Harvard leading scorer Casey Dornbach posted a goal and two assists in the Crimson’s two wins over the weekend over Brown and Yale (photo: Gil Talbot/Harvard Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Nov. 11 fared in games over the Nov. 15-16 weekend.
No. 1 Minnesota State (8-1-1)
Did not play.
No. 2 Denver (8-2-2)
11/15/2019 – No. 9 North Dakota 1 at No. 2 Denver 1 (OT)
11/16/2019 N- o. 9 North Dakota 4 at No. 2 Denver 1
No. 3 Cornell (6-0-0)
11/15/2019 – No. 3 Cornell 4 at No. 7 Clarkson 2
11/16/2019 – No. 3 Cornell 6 at St. Lawrence 1 (at Canton)
Cole Smith scored a pair of goals in North Dakota’s 4-1 road win over Denver Saturday night at Magness Arena (photo: North Dakota Athletics).
Ninth-ranked North Dakota added some color to the scoresheet in defeating No. 2 Denver 4-1 on the road Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,308 at Magness Arena.
The victory featured a first career goal (Josh Rieger), a power-play goal, a short-handed goal, an empty-net goal and North Dakota killing off two major penalties and all seven DU power-play chances in the win.
Cole Smith scored twice for the Fighting Hawks, to go along with a late empty-netter from Westin Michaud.
“It was a disappointing effort all around and unfortunately we weren’t able to execute,” Denver coach David Carle said. “Tip your hat to them, they came out and played better in all facets.”
In the third, UND had to fight off two separate 5-on-3 opportunities after a five-minute major for checking from behind and game disqualification for Smith. The road team took care of business by killing off all of the penalties, however, DU spoiled the shutout 10 seconds after the major elapsed to make it 3-1 on a goal by Emilio Pettersen.
Adam Scheel made 27 saves for the win and also assisted on Rieger’s goal, while Magnus Chrona stopped 18 shots for the Pioneers.
After tying 1-1 Friday night, the last time UND went unbeaten in a weekend series at Magness Arena was in the 2003-04 season.
Colorado College 5, St. Cloud State 2
Five Colorado College players scored and Ben Copeland collected a pair of assists to lead the Tigers to a 5-2 victory over St. Cloud State Saturday night at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
With the victory, CC completed its first sweep of St. Cloud State since Dec. 10-11, 2010, and handed the Huskies their first back-to-back losses at home since Nov. 18-19, 2016 vs. North Dakota.
“We played extremely well for six periods,” said CC coach Mike Haviland. “We worked hard all weekend. You go through some adversity, but the guys stepped up. It was really good to see us put back-to-back games together.
“We did all the little things that need to get done to win hockey games. You know you can do it, now we need to continue doing it.”
Matt Vernon made 27 saves in the win, while Dávid Hrenák and Joey Lamoreaux combined on a 27-save effort for the Huskies.
Niagara 5, Canisius 3
Niagara defeated archrival Canisius 5-3 in the second and final game of the season between the two teams.
Ryan Naumovski figured in on each goal, posting five assists.
Niagara was able to cut into Canisius’ lead in the Battle of the Bridge standings. Through the first eight events of the year, the Griffs hold a narrow 7-5 edge in the race for the Canal Cup.
Notre Dame 5, Wisconsin 4 (OT)
Alex Steeves netted the game winner 1:58 into overtime as No. 3 Notre Dame Irish posted a 5-4 overtime victory at No. 15 Wisconsin on Saturday night at the Kohl Center.
Trevor Janicke, Cam Burke, Jesse Lansdell and Colin Theisen also scored for Notre Dame and defenseman Nate Clurman contributed a pair of assists.
Theisen’s goal eliminated a 4-3 deficit late in the third period, setting the stage for Steeves’ overtime heroics.
Cale Morris posted 31 saves for the Irish and Wisconsin’s Daniel Lebedeff also made 31 stops.
Cornell 6, St. Lawrence 1
Six different players scored for Cornell and Matthew Galajda made 15 saves to run his record – and the team’s – to 6-0-0 this season.
Liam Motley scores a goal Saturday night for Cornell (photo: Cornell Athletics).
“We didn’t even talk about adjustments between the first and second periods,” said Cornell coach Mike Schafer. “We just talked about how we needed to get to work. We needed to play with some pace and get back to that intensity we had last night.”
Cornell leads the nation with a 42.3 percent success rate on the power play and has scored at least one power-play goal in its first six games of a season for the first time since 2009-10.
The Big Red also remains one of the last two undefeated teams in the country alongside Harvard (5-0-0).
Connecticut 2, UMass Lowell 1
No. 12-ranked UMass Lowell fell to UConn 2-1 in the series finale at the Tsongas Center on Saturday night.
“Overall, it’s a tough feeling,” said River Hawks coach Norm Bazin. “We haven’t had this for a while. It’s been three and a half weeks without a loss. We lacked in our finishing and execution, and that lack of finishing came back to bite us. They played a good game. They were hungry this weekend and overall they deserved to win.”
UConn GOAL!!! Huskies go up 2-0 thanks to Brian Rigali. Kuznetsov with the shot from the point and Rigali bangs in the rebound at 9:42. #IceBuspic.twitter.com/oOR1zrR8IX
Wyatt Newpower opened the scoring for the Huskies at the 14:25 mark of the second period and Brian Rigali added another midway through the third period to give the Huskies a 2-0 advantage.
Bowling Green 3, Alaska Anchorage 0
Bowling Green completed a two-game sweep of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday night with a 3-0 win.
Eric Dop earned his first shutout of the season, finishing with 29 saves.
“Eric Dop was really good all weekend,” said BGSU coach Ty Eigner. “In the first period, he didn’t have a lot of work, and then in the second period when they had a push, he was really good. I’m really, really happy with how Eric played this weekend.”
Massachusetts 4, Boston University 1
No. 5 Massachusetts scored three third-period goals to pull away from Boston University en route to a 4-1 win at the Mullins Center on Saturday night.
The victory preserves the Minutemen’s perfect home record at 6-0-0.
“I’m very happy with our team’s performance this weekend,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “I think as a team, we took a big step forward, playing a skilled BU team in two games and dominantly outshooting them. Tonight, for the first time, we were the team that got a lot more power plays than the other team, which is a good sign. In the third period, again, just like last night, we were really strong, had the puck in the offensive zone and created and prevented defensively pretty well.
“The only thing I think we really need to work on is getting the power play going, and think we’ll have Marc Del Gaizo back next week so hopefully that will help that situation.”
The NCHC has issued a one-game suspension to Omaha senior forward Zach Jordan, stemming from an illegal hit during the Mavericks’ game against Western Michigan Friday night at Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
During last night’s game, Jordan was assessed a major penalty for contact to the head and given a game misconduct penalty at 16:54 of the third period.
Jordan will be required to serve the one-game suspension during Omaha’s series finale tonight against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. He is eligible to return for the Mavericks in their series opener against Miami next Friday, Nov. 22.
Clarkson and Cornell battle on the Cheel Arena ice in Potsdam, N.Y., Friday night. The Big Red downed the Golden Knights 4-2 (photo: Jim Meagher).
Cam Donaldson and Jeff Malott each posted a goal and an assist to lead No. 3 Cornell past No. 7 Clarkson 4-2 at Cheel Arena Friday night.
Big Red goalie Matthew Galajda turned aside 29 shots to run his record to 5-0-0 on the young season.
