WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson released the following statement Saturday regarding the status of intercollegiate athletics at Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks for the 2020-21 academic year.
“On Friday, it was announced at the University of Alaska Board of Regents meeting that intercollegiate athletics would continue at the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks next season.
“This is great news for the hockey programs at both UAA and UAF and for the WCHA. We are pleased that the men’s league of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will remain at 10 teams in 2020-21.”
From left, Notre Dame’s Mike O’Leary, RIT’s Logan Deackett and Wisconsin’s Cole Caufield all picked up monthly HCA honors for October (photos: Notre Dame Athletics, RIT Athletics, Wisconsin Athletics).
The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its players of the month for October.
Notre Dame senior forward Mike O’Leary is the player of the month, while RIT junior Logan Drackett is the goaltender of the month and Wisconsin’s Cole Caufield is the rookie of the month.
O’Leary led the Irish to a perfect 4-0-0 record in October while sharing the national lead in points per game (2.75) and assists per game (1.75) with linemate Cal Burke. O’Leary tallied multiple points in all four games to finish the month with four goals, seven assists and 11 points, while notching a point on the game-winning goal in three out of four contests.
Drackett helped RIT to a 5-1-0 record in October, their best start as a Division I program. He ranked atop all NCAA goalies with a 1.17 GAA and a 0.966 save percentage, while tying for the most shutouts with two.
Finishing the month with a nation’s-best eight goals, Caufield pushed the Badgers to a 4-3-0 record, opening the month with a two-goal performance at Boston College, a three-point night at Merrimack with two goals and an assist, and a pair of goals in a victory against two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth.
He closed out the month with goals in back-to-back games, including a win against Clarkson on Oct. 26.
Tyce Thompson’s goal late in the second period broke a 4-4 tie and gave host Providence a lead it wouldn’t relinquish as they skated past Boston University, 6-5, to earn three-of-four Hockey East points in the weekend series. (Photo: Rich Gagnon)
Scoring four goals is often a winning benchmark for a team. Five is usually gravy.
On Saturday, five certainly wasn’t enough as No. 11 Providence, led by freshman Max Crozier’s first two collegiate goals, potted six past Boston University in a wild, 6-5 victory to earn three-of-four points on the weekend.
Crozier's second of the night sneaks through Purpura to give us a two-goal cushion! Dugan earned his fourth assist of the night of the play while Parker Ford notched his second point of the night.#GoFriarspic.twitter.com/Hmwuh2ddpz
A night earlier, BU rallied from two goals down late to earn a tie. On Saturday, BU accomplished the same feat, turning a 4-2 deficit into a tie game. But unlike Friday, Providence had an answer, as Tyce Thompson’s goal with 6:15 remaining in the second gave the Friars a lead they never relinquished.
Max Crozier’s goal at 2:57 of the third help Providence regain the two-goal cushion. BU’s Case McCarthy tried to help repeat Friday’s late-game heroics scoring with 7:08 left, but that was as close as the Terriers got.
The loss on Saturday for BU spoiled a hat trick and four-point game for David Farrance. One night after Farrance scored twice in the third period, it took just 32:27 for him to complete the hat trick.
While Crozier’s goals were powerful for Providence, it was Jack Dugan who finished the game with four assists, giving him 24 points on the season in just 10 games, further cementing him as the nation’s scoring leader.
The nation’s top team suffered its first loss and did so in convincing fashion as two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth rallied past Denver, 5-2.
The Bulldogs scored the games final four goals, including Noah Cates’ marker with 3:34 left that gave the hosts breathing room putting them ahead, 4-2. Cates was the finishing touch on Friday’s two-goal third-period rally that earned Minnesota Duluth an official 3-3 tie.
Each team scored once on the power play, with Denver’s coming during a five-minute major in the opening period.
Hunter Shepard led the way on the back end for the Bulldogs, stopping 29 of 31 shots to earn the victory.
No. 5 Notre Dame 2, No. 9 Ohio State 1
On a weekend where the Irish led less than 10 minutes, No. 5 Notre Dame pulled off a two-game sweep of No. 9 Ohio State, 2-1, with yet another come-from-behind victory on Saturday.
A night earlier, the comeback required overtime. On Saturday, with the game tied at one, Cam Burke scored the game-winner at 12:05 of the third, one-timing a pass from Matt Steeves past Tommy Nappier.
Quinnipiac held a 32-23 advantage in shots in the game, but Harvard went 2-for-6 on the man advantage while killing 5-of-6 Bobcat power plays.
No. 20 Omaha 5, No. 12 Wisconsin 2
Omaha enacted some revenge from Friday’s loss to Wisconsin on home ice, striking back with four of the game’s final five goals in a 5-2 victory on Saturday.
Five different Mavericks scored, including Kevin Conley’s goal at 1:57 of the second to give Omaha a lead it never lost.
Noah Cates extra-attacker goal with 31 seconds remaining helped Minnesota Duluth rally for a 3-3 tie with No. 1 Denver. Pioneers Brett Stapley scored in a shootout to earn the extra NCHC point. (File photo: Bradley K. Olson)
No doubt Denver’s Brett Stapley was happy to send his Pioneers home with two-out-of-three points in the NCHC standings against No. 8 Minnesota Duluth, but the fact that threes points – and an official NCAA win – wasn’t the outcome may frustrate the nation’s top-ranked team.
Denver seemed to be in control of this game late in the third, leading 3-1, but Kobe Roth gave the AMSOIL Energy Center crowd something to cheer about with 8:25 left when he cut the gap to one.
Then, with 31 seconds remaining, Noah Cates forced overtime with his extra attacker goal. After neither team scored in either 5-on-5 or 3-on-3 overtime, Stapley’s shootout goal was the difference maker for NCHC purposes. The game will officially go in the books as a 3-3 tie, but Denver gets an extra point in the league standings.
The Pioneers were in control much of the night, holding a 2-0 lead on goals by Liam Finley and Brett Edwards in the first. After Duluth answered in the opening frame, Finlay’s second of the night extended the lead back to two heading to the third.
Though shots were eight a piece in the third, the Bulldogs found the path to a tie, moving their record to 3-3-1. The tie is the first blemish from perfection for Denver, as its record now stands at 8-0-1.
Michigan State 2, No. 6 Penn State 0
The Michigan State Spartans found a way to slow down the high-flying Penn State offense and his name is John Lethemon.
