Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look at the games and news of the week, including Michigan’s strong start, the NCHC pod arrangements, and the large number of postponed games thus far.
Plus how will the cancellation of eight teams’ seasons affect ECAC Hockey in the future?
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It seems surreal.
The last time I sat down at my computer to do a story on the NCHC, I had interviewed Denver coach David Carle about the abrupt end to the college hockey season.
Carle, in a statement that seems prescient, said, “I think the lesson to be learned, or one of the many, is life’s a fragile thing. Our game is fragile, and it can be taken from you at any moment.”
It seems almost innocent, in a way. That story ran on March 23. According to the Centers for Disease Control reports, on March 21, 573 U.S. citizens had died of COVID-19. As I sit to type this preview, over 252,000 Americans have now died of COVID-19, and it’s only getting worse. The U.S. just reported its highest ever infections in a day, at 185,000.
So, all I can think is, are we really going to do this? Is hockey really that important? What will it take for people to realize what we are up against? Will it take the death of a player? A coach? A referee? A support person?
I’ve seen what COVID-19 can do, even to previously healthy people. I’ve been personally affected, as a family member died of it. I had a friend spend a month in the hospital due to COVID-19, with two weeks of that time spent in the ICU, intubated and on a ventilator.
Every now and then, I go online to a few sites to see the latest on how many healthcare workers have died of COVID-19.
I see 1,100 healthcare workers overall in the U.S. alone.
And I read what we are up against in healthcare, the patients who refuse to believe what is happening to them, even as they are dying. I read about the nurses working to promote flattening the curve who are being stalked and threatened by people who refuse to believe that COVID-19 is lethal. Their families are also being threatened.
It’s interesting to think about the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Many people don’t realize that the disease didn’t originate in Spain, despite its name. That strain of H1N1 actually crossed into humans in the American Midwest, likely in Kansas. With the U.S. sending soldiers overseas, and those soldiers being in close quarters and experiencing malnourishment, the disease quickly spread. It got the name the Spanish flu because Spain wasn’t a participant in World War I, and as such its media wasn’t being censored to maintain morale, so the first consistent reports of death were published in Spain.
The deadliest time for that pandemic was October 1918. The second wave officially began in August. A parade held in Philadelphia on Sept. 28, 1918, became the biggest super-spreader event, with an estimated 12,000 people dying solely because of those who attended the parade.
Now we are seeing the spikes here for the novel coronavirus, and we are seeing COVID-19 mortality increasing at exponential rates. So, sitting down to write a preview for a college hockey season, even for a league I love, just seems off. The Ivies have canceled, as have a couple of other ECAC schools. Will someone get deathly ill as a result of hockey being played?
It’s entirely possible it will happen.
Colorado College has had to shut down hockey activities for 14 days as a player has tested positive for COVID-19. U.S. Women’s Soccer star Lindsey Horan just tested positive and had to leave the team ahead of its friendly with the Netherlands. Three New York Giants players just tested positive.
The city of Denver is currently at level red, which prohibits all indoor gatherings. If the school decides to go to virtual classes, they might cancel athletics. And last week, the state of North Dakota recorded the highest mortality rate from COVID-19 in the entire world.
People still seem resistant to do what is necessary to stop the virus, or at least slow its spread. Last spring, a friend and I were talking about it during a break, and he encapsulated the resistance to masks and social distancing by saying, “The thing zombie movies got wrong is they didn’t realize there would be a substantial number of people demanding their constitutional right to be eaten by zombies.”
I truly hope that this doesn’t lead to someone dying, but the thing is, this disease seems to be unpredictable, and while it doesn’t hit most people that hard, there is still a large minority that experiences severe complications. Even with the vaccine news, it will take time to get things under control.
So let’s keep our fingers crossed that this goes well.
— Candace Horgan
The NCHC has won the last four national championships.
Prior to the end of the season due to COVID-19, three NCHC teams were among the favorites to capture the 2020 title, with North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth and Denver all in fine form. Whether the NCHC can continue its recent national championship run remains to be seen, but they certainly will be in the mix.
The season will begin with league play with a series of “pod” games on Dec. 1 in Omaha. The league is divided into an East pod (Miami, Western Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State) and a West pod (Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, Omaha). This is a creative approach to try to keep the teams from contracting COVID-19.
Each team will play six games against their division opponents over the season. In pod play, each team will play a total of 10 games spaced over three weeks. The second half of the league will consist of home and away games against every team in the league, for a total of eight home games and eight away games. The season will have each team playing six games against pod opponents and two games against each cross-divisional pod team.
The schedule for the pod games was recently announced. Two games will take place on most weekdays Tuesday through Friday, with game times at 3:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. CDT, while weekends will consist of triple-headers with games starting at 12:05 p.m., 4:05 p.m. and 8:05 p.m.
When the concept was announced, NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton said, “Throughout the past eight months, we have learned to adjust and think creatively about how we live our personal and professional lives. I’m proud of our membership for their entrepreneurial spirit to build a concept grounded in health and safety that we believe gives a group of deserving student-athletes the best opportunity to conduct a successful season.”
Medical support and COVID-19 testing will be conducted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
COLORADO COLLEGE
Head coach: Mike Haviland (seventh season)
2019-20 overall record: 11-20-3 (4-17-3 NCHC, eighth)
Key returning players: Junior forward Ben Copeland (4-14-18), junior forward Grant Cruikshank (11-6-17), junior defenseman Bryan Yoon (1-16-17), sophomore goaltender Matt Vernon (8-16-3, 3.42 GAA, .901 SV%)
Key losses: Chris Wilkie (23-8-31), Nick Halloran (12-18-30), Alex Berardinelli (4-13-17)
Key additions: Forward Ray Christy (Sioux City Musketeers), forward Jackson Jutting (Cedar Rapids Roughriders), defenseman Hugo Blixt (Boston University), forward Brian Hawkinson (Miami)
2020-21 predictions: You might look at CC’s record last year and think they were terrible, but until the midway point of the season, the Tigers were having a solid year. However, a sweep by Denver to close the first half of the season seemed to affect their confidence, and the Tigers only won five of their last 20 games.
CC’s biggest challenge this season will be replacing the scoring of Chris Wilkie and Nick Halloran. The Tigers scored 86 goals last year, and those two players figured in the lion’s share of the points.
The Tigers will look to get more scoring from Ben Copeland and captain Grant Cruikshank. Another bright spot is junior defenseman Bryan Yoon, who has been a stabilizing influence on the back line.
Sophomore goalie Matt Vernon will need to improve his play too if CC is to contend again and escape the NCHC cellar.
CC is a young team, with 12 freshmen on the roster. The Tigers also added two transfers, defenseman Hugo Blixt (Boston University) and forward Brian Hawkinson (Miami), who should see regular playing time.
Candace’s prediction: seventh
Matt’s prediction: eighth
DENVER
Head coach: David Carle (third season)
2019-20 overall record: 21-9-6 (11-8-5 NCHC, third)
Key returning players: Junior forward Cole Guttman (14-14-28), junior forward Brett Stapley (5-25-30), sophomore forward Bobby Brink (11-13-24), sophomore goaltender Magnus Chrona (16-6-4, 2.14 GAA, .920 SV%)
Key losses: Emilio Pettersen (13-22-35), Ian Mitchell (10-22-32), Liam Finlay (5-23-28), goaltender Devin Cooley (4-3-2, 2.08 GAA, .908 SV%)
Key additions: Defenseman Mike Benning (Sherwood Park, AJHL), forward Carter Savoie (Sherwood Park, AJHL), defenseman Bo Hanson (St. Lawrence), goaltender Corbin Kaczperski (Yale)
2020-21 predictions: Last season was an interesting one for the Pioneers, who started 8-0. The team could best be characterized as one that beat the teams they should, but usually fell to teams higher than them. They were 11-8-5 in league play, and the Pioneers went 0-6-2 against the league’s top two teams, North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth.
The off season saw Denver lose two of its best players, as forward Emilio Pettersen and defenseman (and captain) Ian Mitchell both signed NHL contracts. Those two were the team’s leading scorers last year. Also departing was goaltender Devin Cooley.
Despite those losses, Denver returns a lot of power. Forwards Cole Guttman, Brett Stapley, and Bobby Brink will be looked to for a lot of firepower. Incoming freshman Carter Savoie, a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2020 NHL draft, will also be looked to early for points.
Defensively, Denver will hope that incoming freshman Mike Benning, a fourth-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL draft, will bring the same level of intensity and play of Mitchell. Denver also just announced that they have graduate transfer Corbin Kaczperski, a goaltender who posted a 2.77 GAA with Yale last season.
Denver was ranked fourth in the preseason USCHO.com poll, and the Pioneers should battle all season long with Minnesota Duluth for second place in the conference.
Candace’s prediction: second
Matt’s prediction: third
MIAMI
Head coach: Chris Bergeron, entering his second season at Miami
2019-20 overall record: 8-21-5 (5-16-3-2 NCHC, seventh)
Key returning players: Senior forward Casey Gilling (9-22-31), sophomore forward Ryan Savage (7-7-14), junior defenseman Derek Daschke (10-13-23), sophomore goaltender Ben Kraws (1-7-2, 4.12 GAA, .871 SV%)
Key losses: Forward Gordie Green (14-22-36), forward Karch Bachman (10-21-31), goaltender Ryan Larkin (7-12-2, 3.47 GAA, .901 SV%)
Key additions: Forward Joe Cassetti (Merrimack and Waterloo, USHL), defenseman Hampus Rydqvist (Maryland, NAHL), goaltender Ludvig Persson (Lone Star, NAHL)
2020-21 predictions: With a first-year coach at the helm, Miami wasn’t expected to set the college hockey world alight last season. Some predictions turn out to be accurate; the RedHawks won one of their first five games and went on to finish seventh in the league, just like they did in 2019-20.
Miami still made a good decision in hiring Bergeron, though, a MU alum who helped Bowling Green snap a nearly three-decade NCAA tournament drought two years ago. This could be another tough season for the RedHawks, though, who graduated their top two point-producers from last year and a starting goaltender who made 120 appearances in net over his four seasons in Oxford, Ohio.
Gilling is Miami’s top returning scorer but is also a good setup man, and Cassetti’s background as a National Team Development Program product and former Merrimack player makes him another one to watch. Also, keep an eye on who’s between the pipes, as Kraws looks to stave off Persson, who was 22-4 last season in juniors with a .934 save percentage.
Candace’s prediction: eighth
Matt’s prediction: seventh
MINNESOTA DULUTH
Head coach: Scott Sandelin (21st season)
2019-20 overall record: 22-10-2 (17-5-2 NCHC, second)
Key returning players: Junior forward Cole Koepke (16-17-33), junior forward Noah Cates (14-19-33), senior forward Nick Swaney (12-14-26), junior forward Jackson Cates (8-15-23)
Key losses: Defenseman Scott Perunovich (6-34-40), defenseman Dylan Samberg (1-20-21), forward Justin Richards (14-11-25), goaltender Hunter Shepard (22-10-2, 2.18 GAA, .918 SV%)
Key additions: Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser (Andover, USHS), defenseman Blake Biondi (Hermantown, USHS), defenseman Connor Kelly (U.S. National Development Team)
2020-21 predictions: While several other teams lost important players to early departure, perhaps none was hit harder than Minnesota Duluth, as defenseman Scott Perunovich, the team’s leading scorer the last few seasons and a dynamic presence on the blue line, signed an NHL contract. Also departing early was defenseman Dylan Samberg, a potent force on the back line. The Bulldogs also lost goaltender Hunter Shepard to graduation. Shepard was a force in the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national titles.
Given that Minnesota Duluth won its national championships with an impenetrable defense and timely scoring, the loss of the three players who were the key to that defense will be the most difficult part of Minnesota Duluth’s season this year. Also gone is defenseman Nick Wolff, who graduated.
However, coach Scott Sandelin is known for having a deep bench. Back are forwards Cole Koepke, Noah Cates, and Nick Swaney, who were among the top scorers on the team last year. Freshman Blake Biondi, a fourth-round selection of the Montreal Canadians in the June draft, will also bring some scoring power.