“I think it is a statement win but of course, it’s early in the season,” said Donaldson, who scored the game-winning goal on a power play with 9:34 left in the third period. “It’s good to stay undefeated (5-0-0), but we haven’t won very many games against this team. We’ve only won one since I’ve been here, so it was huge to win get a win, especially on the road.”
Travis Mitchell and Michael Regush (empty net) also scored for Cornell.
Devin Brosseau and Connor McCarthy each registered a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, while Frank Marotte posted 27 saves between the pipes.
“There were ebbs and flows and both teams were in control, but it was unfortunate we didn’t get the lead early with some of our play,” said Clarkson coach Casey Jones. “I thought our resiliency to bounce back and get back in the game, I was really proud of that. They got a power-play goal in the third that put them in the lead, and it is what it is. Two good teams battling and a hotly-contested game. It is what it is.”
“We knew why they got their opportunities – because we handed the puck to them in the neutral zone,” added Cornell coach Mike Schafer. “We just talked about ‘play our game’ and just get the job done. And they did. They came out in the third, and they were calm and played with even more poise.”
Donaldson’s goal pushed the Cornell power play to 9 for 21 on the season. The 42.9 percent success rate leads the country going into Saturday’s games. The goal also ended Clarkson’s streak of 25 consecutive kills.
AIC 12, Mercyhurst 0
Elijiah Barriga notched a hat trick, Tobias Fladeby added two goals and two assists, Austin Albrecht totaled four assists and Zacharias Skog made 18 saves as the Yellow Jackets scored 12 goals for the first time in their Division I history.
“Just throw the game out,” American International coach Eric Lang said. “It’s one of those nights where everything we threw at the net went in. I know that Mercyhurst program. They have a ton of pride, and you don’t have the level of success within a program they have had without bouncing back.
“I know we will get their best punch tomorrow.”
Dodero goes under the bar and we've got a dozen biscuits in the basket! Time of the goal is 7:59 of the third.#AICommitted
Cotton became the 81st player in program history to post 100 career points and the first since Ryan Fitzgerald in 2017. The senior captain added an assist for his 24th career multi-point game.
Providence 3, Northeastern 2
No. 10 Providence defeated No. 14 Northeastern 3-2 as Jack Dugan and Tyce Thompson each produced two-point efforts to lead the Friars offensively.
Michael Lackey finished with 21 saves in goal for the Friars.
A late third-period power-play score by Derek Daschke gave the Redhawks the lead, and Miami tacked on an empty-net score in the closing seconds to seal the game.
Sixth-ranked UMD had won six straight games against Miami entering the weekend, and the Bulldogs continue to be winless when entering the third period trailing, now 0-3-1 on the season.
Ryan Larkin made 35 saves for Miami.
.@derekdaschke is Johnny on the spot and puts us ahead!
Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16 Robert Morris at Bentley Chris:The Colonials were picked to finish seventh this season, the Falcons tied for third. Instead, Bentley finds it self in seventh place at this still-early juncture, while RMU sits atop the standings. I have a feeling Bentley is going to get at least one win on home ice. I’m calling for a split. Dan: It’s a scary thought to think that RMU is officially back, but I think it’s okay to say that at this point. Bentley is going to battle hard on home ice this weekend, especially given the sweep to start the season, but I’m going with the Colonials here. RMU sweeps.
Niagara at Canisius Chris: Yes, the teams are a combined 1-13-1, but this is The Battle of the Bridge, and I expect two great games. I’m picking a split. Dan: Niagara is really suffering from the #RubinJinx after I picked the Purple Eagles to win the league, but in the Battle of the Bridge, the Whose Line Is It Anyway reasoning comes into play. Everything’s made up and records don’t matter. Split ’em.
American International at Mercyhurst Chris: Both teams haven’t played a game since since Nov. 2 and should be rarin’ to go. I’d pick an AIC sweep if the games were in Springfield, but I think the MIC will provide at least one win for the homestanding Lakers. Another split. Dan: I really want to take Mercyhurst here for a sweep, but I can’t do that given my confidence in AIC…or can I? Playing my hunch here. Mercyhurst sweeps.
Army West Point at Holy Cross Chris: My head says to pick another split, but my gut is telling me that the Crusaders are going to find a way to get all six points. Holy Cross sweeps. Dan: Give me all of your goaltending in this series. A couple of low scoring games at the Hart Center end with Holy Cross coming out on top. Holy Cross sweeps.
Sacred Heart at Rochester Institute of Technology Chris: Thanks to a pair of exciting postseason matchups between the schools the last two seasons, there’s almost a rivalry feel to this series. RIT has taken four of six points in its two previous home series so far this season, but I think the Tigers (and the Pioneers) will have to settle for three. I’m predicting a, you guessed it, split. Dan: If you haven’t taken stock of Sacred Heart at this year’s Cinderella, there’s still room to buy. That said, RIT is the AHA team right now. So I’m going with the home team. RIT sweeps.
Logan Von Ruden and the Blugolds have a key test Saturday against Augsburg. (Photo: Wis.-Eau Claire Athletics)
The second weekend of November brings a nice mix of conference and non-conference matchups, including a showdown between Augsburg and Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday night. The national champs face a key test on the road in Minnesota and Lake Forest and Marian square off in a key NCHA series.
Friday
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Saint John’s
The reigning national champs pay a visit to Minnesota to take on a MIAC title hopeful in Saint John’s. The Johnnies have had a tough time out of the gate, picking up just one win in their first three outings, but the Pointers haven’t had the easiest time either, going 2-2 in their first four. Look for this one to be close. Wis.-Stevens-Point, 3-2
Saturday
Wisconsin-Eau Claire at Augsburg
The Auggies are unbeaten and atop the MIAC, outscoring the opposition 20-5. The Blugolds are unbeaten and have won their last two games. They have scored 13 goals and have given up just five. Goaltending could be the deciding factor in this one. Augsburg, 3-2
Friday and Saturday
Saint Mary’s at Concordia
Saint Mary’s goes on the road searching for its first win. The Cobbers have one win to their name. Both teams have struggled to get their offense going at times. This is a huge opportunity for one of these two teams to pick up important league wins and keep itself in the early running for a MIAC playoff berth. Concordia, 5-2; Saint Mary’s, 4-2
Saint Scholastica at MSOE
The Saints are winless and have struggled to slow opponents down, allowing 16 goals. Milwaukee School of Engineering, meanwhile, is off to an impressive start, winning its first five games and scoring 19 goals. With the Raiders at home, they will be tough to beat. MSOE, 6-3 and 4-2
Lake Forest vs. Marian
Lake Forest begins a home-and-home at Marian and looking to keep its early-season momentum going after winning three of its first four. The Sabres are 2-1 and haven’t played too badly. Both teams look relatively equal on paper, with each team tallying 15 goals. This could very well be one of the best series of the weekend. Lake Forest, 2-1; Marian 3-2
St. Norbert at Trine
The Green Knights aren’t accustomed to tough starts but find themselves sitting at 1-3. Trine, however, is rolling, jumping out to a 3-1 start to the season. This will be a good test for the Thunder on their home ice and serves as an opportunity to nail down a signature win. But the Green Knights, despite their struggles, are still talented and won’t be an easy out. St. Norbert, 4-2 and 2-1.
St. Thomas vs. St. Olaf
It’s a home and home series that begins in St. Olaf. The Tommies have won two of their first four games and the Oles are still looking for their first win of the year. St. Thomas is just a better team offensively, especially with Brett Gravelle, and that should be the difference in this series. St. Thomas, 5-2 and 4-1
This weekend sees the NESCAC kick off play, and a lot of interconference matchups. There are no battles between top 10 teams, however. Here are some of the interesting matchups.
