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Weekend wrap-up in D-III East hockey; February 15, 2021

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Junior Chad Watt picked up three points in Stevenson’s weekend sweep over Chatham (Photo by Sabina Moran)

Well it took to mid-February but there was more than just a couple of games played this past weekend in two-game series and each of them was a sweep in some highly contested action. Here is a summary from this past weekend’s action:

Anna Maria v. Plymouth State

The AmCats finally got to play some real hockey but Friday night their penalties contributed to three Plymouth State power play goals in a 4-1 Panther win. Defenseman Simon Besner picked up a goal and an assist as did forward JR Barone with the man advantage to help secure the win.

On Saturday, the AmCats came out flying and outshot PSU 13-3 in the first period but could not get the puck past goaltender Kalle Andersson. The second period saw momentum shift to PSU as they outshot AMC by a 43-8 margin over the final 40 minutes and secured the 2-0 win on third period goals from Marcus Seidl and Myles Abbate. Julius Huset stopped 44 of 46 shots for Anna Maria to keep it close but PSU really shutdown the AmCat offense for the weekend sweep.

Babson v. New England College

These two NEHC rivals took to the ice with Babson having already played two games while NEC was just kicking off play in real game action. The rust didn’t show for the Pilgrims on Friday night as they raced to a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Alex Laplante and Jhuwon Davis. From there on it was all Beavers as Nick Rosa, Matt Wiesner and Ryan Black each recorded a goal and an assist for the home team who rallied for a 4-2 win. Brad Arvanitis made 27 saves to pick up his second win of the season.

On Saturday the venue switched to Henniker, NH and it was the visitors who got on the board first on a John Corrigan goal that was the only one of 20 first period shots to beat Anthony Kormos in the Pilgrim net. Babson’ Mike Egan increased the lead to two goals, but NEC quickly answered on Anthony Cinato’s first of the season. That would be all the scoring as Kormos kept the score close stopping 51 of 53 shots in the 2-1 loss.

Chatham v. Stevenson

In the pair of games that both went to the Mustangs by identical 4-1 scores, the games had very similar patterns that led to the outcome. On Friday, Mac Lowry scored for Stevenson just over a minute into the first period to give the home team the early advantage. Tristan Simm answered for the Cougars with a power play goal and the period ended in a 1-1 tie. With no scoring in the second period, Stevenson scored three unanswered goals in the third period, including Lowry’s second of the night for the 4-1 win. Marko Sturma earned the win in net with 19 saves.

On Saturday the first period again ended in a 1-1 tie, but Stevenson didn’t wait to the final period to get the offense going. Anthony Starzi and Luke Benitez scored in the second period to give Stevenson a 3-1 lead and Matt Cappucci added his first of the season in the third period for the final goal of the game. Ryan Kenney picked up the win in goal making 22 saves.

Three Biscuits

Simon Besner – Plymouth State – quarterbacked an efficient Panther power play by scoring a goal and adding an assist in a 4-1 win over Anna Maria on Friday.

Mac Lowry – Stevenson – scored two goals in the season opening win over Chatham including the game winning goal on the power play in the third period.

Anthony Kormos – New England College – the Pilgrim netminder stopped 51 of 53 shots to keep his team close in a 2-1 loss to Babson on Saturday.

There was also some great exhibition play this past weekend with Utica splitting a pair of games with the USA U-17 squad. More action to take us into March and while there is no NCAA tournament, just playing competitive hockey during the pandemic is a win for the schools and players on the ice.

Great weekend for most of the top 10, some teams to watch, embellishment and game management: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 13

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Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look back at the weekend and news of the week.

It was a great weekend for No. 1 Boston College, which swept UMass Lowell, No. 2 North Dakota with a sweep of Denver, No. 3 Minnesota State with just one goal allowed – and an eighth shutout for Dryden McKay, and a bounce back for then-No. 5 Minnesota with two 3-0 wins over Notre Dame.

Then-No. 7 Wisconsin and then-No. 8 Michigan split while then-No. 4 Minnesota Duluth had a lost weekend at the hands of Western Michigan.

Teams that are on a hot streak include Boston University, Michigan Tech, and Army West Point.

Intensity of play has stepped up if suspensions and supplemental discipline are an indicator.

And Jim and Ed weigh in on embellishment, game management by officials, and setting expectations for sportsmanship.

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

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

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Women’s Division I College Hockey Weekend Wrap: February 15

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Bemidji State at (1) Wisconsin 

Brette Pettet, Britta Curl, Makenna Webster and Lacey Eden scored for Wisconsin as they took a 4-0 win on Friday. In the second game, the Badgers had more goals than Bemidji State had shots as they took a 7-0 win and weekend sweep. Webster scored early in the first and that would be the only tally for more than 20 minutes before Wisconsin began to pull away. Sophie Shirley and Eden scored later in the second to make it 3-0 heading into the final frame. In the third, the Badgers’ next three goals were scored by the Shirley sisters as Grace scored twice and Sophie added a second goal to make it 6-0. Delaney Drake added the final goal to make it 7-0.

