Arizona State freshman forwards Logan Jenuwine and Carson Briere have been dismissed from the team due to a violation of team rules, according to the Walter Cronkite Sports Network.
Jenuwine appeared in 10 games this season, recording three goals and one assist.
Briere, the son of former NHL player Daniel Briere, was a redshirt freshman.
Due to travel conditions in Wisconsin, the Finlandia men’s game against Northland scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30, has been postponed.
No makeup date has been scheduled.
The men’s hockey game between Mercyhurst and Robert Morris scheduled for Friday night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center was postponed.
A protective covering over a light fixture came loose prior to play and with its positioning over the ice, officials postponed the game in the interest of safety.
The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7:05 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. All fans holding a ticket to the Nov. 29 game will have it honored on Jan. 14.
A home-and-home series between the two teams was already scheduled for Jan. 17-18, so the teams will now play three times that week.
The Lakers and Colonials play on Saturday at Colonial Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
Ryan Shea scored a goal and added two assists and Craig Pantano made 25 saves as Northeastern shutout league-rival New Hampshire, 4-0, in the opening game of the Friendship Four in Belfast, N.I.
Northeastern advances to Saturday’s title game for the Belpot Trophy and will face Colgate.
GOOOAALLLLLL ? @GoNUmhockey extend their lead with a second goal!!!! #HowlinHuskies #FriendshipFour2019 pic.twitter.com/wiOvBTIVtH
— Friendship Four ? (@Friendship_Four) November 29, 2019
After a scoreless first period, Shea’s first goal of the season opened the scoring at 6:43 of the second. Zach Solow extended the lead before the end of the second on the power play.
Goals by TJ White and John Picking put the game away in the final stanza.
Colgate 3, Princeton 1
Ben Sharf scored his first of two goals early in the second period to break a 1-1 tie as Colgate skated past Princeton, 3-1, in the nightcap of the Friendship Four.
?
Then there were two…
Ben Sharf scores the game winning goal for @ColgateMIH to set up Saturday's championship game vs @GoNUmhockey?
Puck drop 7 pm Belfast / 2pm Eastern? #FriendshipFour pic.twitter.com/1cZduezcPg
— Friendship Four ? (@Friendship_Four) November 29, 2019
John Snodgrass opened the scoring for the Red Raiders at 19:47 of the first. But Princeton’s Spencer Kersten scored early in the second to even the game at 1.
After Sharf grabbed the lead for Colgate, his goal with 7:33 remaining iced the game and sent Colgate to the title game.
No. 14 Boston College 4, No. 9 Harvard 2
Boston College fell behind early, 2-0, but scored the games final four goals as the No. 14 Eagles upset No. 9 Harvard, 4-2, in front of a sellout crowd at Harvard’s Bright-Landry Arena.
The win extends BC’s winning streak to seven games.
The Eagles extend their winning streak to 7 with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over previously unbeaten Harvard!
➡️ https://t.co/Z8XPZz2BnS#WeAreBC? pic.twitter.com/zj2fzo6nrj
— BC Hockey (@BCHockey) November 30, 2019
Jack Badini and Jack Drury spotted the Crimson the two-goal lead by the 17:15 mark of the second. But BC responded to Drury’s goal quickly.
Aapeli Rasanen closed the gap to one 20 seconds later. Then Alex Newhook and David Cotton each tallied in a 57-second span before the period ended.
Marc McLaughlin’s shorthanded goal at 8:31 of the third was the insurance tally BC needed.
Spencer Knight earned the win making 27 saves.
No. 18 Bowling Green 5, No. 4 Notre Dame 2
Five different players registered goals as No. 18 Bowling Green went into Compton Family Arena and manhandled No. 4 Notre Dame, 5-2.
After Alex Barber broke a 1-1 tie at 7:32 of the second, the Falcons struck twice more before the end of the period to grab a stronghold on the game.
If there was any doubt, Frederic Letourneau extended the lead to 5-1 early in the third.
Eric Dop made 27 saves to earn the victory.
No. 3 North Dakota 3, Minnesota 2
Though the game was closer than Thursday’s 9-3 victory for North Dakota, the Fighting Hawks still found a way to victory, 3-2.
The host Gophers struck first on a Tyler Nanne tally at 2:41 of the first.
North Dakota then responded with three straight goals. Shane Pinto evened the score at 12:42 of the first. Before second period goals by Jasper Weatherby and Jordan Kawaguchi gave the Fighting Hawks a cushion heading to the third.
Jasper jumps on the rebound to give @UNDmhockey a 2-1 lead!#UNDproud #LGH pic.twitter.com/xtZOkTfd8W
— UND Insider (@UNDinsider) November 30, 2019
Minnesota made it a game on Ben Meyers third goal of the season with 13:33 left. But that was as close as they came as North Dakota’s Adam School stopped 23 shots to earn the victory.
No. 1 Minnesota State 4, No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 1
The nation’s top ranked Mavericks scored three times in the second period leading them to a 4-1 victory over host Minnesota Duluth, 4-1.
Marc Michaelis, Parker Tuomie and Josh French all scored in less than 10 minutes in the middle stanza to give Minnesota State a comfortable lead, 3-0, heading to the third.
Nathan Smith and Duluth’s Kobe Roth exchanged goals in the third.
Dryden McKay made 27 saves in the win.
Dan: 6-5-1
Chris: 5-6-1
On The Season:
Dan: 58-24-6 (.693)
Chris: 51-31-6 (.614)
This Week’s Picks
Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30
Rochester Institute of Technology at American International
Chris: Like most of the league, these teams have been inconsistent as of late. As a result, I’m picking a split.
Dan: I don’t know what to make of AIC right now because each weekend seems to be up-and-down. That’s different from RIT, which stopped a quick leak of wins when it won last Saturday. I think the weekend here falls somewhere in between, so I’m going to go with a split.
Army West Point at Canisius
Chris: The Black Knights have won four of their last five, while Canisius has lost four of its last five. I’m picking an AWP sweep.
Dan: I’m with Chris here. Army is on a head of steam. I like Canisius, but it’s hard to justify picking the Griffs against that momentum. Army West point sweeps.
Bentley vs. Holy Cross
Chris: Both teams are looking to break out of slumps right now, and I’m thinking that home ice will help. Since each team gets a home game here, I’m going with a split.
Dan: I often don’t take much umbrage with scheduling, but I hate that it worked out this year to have the Holy Cross-Bentley series, which is playing its 69th and 70th games, on a weekend when students are gone on break. It’s a good rivalry, and even though it’s difficult to set schedules in a perfect way, I’m still going to be grumpy about it. I think the home team takes both games. Split.
Robert Morris vs. Mercyhurst
Chris: Each team gets a home game in this series, but I like the Colonials to win at each venue. RMU seeeps.
Dan: Last weekend against Air Force aside (technically a sweep, technically a one-point weekend), I can’t pick RMU to lose both games until it actually happens. RMU sweeps.
Air Force at Niagara
Chris: This should be the most entertaining series of the weekend, a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal series, won by NU in an upset. But I’m picking Air Force to win at least one. This will be another split.
Dan: Air Force is playing some great hockey. So is Niagara. Recipe? Great weekend, but I’m taking the home team to sweep.
Tuesday, December 3
Sacred Heart at American International
Chris: This should be a great game between the defending champs and a team making its case as the best in the league right now. SHU wins.
Dan: Sacred Heart is 5-1 in its last six and just crushed Boston University. That’s some steam heat. Sacred Heart wins.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We’ve reached the final weekend of the month and there is plenty of hockey on tap, including a showdown between Marian and sixth-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point tonight.