Friday, Nov. 15
New England College at No. 7 Norwich
The Cadets have already been tested, and their loss to No. 1 Plattsburgh was an early call to action. Look for Norwich to win this one. Norwich 4-2
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 15-16
No. 6 Williams at Colby
The Mules are a tough team at home, and scored some big wins last season. Williams is one of the conference favorites, and while Colby could spring an upset, I like the Ephs to sweep. Williams 3-2, 3-2
No. 2 Adrian at Marian
This isn’t quite the mismatch it might seem to be, but I can’t see Adrian losing this weekend. Adrian 4-2, 4-2
Tuesday, Nov. 19
St. Thomas at No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls
St. Thomas is no longer ranked, but the Tommies will be competing for the MIAC crown and league autobid all season long. Wisconsin-River Falls is loaded as usual, and is at home, so I think they get the win. Wisconsin-River Falls 3-2
Jordan Kawaguchi (North Dakota-29) 2019 January 12 University of North Dakota hosts Colorado College in a NCHC matchup at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, ND (Bradley K. Olson)
I gained a game back on Matthew in our season picks race, and if Denver had held on to its two-goal third-period lead Friday, we’d be tied. Oh well. Overall, we both did well, as I went 6-2-2 (.700) and Matthew went 5-3-2 (.600). On the year, I am 25-20-10 (.545), while Matthew is 26-19-10 (.563).
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 15-16
No. 9 North Dakota at No. 2 Denver Candace: To me, this is the series of the weekend, in any conference. A renewal of a fierce rivalry, North Dakota will be extra motivated since Denver ended its season last year. The Pioneers didn’t look good last Saturday, but I think they regroup here. Hard to see this as anything but a split, but I’ll reverse Matthew’s picks. Denver 4-2, North Dakota 4-2 Matthew: I’m not worrying about Denver after the Pioneers got a loss and shootout win last weekend against Minnesota Duluth, but DU gets another tough test here. UND is better than it was the last couple of years, but this is only their second ranked opponent of the season, so I’m not going overboard about the Hawks’ 7-1-1 record. This feels like a split, but watch me be wrong. North Dakota 3-2, Denver 3-2
No. 6 Minnesota Duluth at Miami Candace: Just a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about Minnesota Duluth’s struggles, but of late the Bulldogs have looked like their old national champion selves. Miami is better than its record, but that isn’t saying much, and I don’t think home ice will get them the win. Minnesota Duluth 4-2, 3-2 Matthew: I’m not reading a ton into Miami’s two losses last weekend at UND, apart from that Saturday’s 5-4 loss could give the RedHawks some momentum going into this series. They’ll be playing against Hunter Shepard, though, so there’s that. Minnesota Duluth 3-1, 3-1
Colorado College at St. Cloud State Candace: St. Cloud has been struggling out of the gate, but Colorado College isn’t much better in terms of consistency. I’m really not too sure of these games, especially since both teams are pretty poor on defense and I don’t have a good handle on either team. CC was off last weekend, so I’m wondering if that will play into it at all. Also, CC is on the road for the first time this year. St. Cloud State 5-4, 5-3 Matthew: Most years, I would have called this a relatively straightforward sweep for SCSU. Now, after the Huskies went to overtime in each of their last three games, I’m interested to see if they put one or both of these games away in 60. St. Cloud State 3-2, 4-2
No. 19 Omaha at No. 20 Western Michigan Candace: These games are in Lawson, and I’m sure the Broncos are happy to be back on home ice. Omaha has shown improvement, and it might be enough to get the split. Western is a real tough out at home though, and gets Cam Lee back in the lineup. The key for Western will be to stay out of the penalty box. I’m tempted to call a home sweep, but I’ll go with the split. Western Michigan 4-2, Omaha 3-2 Matthew: There’s a lot to like about this series between two teams that could be really competitive by the time we start thinking about the postseason. Omaha has been better than I thought it would be, and Western has been good lately after a meh start to the season. Split. Western Michigan 3-2, Omaha 4-2
Chloé Aurard leads Northeastern with six goals. (Photos: Northeastern Athletics/Jim Pierce)
Bemidji State at (1) Minnesota
The Gophers were impressive in their series against Wisconsin two weeks ago. Bemidji State has some big wins and some head-scratching losses, though the Beavers do tend to rise to the occasion when playing Minnesota. I expect the Gophers to sweep, but could see Bemidji stealing a game, especially if they get a great goaltending performance.
Minnesota State at (2) Wisconsin
The Badgers need to regain some confidence after a loss and tie at Minnesota last week. Their defense took a beating, but a return to home ice and two games against Minnesota State should allow them to find their balance again. Wisconsin holds an 84-2-3 all-time record against the Mavericks, including a 25-game unbeaten streak. The Badgers should sweep.
Yale at (3) Cornell
The Big Red are coming off a tie with Clarkson and return home to face a Yale team they defeated twice last season. The Bulldogs are 5-2 to start the season and are coming off a loss to Boston University. Cornell is at home for alumni weekend and should be able to win this one with ease.
Brown at (3) Cornell
Cornell will likely complete a weekend sweep of games with a win over Brown. The Bears have shown improvement recently, but they are just no match for the power that the Big Red put on the ice.
New Hampshire at (4) Northeastern
This is no easy feat for UNH, who’s already played the Huskies once this year. Northeastern out-shot them 49-24 and walked away with a 4-1 win. There’s no reason to believe these two games won’t proceed in a similar fashion. The Wildcats are a team that I think may upset and surprise a few Hockey East teams this year, but having seen them just three weeks ago, I don’t think the Huskies are in danger of overlooking this set of games.
(4) Northeastern at (6) Boston College
It’s likely one of these two teams will win the Hockey East title this year, so this is a great game to be able to compare and contrast where these two teams are at this point in the season and how they match up. They’ll meet at least two more times this year, including two games right after the end of the winter break in the schedule. Neither team has had a ton of pushback on their defense for a full 60 minutes, so keeping an eye on how they back check and handle all of each other’s lines will be worth watching.
Mercyhurst at (5) Clarkson
These two teams have only met 14 times and the last two times were in the NCAA tournament. The Lakers own the overall record 8-6-4, but Clarkson won both of those post-season meetings. The Golden Knights are on an eight game unbeaten streak. Mercyhurst is 7-2-1 on the young season and is coming off a sweep of Lindenwood. Clarkson is likely to sweep this one.
(6) Boston College at Boston University
It’s hard to believe this will be just the 57th time these two will meet. They split last year’s games, with BU taking the regular season series 2-1, but BC earning the win in the Hockey East tournament. Seven of the last ten games have been decided by one goal or fewer, so expect a tightly-contested match. Both teams have great goaltending, but the Eagles probably have the advantage on offense and are likely to win this one.
(10) Minnesota Duluth at (7) Ohio State
These two teams split their season series last year, with each team sweeping at home. That bodes well for the Buckeyes, but I wouldn’t count the Bulldogs out. As Arlan mentioned in this week’s Wednesday Women, there’s probably not room for both of these teams in the NCAA tournament. That makes series like this incredibly crucial both for the optics and for the quality win bonus points. I assume they’ll split this weekend to draw out the drama until they meet again in Duluth.