(4) Ohio State at (2) Minnesota

OSU out-shot Minnesota 17-3 in the opening period, but the teams headed into intermission in a scoreless tie.The Buckeyes scored twice in less than four minutes on Friday and that proved to be the difference-maker. Emma Maltais lit the lamp first and Paetyn Levis scored the eventual game winner shortly thereafter. Emily Brown scored with less than a minute left after the Gophers pulled their goalie to spoil the shutout, but it was not enough as Ohio State won 2-1. On Saturday, Abigail Boreen scored 70 seconds into the game and Grace Zumwinkle followed her two minutes later to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead before four minutes had elapsed. Liz Schepers scored 48 seconds into the second to cut the lead for Ohio State. Midway through the game, Jennifer Gardiner and Levis scored less than a minute apart to put the Buckeyes ahead 3-2 and they were able to hold off the Gophers to get the win and weekend sweep.

(3) Northeastern vs. New Hampshire

In the first game, Chloe Aurard and Megan Carter each had two goals and Marureen Murphy had two assists to lead Northeastern to a 6-1 win. Chavonne Truter scored the goal for New Hampshire in the loss. On Sunday, the Huskies took a 1-0 lead into the final frame thanks to a goal from Skylar Fontaine. They broke the game open in the third with three goals in just more than three minutes from Tessa Ward, Aurard and Miceala Sindoris. Avery Myers spoiled the shutout with a late goal, but Northeastern took a 4-1 win and weekend sweep. 

(10) Providence vs. (6) Boston College

Bailey Burton scored early in the first to give Providence a 1-0 lead. Savannah Norcross tied the game for Boston College midway through the game. Sixty minutes wasn’t enough to decide this one and it was Cayla Barnes in overtime that scored to give BC the 2-1 win. The second game in this series was cancelled.

 

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Feb. 8-14

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Louis Boudon and Lake Superior State, who received votes in the Feb. 8 poll, swept No. 12 Bowling Green this past weekend on the road (photo: LSSU Athletics).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Feb. 8 fared in games over the week of Feb. 8-14.

No. 1 Boston College (13-3-1)
02/12/2021 – RV UMass Lowell 1 at No. 1 Boston College 7
02/13/2021 – No. 1 Boston College 4 at RV UMass Lowell 3

No. 2 North Dakota (15-4-1)
02/12/2021 – RV Denver 0 at No. 2 North Dakota 3
02/13/2021 – RV Denver 2 at No. 2 North Dakota 5

No. 3 Minnesota State (13-2-1)
02/11/2021 – No. 3 Minnesota State 4 at Alabama Huntsville 1
02/12/2021 – No. 3 Minnesota State 5 at Alabama Huntsville 0

No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (12-7-2)
02/12/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 0 at Western Michigan 4
02/13/2021 – No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 1 at Western Michigan 4

No. 5 Minnesota (17-5-0)
02/12/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota 3 at RV Notre Dame 0
02/13/2021 – No. 5 Minnesota 3 at RV Notre Dame 0

No. 6 St. Cloud State (13-8-0)
02/12/2021 – No. 6 St. Cloud State 2 at Miami 3
02/13/2021 – No. 6 St. Cloud State 4 at Miami 2

No. 7 Wisconsin (14-8-0)
02/13/2021 – No. 7 Wisconsin 1 at No. 8 Michigan 5
02/14/2021 – No. 7 Wisconsin 3 at No. 8 Michigan 2

No. 8 Michigan (11-7-0)
02/13/2021 – No. 7 Wisconsin 1 at No. 8 Michigan 5
02/14/2021 – No. 7 Wisconsin 3 at No. 8 Michigan 2

No. 9 Massachusetts (11-5-3)
Did not play.

No. 10 Omaha (13-6-1)
02/12/2021 – Colorado College 1 at No. 10 Omaha 7
02/13/2021 – Colorado College 2 at No. 10 Omaha 3

No. 11 Quinnipiac (13-5-4)
02/12/2021 – No. 11 Quinnipiac 2 at Colgate 2 (OT)
02/13/2021 – No. 11 Quinnipiac 9 at Colgate 0

No. 12 Bowling Green (16-8-0)
02/12/2021 – RV Lake Superior 2 at No. 12 Bowling Green 1 (OT)
02/13/2021 – RV Lake Superior 5 at No. 12 Bowling Green 2

No. 13 Boston University (8-2-0)
02/12/2021 – No. 13 Boston University 1 at Vermont 0
02/13/2021 – No. 13 Boston University 5 at Vermont 1

No. 14 Clarkson (9-7-4)
Did not play.

No. 15 AIC (13-3-0)
Did not play.