The senior Lethemon stopped all 48 shots he faced to earn the shutout, the fifth of his career, but first since his sophomore season.
Patrick Khodorenko put the only puck past a goaltender, beating Penn State’s Peyton Jones at 13:39 of the second. Logan Lambdin added an empty net goal with 2:02 remaining.
Michigan State’s penalty kill was sharp, killing of four minors, including a five-on-three Penn State power play for a full two minutes when the game was scoreless early in the second.
The Spartans never got a chance on the power play as Penn State avoided the penalty box the entire night.
No. 5 Notre Dame 3, No. 9 Ohio State 2 (OT)
Pierce Crawford’s first goal of the season with 1:01 remaining in overtime lifted host No. 5 Notre Dame to a come-from-behind victory over No. 9 Ohio State, 3-2.
Crawford’s goal came after Trevor Janicke sent the game to overtime scoring with just 1:57 remaining in regulation. Carson Meyer had given visiting Ohio State a 2-1 lead with just 3:17 left in the third.
The game’s biggest moment came early. After Tanner Laczynski opened the scoring at 19:33 of the first, Notre Dame’s Jesse Lansdell was whistled for a major penalty and game misconduct just eight seconds later.
The Buckeyes couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity to extend the lead. And at 8:12 of the second, Solag Bakich evened the game at 1.
No. 12 Wisconsin 5, No. 20 Omaha 2
After being swept by Penn State a week ago, 12th-ranked Wisconsin returned to winning ways on Friday, scoring two late second period goals to break a 1-1 tie and skate to a 5-2 victory over No. 20 Omaha.
Alex Turcotte’s fourth goal of the season and Roman Ahcan’s first of two goals in the game in less than four minute late in the middle frame sent the Badgers to the third with a 3-1 advantage.
After Nolan Sullivan pulled Omaha back within a goal with 3:55 left, Ahcan’s second of the night and Sean Dhooghe’s second of the season – both into an empty net – sealed the victory.
So, as it turns out, Daver has this picks things down pat. He was 8-2-1 last week, only getting wrong Michigan Tech/North Dakota and one of the Alaska/Bemidji State games. And he was almost exactly spot on with the BGSU/Minnesota State game, getting the scores almost exactly right (he was off by one in MSU’s win Saturday). So how will we do this week? We’ve got a good mix of noconference and conference action, so let’s get right into it.
Daver last week: 8-2-1
Jack last week: 6-4-1
Daver this season: 17-5-1
Jack this season: 29-19-4
St. Cloud at Northern Michigan
This series was a pretty-one sided affair last year in St. Cloud, but the Wildcats — undefeated since the first game of the season — hope for a much better showing at home in Marquette.
Jack: NMU sweeps, 4-2, 5-4
Daver: SCSU Friday 3-1, NMU Saturday 4-2
Ferris State at/vs. Western Michigan
The Bulldogs have had a tough go of it so far but they’re actually doing pretty well in nocnonference play — they’re 2-1 with wins over Colgate and Miami. Daver and I disagree how well they’ll do this week.
We already know that Alaska has been the pleasant surprise of the WCHA season so far. It seems like they’ll keep that success going this week.
Jack: Alaska sweeps 5-3, 3-1
Daver: ASU Friday 4-1, Alaska Saturday 3-2
Lake Superior at Bemidji State
Of the three nonconference series this weekend, this one seems most intriguing to me. Lake Superior/Bemidji series have been typically hard-fought, and I think this will be no different.
Jack: BSU wins 4-2 on Friday, LSSU wins 3-1 on Saturday
Daver: LSSU sweeps 4-3, 3-2
Alaska Anchorage at Alabama Huntsville
A hard one to pick, since neither team has exactly been lighting the conference ablaze right so far. This seems like a split for both teams.
Jack: UAA wins 4-2 Friday, UAH wins 3-1 Saturday
Daver: UAH Friday 2-1, UAA Saturday 3-1
Minnesota State at Michigan Tech
Minnesota State is coming off their first loss of the season, while Tech had a tough single game at North Dakota. This should be a well-played series.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point takes on a pair of MIAC foes, including St. Thomas Saturday. (photo: Kylie Bridenhagen)
Here we go. Another year of picking games in the West region of NCAA Division III hockey. The most interesting one of the weekend is the game between St. Thomas and reigning champ Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Friday
Concordia at Wisconsin-River Falls
The Cobbers are hungry for their first win after losing both games last weekend. They face a Falcons team that is unbeaten through two games. Wis.-River Falls has the potential to score a lot of goals and Concordia will need to slow that attack down out of the gate to have a shot. Wis.-River Falls, 4-2
Friday and Saturday
Bethel vs. Saint John’s
This is a home-and-home series starting at Saint John’s. It’s a chance for the Royals to build off its opening night win last week. For Saint John’s, there is motivation to not only get its first win but get an early jump on the chase for the MIAC title. Saint John’s 5-3 and 4-2
Hamline vs. Augsburg
Hamline opens this home-and-home on the road. The Pipers will need their best effort to pull off the upset. The Auggies are riding the high of winning both games during their first weekend of the season and have a chance to get an early jump on their quest to win the MIAC. The four-time tourney champs have a lot of options offensively and aren’t bad on defense either. Augsburg, 5-1 and 4-2
Lake Forest at St. Norbert
This is a big test for the Foresters, especially on the road where the Green Knights don’t lose too often. Lake Forest needs to be sharp on defense the entire way. St. Nobert has been the class of the NCHA for quite some time and has an opportunity to set the tone for another title run. St. Norbert, 4-2 and 5-2
Adrian at Marian
The Bulldogs and Sabres are always in the mix for the NCHA crown. It’s a huge weekend for both teams. Adrian already has two games under its belt and has shown it should once again be one of the better offensive teams in the country. Marian is playing for the first time this season. Adrian, 5-3; Marian 3-2
Trine at Lawrence
The Thunder has shown a lot of promise and its up against a Vikings team looking for its first win of the year. Both teams have shown they can score goals. Expect this one to be tight throughout. Trine, 3-2; Lawrence, 2-1
Saturday
Saint Thomas at Wis.-Stevens Point
Doesn’t get much better than early-season showdown between two of the better teams in Division III hockey. The Tommies have a chance to make an early-season statement. The Pointers want to send a message they are still the best team in hockey after splitting with St. Norbert last weekend. Give the home team the edge. But not by much. Wis.-Stevens Point 3-2
Well, I thought I’d tie Matthew last weekend, but CC let me down on Friday against Western Michigan, blowing a two-goal lead. Dang. Last weekend, Matthew and I went a barely OK 5-2-2 (.667). Hopefully, I can start catching up to him this weekend.