(8) Princeton at Union
The Tigers have a weekend to regroup and get back on track. They should take a win from Union.
(8) Princeton at RPI
They should also not struggle to get past RPI.
(9) Harvard at Boston University
This is a game that didn’t look as intriguing to start the season as it does now. Harvard is currently sitting atop the ECAC with a 5-0 start to their season. BU has had a bit of a roller coaster to start their season as they look to find offense from new places and figure out who they are without Jess Compher to lead them. I’m not yet sure if Harvard is who they’ve shown to be through these early weeks or if we’ll see some major regression to the mean, but this is a good test for them. I’ll pick Harvard, but this game probably comes down to pretty slim margins.
As we reach mid-November, I feel like I am settling into this new role with USCHO. However, after having a strong first couple of weeks with my picks, I hit a wall last week with Michigan Tech’s loss to Minnesota State on Saturday, and, even worse, my pick of Lake Superior State to sweep Bemidji State. Oh, there was a sweep alright, but it went in favor of the Beavers.
Daver last week: 4-6-2
Jack last week: 5-5-2
Daver this season: 21-11-3
Jack this season: 34-24-6
On to the action:
Bemidji State at Ferris State
The Beavers come into this weekend having posted 12 goals last weekend at home against Lake Superior State. Adam Brady had a huge weekend with three goals as part of that offensive outburst for the hosts. The Bulldogs had a rough weekend last weekend against Western Michigan, giving up 12 goals on the weekend.
Daver: BSU sweeps 4-1, 4-1
Jack: BSU sweeps 4-1, 5-3
Michigan Tech at Lake Superior State
The Huskies played arguably their best game of the season last Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Minnesota State. Freshman goaltender Blake Pietila made six stops on six shots Friday night in relief of junior Robbie Beydoun. Getting the chance to start Saturday, Pietila held the Mavericks to two goals in a 2-1 loss. The Lakers are still looking to get back on the winning track after a tough start to the season.
Daver: MTU Friday 3-1, LSSU Saturday 3-2
Jack: LSSU Friday 3-1, MTU Saturday 2-1
Alaska at Northern Michigan
The Nanooks have been the surprise of the WCHA in the early going. Splitting last weekend with Arizona State, they have proven to not be intimidated by the skill level of their opponents week in and week out. The Wildcats’ Griffin Loughran was held to just one goal last weekend in a tie and loss against St. Cloud State. The sophomore is off to a great start with the Wildcats with nine goals on the season.
Daver: UAF Friday 2-1, NMU Saturday 4-2
Jack: UAF Friday 3-2, NMU Saturday 5-3
Bowling Green at Alaska Anchorage
The Falcons come into this weekend after having a week off following a split with the Mavericks. While they have gotten off to a strong start, the trip north can take its toll. The Seawolves come into the weekend having taken five of six points from Alabama Huntsville on the road. They are going to need more goals from junior Trey deGraaf, who scored twice in Saturday’s 3-1 win, if they want to make a statement this weekend.
For the second weekend in a row, it’s all conference games on the schedule in ECAC Hockey. Here are the games set for this weekend. All start at 7 p.m.
Nate
Last week: 9-2-1
Overall: 34-24-5
Mark
Last week: 9-2-1
Overall: 32-26-5
Friday, Nov. 15
Harvard at Brown
Nate: Brown is off to a respectable start, but Harvard has been very impressive in the early going. Harvard 4-2
Mark: Bears won the first meeting in 1898, haven’t had much luck against the Crimson since, but they pull out a win here. Brown 4-2
Cornell at Clarkson
Nate: Clarkson is playing well, but the Big Red are on another level right now. Cornell 4-2
Mark: The Big Red exact a (small) measure of payback for losing the ECAC title game to the Golden Knights last season. Cornell 3-1
Rensselaer at Princeton
Nate: RPI is averaging more than three goals a game this season while Princeton was shut down offensively last weekend after scoring ten times in its first two games. Rensselaer 4-1
Mark: In a meeting of two not-very-good possession teams, Tigers prevail on home ice. Princeton 4-2
Union at Quinnipiac
Nate: Both teams have struggled lately, but I think Quinnipiac has a deeper lineup. Quinnipiac 5-3
Mark: Bobcats are in a 0-3-1 slide. Dutchmen are first team in country to 10 losses. Quinnipiac 4-1
Colgate at St. Lawrence
Nate: The Raiders have struggled offensively this season, while St. Lawrence has given up at least three goals in three of its last four games. I think the Saints defense will get back on track Friday. St. Lawrence 3-1
Mark: In a battle of goal-starved teams, it’s a race to two. St. Lawrence 2-1
Dartmouth at Yale
Nate: The Big Green rebounded from a tough opening weekend with a win and a tie last weekend, while Yale has lost three in a row. Dartmouth 4-2
Mark: The Big Green have won four in a row against the Bulldogs, including two straight in New Haven. Dartmouth 5-3
Saturday, November 16:
Dartmouth at Brown
Nate: Both teams average three goals a game, but the Bears have been better defensively. Brown 4-3
Mark: Bears had the Big Green’s number last season and they keep it going. Brown 4-1
Colgate at Clarkson
Nate: Not sure if the Raiders can keep pace with the Golden Knights, who are one of the top teams in the league. Clarkson 5-1
Mark: Heading into the weekend, Colgate was scoring on 4.8 percent of their shots. Clarkson was twice as good at 9.6 percent. Clarkson 3-2
Union at Princeton
Nate: Neither team is coming off a great weekend, but the Tigers have won three of the last four against the Dutchmen. Princeton 3-1
Mark: The Dutchmen go into Hobey Baker Rink and take two points. Union 4-3
Rensselaer at Quinnipiac
Nate: Like Mark said below, the all-time series is tilted in the Bobcats favor. Despite its recent struggles, Quinnipiac gets a win on its home ice. Quinnipiac 5-4
Mark: Wins against Quinnipiac have been few and far between for the Engineers, but they pull one out here. 6-4.
Cornell at St. Lawrence
Nate: The Saints have shown some promise under first-year coach Brent Brekke, but Cornell is loaded with talent throughout its lineup. Cornell 4-1
Mark: Big Red are too strong for rebuilding Saints. Cornell 5-2
Harvard at Yale
Nate: Harvard is still working on a few things early in the year, but the Crimson have still looked pretty sharp. Harvard 6-2
Mark: The ride home from New Haven goes down a lot easier after a win. Harvard 5-2
Zach Feldman has played a key role in Lake Forest’s quick start to the season. (Photo by Abby King)
Zach Feldman is a senior defenseman at Lake Forest and with this being his final season in college, he’s making the most of it, and maybe more importantly, he’s having fun along the way.
“It’s a lot of fun. Everyone is confident and making plays, and when everyone is playing well, it makes my job that much easier,” Feldman said.”We feed off each other.”
Feldman has helped the Foresters jump out to a 3-1-1 start on the year. Two of those wins came against natinal power St. Norbert last weekend on the road. Feldman tallied a goal and an assist in the 4-3 win that capped the series sweep.The Foresters won the opener 1-0.
“St. Norbert is historically a great program and we have a ton of respect for them,” Feldman said. “We knew we had a good hockey team and that we’ve been putting in a lot of work. To see that pay off, it gives us a nice boost of confidence. We have to build off it and not be complacent.”
Feldman certainly has no intentions of being complacent. He has come through with a goal and four assists this season and has 12 goals and 23 assists in his career.
He feels as confident as ever and has risen to the occasion as a leader as well.
