Nicole and Julia are cousins) of Clarkson responded a few minutes later to make it 3-2. Gabrielle David scored on the power play late in the third period to tie the game and force overtime, but Julia Gosling scored just 46 seconds into the extra time to give St. Lawrence a 4-3 win. On Sunday, the team’s were deadlocked in a scoreless tie for more than forty minutes. Anna Segedi found the back of the net in the opening minute of the third to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. Lonergan responded a few minutes later to tie the game. Segedi lit the lamp one more time to give St. Lawrence a 2-1 win. The teams meet again Monday night at 7 pm EST.
Boston University at (10) Providence (Hockey East Tournament quarterfinals)
Brooke Becker scored just two minutes into the game to give Providence a 1-0 lead. Caroline Peterson doubled the lead early in the second and Hayley Lunny’s power play goal later in the frame made it 3-0 for the Friars. Jullia Shaunessy put the Terriers on the board in the final minutes of the second, but Peterson scored her second of the day in the final minute of the middle frame to make it 4-1 Providence. Kristina Shuler scored early in the third to cut the lead to 4-2 and Boston University continued to fight back in the third. Shaunessy scored in the final minute to make it 4-3, but BU ran out of time and Providence took the one-goal win. The Friars will face Maine in the Hockey East semifinal.
Michigan freshman Matty Beniers went for a hat trick Friday night against Arizona State (photo: Jonathan Knight).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Terriers’ resilience
Boston University took a hit on Friday night with a 5-2 loss to Merrimack. The Terriers were within striking distance with Boston College in the Hockey East Power Index before that, but bounced back nicely on Saturday night. Hopefully for them, that’s enough to keep a top seeding as they’ve been playing some great hockey. They’re finally healthy now, too, with star defenseman David Farrance back in action and playing like a guy ready to make an NHL run soon.
2. UMass looks ready
The Minutemen missed a ton of time between campus issues and delays, but the response in two games this week — their first since late January — were fantastic. First, they put up eight goals at Providence on Tuesday then took an overtime victory at Boston College. As solid as it gets for a team that hasn’t had a ton of time to gel in the second half of the season.
3. Big Wisconsin weekend for Caufield
The Cole Caufield show, well, showed up in a big way this weekend for Wisconsin. In the Badgers 7-0 win the sophomore star picked up a hat trick, continuing to push towards his Hobey Baker bid. Caufield has 22 goals in 26 games for a 14-5-1 team, so all the credentials are in place to make a serious bid for the award. He’s continued to be one of the most electric — and entertaining — players in the game.
4. Minnesota Duluth back on track
The Bulldogs desperately needed scoring after nabbing just two goals in their three-game winning streak. Putting up five on No. 6 St. Cloud State this weekend got them back on track, and a hat trick from Nick Swaney was instrumental. Perhaps that will set them off in the right direction as they vie for a tournament bid. They’re going to get plenty used to St. Cloud State some more, too, with another matchup next week before they square off in the conference semis.
5. North Dakota special teams
North Dakota’s power play carried it in a 4-2 win over Nebraska Omaha on Friday, striking three times to bring the Fighting Hawks to its 18th victory. Their other goal, though, didn’t come at even strength; Judd Caufield netted his fourth goal of the season with a shorthanded tally for the fourth North Dakota tally of the night to seal things late in the third period. Solid showing for them against a decent Mavericks squad.
6. Beniers’ hat trick a good sign
Michigan’s Matty Beiners had a solid showing on Friday night with a hat trick against Arizona State. The freshman who made a name for himself with Team USA during World Juniors jumped up to nine goals on the season in 20 games, good for the most on the team.
7. Quinnipiac surging
The Bobcats haven’t lost in seven games and kept that streak alive on Saturday with a 3-2 win over St. Lawrence. Peter DiLiberatore picked up a mid-third period power play goal to break the deadlock after the Saints comeback bid from down 2-0 at knotted the game up. A solid defensive third period held them at bay, and the Bobcats surge continues.
8. UConn snaps skid
The Huskies looked like they were getting somewhere before they dropped four games in a row. Into the national rankings for the first time ever, then a drastic skid. It certainly hurt their Hockey East standings chances, but it had to be nice to get a win back this weekend with a victory over Maine to split their weekend.
9. Rowe steps up
Caufield wasn’t the only Badger to have a big night. Freshman goalie Cameron Rowe stepped up with a 21-save shutout in the 7-0 Wisconsin win over Ohio State. The Badgers were banged up on defense, but Rowe’s second career shutout paired with the offensive explosion couldn’t have come at a better time. He didn’t see any time until mid-December this season, and since then has consistently been a part of the Badgers goalie rotation.