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 8-9
No. 1 Denver at No. 7 Minnesota Duluth Candace: A couple of years ago, Denver was dominating this rivalry, at one point winning seven in a row, and winning nine of the last 13. UMD recently flipped the script, winning three of the last four. The Pioneers have been more consistent so far this year, though they haven’t been challenged quite as much, especially since Boston College isn’t as good as initially thought. I think a split is likely. Denver 4-2, Minnesota Duluth 3-2 Matthew: Denver has started the season really well, but they aren’t going to go undefeated the whole season. UMD is coming off of a good sweep against Minnesota after an iffy start to the year. This feels like a split, and I don’t think anyone involved would be too unhappy with that. Minnesota Duluth 3-2, Denver 4-2
Miami at No. 10 North Dakota Candace: North Dakota seems to be gaining confidence. I don’t think either game will be easy, but I expect them to win both games this weekend, especially since they are at home. North Dakota 3-2, 3-2 Matthew: North Dakota hasn’t had the toughest early-season schedule, but after missing the NCAA tournament the last couple of years, spirits are high in Grand Forks. I think that feeling will last through this weekend, although Miami looks like it’s starting to get it together. North Dakota 4-2, 4-2
St. Cloud State at No. 16 Northern Michigan Candace: St. Cloud seems to have no defense right now, which is ironic because entering the season there were more worries about offensive production. I think this is likely a split. Northern Michigan 4-2, St. Cloud State 3-2 Matthew: I got burned last week by St. Cloud, which gave up 10 goals at home in a tie and loss to Princeton. Northern has won its last five and is unbeaten in seven, and I think the Wildcats will get at least one win here. Northern Michigan 4-2, St. Cloud State 4-3
No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 20 Omaha Candace: Wisconsin’s early-season highlight was sweeping Minnesota Duluth, but the Badgers haven’t done as well since then. Omaha has been trending upward, and this weekend is another good test for the Mavericks. Omaha 4-2, Wisconsin 3-2 Matthew: Is Omaha for real? The Mavericks had a brutal start last season, but they’re 4-1-1 ahead of an interesting home series against a Wisconsin team that lost twice last time out against a high-scoring Penn State team. I’ll take a split here, although I’m not overly confident about who wins which night. Omaha 3-2, Wisconsin 3-2
Ferris State vs Western Michigan (home-and-home) Candace: Western seems to have gotten is mojo back. Ferris will challenge the Broncos, but I think the NCHC team gets the sweep this time out. Western Michigan 3-1, 3-2 Matthew: In its last three games, Western Michigan has won twice outright and picked up a shootout win last time out at Colorado College. I tend to go with the home teams for these home-and-home series, but I have a good feeling about the Broncos this weekend. Western Michigan 4-2, 4-2
Nate Owen
Last week: 8-5-2
Overall: 25-21-4
Mark Divver
Last week: 7-6-2
Overall: 23-24-4
It’s a full slate of ECAC action this weekend. All games are at 7 p.m., except for Brown at Colgate, which faces off at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Yale at Colgate
Nate: The Bulldogs had one good game last weekend and one clunker, while Colgate is 0-1-3 over the last four games. This should be a defensive battle, but Yale has the edge offensively. Yale 3-0
Mark: The Raiders have lost four straight to the Bulldogs. Many of the names and faces have changed, but the result is the same. Yale 4-1
Brown at Cornell
Nate: Brown is a team to keep an eye on this season, but it’s tough to pick against the Big Red at home. Cornell 3-2
Mark: Anything can happen when the two top power plays in the nation collide, but home ice puts the Big Red over the top. Cornell 3-1
Quinnipiac at Dartmouth
Nate: Neither team has been great defensively this season, but I’ll give a slight edge to the home team. Dartmouth 5-3
Mark: The high temperature last Saturday in Tempe, Ariz., where Quinnipiac lost a pair, was 88 degrees. High temp Friday in Hanover, N.H., is expected to be 34. Bobcats’ cold streak continues. Dartmouth 5-4
Princeton at Harvard
Nate: This should be a pretty back and forth game, but I think the Crimson have a deeper lineup. Harvard 5-4
Mark: With good upperclassmen and flashy freshmen, it looks to me like Harvard has too much offense for the Tigers. Harvard 6-3
St. Lawrence at Rensselaer
Nate: The Saints lost a pair of overtime games last weekend. I think they’ll break through with a win against the Engineers. St. Lawrence 2-1
Mark: The Engineers have lost two out of three at home so far, but I like them to pull out a win here. Rensselaer 3-2
Clarkson at Union
Nate: Clarkson looks like one of the top contenders in the league, while Union has struggled to get on track in the first month of the season. Clarkson 5-2
Mark: After two overtime wins last weekend, the Golden Knights get the job done in regulation time. Clarkson 6-4
Saturday
Brown at Colgate
Nate: The Bears scored seven goals in two games last weekend, while Colgate has 12 in eight games this season. Brown 3-1
Mark: Brown’s shooting percentage is eighth in the country at 13 percent. Colgate’s is 59th at 4.9 percent. Brown 4-2
Yale at Cornell
Nate: Cornell is looking like a powerhouse early in the season. I’m just not sure the Bulldogs will able to keep pace, especially at Lynah Rink. Cornell 3-1
Mark: Don’t like the Bulldogs’ chances of beating the Big Red at Lynah on a Saturday night. Cornell 4-2
Princeton at Dartmouth
Nate: This should be a pretty fast paced game, but I think the Big Green have the slight edge as the home team. Dartmouth 5-4
Mark: A breakout game for Dartmouth’s big line of O’Conner-Graber-Foreman is just a matter of time. This could be it. Dartmouth 6-3
Quinnipiac at Harvard
Nate: The Bobcats allowed nine goals in a two-game series at Arizona State last weekend. That doesn’t bode well against a Crimson team that has a lot of offensive weapons. Harvard 4-3
Mark: In a meeting of two of the league’s best teams, I like the Bobcats to prevail. Quinnipiac 5-3
Clarkson at Rensselaer
Nate: Like I said above, the Golden Knights are one of the top teams in the league. RPI has been solid so far, but the Engineers aren’t at that level yet. Clarkson 3-1
Mark: Frank Marotte of Clarkson has a .937 save percentage heading into the weekend. Advantage Golden Knights. Clarkson 4-1
St. Lawrence at Union
Nate: The wins haven’t been coming in bunches for the Saints, but they have been competitive in all but one game this season. St. Lawrence 2-1
Mark: Union’s possession numbers are bad. St. Lawrence’s aren’t good. The Dutchmen pull out a home win. Union 3-2
Shelby Wood and Colgate will look to upset (6) Clarkson this weekend. (Photo:Candace Horgan)
(3) Cornell at St. Lawrence
The difficulty for St. Lawrence will be putting the puck in the net. Cornell has allowed just one goal in their first four games. The Big Red might be the scariest team in the country right now. They haven’t allowed a power play goal. They’re scoring more than three goals per game. They don’t seem to have any weak spots, though this weekend they will be without Kristin O’Neill and Micah Zandee-Hart, who are with Hockey Canada for the Rivalry Series this weekend. Even still, I think Cornell has the depth to cover for them and will win this game.