No. 16 Providence (9-6-4)
02/12/2021 – No. 20 Connecticut 0 at No. 16 Providence 4

No. 17 Bemidji State (7-6-3)
02/12/2021 – Northern Michigan 5 at No. 17 Bemidji State 1
02/13/2021 – Northern Michigan 3 at No. 17 Bemidji State 2 (OT)

No. 18 Northeastern (8-5-2)
02/12/2021 – No. 18 Northeastern 6 at New Hampshire 2
02/13/2021 – New Hampshire 4 at No. 18 Northeastern 5

No. 19 Robert Morris (14-5-0)
Did not play.

No. 20 Connecticut (8-8-2)
02/09/2021 – No. 20 Connecticut 2 at RV UMass Lowell 3 (OT)
02/12/2021 – No. 20 Connecticut 0 at No. 16 Providence 4

RV = Received Votes

GOTW: No. 8 Michigan shakes off early rust of 21-day pause, routs No. 7 Wisconsin, 5-1

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No. 8 Michigan used a four-goal second period to take control of the game against No. 7 Wisconsin, earning a 5-1 victory (photo: Daryl Marshke!/Michigan Athletics)

If the Michigan faithful were concerned their team might be a little rusty after a 21-day pause related to COVID cases, the first period didn’t do a lot to put them at ease.

The Wolverines were outshot, 11-7, including 8-1 in the early going, and trailed 1-0 on a Mathieu De St. Phalle goal.

But that’s why hockey is a three-period game and an explosive, four-goal second period combined with a late third period goal turned a 1-0 deficit through 20 into a 5-1 victory for No. 8 Michigan over No. 7 Wisconsin.

“We needed to jump in the ring and get hit a couple of times,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson when asked about the rust his team showed early on. “You could tell we were rusty at the start and could tell we hadn’t played in three weeks. [Goaltender] Eric Portillo did a really good job of keeping us only down 1-0 after the first period.”

Portillo, a freshman from Gothenburg, Sweden, made just two starts prior to Saturday. And after a 21-day pause, the decision to go with the rookie as opposed to standout Strauss Mann seemed curious. It certainly paid dividends, though, and it all happened because of a little bit of superstition from the head coach.

“We’ve been splitting them,” said Pearson, who gave Portillo starts in each of Michigan’s two series prior to the pause. “But I was riding in two days ago to work, and we have this huge video billboard. And who is the player they have on the billboard to preview the weekend series with Wisconsin? Who is it? It’s Eric Portillo.”

That made Pearson’s decision for him. Asked it he is generally very superstitious, Pearson generalized saying, “Aren’t all hockey people a little superstitious?

“I mean, I don’t drive the same way to the rink every day, I don’t wear the same tie every day. But I have some level [of superstition]. Most of us do.”

That paid off on Saturday as, after the early goal allowed, Portillo was perfect, finishing the game with 29 saves.

The Badgers entered the game one of the nation’s hottest teams. A weekend ago, Wisconsin outscored Minnesota, 12-2, over two games. They possessed the nation’s top offense and easily the top offensive player over the last month, Cole Caufield.

But Michigan found success in shutting down Caufield and ended the sophomore phenom’s 12-game point scoring streak and seven-game goal scoring streaking, holding him to just two shots on goal. Caufield was also a minus-two on the afternoon.

That takes a level of awareness, says Pearson.

“You have to make sure whoever is on the ice knows he is on the ice,” Pearson said. “But more importantly, we talked about whatever lines is out against him, we have to possess the puck and make him play without it. He’s too talented when he has the puck.”

Trailing 1-0, Michigan wasted little time in the second period erasing the deficit. Two of the Wolverines go-to players – Brendan Brisson and Matty Beniers – scored over a 1:32 stretch early in the second. When Eric Ciccolini and Luke Morgan added tallies before the second was over, Michigan had gained control.

The Wolverines now own a five-game winning streak that they will put on the line on Sunday in the series rematch.

SCOREBOARD  |  USCHO.COM POLLS

Western Michigan 4, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 1

Western Michigan completed an impressive weekend sweep over No. 4 Minnesota Duluth, coming within two minutes of back-to-back shutouts for goaltender Alex Aslanidis, settling for a 4-1 victory.

Ronnie Attard scored during a delayed penalty and then again, a minute later on the power play, early in the second period to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Ty Glover, in the second, and Cole Gallant at 5:28 of the third extended the lead.

Aslanidis was solid for the second straight night in goal and came within a Cole Koepke goal with 2:00 left in regulation of posting two straight shutouts.

Lake Superior 5, No. 12 Bowling Green 2

Five different players recorded goals and Marek Mittens made 28 saves on 30 shots as Lake Superior upset No. 12 Bowling Green, 5-2, to sweep the weekend series.

Lake Superior earned a 2-1 overtime win on Friday.

The Lakers jumped to a 4-0 lead on goals by Hampus Ericksson, in the first, and a trio of tallies by Pete Veillette, Louis Boudon and Ashton Calder in the second.