Friday
Concordia at Bethel
The Royals face a Falcons team that has won three of its last five.Brandon Picard leads the Falcons with three goals and three assists. Ridge Gerads, though, has been solid in goal for the Royals, tallying 172 saves. Bethel 3-2
Marian at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Sabres get an early-season test against one of the top teams in the country. Marian has won its last two and has scored 26 goals and has one of the best goalies in the game in Hunter Vorva. The sixth-ranked Pointers haven’t been their usual selves out of the gate but are still dangerous, especially with goal scorer Luke McElhenie in the lineup. Wis.-Stevens Point, 5-4
Saturday
St. Thomas at St. Scholastica
The Tommies are ready to pick up another road win. Their balanced offense and solid defense have been vital to their success up to this point. Brett Gravelle leads the way offensively for St. Thomas. The Saints are looking for a signature win here. Carson Rose is off to a great start for the Saints. St. Thomas, 5-2
St. Olaf at Lake Lake Forest
Little has gone right for the Oles out of the gate. St. Olaf has just one win and has been outscored 36-16. It will be a challenge to say the least going up against the Foresters, who have won five of their first eight and feature goalie Boyd DiClemente. Lake Forest, 5-1
Marian at Bethel
Marian will have to be careful on the road after an intense battle with the Pointers the previous night. The Royals have struggled offensively, managing just 13 goals. That will have to change to pull out a win in this one. Marian, 4-1
Adrian at Aurora
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs travel to battle the Spartans, who are off to an impressive start. Aurora has lost just once in its first nine games and has given up only 14 goals.The Buldogs have won their last three. Dino Balsamo of Adrian and Riley Doyon of Aurora are two of the best goal scorers in the league. An upset could be on tap. Aurora, 4-3
Friday and Saturday
Finlandia vs. Northland
These two teams square off in a showdown of former NCHA foes, starting with Friday’s game at Northland. The Lions have struggled out of the gate, going winless in its first eight. They have managed to score just nine goals.The Lumberjacks now play in the WIAC. They have won twice but are the better team on both ends of the ice. Northland, 4-2 and 3-1
Friday, Nov. 29
No. 10 St. Thomas at No. 6 Wisconsin-Eau Claire
This is just one matchup between top 10 teams this weekend, as tournaments bring in the big guns. St. Thomas is off to a solid start, but I think Wisconsin-Eau Claire is deeper, and with back-to-back wins over top 10 teams, I think their confidence and home ice will get the win. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 3-2
Saturday, Nov. 30
No. 5 Elmira at No. 6 Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Another top 10 game in the Lake Forest Invitational. Elmira looked fearsome in its first few games, but a loss to Nazareth last weekend put a dim on that shine. Wisconsin-Eau Claire will be gunning for four top 10 wins in a row, but I think the Soaring Eagles get their swagger back. Elmira 4-2
No. 7 Wisconsin-River Falls at No. 1 Plattsburgh
The first game in the Panther/Cardinal Classic will be a test for undefeated Plattsburgh, which has had the benefit of playing seven of its first eight games at home. Wis.-River Falls lost to Wis.-Eau Claire its last game out, and prior to that tied St. Thomas. Plattsburgh won’t roll, but I think the Cardinals get the win. Plattsburgh 4-2
No. 2 Adrian at No. 8 Middlebury
The country’s best offense faces the country’s best defense. Middlebury hasn’t won this tournament in a decade, and unfortunately for the Panthers I don’t think they will this time out either. Adrian looks to be the best in the country right now. Adrian 4-1
As we enter the final week of November, the WCHA is shaping up to be an extremely tight race for second place with two teams tied for second in Bemidji State and Alaska, and three more teams, Bowling Green, Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech, all one game back.
Jack and I continue to remain close to each other in picks, which makes our race interesting despite his head start.
Daver last week: 7-3-0
Jack last week: 6-4-0
Daver this season: 32-18-3
Jack this season: 44-32-6
Bemidji State at Lake Superior
Last Saturday, the Lakers ended their losing skid with a big win over Bowling Green led by a goal and an assist from Max Humitz. The Beavers completed a sweep of Alabama Huntsville.
Daver: BSU sweeps 4-2, 3-2
Jack: BSU wins 4-1 Friday, LSSU wins 3-2 Saturday
Northern Michigan at Alabama Huntsville
The Wildcats lost both games last weekend to a surging Michigan Tech squad. They are looking for scoring from anyone not named Griffin Loughran, who has 11 goals on the season. The Chargers are still searching for their first win of the season.
Daver: NMU sweeps 3-1, 4-2
Jack: NMU sweeps 4-0, 3-1
Ferris at Alaska Anchorage
The Bulldogs split last weekend in Alaska. This weekend, they are looking to leapfrog the Seawolves in the standings. The Seawolves come into the weekend fresh off a tough road trip to Minnesota State and are looking to find the net again after scoring just two goals in their last four games.
Daver: UAA wins Friday, 3-2, FSU wins Saturday 3-1
Jack: Ferris sweeps 4-3, 2-1
Michigan Tech at Alaska
The Nanooks stunned the Huskies in Houghton in late October thanks in large part to the play of Gustavs Grigals. The Huskies come into this weekend winners of four in a row over a pair of U.P. rivals in Lake Superior and Northern Michigan and are playing some of their best hockey of the season.
Daver: MTU sweeps 3-2, 2-1
Jack: Alaska wins Friday 4-2; Tech wins Saturday 3-2
Bowling Green at/vs Notre Dame
Fresh off a split with the Lakers, the Falcons are looking to take advantage of a non-conference weekend. The Fighting Irish are coming off a frustrating weekend where they tied and lost to Michigan State. While they did earn the extra point on Friday in a shootout, the Irish are still looking for more consistency.
Daver: BGSU wins Friday 3-1, ND wins Saturday 5-2
Jack: ND wins 5-3 Friday; BGSU wins 3-1 Saturday
Minnesota State at Minnesota Duluth
Since getting swept by Wisconsin, the Bulldogs have been playing much better hockey, having won six of the last eight games. The Mavericks just find ways to win games and are playing some of their best hockey in the latter stages of November.
Daver: MSU sweeps 5-2, 4-1
Jack: MSU sweeps, 4-2, 3-2
Conceived as a novelty, Red Hot Hockey has become an institution at Madison Square Garden.
No. 2 Cornell (8-0) and Boston University (4-5-5) will face off in the seventh biennial edition of the series Saturday night.
Its roots can be traced back to 1983, when disagreements between the ECAC’s six Ivy League members and some of its other schools over schedule length versus academics led to Boston College, Boston University, Maine, New Hampshire, Northeastern and Providence leaving to form what became Hockey East, which began play in the 1984-85 season.
The Terriers and the Big Red first met outdoors, on Cornell’s Beebe Lake, in 1925 and 1926, the visitors winning both times. After a 40-year hiatus, they played 31 times between 1966 and 1984, the competition intensifying with a pair of matches for the NCAA men’s championship. Cornell, led by Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden, won in 1967 and BU prevailed in 1972.
After the ECAC-Hockey East split, however, the two powers met just eight times in the next 22 years.
Cornell coach Mike Schafer and then-BU coach Jack Parker then decided to rekindle the rivalry and agreed upon a three-game series, starting with the inaugural Red Hot Hockey game in 2007. There also were to be two games split between Boston’s Agganis Arena and Ithaca’s Lynah Rink, but the initial match sold out MSG and was such an overwhelming success that the teams and Garden management agreed to keep it going every other year.
The Thanksgiving weekend scheduling is popular with both universities’ alumni and student fan bases, and the series has inspired other college hockey events at MSG such as the Frozen Apple, Rivalry On Ice and the College Hockey Showdown.
The six Red Hot Hockey games have reflected the rivalry’s intensity. Three have gone to overtime, three have been decided by a single goal, and there have been two ties.
Here is a recap:
2007-BU 6, Cornell 3: The Terriers jumped out to a big lead in the first period with three goals in a span of 3:16. Pete MacArthur, Joe Pereira and Brandon Yip each had a goal and an assist as six different players scored for BU. Cornell’s final goal was scored by current assistant coach Topher Scott. Ben Scrivens had 36 saves for the Big Red and Brett Bennett stopped 25 shots to earn the victory as the Terriers claimed the initial Kelley-Harkness Cup.
2009-BU 3, Cornell 3 (OT): Cornell scored twice in the opening six minutes and led by two at the second intermission, but Chris Connolly’s power-play goal tied the score with 51 seconds remaining in regulation to cap BU’s rally from a 3-1 third period deficit.
2011-BU 2, Cornell 1 (OT): Ross Gaudet scored his first goal of the season off a deflection in overtime for the game-winner. Adan Clendening had a five-on-three goal to give the Terriers the lead in the first period before Locke Jillson tied it for the Big Red at 11:06 of the third.
2013-BU 3, Cornell 2: BU took a 3-0 lead early in the third period before thwarting a late Cornell rally. Mike Moran, Robbie Baillargeon and Nick Roberto scored for the Terriers and Christian Hilbrich and Cole Bardreau had the Big Red goals. BU killed off all seven Cornell power plays, and Matt O’Connor made 37 saves as Cornell outshot BU, 39-11.
2015-BU 3, Cornell 3 (OT): Anthony Angello and Trevor Yates had goals in the first period to give the Big Red a 2-0 lead, but Bobo Carpenter and AJ Greer scored for the Terriers in a three-minute span of the third period to tie the score. Cornell’s Holden Anderson and BU’s Jordan Greenway then traded goals for the tie. Mitch Gillam made 40 saves for the Big Red and Connor LaCouvee stopped 22 shots for the Terriers, who retained the Kelley-Harkness Cup by winning a shootout, 3-2.
2017-Cornell 4, BU 3: Goals by Beau Starrett, Trevor Yates, and Alec McCrea gave Cornell a 3-0 lead at the second intermission, Yates becoming the first Big Red player with three career goals at MSG. Dante Fabbro got BU on the scoreboard early in the third period before Tristan Mullin scored to make it 4-1, and two late goals left the Terriers one short as the Big Red took home the Kelley-Harkness Cup for the first time. Matthew Galajda had a career-high 35 saves to earn the victory.
BU’s Albie O’Connell will be coaching his first Red Hot Hockey game, while Mike Schafer has been behind the Cornell bench for the entire series.
“Cornell is the brass of their league and they’re having a great year this year,” O’Connell said. “They have a great tradition, and this has been a big rivalry in the past. We are lucky to have the opportunity to play at MSG, especially against Cornell with its storied program. We’re pretty excited about it.”