10. Robert Morris, AIC take conference crowns
The Colonials lost twice last week but that didn’t stop them from taking the Atlantic Hockey West pod title following Canisius’s loss to Niagara this weekend. AIC won the East pod as the conference went with dual regular-season champions this season.
Josh Dunne and Clarkson completed a home-and-home sweep of Colgate over the weekend (photo: Gary Mikel).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Feb. 22 fared in games over the week of Feb. 22-28.
No. 1 Boston College (15-4-1)
02/26/2021 – No. 9 Massachusetts 3 at No. 1 Boston College 2 (OT)
No. 2 North Dakota (18-4-1)
02/26/2021 – No. 2 North Dakota 4 at No. 11 Omaha 2
No. 3 Minnesota State (16-3-1)
02/25/2021 – No. 19 Bemidji State 3 at No. 3 Minnesota State 4 (OT)
02/27/2021 – No. 3 Minnesota State 3 at No. 19 Bemidji State 4 (OT)
No. 4 Minnesota (19-5-0)
Did not play.
No. 5 Wisconsin (17-8-1)
02/26/2021 – Ohio State 1 at No. 5 Wisconsin 2 (OT)
02/27/2021 – Ohio State 0 at No. 5 Wisconsin 7
No. 6 St. Cloud State (14-9-0)
02/27/2021 – No. 6 St. Cloud State 1 at No. 10 Minnesota Duluth 5
No. 7 Michigan (13-8-1)
02/26/2021 – Arizona State 1 at No. 7 Michigan 4
02/27/2021 – Arizona State 1 at No. 7 Michigan 1 (OT)
No. 8 Boston University (10-3-0)
02/26/2021 – Merrimack 5 at No. 8 Boston University 2
02/27/2021 – No. 8 Boston University 4 at Merrimack 2
No. 9 Massachusetts (13-5-3)
02/23/2021 – No. 9 Massachusetts 8 at No. 14 Providence 1
02/26/2021 – No. 9 Massachusetts 3 at No. 1 Boston College 2 (OT)
No. 10 Minnesota Duluth (13-8-2)
02/27/2021 – No. 6 St. Cloud State 1 at No. 10 Minnesota Duluth 5
No. 11 Omaha (13-9-1)
02/26/2021 – No. 2 North Dakota 4 at No. 11 Omaha 2
No. 12 Quinnipiac (16-5-4)
02/22/2021 – LIU 1 at No. 12 Quinnipiac 7
02/26/2021 – No. 12 Quinnipiac 4 at St. Lawrence 2
02/27/2021 – No. 12 Quinnipiac 3 at St. Lawrence 2
No. 13 Bowling Green (19-8-1)
02/24/2021 – Alabama Huntsville 0 at No. 13 Bowling Green 5
02/28/2021 – No. 13 Bowling Green 4 at Alabama Huntsville 2
No. 18 Lake Superior State (13-5-3)
02/23/2021 – No. 18 Lake Superior State 1 at No. 20 Michigan Tech 4
02/26/2021 – No. 18 Lake Superior State 4 at Ferris State 2
No. 19 Bemidji State (10-7-3)
02/25/2021 – No. 19 Bemidji State 3 at No. 3 Minnesota State 4 (OT)
02/27/2021 – No. 3 Minnesota State 3 at No. 19 Bemidji State 4 (OT)
No. 20 Michigan Tech (17-8-1)
02/23/2021 – No. 18 Lake Superior State 1 at No. 20 Michigan Tech 4
02/26/2021 – Northern Michigan 1 at No. 20 Michigan Tech 6
02/27/2021 – No. 20 Michigan Tech 3 at Northern Michigan 2 (OT)
The Milwaukee School of Engineering swept Lake Forest over the weekend. (Photo Credit: MSOE Athletics)
It proved to be fantastic finish to the regular season for the Milwaukee School of Engineering despite the challenges faced during a season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Raiders crushed Lake Forest 6-1 in their finale Saturday. A night earlier, MSOE rolled to a 4-1 win.
They close the regular season unbeaten in their last four games.
The Raiders (8-5-1, 3-4-1 NCHA) fell behind 1-0 early but proceeded to take control with six unanswered goals.
Jeff Makowski and Garrett Gintoli paved the way, scoring two goals apiece, and Logan Halladay dominated between the pipes as he stopped all but one of the 26 shots he faced.
Makowski and Gintoli are the top scoring threats for the Raiders. Both players have seven goals. Gintoli has also dished out 10 assists while Makowski has tallied four assists. Halladay owns a 6-4-1 record on the year.