Lake Superior, which never was on the power play in the entire game, killed both penalties they were assessed.

The visiting Lakers improve to 7-4-3 overall and are now 3-0-0 on the road.

Holy Cross to host 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament; event will also include Boston College, Northeastern, Quinnipiac

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Holy Cross announced Saturday that the school will host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament.

One of the premier NCAA Division I hockey tournaments, the event will be played at the Hart Center Rink at the Luth Athletic Complex in Worcester, Mass., on Oct. 8-9m and will feature Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Northeastern, and Boston College.

“I’d like to thank College Hockey Inc., and the Hockey Commissioners Association for the opportunity to bring this great event to Worcester,” Holy Cross director of athletics Marcus Blossom said in a statement. “We look forward to hosting three of the nation’s top teams at the Hart Center and to providing a unique game day experience to jumpstart the 2021-22 hockey season.”

Atlantic Hockey also played an instrumental role in bringing the event to Worcester.

The tournament, which is the traditional start to the college hockey season, will feature a predetermined format. As it stands now, the Crusaders will take on Boston College and Northeastern. The order in which the games will be played has yet to be determined.

“It is an honor to be selected to host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament,” said Holy Cross coach David Berard. “We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase the best of college hockey on our campus at the College of the Holy Cross. I would like to thank Mike Snee from College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association for their trust in us to host this tournament.

“We have an outstanding field with three traditional eastern powers and top-10 programs joining us. Thank you to (BC coach) Jerry York, (Quinnipiac coach) Rand Pecknold and (Northeastern coach) Jim Madigan for their participation. It is an unprecedented opportunity and one that would not have happened without the support and hard work of our director of athletics Marcus Blossom, along with our athletic department administration. We are very thankful for their commitment to the growth of our program. We look forward to October and kicking off the 2021-22 season with this great event.”

The 2021 edition of the tournament will be the first to be played in Massachusetts since Boston University hosted the 2008 event. With the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous four hosts included Bowling Green, Mercyhurst, Minnesota Duluth, and Denver.

Northern Michigan’s Sorensen, Bemidji State’s Sillinger suspended by WCHA for Feb. 13 games

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Hank Sorensen and Lukas Sillinger.

The WCHA announced Saturday one-game suspensions for Northern Michigan sophomore defenseman Hank Sorensen and Bemidji State freshman forward Lukas Sillinger.

The suspensions were served Saturday night.

Sorensen’s suspension is a result of his five-minute major penalty and game misconduct infraction for interference that occurred at the 4:12 mark of the second period in Northern Michigan’s game Friday night at Bemidji State.

Sillinger’s suspension is a result of his five-minute major penalty for charging that occurred at the 33-second mark of the third period in the same game last night.

Sorensen is eligible to return for the Wildcats’ Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 game with Alabama Huntsville, while Sillinger can return for the Beavers’ Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 road game at Michigan Tech.

NCHC suspends Denver captain Olischefski one game for goalie interference penalty at end of Feb. 12 game at North Dakota

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OLISCHEFSKI

The NCHC announced Saturday it has issued a one-game suspension to Denver senior forward and captain Kohen Olischefski, stemming from an illegal hit during the Pioneers’ game against North Dakota on Friday, Feb. 12 at UND’s Ralph Engelstad Arena.

At the end of Friday night’s game, Olischefski was assessed a major penalty for goaltender interference and given a game misconduct penalty at 20:00 of the third period.

Olischefski will be required to serve the one-game suspension during Denver’s series finale tonight, Saturday, Feb. 13 at North Dakota. He is eligible to return for DU’s series opener against Colorado College scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26.

New Hampshire’s MacAdams suspended one game by Hockey East for charging penalty Feb. 12 against Northeastern

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MacADAMS

Hockey East announced Saturday that New Hampshire senior forward Eric MacAdams has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 12:42 of the third period on Friday, February 12 against Northeastern.

On the play, MacAdams was assessed a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct.

MacAdams will miss the game tonight, February 13, at Northeastern and will be eligible to return to the Wildcats’ lineup next weekend.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, BC-Providence women’s game, UConn-Providence men’s games of Feb. 13 postponed

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Hockey East announced Saturday schedule updates for men’s and women’s teams this weekend.

Due to league COVID-19 protocols, the women’s game between Boston College and Providence and the men’s game between UConn and Providence set for Saturday, February 13, will not be played as scheduled.