(3) Cornell at (6) Clarkson
Like Princeton vs. Cornell last week, this is a game that could have repercussions to how the conference could shake out three months from now. These two should be fairly evenly matched, though Clarkson will also be without their best defender in Ella Shelton, who’ll join O’Neill and Zandee-Hart with Team Canada. Clarkson has dealt with some injuries early on, so their success may hinge on who’s available for this game. I also worry about how the Golden Knights’ two goalies will fare against Cornell’s offense. I think the Big Red win this one, but it’s certainly up for grabs.
Holy Cross at (4) Northeastern
Holy Cross’ only win last year was an upset victory over Northeastern. You can bet the Huskies will be doing the best they can to ensure that won’t happen again, but clearly the Crusaders know how to exploit their weaknesses. Northeastern should be able to win this one, but history shows you never know what could happen.
(5) Boston College at Connecticut
The Eagles won five games over the Huskies last year, but BC was also susceptible to losses against inferior opponents. Boston College also has games against BU and Northeastern on the docket, so they need to stay focused on this weekend and not get caught looking ahead. The Eagles should win this one.
(5) Boston College at Harvard
The Crimson have had a number of down years recently, but this is one of those rivalries where the relative talent of either team in any given year doesn’t have too much bearing on the outcome. Last year, Harvard beat BC in the opening round of the Beanpot. The Crimson have netted 16 goals over their first three games. Boston College has the reigning WHCA Rookie of the Month in Hannah Bilka and seem to be scoring at will. This is one of those games that will either feature a dozen goals or one goal – I don’t see it falling somewhere in between. I give BC the edge, but think this is essentially a toss up.
Colgate at (6) Clarkson
Colgate edged Clarkson twice during the regular season before falling to the Golden Knights in the ECAC semi-finals last year. The Raiders have 26 goals in their six wins, but have just two goals in their four losses. In each of their wins over the Golden Knights last season, they scored four goals. Finding the back of the net has to be a priority for Colgate if they’re going to win this game. For Clarkson, strong goaltending is obviously key. Shelton dishes a lot of their goals and is second on the team in shots. The 5’8” center is their best defender, so they’ll need someone to step up and take on some of her role if they’re going to make it through the weekend with any points. I’m giving Clarkson the advantage at home, but this one is likely to be very close.
Harvard at (7) Princeton
Princeton sent Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson to Hockey Canada for the weekend Rivalry series. Fillier is their most dynamic forward and despite being young, is a team leader. It’ll be a good learning experience for Princeton to play without her, but it does leave a big hole in their lineup. I expect Harvard to be focused on BC and despite missing some players, I think Princeton just has too many weapons for the Crimson to neutralize.
Dartmouth at (7) Princeton
The Tigers have top-tier scoring and great goaltending. Their defense is solid and Dartmouth simply won’t be much of a match for the talent Princeton puts on the ice. The Tigers should win this game without much problem.
(10) Boston University at Providence
I have no idea what to make of Providence this season. They’re 4-4-2 and haven’t been able to complete a weekend sweep yet. They shut down Northeastern’s offense, but took one point from a weekend against Penn State. BU is still struggling to find their identity without Jesse Compher to lead their offense, which makes their presence in the rankings even more impressive, in my opinion. I think the Terriers will win this one.
Yale at (10) Boston University
Yale is playing three games in five days. They are likely to come away from the weekend with two wins, but I don’t think they can carry that over against the Terriers, who are simply playing at a higher level than they are right now.
Last week, Drew and I were both rewarded for picking the Buckeyes to sweep the Wolverines – very risky, given the fierceness of that rivalry. I managed to edge him out for the week but I’m still playing catchup after his Halloween weekend picks perfection.
Last week
Drew: 5-3-0 (.625)
Paula: 6-2-0 (750)
This season
Drew: 31-12-2 (.711)
Paula: 28-15-2 (.644)
This week
There’s a full slate of hockey this weekend, with three B1G matches and one intriguing nonconference series that pairs Wisconsin and Omaha, ranked teams that sparred in the WCHA for three seasons. All times are local.
Michigan State at No. 6 Penn State
Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Last weekend, the Spartans dropped two at home to Cornell while the Nittany Lions swept visiting Wisconsin. All four of Michigan State’s goals against the Big Red came on the power play, which is clicking along nicely at 29.2 percent. Penn State outscored Wisconsin 10-3 in the series. Both of these squads have combined special teams that can factor into a game. Penn State is 13-9-4 all-time against Michigan State, but the teams were 2-2-0 last season with each team winning one on the road and one at home. If the Nittany Lions have regained their offensive confidence, they’ll be very hard to beat this weekend – especially because senior goaltender Peyton Jones (1.67 GAA, .947 SV%) is having a career season.
Drew: Penn State 5-3, 6-4 Paula Penn State 5-2, 5-2
Minnesota at Michigan
Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
In the greater context of college hockey, it’s so unusual to see these two teams meet as unranked opponents. Minnesota picked up two points against visiting Notre Dame last weekend, with a tie and three-on-three extra point Friday and 5-3 loss with an empty-net goal Saturday. The Wolverines dropped two one-goal games to archrival Ohio State in Columbus. The Gophers are looking to break a four-game winless streak and the Wolverines a three-game losing streak. The frustration must be palpable for each squad and that may translate into a lively series in Ann Arbor. The programs differ in their reckoning of how many times they’ve met, but according to Minnesota, Friday will be the 293rd contest with the Gophers holding a 149-128-16 record against the Wolverines. There’s traveling hardware, the Mariucci-Renfrew Trophy, on the line every season when these teams meet. Last year, the Minnesota was 4-1-1 against Michigan, including a 2-1-1 regular-season record to capture that prize.