Louie Roehl will be looked to on the blue line at the start of the year. Freshman Wyatt Kaiser, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round in June, will be looked to early to bring some of what was lost by Perunovich’s departure.
One thing we know about Sandelin is he knows how to get his team in playoff form. The Bulldogs will again be in the mix for the NCAA championship this season.
Candace’s prediction: third
Matt’s prediction: second
NORTH DAKOTA
Head coach: Brad Berry, entering his sixth season at North Dakota
2019-20 overall record: 26-5-4 (17-4-3-2 NCHC, first)
Key returning players: Senior forward Jordan Kawaguchi (15-30-45), sophomore forward Shane Pinto (16-12-28), senior defenseman Matt Kiersted (6-23-29), junior defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker (7-18-25), junior goaltender Adam Scheel (19-4-2, 2.07 GAA, .904 SV%), senior goaltender Peter Thome (7-1-2, 1.37 GAA, .935 SV%)
Key losses: Forward Westin Michaud (16-12-28), forward Cole Smith (11-7-18), defenseman Colton Poolman (4-13-17)
Key additions: Forward Riese Gaber (Dubuque, USHL), forward Griffin Ness (Waterloo, USHL), defenseman Jake Sanderson (NDTP), defenseman Tyler Kleven (NDTP)
2020-21 predictions: Remember when North Dakota missed out on the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row in 2019? How long ago does that feel now?
Fresh off their best season since 2015-16, when the Fighting Hawks won the national title in Berry’s first season in charge, UND enters this season looking to win a ninth championship, which may have arrived last season if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.
UND returns a Hobey Baker Award finalist in Kawaguchi, and six of the Hawks’ top seven point-producers from last season are back. Berry’s bunch is strong between the pipes, too. Scheel got most of the game time last season, but Thome’s goals-against average would’ve ranked second in the country if he hadn’t just fallen below the minimum for minutes played.
There’s also much to like about UND’s newcomers. Take a look at this year’s NHL draft, for instance: Ottawa took Sanderson fifth and then grabbed Kleven, a prep product of Fargo (N.D.) Davies, in the second round.
We had predicted UND to be in the middle of the NCHC pack last season. This time, not so much.
Candace’s prediction: first
Matt’s prediction: first
OMAHA
Head coach: Mike Gabinet (fourth season)
2019-20 overall record: 14-17-5 (8-13-3-0 NCHC, sixth)
Key returning players: Junior forward Taylor Ward (16-11-27), senior forward Kevin Conley (12-15-27), sophomore defenseman Brandon Scanlin (3-11-14), sophomore goaltender Isaiah Saville (10-11-4, 2.85 GAA, .907 SV%)
Key losses: Forward Teemu Pulkkinen (7-11-18), forward Zach Jordan (12-4-16), defenseman Dean Stewart (2-10-12)
Key additions: Forward Brock Bremer (Lincoln, USHL), forward Jack Randl (Michigan and Omaha, USHL), defenseman Jonny Tychonick (North Dakota transfer)
2020-21 predictions: Omaha was five wins better last season than the Mavericks were in 2018-19, when they started 0-6-1 and struggled to recover.
Don’t be surprised if UNO is even better this time, as the Mavs return their top five scorers from last season plus a promising goaltender in Saville, taken by Vegas in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Ward will be a focal point again, UNO’s top scorer last season who is two years removed from his NCHC rookie-of-the-year season. Two newcomers with prior college hockey experience will help too, and Tychonick could provide an offensive boost at the blue line for a UNO team whose top 10 point-producers last season were all forwards.
Might this season’s Mavericks better the .500 mark that UNO set in Gabinet’s first campaign in charge? Absolutely, and getting their first dozen games at home ought to help.
Candace’s prediction: sixth
Matt’s prediction: fifth
ST. CLOUD STATE
Head coach: Brett Larson (third season)
2019-20 overall record: 13-15-6 (10-12-2 NCHC, fifth)
Key returning players: Senior forward Easton Brodzinski (12-15-27), senior goaltender Dávid Hrenák (12-11-6, 2.76 GAA, .906 SV%), junior forward Sam Hentges (7-17-24), junior forward Micah Miller (7-11-18)
Key losses: Forward Nick Poehling, defenseman Jack Ahcan, forward Jack Poehling
Key additions: Forward Veeti Miettinen (Kiekko-Espoo, Finland), forward Jack Johnston (Fairbanks Ice Dogs, NAHL)
2020-21 predictions: If a team had cause to feel frustrated when COVID-19 ended the season in March, it might have been St. Cloud, as the Huskies had rebounded from a poor first half to play strong in the second half, including a home sweep of Minnesota Duluth, a win over then-No. 2 Minnesota State, and wins over North Dakota and Denver in the final weeks of the season. The Huskies looked to be a dangerous team to face in the playoffs.
Much of that team is back, including starting goaltender Dávid Hrenák, now a senior, who posted a .906 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average. Also back is leading scorer Easton Brodzinski, who had 27 points last season.
The team did lose some important players, including forwards Nick and Jack Poehling, who were second and fifth on the team in scoring. Potentially making up for that scoring will be rookies Veeti Miettinen and Jack Johnston. Miettinen was drafted in the sixth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs; he had 73 points last year for the U20 team while nabbing second team honors. Johnston was team captain last year for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in the NAHL and finished with 45 points.
The challenge will be replacing defenseman Jack Ahcan, a potent two-way player who was one of the anchors of the power play.
Candace’s prediction: fourth
Matt’s prediction: fourth
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Head coach: Andy Murray, entering his 10th season at Western Michigan
2019-20 overall record: 18-13-5 (12-9-3-2 NCHC, fourth)
Key returning players: Senior forward Paul Washe (12-9-21), senior forward Ethen Frank (9-11-20), sophomore goaltender Brandon Bussi (18-12-4, 2.65 GAA, .910 SV%)
Key losses: Forward Hugh McGing (13-22-35), forward Dawson DiPietro (12-17-29), forward Austin Rueschhoff (12-14-26)
Key additions: Forward Ty Glover (Lincoln, USHL), defenseman Aidan Fulp (Dubuque, USHL), defenseman Cédric Fiedler (Fargo, USHL)
2020-21 predictions: Murray’s 10th season behind the bench in Kalamazoo starts with a team that is less proven out of the box than others.
The Broncos’ four top point-producers from last season are gone, including an early departure in Rueschhoff, who signed in March with the New York Rangers. Washe, Frank and junior forward Cole Gallant will be relied upon again, although all three of them reached the 20-point plateau last season.
Bussi was very good last season in earning NCHC all-rookie team honors, and he beat out two seniors to grab the starting job. There’s another senior teammate to contend with this season in Austin Cain, but Bussi gained plenty of momentum as a freshman. No surprise; a year earlier, he won 33 games and had a .915 save percentage for Muskegon in the USHL.
Western might have a tough road to hoe if the Broncos are to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017, but ending that hiatus this season certainly isn’t beyond comprehension.
Candace’s prediction: fifth
Matt’s prediction: sixth
After hoisting the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions in 2019-20, North Dakota has been selected to do the same in 2020-21, as the Fighting Hawks topped the 2020 NCHC preseason media poll released Monday.
North Dakota received 27 of a possible 28 first-place votes, totaling 223 points to sit first in the poll.
1. North Dakota – 223 points (27 first-place votes)
2. Denver – 185 (1)
3. Minnesota Duluth – 173
4. St. Cloud State – 126
5. Western Michigan -116
6. Omaha – 96
7. Colorado College – 45
8. Miami – 44
Monday’s scheduled Minnesota State-Bemidji State nonconference game has been postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Minnesota State program.
No make-up date for today’s game has been announced.
Minnesota State released the following statement this morning regarding the postponement:
“Minnesota State Maverick Athletic Department officials have announced that COVID-19 testing of its men’s hockey personnel has resulted in positive results that will not allow the series with Bemidji State University to be completed this afternoon. A complement of tests guided by NCAA Sports Science Institute, Minnesota Department of Health, and Western Collegiate Hockey Association Return to Competition protocols that were administered prior to Sunday’s contest between the two teams had produced no positive results prior to game time.
Monday’s match-up is postponed indefinitely and immediate future competition involving the fourth-ranked Maverick men’s hockey team is pending outcomes related to full contact tracing yet to be completed. Data privacy precludes further comment on the issue and any additional updates or adjustments to the schedule will be made at a later time.”
The Quinnipiac men’s hockey has paused team activities due to two confirmed positive cases COVID-19 among the team’s student-athletes.
“The health and safety of the Quinnipiac community remains paramount as Quinnipiac Athletics continues to follow university, local, state and national guidelines in response to the global pandemic,” reads a school press release.
With that, the team has announced changes to its 2020-21 schedule.
The 2020-21 season opener against AIC at the People’s United Center scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24, has been postponed and rescheduled for Saturday, December 26.
In addition, non-conference games for the Bobcats against LIU (Nov. 27) and Clarkson (Nov. 29) have been canceled.
It’s been a frantic past several weeks in ECAC Hockey, as eight of league’s twelve teams cancelled their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there’s still a lot of uncertainty ahead, the league returning to play in even a limited capacity can hopefully provide a sense of normalcy over the coming months. Here’s a look at today’s opener and be sure to check back later this month for a full conference preview.
Clarkson at Colgate, 4 p.m. (non-conference)
The Golden Knights graduated starting goalie Frank Marotte and their top two scorers, but still have a steady defensive group and one of the league’s top two-way players in Josh Dunne. Colgate graduated its top two scorers as well, but returns goalies Andrew Ferrier and Mitch Benson. In a game that will likely be anything but crisp, I think Clarkson should be able to generate just enough offense to head home with a win. Clarkson 2, Colgate 1
Connecticut erased a 2-0 deficit with third-period goals by Vladislav Firstov and Brian Regali as the Huskies forced a 2-2 tie against the seventh-ranked Minutemen.
UConn won a shootout, which wouldn’t typically be conducted in a what is considered a non-league game, but could be used in the Hockey East standings if a game or games against UMass later in the season are compromised by COVID-19.
Here is Kale Howarth to win the very first #HEA shootout against UMass
? ? pic.twitter.com/kaKxeyejHJ
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) November 22, 2020
The series itself this weekend, with the opening game won 5-1 by UMass on Friday, wasn’t scheduled until Thursday when Maine’s series against UMass and Vermont’s two-game slate against Connecticut were both canceled because of government regulations surrounding COVID-19.
UMass jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the opening period on goals by Matthew Kessel and Philip Lagunov. Neither team scored in the middle stanza despite both placing 13 shots on goal.
Tomas Vomacka finished the game with 34 saves for UConn while Filip Lindberg made 35 saves for the Minutemen.
Lake Superior 0, Michigan Tech 0 (F/SHO)
In the rarest of occurrences, Michigan Tech’s Mark Sinclair stopped 21 shots and Lake Superior’s Marek Mitens made 28 saves as the two clubs skated to a scoreless tie on Saturday.
Lakers and Huskies Skate to a 0-0 Tie in the First Game of the 20-21 Season https://t.co/wc9yG87e9E
— Lake State Hockey (@HockeyLSSU) November 22, 2020
Lake Superior’s Ashton Calder’s goal in the third round of a shootout was the difference maker should the game be needed as a league game later in the season. That would only happen should a latter game between these two games be canceled due to COVID.
Robert Morris 5, Alabama Huntsville 2
Host Robert Morris scored five times in the third period to erase a 1-0 deficit through 40 and earns 5-2 non-conference win over Alabama Huntsville.
UAH’s Bauer Neudecker scored the only goal through the first two periods, burying a power play tally 2:25 into the game.
Timmons x2! The junior finishes a breakaway with a beautiful move! 5-2! pic.twitter.com/oQ0S0vVlXq
— RMU Men’s Hockey (@RMUMHockey) November 22, 2020
But Robert Morris scored early and often in the third, as Jordan Timmons tied the game at 2:48 and Nick Jenny have the Colonials the lead at 6:00. Timmons added a second goal with 3:29 left to finish the game with two goals and an assist.
Hockey East announced Saturday that the men’s game between New Hampshire and Boston College originally scheduled for today (Nov. 21) has been postponed to a later date.
A new date for the rescheduled series will be announced in the coming days.