Saturday, February 13
Maine at Merrimack (women) – 2 p.m.
Northeastern at New Hampshire (women) – 2 p.m.
UConn at Holy Cross (women) – 3:30 p.m.
Vermont at Boston University (women) – 5 p.m.
Boston College at UMass Lowell (men) – 6 p.m.
Boston University at Vermont (men) – 6 p.m.
New Hampshire at Northeastern (men) – 6 p.m. (NESN+)
Boston College at Providence (women) – will not be played
Providence at UConn (men) – will not be played

Sunday, February 14
Maine at Merrimack (women) – 2 p.m.
New Hampshire at Northeastern (women) – 5 p.m. (NESN)

FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Top-ranked BC returns to win column with dominating 7-1 victory over UMass Lowell; Western Michigan upsets No. 4 UMD; Miami knocks off No. 6 SCSU

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No. 1 Boston College had plenty of reasons to celebrate as the Eagles got back to the win column with a 7-1 victory over UMass Lowell (Photo: John Quackenbos/BC Athletics)

After a 3-1 loss to Boston University last Saturday, there was certainly some concern for top-ranked Boston College coming into a matchup against a UMass Lowell team that knocked off No. 20 Connecticut earlier in the week and was 6-3-1 in the previous 10 against the Eagles.

All stress, though, for Eagles fans was erased by the middle of the hockey game as the Eagles struck three times in the middle stanza to break open a close game on the way to a 7-1 victory over the River Hawks.

Matt Boldy finished the game with a goal and four assists for a five-point night and both Alex Newhook and Mike Hardman notched two goals and an assist each.

Boston College’s power play was the difference maker. Despite surrendering Lowell’s only goal of the game, a shorthanded tally, to Lucas Condatta in the first, the Eagles went 3-for-5 with the mad advantage, using penalties to change the tone of the game.

“I thought we executed very, very well,” Boston College coach Jerry York said of his power play, which allowed the shorthanded goal before it scored three times with the man advantage. “The power play unit didn’t get frustrated. They were the best they were all year. They moved the puck well.

“The game is so dependent on 5-on-5 play. The power play, we’ve just struggled with it so much this year. The past few weeks we’ve figured out how to move the puck and know where people are. Five-on-five is our base and we want to move from there.”

Spencer Knight was solid in goal for the Eagles stopped 29 of 30 shots.

SCOREBOARD  |  USCHO.COM POLL

Western Michigan 4, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 0

Alex Aslanidis stopped all 24 shots he faced as Western Michigan pulled of the night’s biggest upset, a 4-0 shutout of No. 4 Minnesota Duluth.

Josh Passolt scored twice for the Broncos in the victory. Cole Gallant’s goal was sandwiched between and Ethan Frank’s empty netter accounted for the 4-0 victory.

The win is the second straight for Western Michigan against a top-five opponent having beaten then No. 4 St. Cloud State last Saturday, 5-4 in overtime.

Miami 3, No. 6 St. Cloud State 2

Casey Gilling’s power play tally with 7:10 remaining in regulation broke a 2-2 tie as Miami earned a major upset of No. 6 St. Cloud State, 3-2.

The win broke an eight-game winless streak (0-7-1) for Miami, which is in the midst of a playing a national-ranked opponent for eight straight games.

Spencer Maier opened the scoring in the first period for the Huskies only to have Miami respond with goals from Alec Capstick and John Sladic midway through the third to give the  Red Hawks a 2-1 lead.

Just 10 seconds after Sladic’s tally, Jami Krannila evened the score, setting up Gilling’s game-winner.

The two clubs will rematch in Miami on Saturday.

 

Hockey East Picks 1/22 – 1/23

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Another week another slate of games rescheduled all over the place. Luckily it seems like a lot of these will get in this time, right as the conference announced its playoff seeding plans.

Teams are finding their narrative stories as the season continues on, between UConn getting ranked, Boston University working red-hot and UMass Lowell involved in all sorts of dramatic contests.

Here’s this week’s picks.

Jim last week: 4-4-0
Jim to date: 43-17-9
Marisa last week: 3-5-0
Marisa to date: 39-21-9

Fri./Sat., Feb. 12-14

Connecticut vs Providence (at Prov. Fri, at UConn Sat.)

The Huskies were on a tear before dropping a game on Tuesday night, dropping a contest to UMass Lowell to stop their streak. Right after becoming ranked for the first time in program history, they’ll deal with a Providence squad coming off a defeat of their own.

Jim’s picks: PC 3, UConn 2; UConn 4, PC 3
Marisa’s picks: PC 4, UConn 3; UConn 2, PC 1

Boston University vs Vermont (Fri/Sat. at Vermont)

The Terriers have played really well since they started a more consistent schedule, taking a win over Boston College and taking them to overtime a week ago. The Catamounts are looking to rebound to a loss from Maine.

Jim’s picks: BU 5, UVM 2; BU 4, UVM 1
Marisa’s picks: BU 3, UVM 1; BU 4, UVM 2

Northeastern vs New Hampshire (Fri. at UNH, Sat. at NU)

After winning three consecutive contests the Huskies took two tough losses to Boston College and UConn in their last three outings. They will try to bounce back against a Wildcats team that finds itself on a roll following a 7-6 overtime thriller against UMass Lowell.