Drew: Minnesota 6-4, Michigan 4-2 Paula Michigan 3-2, Minnesota 3-2
No. 9 Ohio State at No. 5 Notre Dame
Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
The Buckeyes swept the Wolverines at home last weekend while the Fighting Irish took four road points away from the Golden Gophers. Notre Dame is undefeated (5-0-1); Ohio State is 6-1-1 but perfect (2-0-0) so far on the road. Notre Dame has one of the top offenses in the country; Ohio State has one of the top defenses in the country. OSU leads this all-time series 39-37-10, and the Buckeyes were 3-1-0 against the Irish last season.
Drew: Ohio State 3-2, Notre Dame 3-2 Paula Ohio State 3-2, Notre Dame 3-2
No. 7 Wisconsin at No. 20 Nebraska-Omaha
Friday and Saturday at 7:07 p.m.
The Badgers dropped two road games to Penn State last weekend and have one win in their last four, but they’re an exciting young team and this series – this entire season – should be a fun one to follow. The Mavericks defeated and tied Alaska Anchorage on the road last weekend and with just one loss on the season – on the road to Ohio State – it surprises me that Omaha is ranked so low. I suspect that will change soon enough. The Badgers lead this all-time series 8-4-1. The teams last met Dec. 2-3, 2016, a tie and a win for the Mavericks.
Drew: Wisconsin 5-3, 4-2 Paula Omaha 3-2, Wisconsin 4-2
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Denver freshman goalie Magnus Chrona, a native of Sweden, has seemingly adjusted to the North American style of hockey (photo: Denver Athletics).
Entering this weekend against the defending national champions from Minnesota Duluth, the 8-0 and top-ranked ranked Denver Pioneers see only an opportunity to continue their journey and growth as a hockey team.
Coming off last weekend’s sweep of Niagara at home, the Pioneers continue their coaching staff’s direction to focus on getting better every day and to continually grow as a team during the season.
“We respect everyone we play against but only focus on the next team in front of us,” said DU coach David Carle just prior to the weekend series with Niagara. “We have a really great group that really works hard and wants to improve every time we step on the ice. So far, we have been able to learn about winning different types of games and especially tight contests. There is definitely a grow mindset in the room and focus on being the best we can be.”
The Pioneers opened the season with four road wins over Alaska and Lake Superior State before adding four more at home against Boston College and Niagara. This weekend is the first time they will face a conference opponent and Carle’s focused approach means its also the first time his team has heard about the NCHC or Minnesota Duluth.
“As a coaching staff, we have not mentioned the NCHC or UMD with the team,” noted Carle. “It has been a deliberate focus on the team and front of next and the league play hasn’t started yet. We will be addressing that this week with Duluth on Friday and maintain the focus that we have been building in our early schedule.”
One player who is clearly focused for the Pioneers has been freshman goaltender Magnus Chrona.
The 6-foot-6, 216-pound netminder is from Sweden and his adjustment to NCAA Division I play has been exceptional. In his first seven games for the Pioneers, Chrona is 7-0-0 with a 1.86 GAA and a .925 save percentage. He was named the conference goalie of the month for his six wins in October and has impressed the coaching staff with his adjustment to everything in the U.S.
“We didn’t spend a lot of time in the recruiting process with Magnus,” said Carle. “It was a pretty quick process so you are never really sure how the player will adjust to so many different things. So far, I would say he has adjusted better than any of out previous three Europeans in his first year in North America. He has done well acclimating to the culture, the academics here at Denver and on the ice with his being part of the team. He has a great sense of humor and fits in really well with the group.”
For his part, Chrona doesn’t see such a big deal in coming to the States. He has known other goaltenders who have made the same path from Sweden and attended his first U.S. development camp, which he believes helped him with the North American game.
“I think it has been a good adjustment,” noted Chrona. “The schedule is something I am very familiar with from my school days back in Sweden. On the ice, the biggest adjustment has been the smaller rink and the higher pace of the games here. I think the defensive play is better here and I have been focused on the speed of the game and my angles – being a big goaltender helps me with that part of the game.”
Chrona really likes what he has seen from his team so far this season and has embraced the camaraderie and atmosphere, on and off the ice.
“It is a really good group here at Denver,” said Chrona. “We want to play to our potential and play fast, Denver-style hockey. I see the growth and confidence in our team get better everyday and that is exciting because we all feel that we can accomplish a lot as a team this season together.”
Coming into this weekend, the Pioneers will have a very big test in the NCHC opening weekend when they travel to Duluth to face the two-time defending national champions. UMD comes into league play at 3-3-0 having split their season opening series with UMass Lowell, dropping a pair of games to Wisconsin and then sweeping in-state rival Minnesota before a bye week last week.
Led by senior goaltender Hunter Shepard, the Bulldogs have a championship pedigree and will look to topple the Pioneers from their No. 1 ranking.
Chrona said he knows of Sheppard, but doesn’t see the battle coming between the two netminders.
“I really don’t think about the goalie in the other net,” said Chrona. “I haven’t played against any of these goalies really so there isn’t any history or familiarity. I just want to play and focus on my game and giving our team the best chance to win. I would say that I get in my own world to prepare for games and focus on my game to stop the puck. If I am focused and we play Denver hockey, then we will have a good result.”
So, with everything going so well for the team, their freshman netminder and an impressive 8-0-0 start, what has the coaching staff looking at to improve entering their first week of league play?
“We have been really happy with the focus of the team,” noted Carle. “We have had great special teams to start the year, very balanced scoring up and down the roster and great goal differential from the second period on. If there was one area we could improve, it’s getting out to better starts. We have only scored the first goal in three of our eight games played this season and overall, we are a minus-3 in the first period overall. We are a plus-15 in the second period and plus-8 in the third, so I would like to see us have better starts to games.”
Chrona agrees with his coach and believes he and his teammates will be “more on their toes before the game to start playing winning Denver hockey from the first puck drop.”
The Pioneers will need that approach playing before a packed house in Duluth in what should be a great weekend series to kick off play in the extremely competitive NCHC.
Austin Martinsen is off to a solid start for Augsburg. (Photo by Kevin Healy for Augsburg University)
Austin Martinsen didn’t need as much time to score his first goal of the season this year.