Schafer wants his players to enjoy the experience at MSG, but also learn from it.
“Playing there is great preparation for the league championships and the NCAAs,” he said. “It’s a big-time arena, a big-time crowd in a jacked-up environment. And BU is a really good team, especially on offense. We need to ignore the noise and play our kind of hockey.”
This will be the 48th game between the schools, with Cornell holding a 24-20-3 edge. They last faced off in the 2018 NCAA Northeast Regional, a 2-1 first-round win for BU.
Troy York couldn’t wait to get back on the ice.
Out the entire offseason as well as the first three games of the regular season while recovering from an ACL injury, the Wisconsin-Superior standout finally got his chance last weekend.
“I had surgery in May and worked hard over the summer to get back to playing again,” York said. “Anytime you can come back from a surgery like that and play again, it’s going to feel great.”
As if getting to play again wasn’t enough, York scored a goal and dished out an assist in the Yellowjackets’ 4-2 upset of reigning national champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point last Saturday.
“We prepared really hard that week as a team and I was able to help out our team and contribute. It felt really good to be a part of it.”
Though the win was an impressive one, it’s not the time to become complacent.
“It’s awesome because we haven’t beaten those guys since 2012,” York said. “But we have to continue to improve so that we can keep winning games like that. We want to be in the top half of the WIAC.”
For York, it means everything to him to know he gets to be a part of the team again and and help it contend in the conference.
He has an added appreciation for the game, especially after dealing with the challenge of not getting to be on the ice. His determination to play again helped fuel him during rehab.
“I’d say the wait time was the hardest thing,” York said. “It was hard not rushing to get on the ice and not rushing to get a workout in. I wanted to get back as soon as I could. It was hard staying away from the rink.”
But those days are over and York is looking back to returning to the form that helped make him the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer a season ago.He finished last season with 13 goals and 10 assists. He is confident he can play at that level again.
“I think so. It just takes time,” York said. “I didn’t skate or do anything last summer. It takes time to get my lungs and legs back. I have one game down but it’s a long road ahead.”
The junior forward began his career at RPI before coming over to Wis.-Superior last season and earning first-team All-WIAC honors.
It’s no surprise, though, that York has always thrived as an offensive player.
“I shoot the puck really well. That’s something I’ve always been told I do really well,” York said. “I also feel like I have good hockey sense. I read plays well and help make others around me better. It’s something I try to do day in and day out.”
A year older, York has also stepped into more of a leadership role.
“I like helping out the younger players and I want to help us put UWS on the radar. I want us to be that team other teams don’t want to play. It’s important for us to be a winning team.”
So far, it’s working well. The Yellowjackets had won three of their first four games going into Thanksgiving weekend and are on their way to besting last year’s 10-win mark.
“Our culture is better and we got a little taste of winning last year and understand what it takes to win,” York said. “We have a good tight-knit group. We are on a roll and want to keep building off it.”
York said the key to that is hard work and doing the little things right.
“We have to keep playing fast and simple, outwork teams down low and continue to play as a team,” York said. “We don’t want to get on a slide. We want to progres every day and be a pro every day, and just do what it takes to be a winner.”
York is thankful he gets to help the Yellowjackets in that quest.
“It feels great to play and I just want to have fun,” York said.
Around the West Region
Jackson Bond of Hamline is having a stellar year. He leads the MIAC in points (12) and is tied for the league-lead in goals with Austin Martinsen. Both players have five goals apiece.Bond is also tied for the MIAC lead in assists, tallying seven. Jack Stang of Saint Mary’s also has seven assists.
Luke McElhenie of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the points leader in the WIAC. He has seven goals and nine assists. Two of his goals have been game winners. Ryan Cusin is the only other player with seven goals already on the year. He is second in points in the WIAC with 14.
Larry Jungwirth and Riley Doyon have been a dynamic duo for Aurora. Both have 12 points, tied for the most in the NCHA. Doyon has come through with seven goals, tied for the most in the NCHA and Jungwirth is atop the leader board in assists (7).
Five teams from the region are ranked in the top 10 this week, including three in the top 10. Wisconsin-Eau Claire checks in at third and Wisconsin-Stevens Point is sixth. Adrian is also in the top 10, sitting at No. 8 this week. Milwaukee School of Engineering is 13th in the nation.
Happy Thanksgiving! Despite the holiday, there’s plenty of ECAC Hockey games set for this weekend. All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Records
Nate
Last week: 9-2-1
Overall: 51-29-7
Mark
Last week: 9-2-1
Overall: 48-32-6
Friday, Nov. 29
Princeton vs. Colgate (Friendship Four Tournament) 2 p.m. EDT
Nate: Colgate is coming off a three-point weekend, including a 2-2 tie against Princeton, while the Tigers haven’t won in nearly a month. Colgate 2-1
Mark: The arrow is pointing up for the Raiders. It’s pointing down for the Tigers, who are 0-4-3 in their last seven. Colgate 3-1
Rensselaer at UMass Lowell, 4:05 p.m.
Nate: The Engineers have been good offensively this season, but will face a tough test in the River Hawks, who have been stingy defensively. UMass Lowell 3-1
Mark: Tyler Wall and his .944 save percentage give the River Hawks the edge. UMass Lowell 4-3
Boston College at Harvard, 4:30 p.m.
Nate: Both teams have won six games in a row, but Harvard has a slight edge playing at home. Harvard 4-2
Mark: The Eagles have won six in a row. Harvard hasn’t lost. Harvard 3-2
Massachusetts at Quinnipiac, 7:30 p.m.
Nate: Massachusetts has been fairly consistent this season, while Quinnipiac has not. Massachusetts 4-2
Mark: The Bobcats have been up and down. Home ice gives them the edge here. Quinnipiac 3-2
Maine at St. Lawrence
Nate: St. Lawrence is 0-4 at home this season. They’ll end that streak Friday against Maine. St. Lawrence 3-2
Mark: This two-gamer feels like a split. Saints take the first one. St.Lawrence 3-1
Saturday, Nov. 30
Brown at Providence
Nate: The Bears have scored one or fewer goals in four of their last five games, which is bad news against a Providence team that is averaging just over four goals per game. Providence 5-1
Mark: Bears will be looking to rebound from loss at Bentley. Schneider Arena’s not the place to do it. Providence 5-2
Rensselaer at Merrimack
Nate: After a tough matchup against UMass Lowell Friday, RPI should have an easier go of it against a Merrimack team that is allowing more than three goals a game. Rensselaer 5-3
Mark: Both teams are struggling. Merrimack 6-4
Colgate vs. New Hampshire/Northeastern (Friendship Four Championship) 2 p.m. EDT
Nate: Assuming Colgate wins Friday, the Raiders will face either New Hampshire or Northeastern. I don’t think the Raiders have enough offensive depth to keep up with either team. Northeastern/New Hampshire 3-1
Mark: Union won the Friendship Four last year. The title goes to Hockey East this time. Northeastern/New Hampshire 5-2
Princeton vs. New Hampshire/Northeastern (Friendship Four third place game) 11 a.m. EDT
Nate: Again, I’m making this pick assuming Colgate wins Friday. But like Colgate, I’m not sure the Tigers will have the depth to match up with the Wildcats or the Huskies. Northeastern/New Hampshire 4-1
Quinnipiac at Massachusetts
Nate: The Minutemen haven’t lost at home this season. Massachusetts 3-1
Mark: Back on home ice, the Minutemen gain a split. Massachusetts 6-3
Maine at St. Lawrence
Nate: Maine rebounds for a win after Friday’s loss. Maine 4-2
Mark: Jeremy Swayman and the Black Bears go home with a split. Maine 4-1
Cornell vs. Boston University, (Red Hot Hockey) 8 p.m.