Hey there WCHA hockey fans, we finally made it to another season. This will be a year like no other, and not just because of the global pandemic. This will be the final season of the WCHA as we know it, as seven schools have banded together to move on next season to a new iteration of the CCHA. That’s not all, Alaska-Anchorage, who had originally announced that 2020-21 would be their last season in NCAA hockey, announced recently that they would forgo the season.
Jack and I had a good competition a year ago once I came on board. We will see what this year holds as we go. For now, we are both 0-0-0, so let’s get after it.
Michigan Tech at Lake Superior State
Daver: Last season, the Lakers showed signs of improvement at points, but a rough start led to a tough finish for them in the overall standings. This season, they are not opening with giants of the hockey world, but are instead facing head coach Damon Whitten’s former squad, the Michigan Tech Huskies.
There is plenty of reason for optimism for head coach Joe Shawhan with a lineup that includes transfer goaltender Mark Sinclair and recent Arizona Coyotes draft pick Carson Bantle. The question for the Huskies isn’t can they get there, but rather how quickly can they get there.
Jack: This is a sneaky underrated series. It’s not technically a conference game due to the weird schedule, but these teams were close last season and I think this is a likely split.
Daver: MTU wins Saturday 4-2, LSSU wins Sunday 3-2
Jack: Saturday: Lakers 4, Huskies 3; Sunday: Huskies 3, Lakers 1
Alabama Huntsville at Robert Morris
Daver: New head coach Lance West had a tall task in front of him when he took over a Chargers squad that was coming off the brink of losing their hockey program. Losing a starting goalie like Sinclair does not help. Losing sophomore Josh Latta, who scored seven goals and 18 points to lead the team last year made things even worse.
The Colonials feature senior forward Nick Prkusic, who scored 28 points last year to lead the team. The Chargers will be one of two WCHA opponents the Colonials will face this season.
Jack: Like Lazarus, the Chargers’ program rose from the dead to come back this season. Hopefully they’re here to stay. I’d like to think their players are going to be fired-up to be back on the ice this winter, so I’ll call it a sweep
Daver: Robert Morris sweeps, 4-1, 3-1
Jack: Saturday: Chargers 3, Colonials 1; Sunday: Chargers 2, Colonails 1
No. 5 Minnesota State at No. 16 Bemidji State
Daver: The Mavericks, who were picked to win the WCHA regular season title again this season, feature a strong crop of incoming talent including freshman defenseman Akito Hirose. However, they will only get as far as junior goaltender Dryden McKay can carry them, which will likely be deep, given that he remains among the top goaltenders in the country.
The Beavers were ranked second to the Mavericks in both the media and coaches’ polls this season, and that makes good sense given how much respect players and coaches have for junior forward Owen Sillinger who earned WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors three times last season while racking up 14 goals and 34 points, both career highs. He also racked up two five-game point streaks along the way.
Jack: The two best teams in the league last season get to face one another right off the bat this season. The Mavs went 3-2 against the Beavers last season and the two had a sixth potential meeting wiped out by COVID. I expect this will be another hard-fought split.
Daver: MSU wins Sunday 2-1, BSU wins Monday, 3-2
Jack: Sunday: Beavers 4, Mavericks 2; Monday: Mavericks 3, Beavers 2
Bowling Green at Adrian
Daver: While Adrian continues to be one of the top programs in Division III, I just do not think they are quite ready to take that next step against a very good Falcons squad that looks to compete for a WCHA title this season.
Jack: I’ll be honest: When these teams played last weekend in Bowling Green, I thought it was an exhibition game. As it turns out, I was wrong: The teams agreed to play a real, live home-and-home series that counts. No third-string goalies or untested freshmen here. I love that these teams are playing, though. Division III Adrian is only about an hour from BG and Adrian’s conference (the NCHA) decided not to play until 2021. The Bulldogs needed some opponents so the Falcons agreed to come and play them. BG won 6-2 last week, and although the Bulldogs have a strong squad, I expect another Falcon victory.
Daver: Falcons win, 6-1
Jack: Saturday: Falcons 5, Bulldogs 1
Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan
Daver: A strange mid-week game for both teams, but one thing is for certain, the Wildcats will be ready to go, no matter what day of the week it is. The Lakers will have little time to prepare for this one coming off a likely hard-fought series against Michigan Tech over the weekend.
Jack: One thing about these COVID-19 influenced schedules that are going to be weird for us in the Midwest: A lot more midweek games are on the schedule, and I am guessing cancelations will force a whole ton more. The Lakers have to play three rivalry games in a row, so they will have some momentum. I’m picking them for the win.
Daver: Wildcats win, 4-1
Jack: Wednesday: Lakers 3, Wildcats 2
Brockport coach Brian Dickinson has been diagnosed with cancer.
According to the recently-created GoFundMe account, “Coach Dickinson has been the face of Brockport Hockey since 1996. He is well-known to the local community and has dedicated the better part of his career to giving back to youth organizations in the greater Brockport area.
“As a Head Coach, he has always provided support to his players both on and off the ice. Now, we would like to support him and his family through a difficult time and we need your help. Every donation will provide a meaningful contribution toward the cost of his ongoing medical treatment.”
Dickinson has been behind the Brockport bench since the 1996-97 season, leading the Eagles to a 15-10-1 mark in the 2019-20 season, including an 8-7-1 mark in SUNYAC play.
Rivier has named Eric Sorenson as the first head coach for its new NCAA Division III men’s hockey program, set to launch with the 2021-22 season.
Currently an assistant coach at Williams, Sorenson joins the Raiders with a wealth of experience in player recruitment, development, and coaching.
“We are pleased to welcome Eric to Raiders athletics and to work with him to achieve our vision for the men’s ice hockey program,” said Rivier director of athletics Joanne Merrill in a statement. “I believe his coaching experience and leadership will motivate student-athletes to achieve their full potential as scholars and athletes.”
Sorenson has been at Williams (2018-20) and Nazareth (2014-18) over the past six seasons. His teams advanced to conference playoffs in five of the six seasons.
Prior to his tenure in college hockey, he held head coach and assistant coach/goaltending coach positions with the Rochester Jr. Americans. For nine years, he coached and managed off-ice operations for Mitch Korn Goaltending Camps. Sorenson was the starting goaltender when he played for Western New England’s hockey team and is the program record holder for career wins by a goalie, as well as career saves and career shutouts.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to help build this program,” Sorenson said. “As the program leader, I will support a character-based culture with a focus on skill development, team, academics, and community involvement aimed at providing each student-athlete with the foundation to be successful in life.”
Sorenson is a resident of Framingham, Mass. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Sport Management from Western New England and a master’s degree in Sport Administration from Canisius.
“Eric is the whole package — player, coach, mentor, scholar, and operations manager,” said Rivier VP for student affairs Kurt Stimeling. “His knowledge and experience support a strong start for our men’s ice hockey program, which will add new dimensions to student life at Rivier.”
Conway Arena in Nashua, N.H., will serve as the Raiders’ home ice.
With a short season ahead of them, those who support No. 11 Minnesota, the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten, understood that the slow start that plagued the team a season ago wouldn’t be helpful.
On Friday, the 11th-ranked Gophers, for at least two games, helped ease the concerns of their fans, completing a two-game sweep No. 10 Penn State, 3-2.
Sammy Walker (goal, assist), Brannon McManus (goal, assist) and Blake McLaughlin (two assists) all registered multi-point games for Minnesota. Jack LaFontaine was consistent in goal, stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced.
A wicked release? Yep. See for yourself from this true #B1GStandout play from @GopherHockey's Brannon McManus. @B1Ghockey
? @AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/VWq1Uz1eF8
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 20, 2020
The jam-packed Big Ten schedule allows little rest for either team. After two days off, Minnesota will host No. 9 Ohio State on Monday and Tuesday while Penn State faces the same schedule, heading to face No. 14 Wisconsin.
No. 6 Michigan 2, No. 14 Wisconsin 1 (OT)
Thomas Bordeleau scored with 27 seconds remaining in 3-on-3 overtime as sixth-ranked Michigan completed the two-game sweep of No. 14 Wisconsin, 2-1.
Bordeleau wins it! pic.twitter.com/oeg7mtZvX7
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 21, 2020
Michigan earns five-of-six points over the two games, while Wisconsin earns one under the new NCAA and Big Ten overtime procedures.
After a scoreless first period, Roman Ahcan gave Wisconsin a 1-0 lead at 1:51 of the second, registering a power play tally with assists to Tarek Baker and Cole Caufield.
Michigan’s Nick Granowicz provided the Wolverines with the equalizer at 13:59 of the middle frame.
Strauss Mann earned his fourth victory of the young season, making 22 saves in net for Michigan.
Michigan State 2, Arizona State 0
Drew DeRidder stopped all 30 shots he faced to give Michigan State its first victory of the young season, a 2-0 decision over Arizona State.
30 saves for his first career shutout! pic.twitter.com/hwoZ19zi2e
— MSU_Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 21, 2020
The Sun Devils, previously ranked in the USCHO poll, fall to 0-3-1 to begin its 28-game independent season against Big Ten opponents, all games on the road.
Mitchell Mattson’s goal at 7:36 of the first period turned out to be the game-winner. Mitchell Lewandowski added a second goal with 7:32 remaining.
No. 7 Massachusetts 5, Connecticut 1
In the opener of the men’s Hockey East season, five different players registered goals a seventh-ranked UMass skated past UConn, 5-1, in the opener of a home-and-home series.
UMass sophomore Cal Kiefiuk and UConn junior Kale Howarth each tallied in the first period.
From there, it was all UMass. The Minutemen got a second-period goal from Garrett Wait, before Oliver MacDonald, Zac Jones and Oliver Chau all netted goals in the third.
:::Don't say it, don't say it:::
Sorry we made you WAIT to see this replay of our second goal ? #NewMass | #Flagship ? pic.twitter.com/j5sFaQ3dy9
— UMass Hockey (@UMassHockey) November 21, 2020
Goaltender Matt Murray needed just 21 saves to earn his first victory over the season.
Hockey East announced Friday the following schedule updates:
The women’s programs at Providence and UConn are now scheduled to play a home-and-home series Nov. 21-22.
“The scheduling of this series is consistent with the league’s commitment to a flexible scheduling model to provide meaningful opportunities for competition for all student-athletes throughout the 2020-21 season while maintaining the strict return to play protocols instituted by the Hockey East membership,” reads a Hockey East news release.
The women’s series between Merrimack and Providence originally scheduled for Nov. 20-21 has been postponed to a later date.
The men’s game between New Hampshire and Boston College originally scheduled for November 20 has been postponed to a later date.
Friday, November 20
Providence at Merrimack (women) – postponed
New Hampshire at Boston College (men) – postponed
Saturday, November 21
UConn at Providence (women) – 3 p.m.
Merrimack at Providence (women) – postponed
Sunday, November 22
Providence at UConn (women) – 3 p.m.
It’s been a very long offseason for Hockey East. Well college hockey in general. So it’s great to be able to return to picking the league games as the puck drops on the Hockey East season this weekend.
If you’re a loyal reader of the Hockey East column, you may remember that my long-time colleague Dave Hendrickson retired at the conclusion of last season. So I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome my new compatriot, Marisa Ingemi. Marisa is well-known to college and professional hockey in New England having began her career while a student at Boston University and, most recently, was the Boston Bruins beat writer for the Boston Herald.
So with the formalities aside, here are the picks:
Massachusetts vs. Connecticut (Fri. at UMass, Sat. at UConn)
This series wasn’t actually supposed to be played this weekend as the Minutemen were headed to Maine and the Huskies were supposed to play Vermont. But with both of those series postponed due to some restrictions related to COVID (note: no student-athletes or staff of either program has COVID), these two clubs decided to face-off instead. Such will be the way things go this season.
Jim’s pick: UMass 3, UConn 1; UMass 3, UConn 2
Marisa’s pick: UMass 3, UConn 1; UMass 4, UConn 2
Boston College vs. New Hampshire (Fri. at BC, Sat. at UNH)
It’s the favorite versus the up-and-comer. Boston College returns arguably the most stacked team in Hockey East. But that doesn’t mean the results of this series should be a foregone conclusion. In fact, many may remember last season when a red-hot BC team went to Durham and lost, 1-0, in overtime. Could that happen again? It’s 2020, so expect the unexpected?