Jim’s picks: NU 5, UNH 2; NU 3, UNH 2
Marisa’s picks: NU 4, UNH 2; NU 3, UNH 1

UMass Lowell at Boston College (Fri. at BC, Sat. at UMass Lowell)

The River Hawks have had some thrills in the past week with a barnburner overtime loss to New Hampshire before knocking off a red-hot UConn squad on Tuesday night. They face an Eagles squad looking to come out flying after a rough week against rival Boston University.

Jim’s picks: BC 3, UML 2; BC 4, UML 2
Marisa’s picks: BC 4, UML 3; BC 3, UML 1

After opting out of ’20-21 season, Alaska announces team will play ’21-22 as independent

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Alaska has announced part of its 2021-22 hockey season.

After opting out of the 2020-21 season and their final season in the WCHA, the Nanooks are a full-go in their return to NCAA hockey.

Alaska will boast a competitive 34-game schedule across different conferences with home games happening in Interior-Alaska. In what will be their first full-season as an independent school since 1993-94, the Nanooks have officially scheduled games with Arizona State, Boston University and Maine. Other game contracts are currently awaiting signature confirmation and will be released at later dates.

“I am very excited about the schedule we are creating for our first season going independent,” said Nanooks coach Erik Largen in a statement. “We are playing some of the top programs from the NCHC, Big Ten, Hockey East, ECAC, Atlantic Hockey and CCHA. We are going to be traveling to places we have not been before as a program and our fans will be able to see new teams visiting Fairbanks every weekend. The experience and competition for our student-athletes will be second to none.”

The University of Alaska Fairbanks athletic department continues to field looks for a new hockey conference to join full-time. However, for now, “they are very confident playing as an independent as they wait for the right situation,” reads a news release.

Alaska hockey will officially begin their 2021-22 season the first weekend of October on home ice. The time and opponent are yet to be announced.

Ticket information, game times announced for 2021 NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Ralph Engelstad Arena

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Ticket information and game times for the 2021 NCHC Frozen Faceoff have been finalized by the NCHC and Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The NCHC announced on Monday that its 2021 postseason tournament would be held from March 12-16 in Grand Forks, N.D., be all single elimination and that a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend.

All seven games at the 2021 Frozen Faceoff will be single sessions, with five hours between puck drops when two games are played on the same date. Both days of quarterfinals on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 will have the first game of the day at 2:37 p.m. CT, with the nightcap at 7:37 p.m. CT. The semifinals on Monday, March 15 are set for 3:05 p.m. and 8:05 p.m. CT, while the championship game on Tuesday, March 16 will be a 7:35 p.m. CT puck drop.

Both full event packages and single-session tickets will be available for purchase to the Frozen Faceoff, with full event packages going on sale first. A pre-sale for full event packages beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 16 will be made available to past Frozen Faceoff ticket buyers, North Dakota season-ticket holders, and North Dakota Champions Club members, while each member school will also have an opportunity to purchase full event package inventory set aside for each NCHC member. All pre-sales run through Friday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. CT.

Full event packages will then go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. CT. Full event packages are available for $249 plus fees for the lower bowl, while upper bowl seats are available for $199 plus fees. Full event packages include seven tickets, one for each individual game, with full event lower bowl pricing averaging $35.57 per game, while upper bowl pricing breaks out to $28.43 per game.

To purchase full event packages once on sale, visit ticketmaster.com. To see a seating chart of Ralph Engelstad Arena, click here. A physically distanced seat map will be used for the 2021 Frozen Faceoff.

If tickets remain after the pre-sale and general public on-sale, single-session (single game) tickets for the quarterfinals will go on sale Monday, March 8 once all quarterfinal match-ups are finalized. More information on single-session ticket pricing and availability will be announced as the tournament nears.

Each game has been deemed a single-session ticket to help with COVID-19 mitigation, meaning fans will leave and re-enter the building with a different ticket on days with two games. This allows the venue to be cleared after each game, cleaning to take place, and prevents fans from congregating in large groups between games.

Approximately 3,000 ticketed attendees will be allowed in Ralph Engelstad Arena for each of the seven NCHC Frozen Faceoff games. The 3,000 fans allowed per game are approximately 26 percent of the normal, full capacity of Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634).

All tickets will be reserved seat tickets to assist with contact tracing, if necessary. Face masks/coverings will be mandatory at all times when in the building, except when actively eating or drinking in a physically distanced seat. Food and drinks may only be consumed while in your assigned seat.

For more ticket information, visit www.nchchockey.com/tickets. For ticket questions, please contact the Ralph Engelstad Arena Box Office at [email protected].

Robert Morris, Notre Dame, Minnesota all have two candidates for 2021 Senior CLASS Award

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Fifteen NCAA Division I hockey players who excel both on and off the ice have been selected as candidates for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

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 platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 15 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later this month. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character, and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the Frozen Four in April.