“I’m just playing with more confidence and I’m doing my part to be a leader,” Feldman said. “I’m making plays and making the right decisions at the right time. I’ve taken a step forward with that this season.”
A natve of California, Feldman is a long way from home. He played three years of junior hockey before landing at Lake Forest, entering college as a 21-year-old freshman. The added experience and maturity helped him not only adapt to life as a college hockey player but it has made a difference for him academically as well. And that matters because Feldman is a pre-med student.
“I came in more mature and knew how to manage my time a little better,” Feldman said. “I know there are going to be late nights in the library, but you have to be able to get your work done. We’ve done a good job as a team balancing our on and off-ice requirements. It makes it easier to get your work done when you have teammates in the library with you. It’s nice to know we are working just as hard off the ice as we are on it.”
Speaking of work, Feldman put in quite a bit of it during the offseason to prepare him for the season ahead with the Foresters.That work has allowed him to become a better player in the defensive zone.
“Iv’e definitely improved a lot in the defensive zone,” Feldman said.”Getting in the gym and getting stronger has been a huge help with battling in the corners or in front of the net.”
Feldman has been a consistent contributor throughout his career at Lake Forest. Feldman has helped the Foresters win at least 16 games each of the last three years and reach the semifinals of the NCHA tournament the last two seasons.
“It’s been a blast and I’ve seen a lot of progress,” Feldman said. “Being a senior now and being a leader, it’s humbling for sure. I’ve enjoyed every year here. Every year has been different and the vibe and camaraderie on this team has always been good. I’ve been fortunate to play hockey here the last four years.”
Going forward, Feldman is striving to be more consistent for 60 minutes of hockey.
“You can’t take a night off in this league. Every point matters and every team is going to give you a battle,” Feldman said. “It’s important to be ready to go the moment the puck drops.”
Feldman is confident that if the Foresters can build off their early-season success that they have an opportunity to be one of the better teams in the NCHA again.
“We have shown that we can beat anyone in the country as long as we play well and play our game,” Feldman said. “We want to be a force to be reckoned with and the key is to keep getting better every week. We are pretty excited about our potential.”
Around the West
Brett Gravelle of Saint Thomas leads the MIAC in points with eight. Austin Martinsen is second in the league in points with six. Three others have at least five points.Gravelle and Martinsen are tied for the league-lead in goals, tallying four apiece.Gravelle is also tied for the MIAC lead in assists.
Daniil Gerasimov boasts the best goals against average in the MIAC, sporting a 0.50 GAA. He’s allowed just one goal in two games and has made 47 saves.
Luke McElhenie of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Ryan Cusin of Wisconsin-River Falls are tied for the WIAC lead in goals with five apiece. Cusin also leads the WIAC in points (8) and all five of his goals this season have come off the power play.
Jordan Martin of Wisconsin-Superior and Raphael Gosselin of Wisconsin-Stout are tied for the most assists in the WIAC this season, tallying four apiece,
Larry Jungwirth (Aurora), Dino Balsamo (Adrian) and Braydon Barker (Concordia) are tied atop the NCHA for points (8). Balsamo leads the way in goals with six on the year. Barker is tied with Adrian’s Andrew Bellant for most assists (6).
Cornell’s Mike Schafer (left) and Clarkson’s Casey Jones are close friends away from the rink, but their teams clash tonight in Potsdam (photos: Cornell Athletics/Clarkson Athletics).
Describing Clarkson’s Casey Jones and Cornell’s Mike Schafer as friendly rivals and leaving it at that doesn’t do justice to how deep their relationship runs.
They are friendly, for sure, and they most certainly are rivals as coaches of two of the top teams in the ECAC. But there is much more to the bond between the two of them.
“He’s probably my closest friend in the business,” Jones says of Schafer. “I bounce a ton off him and stay in close contact with him. He is a good person, lot of trust built up with him. It’s a real good relationship and I certainly value that.”
Both are former Cornell captains. Three decades ago, Jones was a player at Cornell and Schafer was a young assistant coach with the Big Red. They worked alongside each other from 2008 to 2011 when Jones was associate head coach under Schafer at Cornell.
Jones lets out a laugh and answers with a quick no when asked whether a life in coaching was on his radar back when the clock was running out on his final season as a player.
Schafer says he expected that whatever career Jones chose, he would be good at it.
“I didn’t look at him back then and think that he’s going to be a hockey coach, but his success as a recruiter or as a head coach doesn’t surprise me, either,” said Schafer, whose record at Cornell is a sparkling 462-259-95.
Fast forward to today and Jones and Schafer and their teams – both ranked in the top 10 in the national polls — will go toe to toe on Friday night when Cornell visits Clarkson.
Schafer’s Big Red is 4-0 and have outscored opponents 19-7. Jones’ Golden Knights are 7-2-1 with a 30-19 scoring advantage.
The last time the teams met was in the ECAC championship game in Lake Placid in March. It was a beauty, with the Golden Knights skating away with the title on a 3-2 win in overtime.
Despite that bit of recent history, Schafer insists the Big Red treat games against Clarkson no different than any other game.
“You don’t want to get into that rollercoaster where one game is a rivalry game and another is just a regular-season game,” Schafer said. “That’s what we’re trying to teach our guys, that they’re all difficult.”
Given Cornell’s year-in-year-out success under Schafer, Jones has a different point of view.
“We all know that they’re a team that you’re going to have to go through if you have aspirations to win a championship in the league. It’s definitely one of those games that you circle. It will be hopping in here this weekend,” he said.
According to Schafer, at this early point in the season his team is focused on nailing down the details of its own game, not worrying about what opponents are going to do.
“If this was March it would be a lot different conversation, where we’d talk in detail about what they do and their tendencies, but right now it’s a couple of adjustments and get ready to play hard because we know they will,” said Schafer, whose teams have been known over the years for their defensive structure.
While Jones is certainly satisfied with his team’s start – they carry a four-game winning streak into the weekend – there is work to be done.
“Our consistency of 120 minutes on a weekend isn’t where we want it to be,” he says.
“We really try to be a puck possession team. With that in mind, we want to have a purpose when we move pucks. We want to be responsible with it. We want to be difficult to play against when we don’t have the puck. That’s who we are.”
The qualities that made Jones a good player have helped him as a coach. At Clarkson, he has led the Golden Knights to two straight 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances.
“He was a very cerebral, very skilled player. Thought the game well, had a great hockey IQ. Some guys have a lot of hockey IQ and then they struggle to explain that to other players that might not have that,” said Schafer, who is in 25th season as head coach of a program that is a perennial contender.
“But Casey’s able to take his ability to think the game and get that knowledge across to his athletes. It makes him a good coach.”
Jones admires Schafer’s passion.
“’Schaf’ loves the game. His teams play like that, too. He’s a student of the game, but he also brings a ton of energy. He’s got a great culture there and he holds guys accountable. It’s a long season and he brings energy every day. There’s no drop-off,” he said.
Energy and passion won’t be in short supply this weekend in the North Country, where the Mike Schafer coaching tree has taken root, with Jones at Clarkson and Brent Brekke, a longtime Cornell assistant, at St. Lawrence.
“It’s going to be like old home week with the two of those guys,” said Schafer. “It will be fun to catch up.”