Jim’s pick: BC 5, UNH 3; UNH 2, BC 1
Marisa’s pick: BC 4, UNH 1; BC 5, UNH 3
Do you remember where we left off?
It’s painful to think about where things stood on March 12, when Atlantic Hockey players, coaches and fans were looking forward to the league’s quarterfinal round.
The 2019-20 season had already ended for Mercyhurst, Holy Cross and Canisius, all falling in the preliminary round of The Atlantic Hockey tournament. But little did we know that the other eight teams were also done, their hopes gone over the course of a couple of frantic, confusing days.
The news kept getting worse. No playoffs. No NCAA tournament. No Frozen Four.
All gone in matter of hours as the coronavirus took hold.
And just like that, hopes were dashed for all eight teams that remained in the hunt.
To recap:
– For top-seeded AIC, the chance to repeat and return to the NCAA tournament was lost, at least for its seniors. The Yellow Jackets had already repeated as regular season champs.
– For Sacred Heart, 2019-20 was to be the final piece in a rebuilding puzzle that saw its senior class go from 13-19-5 as rookies to 21-10-3 in their final year. The Pioneers were looking to get to the playoff semifinals for the first time since 2010.
– Rochester Institute of Technology was also building towards it best season in a few years. After winning the league in 2015 and 2016, RIT did not have a winning season until 2019-20, finishing third with an overall record of 19-13-4.
– The story is similar for Air Force, which won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. But after winning a total of 50 games those two seasons, the Falcons had only 28 victories in the two campaigns since then, including a 12-18-6 mark in 2019-20. But Air Force was still very much in the hunt, slated to face off against rival RIT in the quarterfinals.
– Niagara was looking to show that the previous season was no fluke. In 2018-29 the Purple Eagles were picked to finish last in the coaches’ preseason poll, but ended up a goal away from winning the AHA playoff title. Niagara was in contention again, earning a first-round bye and was slated to play at Army West Point in the quarterfinals.
– Speaking of Army West Point, the Black Knights ended up stuck on 17 wins, just two less than their all time high of 19 in the 2007-08 season.
– Coming off a first round sweep of Holy Cross, Robert Morris was to travel to Sacred Heart for a quarterfinal series. The Colonials have not lost a quarterfinal series since 2013, making seven consecutive trips to the conference tournament’s semifinal weekend.
– Bentley was looking to get out of the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2009. The Falcons had been the higher seed in three of their six quarterfinal series over that span.
Now, 11 teams look to either reset or pick up where they left off and forge ahead in what is shaping up to be the most bizarre Atlantic Hockey season to date.
As tragic as the way things ended in March, there was hope at the time that things would return to normal for the 2020-21 season. But since then, the definition of “normal” has changed considerably and is still very much in flux.
With the country still finding itself in the tight grasp of COVID, college hockey leagues are hoping to hold some semblance of a season, while keeping players safe by limiting travel and overnight stays.
Gone, for the most part, are weekend roadies, replaced by bus rides back and forth to close rivals.
With that in mind, Atlantic Hockey has broken the conference into two five-team pods, plus Air Force.
The Eastern pod consists of AIC, Army, Bentley, Holy Cross, and Sacred Heart.
The Western pod includes Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara, RIT and Robert Morris.
Teams will play five games against their fellow pod members for a total of 20 games.
Air Force will play each team twice, also for a total of 20 games.
Long Island University, in its inaugural season, will play each AHA school twice with the exception of Air Force, with four games scheduled between the Sharks and Falcons.
While playing the same teams five times isn’t ideal, it’s something that schools are willing to embrace.
“Our attitude is we’ll play any time, anywhere against anybody,” said Sacred Heart coach CJ Marottolo. “Our coaching staff and our players really aren’t thinking about it. We’re just happy to compete as a group and try to win a championship.”
“It’ll be interesting, especially when you look at the (preseason) poll,” said Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley.
“AIC, Sacred Heart and Bentley are the top three and they’re going to run the gauntlet of playing each other five times.”
Despite months of preparation and no players or staff testing positive for COVID, RIT announced on Nov. 9 that it was canceling all winter sports for the 2020-21 season. This included the men’s and women’s hockey programs, the only Division I sports on campus.
But a week later, the Tigers got a reprieve when the school, after further consultation with the players and coaches, “reconsidered” and have now granted approval to move forward with the 2020-21 season.
“I don’t wish this on anyone else,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson back on Nov. 10, after hearing that his team’s season was initially canceled. “It’s difficult when you look at your seniors in particular going through three months to get to season off the ground. You can kind of see the finish line (to the start of the season) and then they made the decision.
“They’re making it for the right reasons, but having said that you’re heartbroken for your players.”
And now, hopefully, the reversal was also made for the right reasons.
“It’s obviously great for our seniors,” said Wilson of the reversal. “Our players did a great job when they met with our administrators.
“I’m grateful to our administrators. They stuck out their necks for us and now we need to make good decisions and live up to that.”
It’s clear that as this season plays out, the coronavirus will continue to loom large.
“Guys are concerned,” said Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist. “Are we going to have a season? Are we not having a season? It’s day to day.”
“I’m going to be careful not to jinx anything,” said Wilson. “Because it all could change on a dime.”
AIR FORCE
Head coach: Frank Serratore (24th season at Air Force)
Last season: 12-18-6, 10-12-6 (tied for 6th) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Junior defenseman Zach Mirageas (3-20-23), sophomore defenseman Brandon Koch (6-13-19), junior goalie Alex Schilling (2.39 GAA, .903 save percentage)
Key losses: Forwards Brady Tomlak (a team-leading 26 points last season), Trevor Stone (16 points last season) and Matt Pulver (seven goals last season)
Key additions: Defenseman Sam Brennan (30 points for Lone Star (NAHL)), forward Nate Horn (46 points for Minnesota (NAHL)), forward Thomas Daskas (48 points for Lone Star (NAHL))
2020-21 prediction: After a slow start, the Falcons were trending in the right direction at the end of last season, winning four of their final five games.
Air Force lost top point-getter Brady Tomlak, but returns blueliners Zack Mirageas and Brandon Koch, who were second and third on the team in scoring.
Also back is junior goaltender Alex Schilling (2.38 GAA and .903 save percentage) who saw the majority of action last season.
“We’re a young group,” said coach Frank Serratore. “The strength of our team is our three senior defensemen and forwards.”
Serratore thinks this team has the potential to follow past champions by getting better throughout the season and peaking at the right time.
“It’s a really spirited group, a very coachable group,” he said. “This group of Falcons is not going to be fun to play against. Come playoff time we’re going to be that Air Force team that nobody wants to draw their number.”
Chris’ Prediction: Eighth
Dan’s Prediction: Eighth
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
Head coach: Eric Lang (5th season)
Last season: 21-12-1, 21-6-1 (first) in the AHA
Key returning players: Senior defenseman Brennan Kapcheck (2-23-25), senior forward Tobias Fladeby (12-11-23), junior forward Elijiah Barriga (11-8-19), senior goalie Stefano Durante (2.34 GAA, .918 save percentage)
Key losses: Forward Blake Christensen (119 career points), forward Martin Mellberg (91 career points), forward Hugo Reinhardt (76 career points), defenseman Patrik Demel (55 career points), goalie Zackarias Skog (2.64 GAA, .904 save percentage)
Key additions: Forward Julius Janhonen (40 points for HIFK U20 (SM-Liiga)), forward Kyle Jeffers (57 points for New Jersey (NAHL)), Goaltender Jake Kucharski (transfer from Providence and 2018 draft choice of the Carolina Hurricanes), defenseman Zak Galambos (transfer from Minnesota State, one point in four games last year), defenseman Sam Miller (40 points for Shreveport (NAHL)).
2020-21 prediction: There was a time this year when Eric Lang wasn’t sure he would have a season. It wasn’t because the school intended to shutter the program or because he didn’t think he could manage a season; it was because American International College would have a substantially harder time getting its players into the United States during a time when international travel was severely restricted.
“There was a time in July or August when we thought we’d have to find 10 American players,” Lang laughed. “We were sending guys to embassies to get visas, and a lot went into it. They’re all here now, and we’re not letting them leave, which presents its own challenges.”
Lang eventually landed his troops in Springfield, and now his full roster is poised to continue the unprecedented success of two consecutive league championships. Last year’s class, the most decorated graduating class in AIC history, revitalized the program and built the foundation for the future.
Sustaining that run will ultimately fall on the leadership of returners like Brennan Kapcheck and Tobias Fladeby combined with the development of the team’s young, talented freshmen. Five are full-blown European internationals, but the class will bring depth and balance to the team’s roster.
“We graduated ten terrific players who will have promising pro careers,” Lang said. “We brought in 13 new faces, but the delayed start was a little bit of a blessing to get our guys up to speed. We’re not rushing new faces into hockey games, and we’ve gotten them acclimated. That’s been a good thing. We have arguably the best player in the league in Brennan Kapcheck and arguably the best goalie in Stefano Durante. We lost a lot, but we brought back a lot.”
Chris’ Prediction: First
Dan’s Prediction: Sixth
ARMY WEST POINT
Head coach: Brian Riley (17th year)
Last season: 17-3-3, 14-11-3 (fourth) in the AHA
Key returning players: Junior forward Colin Bilek (7-13-20), senior defenseman John Zimmerman (2-17-19), senior forward Mason Krueger (9-9-18), junior forward Eric Butte (8-7-15), sophomore forward John Keranen (2-12-14)
Key losses: Forward Dominic Franco (97 career points), forward Michael Wilson (67 career points), forward Zach Evancho (82 career points), defenseman Alex Wilkinson (76 career points)
Key additions: Forward Lincoln Hatten (61 points for Wilkes Barre/Scranton (NAHL) ), forward Mitch Machlitt (62 points for New Jersey (NAHL)), forward Eric Huss (43 points for Lone Star (NAHL)), defenseman Brody Medeiros (25 points for New Jersey (NAHL))
2020-21 prediction: Few teams match the Black Knights sheer consistency over the past five years. Restricted to only recruiting American citizens for military service, Army West Point instead built a tough, physical hockey team capable of winning on any single night. It led to a striking distance of third place last year and a considerable jump reminiscent of 2017’s 18-win finish.
Army doesn’t so much rebuild as it reloads, and the stream of talent constantly brings an influx of good hockey players dedicated to the team. The team can lose players like Dominic Franco by fitting new replacements into the lines, and the defensive pairings provide mentorships for players in front of the net.
Even goaltending isn’t an obstacle for the team this year after Trevin Kozlowski played 31 games with one of the league’s best goals against averages that dropped from 2.20 to 2.16 in conference games.
“I think it’s a combination,” Riley said. “It started for us in August with a crawl, walk, run mentality. The attitude of our guys, with the length of this preseason, has been great. I don’t think I’ve walked out of the rink disappointed with effort or their approach to practice. They can see the light at the tunnel, but we’ve been approaching one day at a time to control what we can control.”
Chris’ Prediction: Fifth
Dan’s Prediction: Fourth
BENTLEY
Head coach: Ryan Soderquist (19th year)
Last season: 17-16-3, 13-13-2 (tied for sixth) in the AHA
Key returning players: Junior forward Jakov Novak (16-14-30), sophomore forward Matt Gosiewski (10-14-24), senior forward Luke Santerno (6-17-23), senior forward Brendan Hamblet (6-17-23), senior defenseman Matt Lombardozzi (2-11-13)
Key losses: Forward Jonathan Desbiens (102 career points), forward Ryner Gorowsky (76 career points), defenseman Brett Orr (54 career points), defenseman Connor Brassard (53 career points), goalie Aidan Pelino (2.72 GAA, .905 save percentage)
Key additions: Forward Zach Pellegrino (28 points for the Junior Bruins (NCDC)), transfer forward AJ Villella (25 games last season for Northeastern), defenseman Drew Bavaro (33 points for Wenatchee (BCHL)), goaltender Nicholas Grabko (2.68 GAA for Green Bay (USHL))
2020-21 prediction: Bentley’s quixotic journey around the league tournament took a new turn last season when the initial COVID-19 outbreak robbed Atlantic Hockey of a star-studded quarterfinal series against AIC. The Falcons were the hottest team in the league by then and made a compelling case to possibly dethrone the Yellow Jackets.