MSOE is 30-20-5 all-time against Lake Forest and now awaits its playoff fate. The Raiders are assured of a berth in the NCHA tournament.
Kyle Cote scored the lone goal for Lake Forest (0-3 overall and in the NCHA).
The Raiders and Foresters weren’t the only two teams in action this past week.
Below is a look at how some of the other games played out in the west region, including a big weekend for Concordia in the NCHA and an long-awaited win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point for Wisconsin-Stout. The MIAC also returned to action after two weeks of no hockey.
MIAC
Road Warriors
St. Thomas kept its road unbeaten streak intact Saturday with a 4-2 win over St. Mary’s Saturdays. The Tommies are unbeaten over their last nine road games dating back to February of last year.
Jackson Bond scored twice and dished out an assist while Luke Manning also punched in a pair of goals for the Tommies (3-0-1, 1-0-1), who played three games last week, blanking Gustavus 3-0 on Thursday before playing rival St. John’s to a 2-2 tie on Friday.
Pipers win a thriller
Hamline played its first game in three weeks and made the most of the moment, edging Gustavus 3-2 Saturday.
The score was tied in the third when Joe Collins scored with less than two minutes to play to secure the first win of the year for Hamline (1-3-1, 1-1 MIAC). Gustavus (0-5, 0-3) is still searching for its first win of the year.
Tyler Nyman and Zak Lambrecht also scored goals for the Pipers.
Hat Trick for Froesse
St. Mary’s didn’t lead until overtime against Gustavus last Tuesday night, and it was Andrew Froese who came through in crunch time for the Cardinals.
Froese scored his third goal of the night less than two minutes into OT to lead the Cardinals to a thrilling 5-4 win over the Gusties.
The hat trick was the first of Froese’s collegiate career.
Gustavus actually led 2-0 eight minutes into the game but te Cardinals found a way to rally, tying the score at 4-4 on Froese’s second goal of the night. Froese has four goals and two assists on the season.
NCHA
Five is the magic number
Adrian scored five goals in each of its two games against Aurora over the weekend, and both times the total was enough to propel the Bulldogs to a victory.
Though on Saturday night, it almost wasn’t enough as the Bulldogs held on for a 5-4 win over the Spartans one night after rolling to a 5-0 win.
Adrian trailed 3-1 after one period but stayed the course and rallied to improve to 14-0 all-time against Aurora. The Bulldogs (12-5, 5-0 NCHA) have won their last eight games, outscoring the opposition 39-11 during that win streak.
Alessio Luciani provided the game-winner midway through the third period to lift Adrian to the win. It was his third goal of the game. He finishes the month of February with a pair of hat tricks.
Zach Goberis also scored two goals for Adrian while Cameron Gray made 35 saves. Adam Keyes scored twice to pace the Spartans 4-4, 3-3). Josh Boyko made 26 saves.
Guerra on top of his game
Concordia put itself in a position to win the NCHA North Division after finishing off a sweep of Lawrence Saturday with a 6-3 win.
Nick Guerra played a key role in the victory, scoring four times to pace the Falcons (8-10, 5-1) to their third consecutive win.
Guerra scored twice in the opening period and the Falcons never looked back against the Vikings (2-4, 2-4). He added goals in both the second and third periods. He now has 13 goals on the year to go along with nine assists.
Luc Kreuser added an empty-net goal in the final minute to finish off the scoring.
Bo Didur racked up 39 saves. If the Falcons split their series with Marian next weekend, they will be crowned champs of the division.
Concordia opened the weekend with a 3-2 win. Nick Guiney, Kreuser and Brandon MacKinnon all scored for the Falcons. Guiney is second on the team in scoring with 12 goals.
WIAC
Streak is over
Wisconsin-Stout put an end to a 14-game losing streak against Wisconsin-Stevens Point Wednesday with a 4-1 win. It’s the Blue Devils’ first win over the Pointers since Feb. 8, 2014.
A strong start proved to be the difference. The Blue Devils scored three goals in the opening period and remained in control from there.
Peter Verstegen, Raphael Gosselin and Logan Nelson all scored in the opening period. Kobe Keller finished off the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the third. Colin Raver scored the lone goal for the Pointers.
Brennan Kitchen turned in a solid performance in goal, stopping 28 shots for the Blue Devils (4-4 overall and WIAC). Eli Billing made 20 saves for the Pointers (3-3).
Wisconsin-Stevens Point avenged the loss Friday with a 6-3 win thanks to a four-goal second period. Zach Zech scored twice in the win to pace the Pointers.
Falcons bounce back
Burned by a 2-1 loss Wednesday against Wisconsin-Superior, Wisconsin-River Falls came back in a big way Friday and earned a 4-2 win.