Lindenwood looks to revamp the program with a new rink and new coach this season. (Photo: Tim Brule)
Shelley Looney has a more impressive resume than most first-time Division I coaches. She’s spent time leading prep school and professional teams. She was head coach of the 2017 and 2019 World University Women’s National Teams. With USA Hockey, she has been an assistant coach for both boys and girls squads and spent a significant amount of time working in development. As a player, she scored the game-winner in the 1998 Olympic gold-medal game, won silver at the 2002 Olympics and has a gold and seven silver medals from IIHF World Championships.
She wasn’t necessarily looking for a new position or to move into collegiate coaching, but when a friend asked her if she’d be interested in Lindenwood, she took the chance to visit campus. A few days later, she said, she had a job offer. The campus was a big draw, she said, as was the new ice center that gives Lindenwood access to facilities that compete with some of the top programs in the country.
The new Centene Community Ice Center is a state-of-the-art facility with four ice sheets inside and one outdoor covered rink. There are more than 200,000 square feet of ice, strength and conditioning facilities, skill-development areas and event spaces.
The new facilities are a recruiting boon, but more importantly, they provide the space for the Lions to continue to grow and improve. Looney doesn’t believe development every really stops. Though there’s a focus on it in pre-teen and teenage players, she believes it’s just as important to focus on those skills and details with players of all ages. Centene gives them the space to do that.
Much of the appeal of helming this program Looney said, was the ability to spend a full year working with players, as opposed to the short periods she was able to spend with teams heading into the World University Games or with USA Hockey. She’s committed to helping this program improve and become a team others are afraid to play, and getting to spend multiple months over the course of four separate seasons to help players mature and improve is incredibly appealing.
The Lions are in their eighth season as a Division I program. The University was an NAIA program, which does not support women’s hockey, so the team competed as part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, where they were incredibly successful. They won four national championships and were national runners up from 2005-2010. In 2011 they placed third and in 2012, they played as an independent team before moving fully to Division I as a part of the CHA in 2013.
Since joining Division I, Lindenwood has not won more than eight games in a season, but Looney said she already sees that her new team is capable of more. The Lions are 2-8-2 so far this season. One of their ties came against then no. 4 Clarkson. One of their wins is over Bemidji State, who has wins over then- no. 8 Minnesota Duluth and then-no. 8 Ohio State.
But, the team has little-to-no experience with protecting a lead – especially late in the game. The Lion were up 3-0 on Robert Morris with 25 minutes left to play on Saturday before the Colonials scored four unanswered goals to win the game 4-3 in overtime.
It’s those sorts of lessons that Looney is excited to impart. She’s hoping to create a culture of unity at Lindenwood, she said, and take the program to a place of prominence. The university is committed to providing her with the resources and support she needs to do that, she said, which is one of the major reasons she took this position.
Lindenwood is a unique university in that it’s the only Division I program south of the Mason Dixon Line. Their relatively remote location doesn’t make travel or schedule-making easy. The closest school is Wisconsin, which is still 375 miles away. Ohio State is 425 miles away and Minnesota is a 515 mile trip. In general, WCHA teams have filled out a good portion of the Lions’ non-conference schedule – which is extra-large since there are only six teams in the CHA. That makes for somewhat closer travel, but a tough test from often-ranked teams.
The Lions average one-way travel to play anyone in their conference is 750 miles. The closest school is Robert Morris, 620 miles away. Syracuse requires a 900-mile one-way trip.
The location gives the team plenty of logistical difficulties, but it can also be present an advantage. They are the closest program for students in emerging hockey development areas like Texas and Tennessee, which can be a recruiting boon. Add that to the teams’ new facilities and Looney’s goal of raising the profile of this team doesn’t seem too far out of reach.
Lindenwood has already proven that they can be dangerous, no matter who the opponent. Those close games serve as proof to the players that the work they’re putting in can and will pay off.
Perfection is difficult to achieve, but one would hope if you go a week in the picks without taking a loss that you might pick up more ground on your opponent:
Jim last week: 6-0-3
Dave last week: 5-1-3
Jim last week: 37-25-10
Dave last week: 41-21-10
UMass Lowell vs. Connecticut (Fri. at UConn; Sat. at UML)
Lowell has been on a roll of late paced by excellent goaltending by Tyler Wall and scoring that is distributed among many. UConn has been at the opposite end of the spectrum, struggling to score goals and, last weekend at least its defense wasn’t anywhere near good enough.
Boston College at Vermont
The Eagles offense came alive against UConn last weekend, something that they hope can be sustained. This weekend, though, they’ll run into a goaltender in Stef Lekkas who can frustrate pretty much anyone. Now if only Vermont can find its scoring touch.
Jim’s pick: BC 2, UVM 1; BC 3 UVM 1
Dave’s pick: BC 3, UVM 1; BC 3, UVM 1
Providence vs. Northeastern (Fri. at Prov.; Sat. at NU)
Each of these teams enter this series coming off solid three-of-four point weekends. The Friars offense was alive and well in its two games versus Boston University, while Northeastern’s defense and goaltending paced their team. This promises to be a battle for both nights.
Jim’s picks: PC 4, NU 2; PC 3, NU 2
Dave’s picks: PC 3, NU 2; NU 3, PC 2
Massachusetts vs. Boston University (Fri. at BU; Sat. at UMass)
The Minutemen offense was missing on Sunday in a 3-1 loss to New Hampshire (granted, much of that could be credited to UNH’s goaltender), while BU’s defense struggled through two games against Providence. It will be interesting to see if either team can right the ship enough to grab a weekend sweep.
Jim’s picks: UMass 4, BU 3; UMass 5, BU 3
Dave’s picks: UMass 3, BU 2; UMass 4, BU 2
New Hampshire at Maine
These two teams will renew their border battle rivalry in Orono in what may be the most anticipated matchup of these two teams in at least half a decade. Both teams have had better-than-expected starts and New Hampshire is riding th momentum of a win over No. 2 UMass last Sunday.
Jim’s picks: UNH 4, Maine 3; Maine 3, UNH 2 (OT)
Dave’s picks: Maine 4 UNH 3 OT); Maine 3, UNH 2 (OT)
John Lethemon and Michigan State play a home-and-home series against rivals Michigan this weekend. (Andrew Knapik/MiHockeyNow)
A mixed bag for our picks last week. Neither of us picked Michigan State to pull the upset in Happy Valley or saw Notre Dame coming away with a seep. Picking a split, the wrong way, came back to bite Paula once again in the Wisconsin/Omaha series. Here’s how we did.
Last week
Drew: 4-3-1 (.563)
Paula: 2-5-1 (.313)
This season
Drew: 35-15-3 (.689)
Paula: 30-20-3 (.644)
This week
Three B1G series spread across three nights this weekend. Ohio State takes the weekend off. All times are local.
Michigan State at/vs. Michigan
Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
It’s early in the conference slate, but this could be a big series if one of these two wants to climb out of the lower echelon and make some noise. Michigan State’s John Lethemon was spectacular last Friday against Penn State, picking up a 48-save shutout as the Spartans dropped the Nittany Lions 2-0. Michigan, on the other hand, suffered a power outage against Minnesota, scoring only two goals on the weekend against the Gophers.
Drew: Michigan State 4-2, 3-1 Paula Michigan 4-2, Michigan State 3-2
No. 8 Penn State at Minnesota
Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
The young Gophers will look to keep the momentum they gained at Yost last weekend rolling, but, as I noted in the column this week, their schedule leading into Christmas is daunting. That starts this weekend when Penn State comes to town. In theory, the larger ice sheet at Mariucci should be a welcome sight for an offensive-happy team like Penn State, but that’s not always the case for opposing teams. This is also the first road test of the season for Penn State, so maybe they’ve been a little coddled playing in front of the home fans so often.