Instead, the biggest what-if faced down the team’s offseason after another year of offensive firepower. The fourth-best Atlantic Hockey offense ran deep with 20-point scorers, and the power play rocketed to fifth after starting the season with struggles. The defense hit its stride at the end of the year and balanced its goaltending with a late-season resurgence that allowed three goals only twice in its last eight home games.
“We return a really solid core of guys,” Soderquist said. “We have four or five of our top scorers, a strong back end, as well as goaltending. We’ve added tremendous depth, and that was something in the recruiting that we really had to pick up. We wanted to fix that, and based on what I’ve seen in the preseason, we can’t tell the difference between the first or fifth line.”
Finding Bentley’s groove this year will be difficult if last season’s trend continues. The Falcons scored 100 goals for the ninth time in the last decade but surrendered 100 goals for the fourth time in five years, and the penalty kill finished tenth. Still, in a year when things are most fluid, there is enough experience to drive the Falcons back towards the top of the standings, especially after going 6-4 against eastern pod teams with only one sweep loss to AIC.
Chris’ Prediction: Seventh
Dan’s Prediction: Seventh
CANISIUS
Head coach: Trevor Large (4th season)
Last season: 10-20-6, 9-13-6 (9th) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Sophomore goalie Jacob Barczewski (2.92 GAA, .905 save percentage), sophomore forwards Lee Lapid (11-10-21) and Keaton Mastrodonato (10-7-17)
Key losses: Forwards Nick Hutchison (113 career points) and Matt Hoover (99 career points), goaltender Daniel Urbani (42 career games)
Key additions: Forwards Cooper Haar (45 points in 50 games for Lone Star (NAHL) and Aberdeen (NAHL)), Niclas Puikkonen (44 points for Amarillo (NAHL)) and Max Kouznetsov (49 points for Johnstown (NAHL))
2020-21 prediction: The past two seasons were a drop off from 2016-17 and 2017-18, which saw the Golden Griffins combine for 40 wins. Last year’s 10 victories was the lowest for Canisius since 2011-12.
“The last two seasons have not been what we wanted them to be,” said Coach Trevor Large. “Our goal is to simply get better.
The Griffs lose their three leading scorers from last season, but return juniors Lee Lapid (21 points last season) and Austin Alger (21 points).
A bright spot last season was the play of goaltender Jacob Barczewski (2.92 GAA,.905 save percentage), who returns for his sophomore season, along with junior Matt Ladd.
“We graduated some big-time scorers, so we’re going to have to adjust offensively,” said Large. “And we’re focused on being better defensively and harder to play against.”
Chris’ Prediction: 10th
Dan’s Prediction: 10th
HOLY CROSS
Head coach: David Berard (7th season)
Last season: 11-21-5, 9-16-3 (tenth) in the AHA
Key returning players: Senior forward Logan Ferguson (7-15-22), senior forward Pete Kessel (12-6-18), junior forward Conner Jean (12-6-18), sophomore forward Alex Peterson (7-9-16), junior defenseman Matt Slick (3-7-10), sophomore goalie Matt Radomsky (2.90 GAA, .903 save percentage)
Key losses: Forward Kevin Darrar (54 career points), forward Neil Robinson (23 career points), defenseman Jack Surowiec (19 career points), defenseman Will Brophy (17 career points)
Key additions: Forward Alec Cicero (64 points for Buffalo (OJHL)), forward Lucas Thorne (81 points for Bonnyville (AJHL)), forward Jack Ricketts (70 points for Oakville (OJHL)), defenseman Jack Robilotti (nine points for Fargo (USHL))
2020-21 prediction: The pod-based season means the loaded eastern pod will have a team fall to the lower third of the standings despite its relative strength. So even though Holy Cross might contend and pressure the other teams in its division, the overall, higher picks defaults the Crusaders into a lower prediction.
That doesn’t mean this team is doomed to the bottom tier. Holy Cross went on a 6-1-1 tear through January before losing a handful of close games down the stretch, and flipping even half of those results easily pushes this team into bye contention. The returning pieces were flat out good last year, and there are top-tier athletes at every position. The addition of players like Cicero, a point per game forward in the OJHL, adds depth.
“The last two years, we’ve been on the younger side,” Berard said. “We’ve had a little bit of a turnover, but now we’re turning the corner of our experience. We took lumps in our win-loss, but we gained experience, and we have guys that we feel strongly about. The adversity that we’ve had will turn into a big positive for us, and it’s going to be a battle. There’s no surprises to play teams five times, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The most intriguing piece of the puzzle is Radomsky. He burst into the Atlantic Hockey goalie conversation last year with nearly 2,000 minutes played, and his 2.90 GAA and .903 save percentage put him right in the conversation with Omaha’s Isaiah Saville and Western Michigan’s Brandon Bussi in the national second tier of goaltending standouts. If he takes a step forward with the defense, he will leave those names behind and join Chad Veltri in pressuring players like Spencer Knight for the best in his class.
Chris’ Prediction: Ninth
Dan’s Prediction: Ninth
MERCYHURST
Head coach: Rick Gotkin (33rd season)
Last season: 5-29-2, 3-23-2 (11th) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Junior forwards Dalton Hunter (7-14-21) and Steven Ipri (10-8-18)
Key losses: Forward James Anderson (20 points last season), senior goaltenders Garret Metcalf (47 career games) and Colin DeAugustine (44 career games)
Key additions: Forwards Dante Sheriff (62 points in 47 games for Austin (NAHL)) and Keanan Stewart (52 points in 54 games for Burlington (OJHL)), goaltenders Kyle McClellan (.909 save percentage for Omaha (USHL)) and Hank Johnson (graduate transfer from Bemidji).
2020-21 prediction: The 2019-20 season was by far the worst in Rick Gotkin’s 32 years behind the bench. Part of it was rebuilding from a team that lost 11 players, and part of it was bad luck.
“I think our team was better than our record, but we couldn’t find a way (to win),” said Gotkin. “Scoring was an issue for us. We lost a lot the year before and then with injuries…it was a perfect storm.”
Mercyhurst will still be very young, with 10 freshman added to the roster. In all the Lakers will feature 23 underclassmen.
Junior Dalton Hunter (21 points last season) leads the offense, along with classmate Steven Ipri, who was the team’s leading scorer before suffering a season-ending injury last January.
Graduate transfer Hank Johnson (Bemidji State) will provide some experience in net to supplement two rookie netminders, Matt Lenz and Kyle McCellan.
Gotkin is taking a glass-half-full approach, as he usually does, even finding a sliver lining from last season’s abrupt end.
“We were one of the ‘lucky’ teams whose season ended with a two-game loss to Air Force (in the first) round,” he said. “We got some closure.”
Chris’ Prediction: 11th
Dan’s Prediction: 11th
NIAGARA
Head coach: Jason Lammers (4th season)
Last season: 12-18-4, 12-12-4 (5th) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Junior forwards Ludwig Stenlund (51 points through two seasons) and Jack Billings (12-15-27 last season), sophomore goalie Chad Veltri (2.10 GAA, .931 save percentage).
Key losses: Defenseman Noah Delmas (99 career points), forward Ben Sokay (11-11-22 last season)
Key additions: Forwards Christian Sorscak (64 points in 51 games for Johnstown (NAHL)), Matt Cameron (49 points in 50 games for New Jersey (NAHL)) and Trevor Poeze (63 points for Kanata (CCHL))
2020-21 prediction: Two seasons ago, the Purple Eagles were coming off a last-place finish but made it all the way to the AHA title game, losing to AIC in overtime.
Last season, Niagara was in the hunt, finishing strong to an eventual fifth seed and first round bye.
Expect Niagara to again be back near the top of the standings this season. Defenseman Noah Delmas will be missed, but back are leading scorer Jack Billings (27 points last season) and goaltender Chad Veltri (1.98 GAA, .932 save percentage), who was named to the all-rookie team last season.
“We’re going to be bigger and faster this year,” said coach Jason Lammers.
“Like last year, we want to finish better than we started.”
Chris’ Prediction: Second
Dan’s Prediction: Second
ROBERT MORRIS
Head coach: Derek Schooley (17th season)
Last season: 13-19-5, 11-12-5 (tied for 6th) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Senior forward Nick Prkusic (11-17-28), junior forward Jastin Addamo (6-13-19) , senior goaltender Dyllan Lubbesmeyer (2.51 GAA, .921 save percentage)
Key losses: Goaltender Justin Kapelmaster (All conference second team), forward Luke Lynch (105 career points), and Jacob Coleman (21 points last season)
Key additions: Forwards Randy Hernandez (95 points in 57 games last season for Brooks (AJHL) and Matthew Guerra (63 points in 51 games for Lone Star (NAHL), as well as defenseman Brian Kramer (19 points in 34 games for Fargo (USHL)
2020-21 prediction: The Colonials are again on the young side, with eight incoming freshmen for the second year in a row.
Derek Schooley’s team is looking to extend its stretch of making it to the conference semifinals every year since 2014.
“We’re looking to continue our streak which got interrupted last year before the quarterfinals,” said Schooley.
“We’ve got a small senior class but we have a lot of experience.”
Senior Nick Prkusic is back, looking to improve on his team-leading 28 points last season. Also returning are junior forward Justin Addamo (6-13-29) and classmate defenseman Brendan Michaelian (6-6-12).
Star goaltender Justin Kapelmaster, a graduate transfer last season, has moved on, leaving the netminding job open.
“Our one big question mark is in goal,” said Schooley.
“We’re excited to get going. Like everybody else, we’ve done a lot of good things off-campus to get where we are and hope that continues.”
Chris’ Prediction: Fifth
Dan’s Prediction: First
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Head coach: Wayne Wilson (22th season)
Last season: 19-13-4, 15-9-4 (3rd) in Atlantic Hockey
Key returning players: Senior goalie Logan Drackett (2.75 GAA, .907 save percentage), senior forward Jake Hamacher (9-17-26), sophomore forwards Elijah Gonsalves (9-15-24) and Caleb Moretz (9-15-24)
Key losses: Forward Shawn Cameron (29 points last season), defenseman Adam Brubacher (106 career points)
Key additions: Defensemen Dimitri Mikrogiannakis: (third among blueliners in the BCHL with 46 points in 57 games) and Diarmad DiMurro (sixth in BCHL with 38 points), as well a forward Cody Laskosky (86 points in 56 games for Camrose (AJHL)
2020-21 prediction: We’re back on.
After announcing there would be no RIT Men’s or Women’s hockey this season, the school reconsidered a week later and now is planning to move forward.
The Tigers are looking to keep things trending in the right direction after last season’s 19-13-4 record, their first winning mark since 2015-16.
RIT returns eight of its top ten scorers, led by senior Jake Hamacher (26 points last season) and freshmen Caleb Moretz (24 points) and Elijah Gonsalves (24 points).
The biggest hole to fill is on defense, with the Tigers losing four regulars to graduation.
“The defense is going to have to mature quickly,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “The delay to the start of the season is helping with that to a certain degree.”
Back in net is senior Logan Drackett (2.74 GAA, .907 save percentage) who was all-conference last season.
But it’s the offense that stands out the most, according to Wilson. “We really like our forwards,” he said. “It’s as good a group as we’ve had in a while.”