In fact, he scored the first one of the season for the Auggies last Friday night against Saint Scholastica. He ended up with two on the weekend in the sweep of the Saints.
“Getting that monkey off the back early was nice,” Martinsen said. “Last year, it took awhile for me to get one. It’s a confidence booster. I’m one of those players when things go right, they go right for awhile. I hope to keep this going.”
The junior is off to the fastest start in his college career. He scored two goals and dished out four assists as a freshman and came through with six goals and eight assists a season ago.
He notes that his biggest improvements have been his speed and his mindset on the ice.
“My speed has definitely improved and how I utilize it,” Martinsen said. “I like to keep my feet moving and I’m using my shot more. Last year I gave up a lot of shots, but I have more of an attack mentality this year. I like to go to the net more.”
Martinsen said the improved speed has helped him do just that.
“My speed has helped me create space for myself and others. It’s something that has improved for me,” Martinsen said. “My confidence has also gone up. I think that comes with being a junior and being in a bigger role on the team.”
Like most players, Martinsen played junior hockey before coming to college, seeing time in both the USHL and NAHL. He said he couldn’t have ever imagined not having that experience first.
“Hockey-wise, it helps a lot,” Martinsen said. “It’s hard work, but it gets you used to the pace of play and you learn more about the game. The development level is so high in juniors. I think it’s great for players to go that route first. I improved a ton as a player and had a lot of fun.”
He’s also having fun with the Auggies and said he’s taken on more of a leadership role.
“I want to be someone who is more vocal and someone guys look up to on and off the ice,” Martinsen said. “I just want to step up and play a bigger role and help our team succeed.”
Augsburg is coming off a seaason in which it won its fourth consecutive MIAC tournament championship and played in the NCAA tournament once again.
The Auggies have high expectations again despite losing several key players to graduation.
Of course, the players understand getting to where they want to be as a team will take time.
“It’s different this year because we lost a lot of seniors, but we understand it’s a process, and we just have to stay on pace and keep getting better every week,” Martinsen said. “Things aren’t going to go our way every night, but if we stick to your system and play our game, we’ll be fine.”
That means being a team that possesses the puck well and plays fast while also thriving in the defensive zone.
“Our priority is to get better in the D zone. That sets us up for success everywhere on the ice,” Martinsen said.
Martinsen believes if the team can continue to play up to its expectations, the Auggies will be in the mix for the MIAC crown once again.
“We came into the season expecting to win it,” Martinsen said. “If we stick to our game and we can stay healthy, we do believe we can win it again.”
So far, things are going well with the Auggies 2-0 on the year.
“We had a good first weekend,” Martinsen said. “We came in well prepared and we have some things we can build on from it, but overall it was a good start.”
West Region Notes
Bethel won its first game of the year last Friday thanks to a game-winning goal by Jarrett Cammarata, who lifted the Royals to a 3-2 win over Wisconsin-Stout.
It was the first career goal and it came off the power play with 48 seconds remaining in the game. Fellow freshman Luke Posner also scored his first goal.
The win is an encouraging sign for the Royals, who didn’t win their first game last season until Nov. 30, ending a winless streak of 10 games. Bethel has won three of its last four dating back to last season.
Dynamic Dyment: Wisconsin-Eau Claire goaltender Zach Dyment began his junior season with a solid performance, giving up just one goal in a 1-1 tie with Saint John’s Saturday. Dyment stopped 17 shots. His career record with the Blugolds now stands at 27-11-4.
Dyment is coming off a sophomore year where he made 482 saves and went 19-6-2. He gave up just 49 goals last year.
Bringing the Thunder: Trine scored eight goals in its first two games of the season, including five in a 5-1 win over Hamline Saturday.
Garrett Hallford has paved the way for the offense, scoring three goals and dishing out an assist. He is one of six players who has scored a goal already this season for the Thunder.
Trine won 10 games last season and is looking to build off that success. The Thunder scored a total of 64 goals.
I guess I should feel fortunate to have picked up a game on Dave. But at the same time, man have we both been awful thus far in the season.
Jim last week: 6-4-2
Dave last week: 5-5-2
Jim to date: 31-25-7
Dave to date: 36-20-7
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9
Connecticut vs. BC (Fri. at UConn; Sat. at BC)
This has been the best start for Boston College. But things have begun to look a tiny bit better. As for UConn, last Friday’s victory over Merrimack should have set them on a good path until the Huskies fell to Merrimack at home on Sunday. This is a matchup that on paper favors Boston College.
Jim: BC 3, UConn 2; BC 4, UConn 1
Dave: BC 5, UConn 3; BC 3, UConn 2
Maine at UMass Lowell
Few predicted this would be the battle of Hockey East’s best two teams. Maine’s offense has found a way to win games combined with excellent goaltender from Jeremy Swayman. The same can be said for Lowell where the freshman class leads them in goals but senior Tyler Wall is the glue between the pipes.
Jim: UML 3, Maine 1; UML 5, Maine 3
Dave: UML 3, Maine 2 (OT); UML 4, Maine 3
Providence vs. BU (Fri. at BU, Sat. at Prov.)
It has been a difficult start for BU, which has struggled to not just score goals, but also to win away from home. Maybe Friday spells solid home cooking? Well, they’ll have to hold off a Providence team that feels a little desperate after going 0-2-1 in its last three.
Jim: BU 4, PC 3; PC 3, BU 1
Dave: PC 3, BU 2 (OT); PC 3, BU 2
Northeastern vs. Merrimack (Fri. at MC; Sat. at NU)
Northeastern feels like it lost a weekend after getting swept by UMass. Not a lot worked well for the Huskies either night. In particular, Craig Pantano wasn’t as dominant as he had been. This weekend, Pantano faces his old squad, Merrimack, which could provide some additional emotion. That can go both ways, though.
Jim: NU 4, MC 3; NU 4, MC 1
Dave: NU 4, MC 2; NU 4, MC 2
Sunday, November 10
Massachusetts at New Hampshire
Here are two teams that enter the weekend on high notes. UNH had two overtime wins, while, as mentioned UMass swept Northeastern. This is one of those games that on paper screams all UMass. But paper doesn’t play hockey games, not does it?
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune and The Rink Live for a preview of the weekend series in which No. 1 Denver visits No. 7 Minnesota Duluth in NCHC league play.