Drew: Minnesota 4-3, Penn State 6-2 Paula Minnesota 3-2, Penn State 5-1
No. 4 Notre Dame at No. 15 Wisconsin
Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Both of these teams come into this series with good offensive-numbers, so it’ll be fun to watch and see if it lives up to the hype. With all the talented-offensive players on the ice, defensive-pressure and special teams will obviously be important, too. The Badgers, who are 2-4 since they swept Minnesota Duluth, would welcome a positive result this weekend to get back on track. Notre Dame’s only blemish so far this season, a tie against Minnesota, came on the road.
Norwich’s Tom Aubrun’s shutout streak will get stern challenge at Hobart (Photo – Michael Menn, Norwich University)
There seemed to be a lot of scoring last week with several teams posting six or more goals in conference play contests. This week the story may be more focused on the defensive end and whether Norwich will surrender a goal after three shutout games to open the season. Great contender match-ups this weekend to set the tone for great hockey. Last week my picks finished at 5-3-1 (.611) so I cooled off from the strong start in week one. Overall, the record is 11-5-2 (.667) so room for improvement with some challenging marque games from which to choose a winner. Here are this week’s picks:
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Massachusetts-Dartmouth @ Worcester State
Both teams got off to a good start in conference play and will look to build on that momentum. Steven Leonard is the difference for the Corsairs in a key road win – UMD 4, Worcester State 2
Friday, November 15, 2019
Wentworth @ No. 11 University of New England
The Leopards are not a team to be overlooked in the CCC, but the Nor’easters proved to be an offensive powerhouse last week and continue the momentum on home ice – UNE 5, Wentworth 1
No. 1 Norwich @ No. 5 Hobart
Just three weeks into the season and the league favorites match-up in an early season big game. Hobart has home ice but Norwich and Tom Aubrun have been unscored upon to open the season. Shutout streak is broken but two points are more important – Norwich 3, Hobart 1
Nazareth @ No. 12 Utica
The Golden Flyers laid an eight-spot on Neumann and then seven goals on Manhattanville on the road last weekend. Not the big numbers at Utica but enough for a win and a 3-0 start in the league – Nazareth 4, Utica 3
Brockport @ No. 3 Oswego
Hey Lakers – TRAP GAME alert! Know you are at Geneseo on Saturday but best not look past this very talented Brockport team on Friday. Home team gets the job done but may need some extra time to do it – Oswego 3, Brockport 2
Saturday, November 16, 2018
No. 3 Oswego @ No. 2 Geneseo
Another great game this weekend for early season positioning for the top spot. These two teams are ranked two and three in the country for a reason and the game will not disappoint. Would pick a tie if I could but taking the visitors in an upset – Oswego 3, Geneseo 2.
St. Michael’s @ Assumption
This one has overtime written all over it and the Greyhounds look to knock off the overtime tested Purple Knights for key NE-10 points. David Zulauf steals the win for the home team – Assumption 4, St. Michael’s 3
Tufts @ No. 7 Trinity
The Bantams have quietly moved up in the rankings without playing a game yet this season. NESCAC kicks off this weekend and the defending champions show they are ready to contend again – Trinity 5, Tufts 2
Plymouth State @ Westfield State
The Panthers have always been very strong at home and this week look to state their case against a talented Owls squad led by former Panther goalie Thierry Messervier. An empty-net goal is the deciding tally in a close game – Plymouth State 4, Westfield State 2
Everybody is now at the party with NESCAC teams joining play this week. Great match-ups across the board so look for some playoff caliber hockey – “Drop the Puck!”
It’s a great ECAC Hockey matchup for USCHO’s Game of the Week as No. 7 Clarkson hosts No. 3 Cornell. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Clarkson head coach Casey Jones to preview the Friday night tilt.
Also in this episode: No. 4 Notre Dame for a pair at No. 15 Wisconsin in the Big Ten, No. 14 Northeastern home-and-home in Hockey East with No. 10 Providence, No. 9 North Dakota at No. 2 Denver in NCHC play, and a couple of Atlantic Hockey rematches from last season’s quarterfinals. Plus a pair of rivalry series: Michigan State and Michigan in a Thursday-Saturday home-and-home, and Maine hosting New Hampshire for two.
Notre Dame’s Jake Pivonka battles Minnesota’s Blake McLaughlin and Ben Meyers for the puck during the game at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis on Nov. 2, 2019 (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Maybe it’s time to put the narrative about Notre Dame being a defensive team to bed.
Head coach Jeff Jackson has a potential different phrase to use.
“Everybody considers us to be a defensive team, but I’d rather look us as being a puck-possession team,” he said. “Because [when] we possess the puck more than the opponent, that’s the best defense of all.”
As we enter the midpoint of the second month of the season, the undefeated Fighting Irish have the fifth-most potent offense in the nation. Notre Dame is averaging 4.12 goals per contest, 1.32 better than its mark last season.
“I don’t think we’ve changed how we approach the game,” Jackson said. “I think the difference is maybe we’re getting a little more depth scoring, that’s been a huge component to it. We go into every year, just like every team, expecting certain guys to be productive offensively and then you’re always hoping that guys develop, and that’s been the strength of our team over the years. Every year, guys tend to get better and better and more productive offensively.”
The college hockey preseason is very short. Teams generally get down to business after one exhibition game. Even so, Jackson said developing a scoring touch early is a key point in the process of a campaign.
“We spend a lot of time on scoring skills, especially in training camp, trying to develop guys and their ability to finish,” he said. “It’s about more than their shot, it’s about their ability to make a play in tight with the puck, sometimes it’s making the goaltender move, but it’s also rebounds and deflections and redirects and things like that.
“We always expect that some guys will be big contributors, but it was good to see some of the sophomores and some of the freshmen showing some ability to finish and to be more-effective getting inside that dirty area where most goals are scored.”
The Irish are allowing 2.25 goals per game, so they haven’t abandoned their strong defensive style. In its Big Ten opener against Ohio State last weekend Notre Dame won 3-2 in overtime on Friday and 2-1 Saturday, coming from behind in both games.
“We were fortunate to be able to come back both nights late in the game and tie the game and win it late or in overtime,” Jackson said. “We scored key goals at key moments of the game and that was exciting to see.”
Through eight games, Notre Dame’s offense is being paced by three seniors. Cal Burke has four goals and nine assists, Mike O’Leary has five goals and seven assists and Cam Morrison has two goals and seven assists.
“It’s always good when you have good seniors, every time we’ve had a good senior class it’s made a big difference in our team,” Jackson said. “I, to some degree, expect Cal Burke to be productive player, but he’s progressively gotten better over his time here. As has Cam Morrison. Cam, right now, seems to be more focused and more driven to be successful this year, and that’s a real positive.”
Jackson said he was particularly impressed with O’Leary.
“Mike O’Leary’s probably the one guy that’s taken the most strides since he’s gotten here,” he said. “He really came out of the shadows last year, midseason. He got the opportunity, based on some injuries and things like that, to be on the power play for the first time and to be more of a factor on the top two lines and he took full advantage of it.”
The plethora of experience amongst the top two lines is beneficial for the younger players on the team as it allows Jackson to work the matchups and put them in a position to succeed. Freshman Trevor Janicke is fourth on the team in scoring with four goals and three assists and sophomore Jake Pivonka has six points this season.