Chris’ Prediction: Fourth
Dan’s Prediction: Fifth
SACRED HEART
Head coach: CJ Marottolo (12th year)
Last season: 21-10-3, 18-8-2 (2nd) in the AHA
Key returning players: Senior forward Matt Tugnutt (14-16-30), sophomore forward Braeden Tuck (5-23-28), senior forward Marc Johnstone (9-18-27), senior forward Jordan Kaplan (9-15-24), junior forward Austin Magera (8-15-23), junior goalie Josh Benson (2.49 GAA, .906 save percentage)
Key losses: Forward Austin McIlmurray (86 points), forward Vito Bavaro (83 career points), Forward Jason Cotton (81 career points), defenseman Mike Lee (58 career points)
Key additions: Forward Ryan Doolin (52 points for Alberni Valley (BCHL)), forward Carson Gallagher (44 points for Johnstown (NAHL)), forward John Jaworski (11 points in 41 games for Chicago (USHL)), transfer forward Emil Ohrvall (15 games for Michigan and 63 points for Waterloo (USHL))), transfer forward Adam Tisdale (59 career games for Clarkson), defenseman Grant Anderson (20 points for Omaha (USHL)), defenseman Andrius Kulbis-Marino (17 points for Tri-City (USHL) and Maine (NAHL)), goalie David Tomeo (2.73 GAA for Johnstown (NAHL))
2020-21 prediction: To win championships, a team needs to have success in every phase of five-on-five hockey, and its special teams need to score or prevent goals at crucial times. Goaltending needs to back up defenders, and the cohesion will spring an explosive attack. In other words, Sacred Heart hockey has every piece to win the championship.
“We really like the mix we have,” Marottolo said. “We have depth at all positions. I think our depth is our greatest strength. We have players who didn’t get a lot of exposure last season because of the players in front of them, but they’re ready to take the next step. In short, we really love this team.”
Sacred Heart loses two of the three best scorers in the league, but it returns major pieces from the league’s best offense and second-best defense. The power play executed at nearly 30 percent last year with a penalty kill just under 85 percent, and the Pioneers have long been defined by their ability to work as a team.
One team will rise to the top of each scheduling pod, and even in the evenly-matched East, Sacred Heart has less to replace than both AIC and Army West Point. That should rocket the Pioneers to the top of the standings, although the overall strength of the East could hurt their chances of winning the league’s regular season crown.
Chris’ Prediction: Third
Dan’s Prediction: Third
Long Island University’s announcement to start and play a men’s hockey season this year was met originally with raised eyebrows. The Sharks started their program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and putting together a schedule with a competitive roster felt like a steep uphill battle for a team that hadn’t even hired its coach.
When the puck finally drops on the 2020-2021 season, though, LIU will play and will do so with a competitive coach, a fiery roster and a vision unto their own.
“(Starting the program) forced me to become adaptable,” head coach Brett Riley said. “We hoped to have a competitive team with a good group of kids, but as soon as we got these guys onto our team, we knew we had to map out a one-year, two-year and three-year plan. It’s one thing to put something together when people thought we couldn’t do it, but we’re also 61 of 61 (and) a zero-win program.”
Riley is the next generation of his family’s coaching tree and the next head coach after his legendary grandfather, Jack, coached decades at Army. His father, Rob, took over the Black Knights when Jack retired, and uncle Brian is the current head coach. Brett, though, established himself as an assistant coach at Colgate and is no stranger to starting a program after inaugurating the Division III program at Wilkes.
His Sharks will compete this year as an unofficial member of Atlantic Hockey, an independent program with games against every team in the league. The majority of series are home-and-home against the eastern schools with road trips to the western pod and a four-game home-and-home against Air Force. There are two additional games against the ECAC with a road game at Quinnipiac and a game at Union.
“When (commissioner Bob Degregorio) reached out, it was really a savior,” Riley said. “We would have made due, but it wouldn’t have been to this extent. I’m appreciative and fortunate, and I owe Bob a lot. It’s a little bit of hockey karma; my dad helped form Atlantic Hockey when he was at Army, and it helped a lot of (lower division) schools get into Division I hockey. We had a lot of people looking for us – my uncle Brian, Eric Lang, Frank Serratore, David Berard, guys like that – that helped get this going, and it salvaged our season.”
LIU will host its games at the Northwell Health Ice Center, the practice facility for the New York Islanders, and isn’t intending to play as a token expansion team and recruited its roster to reflect its competitive spirit. Nearly a dozen players transferred into the Sharks from other NCAA programs, a list that included three goaltenders. Two transfers – goalie Garrett Metcalf and defenseman Carter Ekberg – transferred from other AHA teams while a larger bulk, including Stephen Mundinger and Vincent Purpura, transferred from Hockey East programs.
“We have three goalies who played at this level, and we have defensemen who played in NCAA tournament games,” Riley said. “Our team is hungry. (A good percentage) of our incoming freshman class captained their junior teams, which is something we looked for. We wanted guys who went through adversity, and we are fortunate to have a mix. We will have some turnover, but we can build with this great freshman class.”
Rensselaer goaltender Owen Savory has reportedly transferred to UMass Lowell, and hopes to be eligible for the second half of the 2020-21 season.
According to NeutralZone.net, Savory entered the transfer portal last week and Monday’s decision by RPI to cancel the 2020-21 season prompted his decision to seek a transfer.
The report further states that Savory is looking for a waiver that would allow him to play for Lowell in the second semester.
Last year with the Engineers, Savory went 13-9-2 with a 2.06 GAA, a .932 save percentage and five shutouts.
Denver has added graduate transfer goalie Corbin Kaczperski to its 2020-21 roster.
Kaczperski transfers from Yale where he went a combined 29-22-4 with a 2.53 GAA, .911 save percentage and three shutouts from 2017 to 2020.
The China Township, Mich., native started 29 of 30 games last season, going 14-13-2 with a 2.77 GAA and .903 save percentage.
He ranks third in Yale’s all-time career record books for GAA and save percentage.
The Arizona Board of Regents approved this week a $115-million proposal from Arizona State that includes a 5,000-seat two-sheet arena on the Tempe campus.
The new building will be used for the Sun Devils’ hockey, wrestling and gymnastics programs, and is part of the university’s planned Novus Innovation Corridor.
“Part of the Novus Innovation Corridor, the project is important for the university and the community as it will support functions such as Sun Devil Athletics intercollegiate sports, concerts, lectures and large meetings,” Arizona Board of Regents chair Larry Penley said in a statement Thursday. “The Novus Innovation Corridor is intended to generate long-term, predictable revenue for the university to support the renovation of collegiate athletic facilities while integrating corporate and campus innovation.”
The proposal was initially approved by the regents’ Finance, Capital and Resources Committee on Nov. 5.
The arena will begin construction in January 2021 with projected completion in December 2022.
Amenities for the new arena will include nine loges, 20 private suites, two group suites and event-level premium club seating.
Besides athletic events, the multipurpose arena will also host concerts, esports competitions, family programs and instructional clinics.
Currently, ASU plays at Oceanside Ice Arena, a rink in Tempe that holds just over 700 for hockey.
In the before times, the best case scenario for season previews was to give somewhat educated guesses. Those guesses came from watching teams last season, watching many of the incoming freshmen in U-18 World Championships and looking at how teams’ schedules might benefit or hurt them. Most of that isn’t available to us this year. All the question marks and uncertainties this year mean predictions are downright laughable.
In this year’s conference previews, I’ll do my best to give the most up-to-date information I have, but it’s best to assume that things are fluid and check with individual programs for the most current information on rosters and schedules.
Fans are eager to understand what the postseason will look like, but it’s important to understand that the conferences are much more interested in and focused on successfully playing games in these opening weeks than hypothesizing what February or March might look like.
To some extent, it would be a waste of time and energy to create postseason plans when no one knows whether it will be possible to have a season. The Commissioners are well aware they have things to work out, they’re just taking things one one step at a time. The WCHA knows they’ll have to find a way to even out their schedule. There will have to be discussions about what the postseason should look like both in conference and at the NCAA level. NCAA rules state a conference needs six teams to receive an auto-bid and the ECAC is currently playing with four teams.
While the individual conferences and NCAA have created a plan for a modified 2020-21 women’s hockey season, it’s impossible to know what this season will look like before teams even take the ice. Condensed schedules focused on conference and regionally-appropriate out-of-conference games leave little room for error. Student-athletes may opt not to play. Professional sports leagues have shown us that positive tests and close-contact quarantines will be inevitable and a shortened season will make each loss mean exponentially more.
Beyond that, there’s no way to know how months of quarantine have affected the student-athletes – physically, but more importantly, mentally. A number of professional athletes struggled to match their pre-Covid output in their own shortened seasons. We all know how difficult it has been to complete even the simplest of tasks. College campuses and college towns have been hotspots for the virus and the switch to online or hybrid schooling is no easier for college students than it has been for younger kids. Being a student-athlete is stressful, busy and can be overwhelming in the best of times. There’s simply no way the effects of being a college student and athlete during this time don’t have an impact on these women.
A few rule changes go into effect this season:
In these unsure times, teams will be looking for consistency. One major storyline this season is how many teams have unanswered questions in net. A number of standout goalies graduated in 2020. Many were four-year starters and even more left their programs having set new records and benchmarks for their university. Bemidji State, Brown, Colgate, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Princeton, Quinnipiac, RIT and Wisconsin all graduated the goalie who handled the bulk of their starts last season.
Thus far, Robert Morris is the only school that has announced a schedule. They have Penn State on their schedule for the opening weekend, but the Nittany Lions have not released any plans to return to play. The conference has not released any information about an intent to return to play. Lindenwood and Mercyhurst also have not released any information about playing this season. Syracuse has two games scheduled against Colgate on the opening weekend, but has not announced anything further. RIT had cancelled their winter sports, but men’s and women’s hockey successfully campaigned to play and the university reversed their decision on Tuesday. The teams said schedules are forthcoming in that release.
Last season, Mercyhurst returned to dominance atop the conference, taking the regular season and conference tournament titles. Robert Morris finished one point out of the lead, with Syracuse another three points back. There does not look to be much separation at the top again this season, meaning every point will matter and the winner will likely be decided on the final weekend.
Last Season
5-24-5, 3-15-2 (sixth). Lost to Syracuse in the opening round of the CHA tournament.
With no announcement yet about their season, it’s unclear if the Lions will take the ice this season. Other winter sports at the university look to be moving forward, so it may just be a matter of time with the university and the conference.
Under first-year head coach Shelley Looney, Lindenwood won just five games last season. Looney is looking to build a program from the ground up and that will take time. A shortened season and the inability to recruit in person do not work in the Lions’ favor as they work toward their goal.
They return most of their roster and that experience should serve them well. They allowed more than two games per goal more on defense than they scored on offense last season and need to find a way to even that out. The level of play in the CHA has picked up and with the top three teams battling each other, there’s an opening for teams to make up ground.
Crystal Ball
If they play, I think Lindenwood finishes fifth.
Last Season
21-10-5, 13-4-3 (first).Won the regular season and tournament titles. They were slated to play at Cornell in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Mercyhurst’s home conference cancelled winter sports, but the university announced on November 18 that they intend to pursue competitive opportunities for their student athletes. The men’s hockey team announced a full schedule, but postponed their opening weekend games against LIU. As yet, the women’s team has not announced a plan to return to play, though they did announce their most current recruiting class and show off their championship rings on Twitter this week.
Mercyhurst earned their first NCAA bid since 2014 last season. The Lakers lost two big pieces to graduation, with leading scorer Emma Nuutinen completing her career and Kennedy Blair using her final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer to Wisconsin.
Crystal Ball
I think the Lakers fight for the top spot again this year, but I have them second for now.
Last Season
13-15-8, 7-8-5 (fourth). Lost to Mercyhurst in the CHA tournament semifinals.
Penn State’s athletics have been playing fall and winter sports, with the men’s hockey team opening their season November 18. The Nittany Lions appear on Robert Morris’ announced schedule, but have not commented on their plans to return to play. It seems unlikely that the women’s program would not take the ice this season while their other sports play on, so it’s likely just a matter of time before plans are announced.
A number of the team’s top scorers are not on this season’s roster and they’ll need some younger players to step up and support Natalie Heising. The team showed a bit more depth on offense last season, but was not able to win any more games.
The Nittany Lions have five goalies on their roster. Jenna Brenneman was absolutely stellar for them two seasons ago, but missed almost all of last season to injury. Chantal Burke set a program record with seven shutouts last season and has a program best career save percentage. It’s a good problem for Penn State to have and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Crystal Ball
Unfortunately for Penn State, I don’t think my prediction changes at all from last year. They are currently solidly the fourth team in the conference, but there’s room for them to move up.
Last Season
12-19-4, 5-13-2 (fifth). Lost to Penn State in the opening round of the CHA tournament.