Nate: Undefeated Cornell is off to the program’s best start in 48 years. Cornell 4-1
Mark: BU’s staggering after home loss to Sacred Heart. The Big Red juggernaut stays unbeaten. Cornell 5-2
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Harvard at Boston University
Nate: The Crimson haven’t lost all season and I don’t see it happening against a BU team that is below .500 this season. Harvard 5-3
Mark: The pain continues for the Terriers. Harvard 4-1
With so few non-conference games available on schedules, the Thanksgiving week offers a plethora of tournaments and power conference action to bolster the resumes of teams looking to compete on the national stage in the spring. Hoisting some hard-earned hardware in the first half will also bolster morale for teams in search of championship designations. My earlier dismal pick week was put behind me as a better 6-3-0 (.667) record improved the season total to 21-13-2 (.611). I am still a ways away from my targeted 70% threshold and now the trick is to pick from some very difficult games this week. I am picking all first-round tournament games and a couple of special nonconference battles coming this weekend. Here are the picks:
Friday, November 29, 2019
Primelink Great Northern Shootout at Norwich
Middlebury vs. No. 1 Norwich
This is a great rivalry in or out of tournament play. The Panthers are off to a good start in their opening two weekends of play but face a Cadet squad that has been stellar in all phases of their game early. Tom Aubrun has been nothing short of incredible in goal and the special teams dominate. It’s low-scoring and close but it’s the Cadets playing for the title on Saturday – Norwich 2-1
No. 3 Wisconsin – Eau Claire @ Plattsburgh
The BluGolds are this year’s western participant in the Primelink and they are not hospitable guests in facing the hosts from Plattsburgh. Jimmy Poreda keeps things close, but it should be a top-five ranked battle for the title on Saturday – Wisconsin – Eau Claire 4-2
WYSB/Catamount Radio Invitational at Castleton
Fredonia v. No. 15 Curry
This game figures to be a tight contest but the Colonels seem to find a way to win games late this season (as evidenced by Tuesday’s win at Stonehill) and will need the added empty-net goal to insure their spot in the championship game on Saturday – Curry 5-3
Nazareth @ Castleton
The Spartans are the host team and the crowd will definitely be supporting the Spartans. Nazareth has been a bit up and down but will not need any extra motivation in playing to earn a spot in the title game. Don’t be surprised to see overtime in this one – Nazareth 3-2
Utica Thanksgiving Showcase
No. 7 Salve Regina @ No. 9 Oswego
This tournament has four very good teams and anyone of them could win the title. Match-up of teams going in different directions to open and it’s the Seahawks who keep the positive momentum going over a tentative looking Lakers squad that has lost two in a row. Not going to be easy but look for an OT thriller – Salve Regina 3-2
Plymouth State @ No. 12 Utica
The Pioneers are coming off a loss to Elmira so rebounding at home against a stout Panther squad will get the fans going at “The Aud.” They will have to get to Andreas Pettersson early but expect a high-scoring affair going the home team’s way – Utica 5-4
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Steve Hoar Invitational at Becker
Franklin Pierce @ Becker
The Ravens have found their offense with 12 goals in their last two games, and will need to jump out early on the Hawks to take control of the game. They start very fast and finish strong to move to Sunday’s championship game – Franklin Pierce 5-3
Wilkes v. Suffolk
The visitors from the UCHC will need to get the offense going against the defensive minded Rams. A lot of talent upfront for the Colonels who break open a close game in the final forty minutes – Wilkes 5-2
Manchester PAL/Stovepipe Tournament at SNHU
Morrisville @ Southern New Hampshire
The host Penmen can beat you a lot of different ways but virtually all include the opposition trying to solve goaltender Kurt Gutting. He plays big in big games and this tournament is important to the host team – SNHU 4-3
Massachusetts-Dartmouth vs. Wentworth
The Corsairs face a Wentworth team that has been unlucky in CCC play including several overtime losses. This game follows a similar pattern with the Leopards rallying to win in overtime for a change in “puck-luck” – Wentworth 4-3
Skidmore Invitational Tournament
Brockport @ Skidmore
The Golden Eagles have been good in the first half and goalie Matt Schneider has been a big part of their success. Brandon Kasel has been equally good in net for the Thoroughbreds and outduels his counterpart to play for the championship on Sunday – Skidmore 2-1
Buffalo State vs. Tufts
The Bengals are coming off a big weekend sweep of Geneseo and Brockport so don’t expect them to take the Jumbos lightly in this opening round game. Vasjonkin and Remers lead a potent offense that gets the win – Buffalo State 5-3
St. Anselm Thanksgiving Tournament
Wesleyan @ St. Anselm
The Cardinals didn’t get of the gates fast but found more of their expected level of play last weekend. Look for Tim Sestak and Walker Harris to give the Hawks fits and earn a spot in the championship game – Wesleyan 4-2
No. 5 Trinity vs. Potsdam
Tournament hockey generally means low-scoring contests and the Bantams are quite adept at playing that style of game in front of goaltender Tedy Loughborough. Trinity already has played a few 2-1 games so what’s one more – Trinity 2-1
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Non-conference Games
No. 14 Williams @ No. 4 Geneseo
It doesn’t seem like there are enough NESCAC v. SUNYAC match-ups during the season but if I had to pick a must-see one this would be at the top of the list. Looking for an up-and-down game with lots of offense that the home team emerges with the win – Geneseo 6-3
Massachusetts-Boston @ Bowdoin
The Beacons haven’t quite got their game going yet but with players like Nick Albano and Nolan Redler it should be a matter of when not if. Bowdoin hopes the ‘when “ is not 12/1 at “The Sid” but unfortunately, it is – UMB 5-3
What more can one ask for over Thanksgiving weekend? Great leftovers and even better college hockey tournaments to delight the senses – “Drop the Puck!”
It is said you should leave a place better than you found it, Tanner Laczynski hopes to do just that with Ohio State’s hockey program.
Laczynski, a senior forward, has four goals and nine assists for the 7-4-1 Buckeyes this season.
Ohio State, ranked No. 11 in the nation, hosts Michigan State this weekend.
It’s not hard to argue that the Buckeyes have progressed as a team since Laczynski stepped on campus, winning the Big Ten championship last season and going to the Frozen Four the year before that. This year, OSU has an opportunity to make a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the first time in program history.
“I think just for us as a senior class to do that, that would be very special,” Laczynski said. “It’s not only for us and our success, but the program moving forward and getting more guys and better recruits to the program.
“Putting Ohio State’s stamp on the college hockey map the last couple years, that’s been the biggest thing, to go along with the goals of our team the past couple years, going to the Frozen Four, winning some championships and winning a tournament this year. I think we’ve set it up pretty well for future players here.”
The run of success hasn’t come out of left field. In fact, it was the potential of it that drew the Shorewood, Ill., native to Columbus in the first place.
“It was the direction they were headed in,” Laczynski said, adding that the addition of Steve Miller and JB Bitner to Steve Rohlik’s staff have helped take the team to the next level. “Maybe they weren’t as much of a talked about program as other so-called bigger schools, but it was where I thought I fit best at the time and where I’d develop best. I think we have a great coaching staff and this program is one of the best in the country.”
Laczynski has put up points since stepping on campus, posting 32, 47 and 30 during his first three seasons. He has also scored double-digit goals each season, netting 10, 17 and 10. With Mason Jobst and Dakota Joshua, and their combined 58 points from last year’s season, departing the team, he will be leaned on more this year.
“I feel like I’ve always kind of been leaned on here to do some different things,” Laczynski said. “With those guys being gone, I definitely have to step up and do a little bit more. It goes the other way, too, some other guys on the team that maybe had lesser roles last year might have to step up a little bit more as well.”
Even though he’s consistently put up points, even during an injury-riddled season last year that limited him to 27 games, Laczynski said he has seen a lot of growth in his game during his time at OSU.
“I think that I’ve taken some big strides defensively,” he said. “Coming in freshman year, I didn’t prioritize that as much. It’s been a big staple of my game the past couple years. I try not to be out there for goals against and I take pride in that.”
That being said, he’s looking to make the most of the couple months he has left at the college level.
“You can always improve on your game and I always try to do that either in practice or up in the weight room,” Laczynski said. “Nobody’s perfect and everyone needs to work on stuff, so I try to continue to do that every day, working hard and practice and try to emulate what it’ll be like in a game.”
The Gophers and Fighting Hawks will face off in a rare Thanksgiving Day contest in Minneapolis. The two teams will finish off the series on Friday.
UND rolls into town with a nine-game unbeaten streak, so Bob Motzko knows his team is in for a test.
“They’re fundamentally so sound,” he said, crediting UND’s depth and goaltending. “They don’t beat themselves. They play hard in all areas of their game.”
Winning steak aside, Motzko, who had plenty of post-realignment looks at North Dakota when he was at St. Cloud State, said you know what you’re going to get.
“It’s the same team,” Motzko said. “They play a heavy style, they’ve always got a guy planted in front of the net and they’re very efficient on their power play.
“It’s the same North Dakota, it’s just different names on the back of their jerseys. I’ve said that for years.”
Minnesota leads all-time series 148-132-16. That includes a 5-0-4 mark in last nine contests played in Minneapolis. North Dakota was victorious in the only game the two played last season, a 3-1 win in Las Vegas.
After taking four Big Ten points from Wisconsin last weekend, don’t expect any special preparation for another cross-border rival this week.
“It’s the fans that are going to be different, really,” Motzko said. “If we try and do anything different out on the rink, we’re going to get ourselves in trouble.”
Michigan State is 4-1-1 in Big Ten play and, with shutouts of Penn State and Michigan while holding Notre Dame to three goals last weekend, the team’s defense has a lot to do with that.
“As a team, we’re defending better, I think that’s kept us in a lot of games,” Spartans coach Danton Cole said. “Our D-corps, we’ve said since the beginning of the year, is probably going to be one of our strengths. That’s a huge part of it, not just defense playing D, but all of the forwards as well.”
Cole would love to see the trend continue this weekend, as the Spartans have another tough test at Ohio State.
“If you play well, one goal can win you a hockey game,” he said.
Happy Thanksgiving to our readers (if you’re reading on Thursday) or Happy Indigestion Day (if you’re reading on Friday).