“There’s less pressure on them than to play in a top-two-line role,” Jackson said. “Our sophomore class, last year especially, they all played significant minutes and they were all strong contributors. It’s really positive to see Jacob Pivonka starting to show some positive signs offensively.”
The depth of goal scorers, like Jackson eluded to, is also a key point. The Irish have had 15 different players light the lamp at least once this season.
This weekend the Irish travel to Wisconsin to face another offensive-team. Jacksons said that the Badgers are the deeper offensively than they’ve been since Notre Dame joined the conference, and that he thinks they’ll get better as the season progresses.
“I’m sure that once they gain that confidence to be able to do it on a nightly basis, they’re going to potentially go on a bit of a tear,” he said. “Hopefully, that doesn’t happen too soon.”
Michigan, Michigan State prepare for battle
The only in-state rivalry in the conference will be renewed this weekend when the Wolverines and Spartans play a home-and-home series.
The two teams have met 324 times, making it the most-played rivalry in college hockey. Michigan holds a 165-135-24 advantage in the series. The two teams will play in Ann Arbor on Thursday night and in East Lansing on Saturday.
Michigan State head coach Danton Cole said he prefers that his players prepare for every game the same, regardless of opponent, but conceded that Michigan week is special.
“All that being said, there is something different about this week,” he said. “It’s a big rivalry, and it has been in hockey for a long time. I don’t think you get away from that emotion there.”
Wisconsin seeks power-play consistency
Wisconsin may have won last Friday’s game against Omaha, but the Badgers went 0-6 with the extra man. They did score a power-play goal on Saturday, going 1-5, but lost 5-2.
With Note Dame, a team averaging only 8.12 penalty minutes per game, coming to town any opportunity with the extra skater is going to be important this weekend.
Badgers’ head coach Tony Granato said he saw improvement in the power-play units last weekend, despite only scoring once.
“I thought it was much better over the weekend,” he said. “I think we could have had some more go in for us. We moved the puck better. I think the adjustments we made, personnel-wise we did some shifting around, kind of gave ourselves a couple different units that I thought gelled pretty well together (and) complimented each other very well.”
That being said, he stated how important the power play was going to be against Notre Dame and beyond.
“It’s going to have to be a big part of our team,” Granato said. “Obviously, teams have done a good job of fronting certain shooters and we haven’t responded and made the plays that are available to us. Now, with how we have it setup, we have the opportunity to get back on track and be able to be difference-makers in games. That power-play unit should difference-makers in games.”
Minnesota prepares for Penn State, tough run in to holiday break
After taking five of six points from its trip to Michigan, Minnesota doesn’t get much time to revel in its success.
The Gophers welcome Penn State to Minneapolis this weekend. The adage is that the first team to three goals has a good chance to win the game, but head coach Bob Motzko said the rules are different when playing the Nittany Lions.
“With Penn State, that’s not the case,” he said. “In four league games they’ve got six, six and five. They have the most-potent offense in college hockey, I’m convinced. I know I picked them first this year to win the league. They’re older, they’re veteran (and have) tremendous depth offensively. You’d better respect them or they’re going to make you pay.”
After the Nittany Lions the Gophers have two tough home series against Wisconsin and North Dakota followed by a trip to Ohio State to close out the first half of the season.
“We have a very tough stretch heading into Christmas — you can’t hide from it,” Motzko said. “I’ve never been scared of schedules because they’ve all scared me since the day I got into coaching. I’m just used to it, this is a tough weekend, and we’ve got to get ready for it.”
Katie McCoy of Gustavus Adolphus was named MIAC women’s hockey athlete of the week. (Gustavus Adolphus Athletics)
Though they have often been near the top of the MIAC conference, Gustavus Adolphus entered this season in unfamiliar territory, as two-time All-American goaltender Amanda DiNella graduated. The Gusties are young, with 12 freshmen on the roster, and faced a tough early test last weekend against then No. 7 Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
It seems that defense still reigns at Gustavus, as the Gusties earned a 1-0 win over Eau Claire, continuing their strong 3-0 start. According to coach Mike Carroll, his young team is growing and being rewarded for early hard work.
“Well, a lot goes into it. I think number one, we’ve got two really good senior leaders that have been through a lot of ups and downs, mainly ups, in their career. I think the last couple of years, our team hasn’t had the depth and talent that we’ve been used to having over the course of the last 20 years or so. I think our team speed has improved. The bottom line, our kids are just working hard. It’s nice to play good competition early. You just never know how it’s going to go. We have a lot of unanswered questions with our team because we’re very, very, very young, but so far, it’s been really rewarding to watch their growth day by day and week by week, and hopefully it will continue.”
One thing that has helped the Gusties early has been the steady presence of senior defenseman Kristen Cash, who is back contributing after an injury cut short her junior year.
“She unfortunately last year broke her ankle in her second game of the season. She was a returning all-conference defenseman, and we were without her virtually the whole season. She did come back in February, but did the best she could on one leg and just got through the season. It’s really nice to see her get fully healthy and back in there to try have a goal of having her best year her senior year. She just brings a stabilizing influence back on D, cause she’s a hard worker. She’s a leader by example, sort of a silent leader. Her work ethic speaks for itself.”
So far, no favorite to take over for DiNella has emerged. Carroll has rolled three different goaltenders in the team’s first three games, and all three have performed well. Freshman Katie McCoy got the start against Eau Claire and made 19 saves, a performance that earned her MIAC women’s hockey athlete of the week. Rookie Francesca Gerardi and sophomore Emilia Helms-Leslie have also played well.
“We’ve been spoiled the last couple years because we’ve had a two-time All-American, and even her senior year deserved a lot of votes to be a three-time All-American. We knew it was a huge void to replace her, but people graduate and you have to just try to do that. We’re hoping to reload on the fly, and we’ve got basically all three of our goalies, even though Emilia is a sophomore, at zero game experience coming into the season. We had each one of them start one of our first three nonconference games, and they all did well in their own right. It’s really good to see. Katie McCoy from Milwaukee, who probably had the biggest challenge against Eau Claire when they pulled the goalie, had a lot of really big saves, and it’s really nice to see the three of them working hard and supporting each other. It gives our team confidence that maybe we have some really good options.”
Also contributing early is freshman forward Molly McHugh, who has two points in the first game. She has made a quick transition to the collegiate level, according to Carroll.
“One thing that Molly brings to the table is she comes from a winning program. She comes from Minnetonka High School, and she’s played in probably the toughest conference in a high school hockey in Minnesota. So, she’s more used to the level of play. The difference in the level of play from high school to college is pretty great. So far, the transition for her has been maybe a little bit easier than some. Of course, I have her with two really good players on a line, our senior captain, Amelia Vosen, and probably our quickest and most speedy player, Tina Press on the left wing. Together they have done a really good job, and we’ve asked a lot out of Molly, both five-on-five and then on special teams.”
This weekend, the Gusties will start conference play against St. Catherine. The MIAC is one of the conferences that has an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and Carroll knows that his team will have a lot of challenges this season if they want to make the tournament.
“I feel that our conference is probably the most improved and toughest top-to-bottom arguably of any of the conferences that give an automatic bid, especially the last five or six years. The gap between the top teams and the not so top teams has really narrowed, and that’s really good for all the teams because it makes everything so much more competitive. Obviously conference games matter the most at this stage of the season. We’re just hoping to get off to a good start on the road. We won our first game on the road, and hopefully we can go up there and give it six good periods of hockey.”