It’s been an eventful November for RIT. They announced on November 9 that they were cancelling all winter sports. The hockey teams pushed back and submitted plans for safe play. The university reconsidered and reversed their decision on November 17. In that announcement, the university said schedules would be released soon.
The Tigers will be led by first year coach, alumna Celeste Brown. Brown was with the program when it transitioned from DIII to DI and has been an assistant coach at Penn State for the last three years. She starts with a young squad – eight freshman and five sophomores, but the team showed a lot of growth over the last two seasons.
Crystal Ball
Without knowing more, I have to keep them in sixth, but I think they’re a team to keep an eye on.
Last Season
20-12-4, 13-5-2 (second). Lost to Mercyhurst in OT in the CHA Tournament final.
The only conference team that we know for sure is playing this season, Robert Morris will have to replace program leading scorer Jaycee Gebhard this season. Lexi Templeman has shown she can also score and will likely lead the Colonials, but they’ll also be looking for some younger players to step up and fill that top line. They’ll also miss Sarah Lecavalier and her blocks on defense.
Crystal Ball
There are question marks, but I think the Colonials are more built to bounce back. I have them first.
Last Season
14-20-2, 11-7-2 (third). Lost to Robert Morris in the conference semi-final.
Thus far, Syracuse has two games against Colgate on their schedule for this weekend, but nothing else. Their website says the conference schedule will be announced at a later date.
While it’s great that the blueliners contribute here, it’s not great that two of the Orange’s top four scorers last season were defenders. The team averaged just fewer than three goals scored last season, but allowed nearly just as many goals. There has to be more balance for them if they’re going to push RMU and Mercyhurst for the top spot.
Allison Small split time in net last season, but will likely see more starts this season.
Crystal Ball
It’s close, but I do think that the Orange are a small step between the top two teams. I’d like to see them be more consistent and for now, I think they’ll be third.
Union and RPI joined the Ivy Leagues in announcing they would not be playing winter sports this year. That leaves Clarkson. Colgate, Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence, but the Saints have already paused all winter athletics due to the number of Covid cases on campus. Thus far, Clarkson, Colgate and Quinnipiac each have four games scheduled in November and December.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Brown will not take part in the 20-21 season.
Last Season
25-6-6, 14-4-4 (third). Lost to Princeton in the ECAC semifinal. They were slated to play at Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA tournament and finished the season ranked no. 7.
The Golden Knights suffered a number of injuries last season and lost five more games than they had the year before. I expect the team will bounce back and be among the top five this season, but time will tell. It helps that they return Senior Elizabeth Giguère, who won the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Award and have an experienced roster that features just four freshmen. Gabrielle David and Giguère made a great pair last season and we can only expect that to continue this year. Transfer Caitrin Lonergan missed most of the season and she’ll look to finish out her collegiate career differently this season.
It’s a weird year for everyone, but the decimated ECAC will be feeling it the most. Clarkson will have to work to find opponents and be prepared should the season continue into March.
Crystal Ball
I don’t know that ranking these four makes any sense, but Clarkson is definitely at the top.
Last Season
17-15-6, 11-8-3 (sixth). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Colgate was young and talented last season – rookies Sammy Smigliani and Danielle Serdachny led the team in scoring. Scoring won’t be a question for them, but they did graduate a solid goaltender in Liz Auby and the remaining netminders on their roster don’t have a ton of experience. Defense wasn’t the Raiders’ strong suit last season (except on the penalty kill), so they’re going to need to shore that up to give whoever is in net a chance to get acclimated.
Somehow, Colgate was absolutely shut down on the PK, but could not seem to translate that as well on even strength. That might have been a product of the team’s youth, but if they can learn from that and expand it, they’re going to be a team to reckon with.
Crystal Ball
I believe they’re the second place team at this point.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Cornell will not take part in the 20-21 season.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Dartmouth will not take part in the 20-21 season.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Harvard will not take part in the 20-21 season.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Princeton will not take part in the 20-21 season.
Last Season
19-15-3, 11-9-2 (seventh). Lost to Princeton in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
There might not be a team I’m more excited to watch over the next few seasons than the Bobcats. Cassie Turner and her staff have brought in some of the most interesting young players and the next few recruiting classes only get better.
They’ll miss the experience of Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout up front and Abbie Ives in net and especially in this weird year, I think there may be some growing pains. The Bobcats are a team that I think would have benefited from consistency of a regular season, but that’s obviously not meant to be. Their year may hinge on how well the team as a whole handles this year.
Crystal Ball
I’ll put them third, but think they have so much potential.
RPI announced on November 16 that they were cancelling winter sports. They will not take part in the 20-21 season.
Last Season
13-16-7, 8-10-4 (eighth). Lost to Cornell in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
St. Lawrence shut down winter sports practices until at least 12/1, when it will reevaluate.
Assuming they get back on the ice, the Saints are another intriguing, young team. They graduated top scorer Kayla Vesper, but the next four highest scorers were all first year players last year. Lucy Morgan was named all-ECAC Rookie team goalie as well as to the league’s third team.
The Saints gave up more goals than they scored, though I expect that to change as the team’s roster continues to gain experience. If they can shore up the defense, I think the young offense will really flourish.
Crystal Ball
Until we know if they’ll play and we get to see them on the ice, I have to put them fourth.
Union College announced on November 17 that they were cancelling the men’s and women’s hockey teams. They will not take part in the 20-21 season.
The Ivy League announced on November 11 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Yale will not take part in the 20-21 season.
Of all the conferences, Hockey East seems most set up to be able to weather these unusual times. The men’s and women’s sides will have a mirrored schedule so that if there is an exposure, it’s limited to two schools. Nearly all their series will have day-of travel and feature home and home games. They also set up their schedule to allow for plenty of time to make up games as it becomes necessary.
While national polls disagree with me, I think Northeastern is the top team in the country. (Click here to read my explanation of how I voted in the preseason USA Hockey poll). They’ll only be helped by what is likely to be a consistent schedule that allows them the opportunity to play each week.
I think Hockey East will be the bellwether for women’s college hockey this season. If they aren’t able to successfully play their slate of games week after week, I don’t see how any other conference will or how a postseason is possible.
Last Season
17-16-3, 14-11-2 (fourth). Lost to Connecticut in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
This was a young roster last season that handled itself well – six of the top seven scorers were underclassmen and rookie Hannah Bilka led the team with 14 goals and 23 assists. There are still just two seniors on this squad, so the Eagles have to rely on younger players to step up into leadership roles.
They picked up junior transfer goalie Abbey Levy from Minnesota State. The Eagles now have four junior goalies. Levy brings size and she was a huge part of the Mavericks’ evolution over the past few years. She’ll have to adjust to the style of play and fewer shots, but she could be a big difference-maker for BC. Maddy McArthur was good in net for the Eagles last season and I would imagine this will be a tough fight for the starting position.
Crystal Ball
I have the Eagles finishing third, but am excited to see how this young squad continues to grow.
Last Season
24-8-4, 18-6-3 (second). Lost to Maine in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
BU has been very good at succeeding thanks to contributions across the board, instead of from one individual. They graduated last year’s leading scorer, but have a solid group of returning players that know how to find the back of the net. The Terriers are good at putting pucks on net, but I’d like to see them focus in on more dangerous scoring opportunities. They have the skill and experience to be more discriminate in looking for quality scoring chances.
Corrine Schroeder had a record-setting season for the program last year in net and being able to rely on her should give the offense the freedom to be more creative and loose on the attack. She’s important for them because their defensive corps is so young – they have one junior, two sophomores and four rookies on the roster as blueliners.
Crystal Ball
I expect the Terriers to finish second.
Last Season
19-18-2, 13-12-2 (fifth). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East championship game.
The Huskies were set to open their season against Vermont, but will have to wait another week to drop the puck as the Catamounts had to postpone.
UConn tied a program record for conference wins and set a record for road wins last season. They’ll look to build on that this season. They swept just one weekend series last year, so I’m hoping to see more consistency from the Huskies. They were able to dominate the season series with BC, which I see as a good sign for them closing the gap between the top three teams and the middle of the conference.
They return the bulk of their scoring, but Samantha Carpentier-Yelle is their most experienced returning netminder, having appeared in 12 games last season.
Crystal Ball
I have them fourth, but think they have the ability to push BC for the third spot.
Last Season
5-23-5, 5-20-2 (ninth). Did not qualify for the Hockey East tournament.
The Crusaders showed a lot of growth and potential last year, especially in the second half of the season. They scored more and kept games closer. This season I’m hopeful to see them take another couple of steps. They need to be able to regularly beat conference opponents other than Merrimack and they have to continue the scoring momentum they found after the winter break. Holy Cross splits time in the net with two very different goaltenders and I’ll be interested to see if that even split continues.
Head coach Katie Lachapelle was named head coach of the US U-18 National Team. She’s a very good coach with a ton of experience and I’m excited to see how Holy Cross can flourish under her guidance.
Crystal Ball
The Crusaders finish ninth.
Last Season
15-14-8, 9-11-7 (seventh). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinal.
The Black Bears are another team who closed the season strong, going 5-3-2 over their final 10 games. They swept BU out of the opening round of the Hockey East tournament and had wins over New Hampshire, Providence and BC. Maine showed flashes of what they’re capable of throughout the season and it would be great to see them reach that potential. They have been great at putting together great individual games, but not necessarily stringing it all together. And they’ve struggled with closing out opponents and taking two points from the teams they should be beating regularly.
They’re going to miss the playmaking of Tereza Vanisova, but Ida Kuoppola had a stellar rookie year, leading the team in scoring and was the second-highest scoring freshman in Hockey East. I’d love to see a bounce-back year from Celine Tedenby, who led the team in scoring her freshman year, but wasn’t as productive last season. If the team can find a way for these two to work together and complement each other, it could make for a scary top line.
Crystal Ball
I have Maine seventh, but think they have a lot of possible upside.
Last Season
5-24-5, 2-20-5 (tenth). Did not qualify for the Hockey East Tournament.
This is a young team with a lot of potential, but not a lot of experience. There’s just one senior on defense. Their returning goalie played just nine games last season. Most of their leadership is up front, where they’ll be looking for depth of scoring and puck possession to give their young defense and goalie a chance to catch up and get acclimated.
The Warriors had five ties and nine one-goal losses last season. Just eight of their 24 defeats were by three goals or more. This is a tough league and while they finished last, Merrimack is clearly close to being able to break through and compete at a higher level. I have high hopes that they can start to put the pieces together this season.
Crystal Ball
I have Merrimack tenth, but there’s room for movement in the bottom half of the conference.
Last Season
18-15-4, 12-12-3 (sixth). Lost to UConn in the Hockey East semifinals.
The Wildcats finished just five points out of third place last season. Their 18 wins were the most for the program in a decade and it was the first time they advanced out of the quarterfinals in the conference tournament.
While they return a solid, experienced goaltending and defensive corps, UNH graduated their top three scorers and they only averaged 2.2 goals per game last season. They have to focus on production and putting quality chances on net. It’s a tough league and allowing just two goals a game is pretty good, but the Wildcats could benefit from a stingier defense while the younger players find their roles up front.
Crystal Ball
I have UNH sixth.
Last Season
32-4-2, 24-3-0 (first). Won the regular season and conference tournament championships. They were the three seed in the NCAA tournament and were set to host Princeton.
As I mentioned in the Hockey East intro, for my money, Northeastern is the team to beat this season. They return the bulk of a roster that won their third straight Hockey East tournament championship and second straight regular season title. They have last year’s second-highest scoring player in the country in Alina Mueller and goalie Aerin Frankel led the country in save percentage and was second in goals against average.
There simply isn’t a lot to critique for Northeastern. They had just four losses last season, but you can bet they’ve been studying tape to find why Providence seemed to cause them so much trouble. They took Wisconsin to overtime to start the new year.
Northeastern is a very good and that’s not going to change this year. They don’t have the same unknowns or questions to answer with their roster. They are the team to beat and I think they’ll be a good bit ahead of everyone else as the season starts. It’ll be a matter of if anyone can catch up.
Crystal Ball
I expect Northeastern to repeat as Hockey East Champions – again.