The Falcons scored in every period en route to the victory as they improved to 5-3 on the year. Dysen Skinner made 24 saves.
Vilho Saariluma scored twice for the Falcons. Cayden Cahill and Josh Arnold also scored.
The Yellowjackets (3-3) ended a two-game losing streak Wednesday with their win. Will Blake and Dylan Johnson both scored for Wisconsin-Superior. Charles Martin tallied an assist on both goals for the Yellowjackets, who were playing their third consecutive game on the road.
No. 10 Minnesota Duluth, paced by a hat trick by Nick Swaney, ended a three-game losing streak with an impressive 5-1 victory over No. 6 St. Cloud (Photo: Dave Harwig/UMD Athletics)
There was no doubt coming into Saturday’s game against No. 6 St. Cloud State that Minnesota Duluth, riding a three-game losing streak scoring just twice in that trio of games, hoped for a statement game.
A 5-1 win against the number six team in the nation qualified as that, a victory that was led by senior Nick Swaney, who scored three of the first four goals for the Bulldogs and helped them control the game that resulted in definitive win over the Huskies.
Swaney scored twice in the first period, which combined with Kobe Roth’s tally gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead through the first 20.
After St. Cloud’s Zach Okabe’s scored at 6:15 of the second, Swaney completed the hat trick at 13:38 of the second, changing the complexion of the game.
After losing the last three games, the ability to take control of a game and finish pleased coach Scott Sandelin.
“We played with some confidence,” Sandelin said. “We didn’t look like we had lost three games. We got the lead and built on that lead. It’s something we needed badly.”
Even with that in mind, Sandelin wasn’t all positive for his team on the bench. When the Bulldogs led 3-0 and took a penalty, giving up a power play goal to the Huskies, he wasn’t spreading love.
“It is [tough love] because [St. Cloud] is a dangerous team,” said Sandelin when asked about what looked like anger, despite his team leading by two goals. “I didn’t like some penalties. We gave them life at times. I didn’t like giving them life.”
Still Sandelin, whose team has limped towards the finish line in recent years only to rally and win a national championship, understood getting back to winning ways was the most important take away from Saturday.
“No one’s been happy for a while,” said Sandelin, who said he spoke this weekend with his upperclassmen, reminding them of the past. “I wanted to remind those guys that they’ve been through those stretches. We knew we had to come ready to play and those guys have done that from the start.”
Providence had an impressive win coming off a difficult 8-1 midweek loss to Massachusetts, battling Northeastern tooth and nail and coming away with a 4-2 victory.
Four different players recorded goals but none were bigger than Jamie Engelbert’s insurance tally with 5:32 remaining that gave the Friars a 3-1 lead.
How about this sauce from Johnny McDermott for his first point of the year as Engelbert nets goal No. 3 for the season!#GoFriarspic.twitter.com/fCUyWdV2ff
After Gunnerwolfe Fontaine scored with an extra attacker for Northeastern, Matt Koopman buried the dagger into the empty net with just nine seconds left.
Each team scored on the power play in a game where Providence allowed Northeastern just 13 shots on goal. Tyce Thompson and Jason O’Neill also tallied for the Friars sandwiched between a Jordan Harris tally for Northeastern.
No. 19 Bemidji State 4, No. 3 Minnesota State 3 (OT)
Ross Amour’s goal at 2:27 of overtime propelled No. 19 Bemidji State to an upset win of No. 3 Minnesota State, 4-3, completing a third-period comeback for the Beavers.
Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay leads the nation in GAA (1.14), is third in save percentage (.941), first in winning percentage (.938) and first in shutouts (8) (photo: SPX Sports).
The Hockey Commissioners Association announced Friday the finalists for the eighth annual Mike Richter Award.
Nine goaltenders from a “watch list” of 35 were singled out by a panel of voters from across the hockey community.
The Richter Award has been given annually to the top goalie in men’s Division I hockey since 2014.
Mike Richter Award Finalists
Spencer Knight, So., Boston College
Jack LaFontaine, Sr., Minnesota
Strauss Mann, Jr., Michigan
Dryden McKay, Jr., Minnesota State
Mareks Mitens, Sr., Lake Superior
Keith Petruzzelli, Sr., Quinnipiac
Blake Pietila, So., Michigan Tech
Adam Scheel, Jr., North Dakota
Jaxson Stauber, So., Providence
Past Richter Award recipients: 2014 – Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 – Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 – Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 – Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 – Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 – Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 – Jeremy Swayman, Maine.
The winner of this year’s Richter Award will be announced in April during the men’s Frozen Four.