2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Hockey Candidates

Pierce Crawford, Notre Dame
Kevin Fitzgerald, St. Cloud State
Matt Hellickson, Notre Dame
Nick Jenny, Robert Morris
Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota
Alex Limoges, Penn State
Paul McAvoy, Colgate
Connor McCarthy, Clarkson
Brannon McManus, Minnesota
Austin Pooley, Ohio State
Nick Prkusic, Robert Morris
Scott Reedy, Minnesota
Zach Solow, Northeastern
Odeen Tufto, Quinnipiac

For more information, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

NCHC picks: Feb. 12-13

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I was literally 40 seconds from going up another game on Matthew in our picks race, but then Western Michigan rallied against St. Cloud to tie it and then win the game in OT, so he got a game back on me. I still have a lead though. Last week, I was 5-1 while Matthew was a perfect 6-0. On the year, I am 36-20-6, while Matthew is 33-23-6. Just a few more weeks to go in the season; can I hold him off?

Friday-Saturday, Feb. 12-13

No. 6 St. Cloud State at Miami
Candace: St. Cloud was 40 seconds away from a big sweep. I think they will get it this weekend, especially with their offensive firepower. St. Cloud State 4-1, 4-2
Matthew: Although St. Cloud is on the road for this series, it’s an opportunity for the Huskies to create more separation between themselves and fifth place in the conference standings. St. Cloud State 3-1, 4-2

Denver at No. 2 North Dakota
Candace: Denver has split with North Dakota twice this season, once during the pod and once in Denver. The Pioneers blew a third-period lead last Saturday which would have given them a sweep of Omaha. North Dakota continues to truck along. I’m not sure on this one. North Dakota 3-2, 3-2
Matthew: Denver might be unranked, but the Pioneers have been on a respectable run lately. I think North Dakota sweeps here, but DU won’t be an easy out. North Dakota 4-2, 4-2

Colorado College at No. 10 Omaha
Candace: Omaha has been a little more inconsistent of late, but I think they take this series. Omaha 4-2, 4-2
Matthew: Omaha won two one-goal games against CC last time out in Colorado Springs. I think the Mavericks sweep again this weekend at Baxter. Omaha 4-2, 3-1

No. 4 Minnesota Duluth at Western Michigan
Candace: Western has seemed to delight in torturing me when I pick against them. Let’s see if they keep it up, because I’ve really liked from what I’ve seen from the Bulldogs of late. Minnesota Duluth 3-2, 3-2
Matthew: Could Western’s win Saturday at St. Cloud be a springboard for the Broncos as we come up on the business end of the season? I wouldn’t be too surprised if they pick up a split here. Western Michigan 3-2, Minnesota Duluth 4-2

Atlantic Hockey Picks: February 11-16

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At A Glance:

Last week’s record: 4-3
Overall Record: 57-27-1

This Week’s Picks*:
*All games are subject to change.
Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13
Army West Point vs. Bentley
Dan: Bentley’s breakout looked like it was coming when it took four points from Air Force. The two outings against Sacred Heart reversed that progress. How this series goes is determinant upon which Falcon team – the one that beat AIr Force or the one that lost to Sacred Heart – shows up from the word go. Army WEst Point sweeps.
Chris: The Black Knights are riding a six-game winning streak, while the Falcons have dropped three in a row. I’m going with the hot hand. AWP sweeps. 

Rochester Institute of Technology at Canisius
Dan: The weird and wild weekend made for interesting opponents this week when RIT’s trip to Air Force became a series against Canisius. Canisius’ number of games notwithstanding, I’m interested to see how the Griffs handle an RIT after the 3-2 Tiger decision at the end of January. Split.
Chris: The Golden Griffins, which have played just six times this season, look to add a pair at home against RIT, which was originally scheduled to be at Air Force this weekend. I’m going with a split. 

 

Saturday, February 13
St. Lawrence at Sacred Heart
Dan: St. Lawrence came out of its chute with a ton of steam but has only won once since its overtime win at Clarkson. I think the Pioneers’ energy moving forward will be more likely to produce league wins, but this is a good one to round them into game form. SLU wins.
Chris: The Pioneers were supposed to face off against LIU this weekend, but that couldn’t happen, so St. Lawrence, which saw its weekend series with Clarkson get cancelled, will travel to Webster Bank Arena. I’m going with the Saints. SLU wins.

 

Tuesday, February 16
Mercyhurst at Canisius
Dan: Mercyhurst was on fire, but one win since January 23 has the Lakers falling backwards in the standings. I like them to figure it out, but I also like the Griffs to come out of this with a win. Canisius wins.
Chris: These teams met last Tuesday in Erie with the visiting Golden Griffins coming out on top, 3-1. I think history repeats. Canisius wins. 

Bentley at Sacred Heart
Dan: I don’t know what home ice will look like in the playoffs, but this one is kind of important to that. Sacred Heart wins.
Chris: More scheduling on the fly: American International was supposed to be at SHU, but instead Bentley will visit. I like the home team. Sacred Heart wins. 