Dave has taken such a massive lead at this point (eight games) it will be hard to come back, even with about half a season remaining. I’ll try, though.
Jim last week: 5-4-3
Jim to date: 47-33-14
Dave last week: 7-2-3
Dave to date: 55-25-14
Friday, November 29
Friendship Four (Belfast, N.I.)
Northestern vs. New Hampshire
These two teams traveled overseas to play a league game in the fifth edition of the Friendship Four. Northeastern has the experience having played in this event in 2015, while this is New Hampshire’s first visit. That, alone, could be a difference maker.
Jim’s pick: NU 4, UNH 2
Dave’s pick: NU 4, UNH 3
The Turkey Leg Classic (Lowell and N. Andover, Mass.)
Rensselaer at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks are coming off a bye week after having their first significant stumble of the season, a tie and loss vs. UConn. RPI is 0-3 against nationally-ranked opponents but played all three – UMass, Harvard and Clarkson very tough. Keep an eye on Lowell’s freshmen, many of whom were very strong in the first 14 games of the season.
Jim’s pick: UML 3, RPI 2
Dave’s pick: UML 3, RPI 1
Penn State at Merrimack
The Nittany Lions high-flying offense rolls into a building that is known to slow down even this fastest and most-potent teams. Merrimack enters after playing UMass very tough last weekend, earning a tie on Friday and a tough 3-2 loss at home on Saturday.
Jim’s pick: PSU 4, MC 1
Dave’s pick: PSU 5, MC 2
Boston College at Harvard
The undefeated Crimson will take its perfect record into a battle with Beanpot rival, Boston College in a Black Friday matinee. Everything has worked thus far for Harvard, while Boston College has played very well of late, winning its last five contests.
Jim’s pick: BC 3, HU 2
Dave’s pick: HU 4, BC 2
Saturday, November 30
Friendship Four (Belfast, N.I.)
Championship and third-place games
Northeastern and UNH will branch out of Hockey East to play either Colgate or Princeton on Saturday. Someone will take home the Belpot Trophy, which has been claimed twice by Hockey East schools (UMass Lowell and Vermont) and twice by ECAC schools (Union, Clarkson). We will pick all possible matchups.
Jim’s picks: UNH 3, Colgate 2, UNH 4, PU 3; NU 4, Colgate 2, NU 5, PU 3
Dave’s picks: UNH 3, Colgate 2, UNH 4, PU 2; NU 4, Colgate 3, NU 4, PU 2
The Turkey Leg Classic (Lowell and N. Andover, Mass.)
Penn State at UMass Lowell
The two favorites in this pre-determined matchup tournament would make things easy if they each win on Friday. If so, this sets up a showdown in Lowell for the trophy. This could be a very interesting matchup as with Penn State’s second-ranked offense and a Lowell defense ranked seventh in the nation.
Jim’s pick: UML 4, PSU 3
Dave’s pick: PSU 4, UML 3
Rensselaer at Merrimack
Both of these teams are going to come into this game looking for wins. Both have had flashes of brilliance this season, but the outcomes simply haven’t been positive enough. Hard to tell if either team has the advantage here. But certainly this should be a competitive battle.
Jim’s pick: MC 4, RPI 2
Dave’s pick: RPI 3, MC 2
Brown at Providence (The Mayor’s Cup, Providence, R.I.)
The Friars on paper are a strong favorite in this one. But that often doesn’t matter in this crosstown rivalry. Brown will be anxious to get back on the ice after getting shutout by Bentley on Tuesday night, 1-0, in a game where they mustered just 17 shots. Providence looks to find consistency having gone 1-1-1 in their last three games.
Jim’s pick: PC 5, Brown 2
Dave’s pick: PC 4, Brown 2
Cornell vs. Boston University (Red Hot Hockey, Madison Square Garden, New York)
Similar to Brown above, Boston University is dying to get back to playing after an 4-0 loss at home to Sacred Heart on Thursday. No better team to get motivated to play than one of the Terriers biggest rivals, Cornell. The Big Red are perfect through eight games, and have mowed down some impressive opponents. Could this be the upset of the weekend?
Jim’s pick: BU 3, Cornell 2
Dave’s pick: Cornell 4, BU 2
Friday and Saturday, November 29-30
Miami at Connecticut
UConn has played its best hockey over the last two weekends, earning a win and tie against Lowell and taking a point, but playing tough, Providence. The same can be said for Miami which split with Minnesota Duluth then earned a tie and win against Omaha. UConn has been a very good home team this season.
Jim’s pick: UConn 4, Miami 2; UConn 3, Miami 2
Dave’s pick: Miami 4 UConn 3 (OT); Miami 3, UConn 2
Massachusetts vs. Quinnipiac (at QU on Fri., at UMass on Sat.)
For the third consecutive season, these two I-91 rivals meet in non-league play. Quinnipiac was one of the few blemishes on the UMass schedule last season. But this year’s Quinnipiac team hasn’t lived up to normal expectations. UMass has been consistent and led by strong goaltending.
Jim’s pick: UMass 3, QU 2; UMass 5, QU 2
Dave’s pick: UMass 4, QU 3; UMass 5, QU 2
Maine at St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence has just one win in its last eight games, while Maine is coming off the only weekend it has been swept, last week’s two losses at Northeastern. Maine has not been the greatest road team, and in the middle of a seven-game road trip that takes them through the break. If Maine limits St. Lawrence’s chances, they are the clear favorite on paper.
Jim’s pick: Maine 3, SLU 2; Maine 3, SLU 1
Dave’s pick: Maine 4, SLU 2; Maine 4, SLU 1
Vermont at Arizona State
While the Catamounts face their longest trek of the season, they will face an Arizona State team that hasn’t played a game in 20 days. Vermont was very tough for BU last Saturday, earning a 3-3 tie. That ended a seven-game losing for the Cats. Arizona State is looking or some consistency as this begins 13 straight weekends where the Sun Devils will be in action.
Jim’s pick: ASU 3, UVM 2; ASU 2, UVM 1
Dave’s pick: ASU 4, UVM 1; ASU 3, UVM 1
Tuesday, December 2
Harvard at Boston University
Both teams play rivals prior to this midweek game, so results in those games could have some bearing on this one. But for BU, this is the final of three straight non-conference games. They will have to find a way, though, to shut down Harvard’s offense, currently ranked number one nationally.
Jim’s pick: HU 4, BU 3
Dave’s pick: HU 4, BU 1
After all of the Thanksgiving turkey is devoured, Hockey East fans can put out their leftovers early on Friday to once again watch what has become one of the best events on the college hockey calendar: the Friendship Four.
The tournament (TV: Fri. NESN, 10 a.m., 2 p.m.; Sat. NESN, 10 a.m., 2 p.m.), played at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, will once again pit two Hockey East and two ECAC Hockey opponents against once another with the champion taking home the Belpot Trophy.
This is the final year where the four participants are guaranteed to come from Hockey East and the ECAC. Next year, three Atlantic Hockey teams will travel overseas along with one ECAC club.
For this year’s edition, it will be a maiden voyage to Northern Ireland for one Hockey East club, New Hampshire, and a return trip for the other, Northeastern. The Huskies participated in the inaugural event in 2015, finishing third after losing to eventual champion, UMass Lowell, in the semifinals and beating Brown in the third-place game.
The Wildcats will be wide-eyed, said coach Mike Souza, particularly given that many of his players have never been to Europe.
“I asked the kids how many had been to Europe, and I was surprised at how many had not,” said Souza. “It was definitely more than half the players.”
His team faced Michigan last Saturday and Souza had a chance to talk with Michigan assistant Kris Mayotte, who himself was part of a Friendship Four when he coached at Providence.
“He had nothing but incredible things to say about the Friendship Four and the experience,” Souza said of his conversation with Mayotte. “There’s obviously two huge games on the line, but there’s an educational component to going over there.”
Asked what he is most looking forward to on the trip, Souza – ever the coach – said it was the hockey and hopefully winning games. But he’s more than aware that the eight-day trip will mean a lot to his players.
“[UNH assistant] Jeff Giuliano and I were lucky enough to play over there in Europe,” said Souza. “So we know it will be a really neat experience — something you don’t know if you’ll ever have the chance to do it again.”
One team that is returning yet again is Northeastern. Along with Lowell, Brown and Colgate, that quartet was helped launch the tournament in 2015. Heading to Northern Ireland back then, it wasn’t the best of times for Madigan and his club. They left Boston with a 1-10-2 record having been swept the weekend prior by Providence.
But Northeastern used the trip to help bring the club together. Though they lost to Lowell in the semifinal round, the Huskies had a late lead before the River Hawks scored an extra attacker goal and won the game in overtime.
A 7-1 victory over Colgate the next day started what would be an impressive remainder of the season for Northeastern. From that point, Northeastern went 20-2-2, the final win in that run coming as a bit of revenge, a 3-2 victory over Lowell in the Hockey East title game.
So while Northeastern left Northern Ireland without the Belpot Trophy, they came back with something equally – if not more – valuable: a focused, more bonded team.