Also previewed are No. 9 Ohio State at No. 5 Notre Dame in the Big Ten, No. 11 home-and-home with Boston University and Maine at No. 14 UMass Lowell in Hockey East, Princeton and No. 15 Quinnipiac each taking on No. 18 Harvard, RIT home-and-home with Niagara in Atlantic Hockey, and a non-conference pair finding No. 12 Wisconsin visiting No. 20 Omaha.
UMass Lowell senior goalie Joel Wall has gone 6-1-2 thus far with a 1.63 GAA and a .947 save percentage for the River Hawks (photo: Rich Gagnon).
Prior to the Hockey East season beginning, there was a lot of talk of goaltenders.
You had Stefanos Lekkas at Vermont and Jeremy Swayman at Maine that drew a lot of headlines as two of the top leaders of their respective teams. Matt Murray and Filip Lindberg had split time at UMass, the tandem advancing the Minutemen to the 2019 national title game.
Then there were transfers.
Providence looked like goaltending would be an issue, but that was until Michael Lackey from Harvard transfers as a graduate student. The same went for Northeastern as Craig Pantano moved from Merrimack for a single season and at Boston University where Yale’s Sam Tucker landed for his final season.
On the other end of the spectrum, Boston College began the season with easily the top goaltending recruit in the country, Spencer Knight.
But one month into the season, while many of these goaltenders have had great performances, the most talked about netminder is probably the least heralded entering the season: UMass Lowell’s Tyler Wall.
As a freshman, Wall was a standout, setting multiple school records en route to a Hockey East championship and an appearance in the NCAA regional final. He was 26-10-1 as a rookie with a 2.06 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
In his sophomore season, Wall’s numbers weren’t quite as elite. After a true sophomore slump, Wall did improve as a junior and posted a better (.921) save percentage than he did as a freshman. His 2.09 goals against average returned to freshman form, but his record of 11-7-3, splitting time with Chris Hernberg for much of the year, didn’t gain much recognition.
Through just nine starts, though, as a senior, Wall is again turning heads. He is 6-1-2 with a 1.63 GAA and a .947 save percentage, numbers that shouldn’t just receive notice, but also put him in early contention for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to college hockey’s top goaltender.
“I think this is what happens when kids stay for their senior year,” said Lowell coach Norm Bazin, referencing Wall’s return for his senior season with the River Hawks.
In fact, when you exclude goaltenders who transferred into Hockey East schools this year, the only other senior goaltender in the league who has played this season is Lekkas.
“They know it’s their last go round and they want to make the most of it,” said Bazin. “[Tyler] came back and streamlined his body from where it was in the previous years. He’s seeing the end come as far as his academic and athletic career at UMass Lowell, so I think he’s pretty dialed in.”
The fitness factor for Wall is something Bazin references often. Though he never identified him as out of shape, he feels that his offseason conditioning brought a player back to Lowell’s campus who is in a game shape that can positively impact his performance.
“He’s a big strong kid. When I say streamlined, he lost some weight and he came back as fit as I’ve seen him,” Bazin said. “I think that’s coming back to help him.”
Wall’s elite performance goes beyond the ice. In the classroom he excels as a mechanical engineering major, one of the more difficult majors offered on Lowell’s campus. Bazin says that his off-ice intelligence also translates onto the ice. Even if sometimes his personality is a little more casual.
“[His intelligence] helps him anticipate. It helps him recover from tough performances. He’s just a really grounded, smart kid,” said Bazin. “He’s a mechanical engineer. He’s not only bright, but he’s grounded.
“He’s a very loose and carefree type of person. Sometimes as a coach, you wonder if some people are dialed in or intense enough, but that’s just his personality. He’s a very intelligent guy, but when he’s not in school, he likes fooling around with his teammates and gets along very well with everybody.
“He’s not the class clown, but he’s certainly a guy you can laugh with. It’s for a good reason that the guys play hard for him. He’s definitely one of the guys. He’s easy to like.”
“Reckless” young players continue to learn as Merrimack earns first league win
It hasn’t been easy for the Merrimack Warriors to this point in the season. The inexperienced team, which sports 16 freshman up and down the lineup, has felt some growing pains to this point.
And after last Friday’s loss at home to Connecticut, dropping the team to 1-6-0 and 0-2-0 in Hockey East, those pains likely felt worse.
Sunday, though, Merrimack bounced back with a 3-2 road win over UConn in the back end of the home-and-home series.
There were certainly positives in the win, most notably just getting the needed confidence boost.
But head coach Scott Borek said after the game, the exuberance of youth needs to be bridled a bit for success to be sustained.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the second half of the second period; in the third period as well we were trying to make plays when we shouldn’t be making plays,” Borek said. “That’s because we are young and kind of reckless.
“It’s one thing to be aggressive but another thing to be intelligent in how you’re reckless. I didn’t think we were [intelligent]. We gave [UConn] a lot of their offense. But in the third period, when push came to shove, we buckled in and did a better job.”
Merrimack needs to continue to be better as their next two series are doozies. They will play a home-and-home with 13th-ranked Northeastern this weekend. After a weekend off, they’ll then take on powerful UMass in a two-game home-and-home series.
Not exactly the battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 that many expected
Raise your hand if you looked at the schedule at the beginning of the season and though that this weekend’s series between Maine and UMass Lowell would be a battle of the top two teams in Hockey East.
Certainly there are a lot of early games in hand for much of the competition, but that doesn’t take away from the point that Maine has a 2-1-1 record in Hockey East and a 5-2-1 mark overall and that Lowell would be 3-0-1 in Hockey East and 6-2-2 overall. Not bad for teams that were picked eighth and sixth, respectively, in the preseason coaches’ poll.
Maine coach Red Gendron talked a bit about the series on his weekly coach’s radio show, saying that facing off against Lowell often feels like playing against a very similar team.
“At the end of the day, when we watch the players as a coaching staff, we see nearly a mirror image of ourselves,” Gendron said of the River Hawks. “They’re a very in-your-face hockey club and every inch of the ice is going to have to be earned over the weekend.”
When setting their schedule in the off season, the Adrian Bulldogs, who lost in the Frozen Four last year to eventual champion Plattsburgh but won the third-place game over St. Thomas, decided to go big or go home for opening weekend. They already had a two-game set with Saint Mary’s scheduled, but when last year’s national runner-up, Hamline, came calling for a game, Saint Mary’s was willing to move the Friday-Saturday series to Saturday-Sunday so that Adrian could open with Hamline.