 

 

 

WCHA announces schedule changes for upcoming men’s college hockey series

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Several WCHA league series have been rescheduled from their previous dates.

The Lake Superior State at Michigan Tech series postponed from Jan. 22-23 has been rescheduled for Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 at Michigan Tech. Both games will start at 2:07 p.m. ET.

The Lake Superior State at Bemidji State series postponed from Jan. 29-30 will now be played March 2-3 at Bemidji State. Start times will be 6:07 p.m. CT on March 2 and 4:07 p.m. CT on March 3.

The Lake Superior State-Ferris State home-and-home series previously scheduled for Feb. 26-27 will now be played Feb. 26 at Ferris State and March 6 at Lake Superior State. The Feb. 26 game will begin at 7:07 p.m. ET. The March 6 game will begin at 3:07 p.m. ET.

The Alabama Huntsville-Bowling Green home-and-home series originally scheduled for Feb. 24 and Feb. 27 will now be played Feb. 24 at Bowling Green and Feb. 28 at Alabama Huntsville. The Feb. 24 game will begin at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Feb. 28 game will begin at 3:07 p.m. CT.

All games will stream live on FloHockey.tv.

Penn State pauses all men’s hockey activities due to positive COVID-19 results within team’s Tier 1 personnel

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The Penn State men’s hockey team has paused all team-related activities due to positive COVID-19 results among Tier 1 personnel.

Due to the pause, the Nittany Lions’ series against Arizona State scheduled for Feb. 20-21 has been canceled.

The series will not be rescheduled.

Pickin’ the Big Ten: Feb. 12-13

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The Wolverines return to action this weekend against Wisconsin. Junior defenseman Nick Blankenburg has four assists in his last four games. (photo: Michigan Photography).

COVID continues to disrupt the Big Ten schedule, with Penn State the latest program to pause. The series between the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions slated for this weekend has been postponed, and a scheduled series between Arizona State and Penn State scheduled for Feb. 20-21 has been cancelled outright. There is a month left in the regular season.

Our picks so far:

Last week
Drew: 3-1-0 (.750)
Paula: 2-2-0 (.500)

This season
Drew: 50-24-2 (.671)
Paula: 42-32-2 (.566)

This week

There are two conference series and a set featuring Arizona State, which returns to playing B1G opponents for the first time since Jan. 22. All times are local.

No. 5 Minnesota at Notre Dame
7:30 p.m. Friday, 5:30 p.m. Saturday

It’s been about a month since the Fighting Irish traveled to Minneapolis to sweep the Golden Gophers, and Drew and I are in agreement that Minnesota will deliver a little payback this weekend. Last week, the Gophers lost twice at home to Wisconsin, outscored 12-2 in those games. Meanwhile, Notre Dame took it to Ohio State literally and figuratively, beating the Buckeyes 6-1 and 8-1 in Columbus. There are six points separating second-place Minnesota from third-place Notre Dame in the Big Ten standings at the start of the weekend.

Drew: Minnesota 4-3, Notre Dame 3-2
Paula: Minnesota 3-2, Notre Dame 3-2

No. 7 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan
2:00 p.m. Saturday, 5:00 p.m. Sunday

The Badgers are the newly minted No. 1 Big Ten team after their impressive sweep of the Gophers last weekend, and their reward is to play a talented young team coming off a nearly three-week game hiatus because of COVID. The Wolverines do ride a four-game win streak into this weekend, having last swept Notre Dame Jan. 21-22 and outscoring the Irish 8-2 in the process. The Wolverines weren’t allowed to practice or condition at all during their pause, as the forced COVID shutdown at U-M applied to every aspect of the athletic department. Michigan swept Wisconsin Nov. 19-20 — but that was so long ago, in so many ways. The Wolverines are nine points out of first place and four points behind third-place Notre Dame. The Badgers are a point ahead of Minnesota.

Drew: Wisconsin 6-3, Michigan 5-4
Paula: Wisconsin 4-2, 4-2

Arizona State at Michigan State
3:00 p.m. Sunday, 5:00 p.m. Monday

Last weekend, Arizona State split a home exhibition series against the U.S. Under-18 team, losing 6-3 and winning 2-1. That followed two weekends of play against B1G opponents in which the Sun Devils were outscored 29-4. Michigan State last played Jan. 29-30, two road losses to Wisconsin in which the the Spartans were outscored 10-1. These teams last met Nov. 19-20, a 1-1 tie and 2-0 Michigan State win. The Spartans were scheduled to play a single game against the Wolverines earlier this week but, you know, COVID.

Drew: Michigan State 3-1, Arizona State 3-2
Paula: Michigan State 3-2, 3-2

Happy Valentine’s Day, Twitter fools!

You can follow Drew (@drewclaussen) and me (@paulacweston) on Twitter and at least one of us will wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. (Hint: It’s me. I love this stupid holiday.)

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