“There’s no doubt [that 2015 trip] helped our team,” said Madigan. “I talked about it when we came out of there, our team started to come together. We made some changes to our systems that we executed just before going over to Northern Ireland, then we executed well in Belfast.
“The experience of that helped us coming back.”
This year’s club enters with a significantly better record – 8-4-2 – but Madigan hopes that the voyage can still bear fruitful for his team. And maybe this time yield the Belpot Trophy.
“Belfast is a great bonding experience,” Madigan said. “We’ve got nine freshmen and two grad transfers, and we’ve certainly melded together over the last eight-to-ten weeks. But this is an opportunity where we’re away from home, it’s just us, there’s no distractions. Guys get to see each other in a different light and spend more time with each other.
“The people in Northern Ireland and Belfast are so hospitable and so nice. They’re such generous people that we look forward to interacting with them while we’re there.”
One of the best stories of the first half of the season for Hockey East is the emergence of Boston University’s David Farrance as one of the best two-way defensemen in the nation.
Through 14 games, Farrance has already notched 10 goals and nine assists and is a plus-5. In comparison, Farrance scored just seven goals in 68 games in his freshman and sophomore years combined.
Farrance’s 10-9-19 stat line is slightly ahead of last year’s Hobey Baker winner, Cale Makar, who possessed a 6-12-18 scoring line through 14 games en route, to a 16-goal, 49-point, 41-game season.
He is the key component to Boston University’s power play, having scored eight of his 10 goals with the man advantage. The eight power play goals is double that (four) of the rest of the team combined.
Farrance’s coach Albie O’Connell has known since the first day of camp that this could be a breakthrough year for the junior blueliner, a 2017 third-round pick of the Nashville Predators.
“It all started in the summer; he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in,” said O’Connell. “He had a really good summer, took care of his body, so he’s able to play more minutes from the offensive side and the defensive side of it.
“The other thing he is doing more is using his shot. He’s always had that as a weapon, but he’s always deferred and tried to pass the puck.”
O’Connell notes that with the graduation and early departure of other bluelines, it’s given Farrance the opportunity to earn more ice time and become the quarterback of BU’s top power play unit.
“He’s become the guy,” O’Connell said. “He’s always sat behind guys like [Dante] Fabbro and Chad Krys and some other guys we’ve had over the last two years. It’s kind of his time.
“He had some growing pains his first year. He was playing a little bit of forward, a little bit of D. He was in the lineup and out of the lineup. He was learning how to play at our level. Last year, he had some good stretches of hockey he played for us. It wasn’t as consistent as it is now, but that’s in part due to confidence.”
All of that said, O’Connell feels his name does and will stand alongside some very talented BU defensemen over recent years.
“He’s as good from an offensive [defenseman] standpoint since I’ve been at BU,” said O’Connell. “We hold him in the highest regard with [Charlie] McAvoy, [Matt] Grzelyck, [Dante] Fabbro. Guys who were All-Americans.
“He’s always had the talent and we’ve believed in him. It’s just the maturity to get to where he is.”
Many coaches approach goaltending differently. Every coach would like to have two solid goaltenders that they can count on night-in-and-night-out. Most, though, do seem to like to be able to label their goaltenders as a No. 1 and a No. 2.
Since the beginning of last season, that hasn’t been the exact case for Massachusetts and coach Greg Carvel. Certainly, he has two very talented goaltenders in Matt Murray and Filip Lindberg. But Carvel has been careful never to place any labels on this duo.
The time split isn’t always equal and Carvel admits most times be goes with his instinct.
But as he has learned this season more than once – most recently last Saturday against Merrimack – when that gut instinct isn’t right, another must take over: the ability to change goaltenders mid-game.
“We think as a staff, we’ve had these kids for a couple of years where we know when they’re on and when they’re off,” said Carvel.
The first occurrence came at Boston University on November 15. Murray started the game and allowed three goals on 10 shots. Carvel switched to Lindberg, who stopped 11 of the 12 BU shots he faced, the team got energized and fell just short in a comeback, dropping a 4-3 decision.
Last Saturday, Lindberg got the start and gave up two goals. Carvel saw something he didn’t like and was quick to make the change. This time it paid off as Murray shut the door and the Minutemen rallied for a 3-2 victory.
“I wasn’t really happy with either goal [that Lindberg allowed] and there were a couple of other signs,” said Carvel. “We couldn’t afford to get down 3-0 in that building. It was a knee jerk reaction, but we decided to go with that decision.”
It certainly is a luxury to be able to change goaltenders midgame, but it also speaks to the mental stability of both netminders. Neither goaltender seems bothered ed by being pulled and both have proven when they come in off the bench, they can still perform at a top level.
“We know that when we put the other kid in whose on the bench, they’re usually pretty hungry,” Carvel said. “We find that … even though they’re coming in cold, they play pretty well.”
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I have a lot to be thankful for — not the least of which is college hockey. My picks record, though, does not get noted in the gratitude journal. Drew Claussen and I were both cursed with a case of the wrong-way splits last weekend for the Ohio State-Penn State series. I did correctly call one OT New Hampshire win over Michigan and I’m clinging to that bit of prescience. Yeah, Drew did call that series split correctly.
Otherwise … ouch.
Last week
Drew: 2-4-2 (.375)
Paula: 1-5-2 (.250)
This season
Drew: 41-21-5 (.649)
Paula: 35-27-5 (.560)
There is a lot of great hockey on tap for the holiday weekend, including a renewal of the North Dakota-Minnesota rivalry right on Thanksgiving Day. All times are local.
No. 16 Bowling Green vs. No. 5 Notre Dame
7:00 p.m. Friday, 7:07 p.m. Saturday
The Falcons split at home against Lake Superior State last weekend while the Fighting Irish came away from East Lansing with two points after a tie and a loss to Michigan State. These old CCHA rivals last met in 2012-13, when Notre Dame went 5-1-0 against Bowling Green, including a home playoff conference sweep.
Drew: Notre Dame 3-2, Bowling Green 3-2
Paula: Notre Dame 3-2, 3-2
Michigan at No. 19 Wisconsin
7:00 p.m. Saturday, 4:00 p.m. Sunday
Last weekend, the Wolverines broke a seven-game winless streak when they beat New Hampshire on Friday before dropping Saturday’s game in overtime. Wisconsin took two points from Minnesota on the road with a tie and a loss. The teams last met in March in Wisconsin, two overtime wins for the Badgers.
Drew: Wisconsin 5-3, Michigan 3-1
Paula: Wisconsin 4-2, Michigan 2-1
No. 20 Michigan State at No. 11 Ohio State
5:00 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday
At home last weekend, the Spartans took four points from Notre Dame with a tie and a win. The Buckeyes split on the road with Penn State. Ohio State is 7-2-1 in their last 10 against Michigan State and were 2-1-1 last season.
Drew: Ohio State 3-1, 5-4
Paula: Ohio State 4-2, Michigan State 3-2
No. 7 Penn State at Merrimack and No. 15 UMass-Lowell
7:00 p.m. Friday, 6:00 p.m. Saturday
Penn State suffered just its third loss of the season last weekend in a home split against the Buckeyes. Merrimack is looking to end a four-game winless streak (0-2-2), all against ranked teams. UMass-Lowell tied and lost to Connecticut last weekend and because Hockey East likes to play OT this season (apparently), the River Hawks have played to overtime in six of their 14 games this season.
Drew: Penn State over Merrimack 6-2, UMass-Lowell over Penn State 4-3
Paula: Penn State over Merrimack 5-2 and over UMass-Lowell (maybe in OT) 4-3
No. 3 North Dakota at Minnesota
7:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday
The Fighting Hawks ride a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) into Mariucci for the Thanksgiving holiday, having swept St. Cloud last weekend. The Golden Gophers took four points at home from Wisconsin last weekend and have two wins in their last 10 games. These former WCHA rivals last met in the 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame Game, a 3-1 North Dakota win.
Drew: North Dakota 4-2, 4-2
Paula: North Dakota 4-2, 3-2
Follow Drew (@drewclaussen) and me (@paulacweston) on Twitter.
It’s that time of the year when Americans are supposed to express their gratitude for what they have in their lives, although, let’s face it, most will be eating up a storm and watching football.
That’s OK, though.
In the meantime, let’s think about what each coach in college hockey’s most dominant conference over the last five years can be thankful for this season.
We’ll do these in alphabetical order; it’s not about anything else, K?
A 4-5-1 (2-3-1) record may not be something to be super thrilled about, but Colorado College has the building blocks to make a push for home ice in the NCHC playoffs and perhaps return to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff for the second time.
CC has been in every game it’s played so far except for two. They held two-goal leads in two of their losses and were also up twice on Minnesota Duluth in Friday’s loss. While coach Mike Haviland has yet to find a goaltender who can replace Alex Leclerc’s consistency, he has to be thankful that oft-injured Chris Wilkie and Nick Halloran are back to being healthy and are off to great starts. Wilkie has 11 points in the first 11 games, while Halloran, who has missed two games, has 10 points.