Last Season
18-14-4, 15-10-2 (fourth). Lost to New Hampshire in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Providence has the ability to make serious waves in Hockey East this season. They took down Northeastern twice last season, accounting for half the Huskies’ losses. But they are rarely able to string wins together and seem to go from big upset to bigger let down. Hopefully we’ll see them start to click more and find a way to hold on to those close games.
They return senior Sara Hjalmarsson as their leading scorer and have senior Sandra Absreiter in net, though I’m hoping we get to see some time from rookie netminder Mireille Kingsley.
They’ll face competition from UConn and UNH, but I do think it’s possible for one of these teams to work their way in the top three of the conference.
Crystal Ball
I have them fifth, but think there will be a lot of movement in the middle of the standings.
Last Season
10-18-8, (eighth). Lost to Northeastern in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
The University of Vermont announced a delay to the start of men’s and women’s hockey and basketball until December 18. The pause affects six games for the Catamounts and would allow them to play their final two games before the winter break, but it seems likely that we might not see Vermont on the ice until January.
The Catamounts are a young team, but bring experience from last season to shore up the defense. They return their leading scorers and should be in play to shake up the middle of the standings.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got them eighth for now.
NEWHA has not announced any plans for return to play. Sacred Heart has scheduled games against ECAC opponents, but the other schools have yet put anything official on the calendar. The conference had plans to expand next year with the addition of a program at Stonehill, but that university has pushed back their debut a year due to the pandemic.
Sacred Heart finished ten points ahead of Franklin Pierce in the regular season and has to be the favorite this season, but LIU proved that they are a team to contend. Just four points separated Franklin Pierce, Saint Anselm and LIU. All three should be able to close the gap Sacred Heart had and it should make for a very interesting season as all four teams fight for position.
Last Season
21-11-0, 13-7-0 (second). Lost to Saint Anselm after 5 OT in the conference semi-final.
The university said they plan to move ahead with winter sports starting in January 2021. They have not yet announced a schedule or a return to play plan.
It was a heart-breaking end to the year for the Ravens, who were second in the standings at the end of the regular season. This is still a fairly young team, but last year’s rookies made a major contribution to the squad. They graduated their point-getter, but bring back 10 double-digit scorers this season.
Crystal Ball
I see the Ravens finishing third, but think the top four teams could finish in any order.
Last Season
14-18-0, 11-9-0 (fourth). Won the conference tournament
While the women’s hockey program has not announced any return to play plans, the men’s hockey team played their inaugural game on November 19 and the university appeared to be moving forward with other winter sports, so I expect the women will play, as well.
The Sharks shocked everyone by winning the NEWHA tournament championship in their first season. They were helped there by goalie Kenzie Harmison, who had three shutouts and 85 saves during the tournament. Carrigan Umpherville led the team with 19 goals and 14 assists.
There’s a lot to love about this team and they have nothing but confidence in themselves after the way they finished. It’s still a young squad, but what better first year to build on then the one they had? There is so much upside for the Sharks and it’s going to be fun to see how they can top last season.
Crystal Ball
I’m giving them the nod based on how they closed the season and putting them second.
Post announced on October 19 that they were cancelling all winter sports. Post will not take part in the 2020-21 season.
Last Season
21-11-0, 18-2-0 (first). Regular season winner. Lost to LIU in the conference semifinal.
The Pioneers have six games on their schedule so far – two each with Colgate and Quinnipiac before the new year and two with Saint Michael’s in January. Their men’s program had to postpone the start of their season due to positive Covid cases, so we’ll need to keep an eye on what’s happening on Sacred Heart’s campus to see whether the women will be able to hit the ice.
Sacred Heart graduated their two top scorers, but have a strong junior class that accounted for much of their scoring.
Crystal Ball
I don’t think they’re the runaway favorites this year, but until we see more, I have to assume they’ll be atop the conference again.
Last Season
16-14-3, 11-8-1 (third). Lost to LIU in the conference championship game.
The Hawks are part of the group of four teams that I expect to be fighting for position atop the conference. Senior Katy Meehan was last year’s leading scorer and returns to lead the team. They graduated Michaela Kane, who took the majority of the team’s starts in net, but Kia Castonguay and Caroline Kukas both split the rest and bring some experience to the competition this season.
Crystal Ball
I have Saint Anselm fourth only because I feel like I know more about the other three and ranked them first. I really do believe the way these four finish is totally up in the air.
Last Season
5-21-4, 4-15-1 (fifth). Lost to LIU in the opening round of the NEWHA tournament.
Saint Michael’s does not have a schedule or return to play plan announced, but Sacred Heart has the Purple Knights on their schedule in January. It seems likely Saint Michael’s might be another team that returns to play after the new year.
They graduated three of their top six scorers and their starting goalie. It’s going to be difficult to get conference points from the competition this season and with all they’ve lost, they’ve got their work cut out for them.
Crystal Ball
It’s tough to move up in this conference and I think the Purple Knights stay in fifth place.
The WCHA has a schedule and plan to take them through November and December. At the moment, the conference is, for all intents and purposes, separated into two groups. Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin are playing each other and Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State are in the other group. Minnesota Duluth will be playing teams from both. If you want to know more about this, check out my interview with Commissioner Jennifer Flowers.
Within 10 days of announcing a planned return to play, St. Cloud State had to put a pause on their season and postpone their first games due to at least eight positive Covid cases on their team.
Last season
16-18-3, 9-13-2, (fifth). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the WCHA tournament.
While the Beavers improved their overall record, they gained just one conference win last season and ended up in the same spot in the final WCHA standings. While two years ago they were three points out of fourth and eight points out of third in the standings, last year fourth-place UMD was a full 12 points ahead of them. With fifth year senior Lauren Bench opting to use her final year of eligibility with the Gophers, Bemidji needs a new starting goalie. Senior Kerigan Dowhy split time in net two seasons ago, though she only had six appearances last season.
The Beavers also graduated the vast majority of their scoring from last season. Senior Clair DeGeorge continues to be the team’s go-to player, but she won’t be able to do it alone. There are a number of players on this roster that have shown potential and they’ll need to step up in a big way this season. If they can consistently score, I think they give UMD a run for fourth place.
Crystal Ball
I think the Beavers finish fifth.
Last Season
27-6-3, 17-5-2 (second). Lost to Ohio State in OT in the WCHA tournament semi-final.
The Gophers relied on Vermont transfer Sydney Scobee last season after Alex Gulstene was injured in the first game of the season and was forced to retire from the team and hockey in January due to lingering concussion symptoms. This year, it looks like Lauren Bench will take the reins as a redshirt senior transfer from Bemidji State. The Gophers’ other two goalies have limited experience – sophomore Olivia King did not see playing time in her rookie year and sophomore Makayla Pahl appeared in just three games.
It will be interesting to see how Bench adjusts in Minneapolis. A very capable goalie at BSU, she faced more shots than any other WCHA netminder last season, including stopping 70 shots against Minnesota Duluth during the opening round of the conference tournament. She should not be tested the same when she’s in the net for the Gophers, so her skills will be used in a different way. I’m excited to see what she can do with this opportunity.
Minnesota has one of the most intriguing rookie classes and I expect Abbey Murphy to be an immediate impact player.
There are so many unknowns that I find it difficult to know how to predict how Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State will compare to each other. At least we’ll see them play each other right away.
Crystal Ball
I’ll pick Minnesota second for now, but think 1-3 is up for grabs.
Last Season
18-12-6, 11-8-5 (fourth). Lost to Wisconsin in the WCHA tournament semifinals.
Junior Emma Soderberg will likely get the tough job of following behind Maddie Rooney as the starter in Duluth. She has international experience, but hasn’t had a lot of opportunity to show what she’s capable of in the WCHA.
Gabbie Hughes will continue to lead the team on offense, but she’ll need someone to step up and fill the hole that Sydney Brodt leaves. Not only was Brodt important on the score sheet, but was also a physical presence in the zone and great at moving the puck. Naomi Rogge lead the Bulldogs in scoring as a freshman and then missed last season due to injury. If she can return to form, she’ll be an important part of the Bulldog’s success.
Crystal Ball
I think there’s a gap between the top three and the Bulldogs. I have them finishing fourth.
Last Season
11-20-6, 4-16-4 (sixth). Lost to Ohio State in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
While the Mavericks only improved by one win for the year before, it really felt like more. Mankato had been a team that could occasionally upset a team before, but last season they cemented the fact that they’re a team the rest of the conference has to take seriously and can take down anyone at any time.
They will be without goalie Abbey Levi transferred to Boston College, but will be relying on Calla Frank to take over starting full time. She was solid splitting starts last year and being able to rely on her makes that transfer hurt a whole lot less.
The biggest room for growth here is on offense. They aren’t a team that’s going to overwhelm the opponent, but they have to be more consistent in being able to score goals. It will have to be a team effort and it would be great to see more of the team reach double-digit or 20-plus point seasons.
Crystal Ball
I have the Mavericks in sixth, but I definitely think they push Bemidji State for fifth.
Last Season
24-8-6, 13-6-5 (third). Won their first-ever conference tournament.
In a season with so many unknowns, Ohio State feels like a team that’s as question-free as possible. They return the bulk of their roster, have consistent scoring and can count on Andrea Braendli in net. They’re riding the high of winning their first-ever conference tournament and have nothing but confidence. While other teams have to figure things out anew this year, they can mostly just move ahead with what already worked.
The Buckeyes have thrived on being the underdog and working to prove they belong. I don’t think they have anything to prove anymore, so it’ll be interesting to see if their approach changes and how they handle being the team to beat instead of the one gunning for an upset.
Crystal Ball
I’ll pick Ohio State third since that’s how things shook out at the end of the season and I don’t have anything else to go on, but they’re in the mix for first through third.
Last Season
6-25-4, 2-21-0 (seventh). Lost to Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
It was a rough season for St. Cloud last year and it hasn’t started out well for them this year as they’ve had to pause their return to the ice. The Huskies will be counting on Klara Hymlarova, who led all WCHA rookies in scoring and Emma Polusny, who gives them a solid base to build out from the net.
The Huskies have a number of international players that bring age, maturity and experience. Many of them also bring size, which I think will be an advantage they can leverage in front of the net and against more physical teams.
Crystal Ball
I have SCSU seventh.
Last Season
28-5-3, 17-4-3 (first). Lost to Ohio State in the conference championship game.
Once again, Wisconsin will be looking to shore up another young and inexperienced goalie corps with a transfer that started her career with a redshirt season at North Dakota – this time Kennedy Blair, who spent the past three seasons with Mercyhurst. She was named MVP of the CHA Tournament and finished her season with a 1.98 goals against average and .921 save percentage in 29 games.
I don’t believe the starting job is necessarily Blair’s to lose. I believe Wisconsin sees Jane Gervais as their goalie of the future and she should push to earn time in net in her rookie season. Blair gives the team an experienced option while Gervais gets comfortable.
Freshmen Casey O’Brien and Makenna Webster should make an immediate impact for the Badgers on offense, but they’ll also need someone to step up on defense if they’re going to be successful.
Crystal Ball
I have the Badger finishing first, but it’s going to be a tight race with Minnesota and Ohio State.
Nearly nine months after the abrupt end to the 2019-20 college hockey season, ECAC Hockey will officially commence its 2020-21 campaign this weekend.
Clarkson, Colgate, Quinnipiac, and St. Lawrence will represent the league this year, as the other eight ECAC Hockey members announced they will not compete due to COVID-19 concerns.
RPI and Union announced their decisions not to compete on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The Ivy League announced last Thursday that its members would not compete in winter sports, including the six that participate in ECAC Hockey.
“We are deeply saddened and sorrowful for the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and all stakeholders at Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, RPI, Union, and Yale,” said ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell in a statement. “ECAC Hockey is the greatest league in the country in large part because of the individuals representing the 12 member institutions.”
The quartet of institutions moving forward will compete in a slate of non-league and league games, beginning as early as this weekend. The current slate of non-league contests in the first half of the season is outlined for the men and women. The 2020-21 league schedule, which will begin in January, will be announced in the coming days.
“The role of the league staff is to support and promote the members, which is what we will do for the programs competing,” said Hagwell. “It is going to look different, but we are confident that we have an exciting season ahead.”