CC’s offense and power play are ranked 26th and 22nd in the country, respectively. That is a strong base from which they can hopefully improve their defense.
If this had been written a month ago, all DU would be asking for is more of what had them off to a hot start and the top ranking in the country.
However, since Denver started NCHC conference play, the Pioneers are just 1-3-2, with Saturday’s 6-1 win finally getting DU untracked. Prior to that, they blew a two-goal third period lead against Minnesota Duluth and got a tie, then somehow salvaged a 1-1 tie with a North Dakota team that had outplayed them in the first game of two. Denver hasn’t won on a Friday night since Nov. 1. Perhaps coach David Carle is happy about his team being off this weekend so that he can tinker a little and build off the offensive explosion from last Saturday.
Carle is also likely happy with the play of rookie goaltender Magnus Chrona, who is 7-3-2 and has a .920 save percentage, one reason DU’s defense is currently ninth in the country.
First-year coach Chris Bergeron must feel the RedHawks are going in the right direction, as they are 3-3-2 after opening the year 1-3-1.
Last weekend, Miami came within a whisker of sweeping a good Omaha team, giving up two goals in the last minute on Friday for what ended up being a 3-3 tie, though Miami got the extra conference point by scoring in the 3-on-3 OT. Bergeron is thankful for his team’s recent play, as well as the performance of seniors Gordie Green and Karch Bachman, who have 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Like CC, Miami is struggling a little on the back end, though if they can clamp down defensively, they will be a team no one wants to play. Miami is one of three NCHC teams playing this weekend, traveling east to play Connecticut twice.
Inconsistency, thy name is Duluth.
At least, sometimes it has felt that way. However, since starting the year 1-3, UMD has only lost once, going 6-1-1. That loss to Miami doesn’t look quite so bad in retrospect, as many teams may be underestimating the RedHawks. Duluth hasn’t quite been on it defensively, but Duluth coach Scott Sandelin usually has his team peaking come playoff time, so don’t fret, Bulldogs fans, that Hunter Shepard’s save percentage is only a .909 and the team defense is only 19th in the country, giving up 2.33 goals per game.
Meanwhile, Sandelin is looking at his offense and thanking the stars that defenseman Scott Perunovich came back for his junior year, as he has 20 points in just 12 games, while sophomore forward Noah Cates has also displayed the hot hand with 12 points. Further, considering Duluth has sometime struggled on the power play in recent years, their 30.19 percent conversion rate is another thing Sandelin is thankful for.
Duluth will host No. 1 Minnesota State this weekend for two games.
Coach Brad Berry must be looking at his team and smiling, as the Fighting Hawks seem to have fixed the offensive woes that have plagued them in recent years.
It is just one reason they are 10-1-2 and currently ranked third in the country. North Dakota’s offense is currently fifth in the country, averaging 3.85 points per game, and what is especially noteworthy is that the offensive improvement hasn’t come at the expense of the back end, as the defense is third in the country, giving up only 1.54 points per game.
As a comparison, last season North Dakota’s offense was 41st nationally, only averaging 2.43 points per game. Berry can look to junior Jordan Kawaguchi having a breakout year with 18 points as one reason for UND’s success, and he can also be thankful that Westin Michaud decided to transfer to UND from CC for his final year of eligibility. Michaud is second on the team in scoring with 11 points.
Ahead of an actual Thanksgiving Day clash with Minnesota in Minneapolis, Berry just needs to keep his team focused.
With a 6-4-2 start and ranked 18th in the polls, Omaha is one of the early surprises of the season.
That start is all the more impressive when you realize the Mavericks have two rookie goaltenders. Isaiah Saville has played the lion’s share of minutes, posting a 2.48 GAA and .905 save percentage. Austin Roden has the same save percentage and a 2.00 GAA in two appearances.
Those aren’t the only rookies that have coach Mike Gabinet smiling.
Ryan Brushett has nine assists in 12 games, while defenseman Brandon Scanlin has eight points and has played well defensively. Nolan Sullivan has also made a mark with six points. Both Scanlin and Sullivan have been named NCHC rookies of the week so far this season.
Considering senior scoring phenom Tristan Keck got hurt and hasn’t played the entire month of November, Gabinet is also likely happy his team is off this weekend ahead of a major clash with Minnesota Duluth Dec. 6-7.
It’s fair to say that St. Cloud State has not gotten out to the start that coach Brett Larson wanted or expected.
After dominating the regular season last year, St. Cloud’s 2-6-4 (0-4 NCHC) record is not what the team is used to. However, considering the offense is only ranked 30th nationally (2.67 goals per game) and the defense is one of the worst in the country at 53rd (giving up 3.58 goals per game), perhaps Larson can be happy that things aren’t worse. One bright spot has been the St. Cloud power play, currently averaging at 21.74 percent success. However, the penalty kill is a woeful 69.77 percent success, so just like team defense, Larson knows his team has a long way to go.
With that, Larson can also be thankful for the scoring of sophomore Sam Hentges, who has 18 points so far this year, nearly equaling the 20 points he had his freshman year, and that junior Easton Brodzinski is finally showing signs of success, with 12 points in 12 games.
Lastly, Larson can be thankful that his team has been in most of its contests; St. Cloud has played a lot of OT games (six) so far, so perhaps they can make a push in the second half.
With a 7-5-2 start (3-2-1 NCHC), why is coach Andy Murray thankful?
Well, for one, the Broncos have that record despite playing nine of those games on the road. Western has always been a better home team, and Lawson Ice Arena has a hostile crowd for any visiting team.
Murray is also thankful for the breakout season of junior Paul Washe, who has more points (14) this year than he did all last season. Also playing well is junior Ethen Frank, who has 12 points and is averaging 0.92 points per game.
Lastly, Murray is thankful that his team is getting healthy. Senior defenseman Cam Lee is back in the lineup after missing the first 10 games, and sophomore Mattias Samuelsson seems to be healthy again.
Murray is likely hoping that senior Wade Allison can get healthy before the second half of the season starts; Allison has only played in seven games so far. Western will close its first half by hosting North Dakota Dec. 6-7 in a huge series for both teams.
Well, I am now in the lead over Matthew in our season picks race, though it took longer than I thought it might. Last week, I went 5-2-1 (.687), while Matthew was 4-3-1 (.562). On the year, I am 34-25-12 (.563), while Matthew is 33-26-12 (.549). Watch me give it back this week. Hmmm …
Thursday-Friday, Nov. 28-29
North Dakota at Minnesota
Candace: North Dakota has been on fire. Minnesota, since losing to Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 25, has gone 2-4-3. Since every night is a new one, and I don’t subscribe to streaks quite so much, I’m going with the NCHC sweep. North Dakota 3-2, 4-2
Matthew: Crazy stuff has been known to happen when UND and Minnesota get together, but while there are no guarantees here, this is a series UND should get something out of. I’m feeling a split, though, simply because I don’t know how long UND’s winning streak is going to last. North Dakota 3-1, Minnesota 3-2
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 29-30
Miami at Connecticut
Candace: I think Miami is trending in the right direction. Connecticut has only won once in its last seven games, though it twice tied a 12th-ranked team, tying Lowell and Providence. Miami should probably have swept Omaha last weekend, and I think the RedHawks will have confidence from that. Miami 3-2, 4-2
Matthew: This series could go a lot of different ways, but I like a lot of what Miami has done lately, so I’m taking the homer pick. Miami 4-2, 4-2
No. 8 Minnesota Duluth vs No. 1 Minnesota State
Candace: The Mavericks have looked awfully good this season, though most of their wins have come against unranked teams. I think the Bulldogs are a little more tested, and somehow I don’t think they will come out flat like they did against Miami a couple of weeks ago. Besides, last time Duluth faced a no. 1 team they got a tie and win. Eh, I’ll go for the clean homer NCHC picks this week. Minnesota Duluth 3-2, 3-2
Matthew: This would be a fun home-and-home series, but the weather is supposed to be garbage later this week in this part of the country, so it’s just as well that Duluth gets both at home. I could take the homer pick again, but I can’t quite bring myself to, even though MSU’s on the road. Minnesota State 3-2, Minnesota Duluth 3-2
After opening the season 0-8-1, Niagara has put together three wins in a row.
It started on Nov. 16 with a big 5-3 victory over archrival Canisius, followed up by a home-and-home sweep of Mercyhurst.
One can assume that keys to this resurgence are the play of junior goaltender Brian Wilson, who was in net for all three wins, including a 5-0 shutout last Friday, as well forward Ludwig Stenlund heating up. The sophomore and reigning AHA rookie of the year was held to just two points in Niagara’s first 10 games, but broke out with two goals and three assists last weekend.
But it’s more than that, said coach Jason Lammers, now in his third season at Niagara.
“The guys have been really committed to each other and have been really connected,” he said. “It’s things that don’t always show up on the scoreboard like winning faceoffs, beating out icings and blocking shots.”
Lammers credits Stenlund’s perseverance when it was tough to score.
“He worked really hard in the offseason to avoid the sophomore slump,” said Lammers. “He’s hit crossbars, posts, and goalies have made great saves on him. It was nice to see him get rewarded.”
Another Purple Eagle with a big weekend was junior Jack Billings, who had three goals and an assist. The transfer from Division III Salve Regina was named the NCAA’s third star of the week.
“He’s a very good player,” said Lammers of Billings, who posted 74 points in 51 games for Salve Regina. “We’re grateful that he chose NU. He’s a great student and has overcome some obstacles in his career.”
Niagara puts its winning streak on the line this weekend, hosting Air Force in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal series, won by the Purple Eagles. The Falcons also got off to a slow start but come in undefeated in their last five games.
“We have a good idea of what to expect,” said Lammers. “They skate like crazy and put a lot of pucks behind you. They compete no matter what the score. We have to match that compete level.”
Whatever the outcome, Lammers says his team will stick to the plan.
“We’re OK,” he said. “We know that we’re on this train ride to be the best team we can be by the end of the season. It’s not a roller coaster.”
On Nov. 21, Alabama Huntsville made its intentions known to leave the WCHA at the end of the 2020-21 season. This is most likely in response to an announcement in June that seven teams (all but Alabama Huntsville and the two Alaska schools) would leave the WCHA at the end of the 2021-22 season and form a new conference.
A possible home for the Chargers is Atlantic Hockey, which has been searching for a 12th member since Connecticut left in 2014.
When asked to comment on the possibility of UAH as the 12th member, the league office released the following statement:
“Atlantic Hockey is aware of UAH’s decision to formally withdraw from the WCHA, however, we have not had any conversations with any Alabama Huntsville official regarding potential membership in the Atlantic Hockey Association. The AHA is in advanced discussions to add a 12th member and that is where our focus lies at this time. Any future expansion talks will be conducted at a later date.”
Stay tuned.
As those of us in the US prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, here’s a brief look at some of the things the 11 Atlantic Hockey teams have to be thankful for so far this season:
Air Force: There are several outstanding goaltenders in Atlantic Hockey, and sophomore Alex Schilling is making a case to be on that list. Goaltending is often the difference, and Schilling has certainly been that. The Falcons were 0-7 when Skilling took over the starting role. Since then, they’re 4-0-1.
American International: While maybe not getting the headlines that other netminders are garnering, Zackarias Skog is having a quietly impressive season so far: a .924 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA. His numbers are even better than last year, when Skog help lead the Yellow Jackets to the regular-season and tournament championships.
Army West Point: The Black Knights’ penalty kill has put up ridiculous numbers so far: a 97.8 percent success rate, tops in Division I. Army West Point has allowed a single power-play goal in 46 attempts, and balanced that with a shorthanded tally.
Bentley: Sophomore forward Jakov Novak’s seven goals so far this season are more than twice the total of anyone else on the Falcons’ roster. Through seven games, Novak has already equaled his season goal total from last year.
Canisius: The Golden Griffins have to be thankful for the third period. Canisius has scored 20 goals this season, with 11 of them coming in the final stanza.
Holy Cross: Rookie Alex Peterson is fitting right in for the Crusaders. His seven points are second on the team and tied for third in the conference among freshmen.
Mercyhurst: Sophomores turning heads at Mercyhurst, comprising four of the team’s top five scorers. Steven Ipri leads the way with six goals and eight assists.
Niagara: The Purple Eagles are thankful that sophomore Ludwig Stenlund is starting to heat up. The reigning rookie of the year in Atlantic hockey had 42 points last season but got off to a quiet start with just two points in Niagara’s first 10 games. But Stenlund caught fire last weekend with five points in a two-game sweep of Mercyhurst.
Rochester Institute of Technology: The Tigers have to be thankful for their fan support. They drew 9,808 to their annual Brick City game in downtown Rochester, and are averaging 2,345 fans at their on-campus rink. That’s almost 500 more fans per game than Air Force, which has the second-highest average in the conference.
Robert Morris: Goaltender Justin Kapelmaster is making his case for league MVP. The graduate transfer leads the conference and is fourth in the nation in save percentage at .950. His 1.82 GAA is ranked eighth nationally. The Colonials have been outshot 468-312 so far this season but sit atop the Atlantic Hockey standings. Kapelmaster has been the difference.
Sacred Heart: The Pioneers have to be thankful for their offense, which is averaging 3.64 goals a game, tops in the conference and eighth nationally. Sacred Heart has eight players with 10 points or more, and four of the top five scorers in Atlantic Hockey wear the red, white and gray.
Ten AHA teams are in action this coming weekend, so pack some turkey sandwiches and head on down to the rink.
Here are two series that are especially compelling:
Bentley at Holy Cross – These will be the 69th and 70th meetings between the schools, which have one of the top rivalries in Atlantic Hockey. Both teams are looking to break out of slumps as Bentley has lost four in a row, while Holy Cross has dropped four of its last five contests.
Air Force at Niagara – This series is a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals, won by Niagara with a road sweep. Niagara has won three in row and Air Force is 4-0-1 in its last five games including a 3-on-3 overtime win over Robert Morris.
If you are a fan of women’s D-III hockey, there is really only one place your attention is this weekend, as Middlebury hosts the Panther/Classic, a preeminent tournament that this year, in addition to the host (and current eighth-ranked team in the country), also boasts No. 1 Plattsburgh, No. 2 Adrian, and No. 7 Wisconsin-River Falls. The tournament rotates between Plattsburgh and Middlebury as hosts, and Plattsburgh is the defending champion, as well as the winner of six of the last seven titles.
Only four games into their season (due to NESCAC rules) Middlebury is gearing up for perhaps its biggest weekend of the year with less game experience than the other three teams in the tournament, but coach Bill Mandigo says that’s not something he or the team focuses on.
“It is what it is,” he said emphatically. “The NESCAC rules are what the NESCAC rules are. There’s no whining. Nobody here is saying anything about it. I don’t think we’re at any disadvantage. I think that we’re excited to play. We’re excited to have these teams come to Vermont, and we’re excited to be able to play some of the best teams in the country.”
Middlebury is off to a 3-0-1 start after a tie and win over division rival Amherst last weekend. Mandigo is happy with the performance of his young team so far.
“I think we’re off to a pretty good start. They’re working hard. It’s a good group. They’re very young. We only have three seniors, but I think they’re doing a good job showing the young kids the way. And like I said, they’re working hard. They’re a nice group, and they’re fun to be around.”
Mandigo, now in his 32nd year coaching at Middlebury, is the winningest coach in all women’s college hockey, with a 580-155-46 record (.772). The team is currently led in scoring by sophomore Jenna Letterie and junior Madie Leidt.
“In a lot of ways, they are great leaders,” said Mandigo of Letterie and Leidt. “They both work really well together. They complement one another, and they seem to know where to go to be in the right spots at the right times. They work really hard, but they’re also extremely intelligent, and I think the hockey-sense piece is really important.”
While Middlebury is getting a lot of offense from its depth, no one player is lighting the stats board on fire yet. What has the team off to a good start is defense. Middlebury is first in the country on defense, and is a perfect 12-for-12 on the penalty kill. That defense starts with senior Anna Zumwinkle, who provides a steady presence.
“It’s good to have senior leadership with the defense,” said Mandigo. “She’s been right in the thick of things since her freshman year. She’s a stalwart for us defensively. She kills penalties. She’s out there in the important situations, and she’s also on the power play. She’s got a great shot. And she’s so positive. She’s a great leader with the younger kids. She’s positive, she’s energetic, and she does everything she can to help the younger ones become better players.”
That strong defense is also notable because unlike many other coaches, Mandigo platoons his goalies. So far, junior Anna Goldstein and senior Lin Han have each played two games. The two also split time in net last season.
“I think we’ve got two really good goalies and they work with each other and support each other and can help each other,” said Mandigo. “We’ve always done this. Since I’ve been here, when we’ve had two good goalies we’ve always played them. It’s just been our philosophy, for a variety of reasons. I think both of our goalies are very good, and both come from very strong programs, Lin from Mississauga and Anna from Edina High School, where she won a state championship in Minnesota.
“You start from the goal out, defensively anyway. You want to have good goalies that you can count on but also that the players are comfortable with and the players have confidence in. I think our players are very confident with both of these young ladies because of the way that they approach the game and the way they approach practice and how they compete in practice. I think that’s a bonus when you’ve got it.”
Getting back to this weekend’s tournament, Middlebury opens with Adrian, a team that is currently undefeated and boasts the top scorer in women’s D-III in Nicole Guagliardo, a transfer who previously played at D-I programs Mercyhurst and Lindenwood. Guagliardo has 15 points in just seven games for the undefeated Bulldogs, who have six players averaging a point or more per game. The Bulldogs will be a stout test for the Middlebury defense, but Mandigo said his players are excited for the challenge.
“We’re excited to host this tournament. It’s always great to have the real good teams come to Vermont to play. We know that Adrian is very good. Plattsburgh is the number one team, Adrian’s number two, and River Falls, I think they are seven. We know that we’ve got our work cut out for us and that our kids are going to have to play their best to be in the game with these teams.”