The weekend couldn’t have gone better, as the Bulldogs defeated Hamline, 4-1, and followed it up with a sweep of Saint Mary’s.
“Pretty uncharacteristic for the start of the year to have a top-three match up,” said Adrian coach Shawn Skelly. “I think that was something that we had circled on the schedule from the middle of summer when we were able to lock it in, and our girls were excited to get prepared for a huge, important nonconference game right off the bat.”
One player who was a huge factor in the win over Hamline was senior Nicole Guagliardo, who made a statement in her first game for the Bulldogs. Guagliardo previously played two seasons for D-I Mercyhurst and had played her junior year at D-I Lindenwood, where she had 22 points in 32 games. She had two goals and an assist in the Hamline game and an assist in the first Saint Mary’s game.
“We were super fortunate that Nicole came calling literally like a week before school started, maybe a couple weeks,” said Skelly. “She officially got accepted into school and got a schedule less than a week before she had to report to classes. Our captain, Kelly O’Sullivan, they’re best friends, so that was the connection to Adrian as she was looking to make a move. She was fantastic for us this weekend, led by example, and has an unbelievable amount of offensive ability. She was killing penalties for us, she was playing a 200-foot game, and her line was fantastic.”
Entering the season, Adrian had eight seniors, many of whom were important point producers for the Bulldogs last year, such as Jacqueline White and Maggie Mitter, while O’Sullivan anchors the blue line. However, the opening weekend’s top offensive force was junior Abbie Grias. She was a pleasant surprise in that regard, as in her sophomore season Grias only had one point while seeing limited playing time in 14 games.
“I think she was she was a little overshadowed, especially last year,” explained Skelly. “We had some other players playing in some different roles. I think she was in and out of lineup and also didn’t have any power-play time or any of those significant offensive minutes. This year kind of started her in a little bit different role, got her some power-play time. I think she’s kind of embraced the role of taking the opportunity and running with it right now. Awesome contribution offensively. Maybe to some it could be uncharacteristic, but for somebody that sees her every day in practice and her transformation from last year to this year it’s awesome to see, and that personal success is something that she deserves.”
For the eight seniors playing their last season at Adrian, this year presents some unfinished business. In their freshman year, the Bulldogs lost the national championship game to Plattsburgh, giving up the tying goal with only 20 seconds left in the game and then falling in overtime. Last season proved another disappointment, as the Bulldogs lost to Plattsburgh 4-1 in the semis.
“Plattsburgh has had our number the last couple of years when it’s really mattered,” said Skelly. “We were 20 seconds away from winning the national championship in this class’s freshman year, went to the quarterfinal two years ago, and then last year, obviously, the 4-1 loss in the semis. Definitely some unfinished business. Hopefully, we can get back to those important games this year, and if it comes to playing them, hopefully we can figure it out and show up for those big games when it really matters. It’s a determined senior group for us. We have eight seniors and determined underclassmen as well. Having that experience getting there to the Frozen Four is invaluable experience, and when you come up short and you can taste it, the fire burns a little warmer during the summer. I know we made sure that they were going to do a little extra in the off season and come back ready to rock and roll.”
Adrian is off this weekend, then starts NCHA play the following weekend with a series against Marian. Looming on the calendar is the Thanksgiving weekend Cardinal/Panther Classic, a tournament the Bulldogs won last year. Adrian will play Middlebury in the first game, with a potential rematch with Plattsburgh looming after that.
“Coming in as the defending champion of the Classic is something that we’re proud of, and we don’t want to just show up and flop, essentially,” said Skelly. “The Middlebury game is huge for us, and then obviously figuring out who we play the next day, win or lose. Those are those are pivotal nonconference games for us just in case our conference doesn’t go the way that we plan at the end of the year. Winning some of those games can help you get into the NCAA tournament if you don’t get that automatic bid. So, absolutely an important weekend. Our Marian weekend is a good warm-up for us to get our game back in order and hopefully get the long trip out East and hopefully get some more success.”
Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8 Holy Cross vs. Sacred Heart Chris: All but one of the conference series this weekend gives each team a home game. SHU hosts on Thursday and CHC on Friday. This should be an entertaining series and I’m giving a slight edge to the Pioneers. Sacred Heart sweeps. Dan: Holy Cross’ shootout win kept the good juju rolling in Worcester, and I think it spills over into this weekend. That said, Sacred Heart buzzsawed Air Force in the first game of their weekend series, so I think the Pioneers get at least one. Split.
Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9 Niagara vs. Rochester Institute of Technology Chris: The Tigers host on Friday, the Purple Easgles on Saturday. This is a rematch of last season’s AHA semifinals, won by Niagara in overtime. NU is still looking for its first win, coming off a brutal non-conference stretch to open the season. I think they’ll get their first victory here, but only one. I’m going with a split. Dan: We’re not quite on RIT Watch for the Pairwise Rankings this season, but we’re also not not there. It’s only a month into the season, but I’m keeping an eye on the Tigers (no pun intended) as the months keep rolling. Given the league’s struggles to win consistent non-league games, there’s a direct path, but it has to start with holding serve over the other solid league contenders. RIT sweeps.
Robert Morris vs. Canisius Chris: Friday’s game is at Harborcenter; Saturday’s is at the Island Sports Center. They saw it often comes down to special teams and goaltending and RMU leads Canisius in those categories. I’m picking an RMU sweep. Dan: Getting Canisius off the schneid against Union was a big win for the league as a whole, but the Golden Griffins now face a Robert Morris team that’s just a solid, all-around type of team. RMU sweeps.
Bentley at Air Force Chris: This series isn’t a home-and-home for obvious reasons. Bentley has been up and down so far while Air Force is coming off its first win of the season. I’m picking the Falcons to win both games – one for each kind. It looks to me like a split. Dan: Bentley always seems to have success against Air Force in Colorado, but the Falcons have been herky-jerky and inconsistent over weekend series. Stringing 60 minutes together is one thing but doing it on back-to-back nights is another until there’s tangible proof (call it the QA tester in me). Given Air Force’s breakthrough last week on Saturday, I think this one is a split.
Denis Smirnov is averaging a point per game for Penn State this season, collecting two goals and six points in six games (photo: Omar Phillips).
Scoring 10 goals in one weekend is nothing new for Penn State.
Giving up only three, as the Nittany Lions did against Wisconsin last weekend, is.
“To be better defensively is a goal of ours this year and to be able to give up just three goals against such a great offensive-talented team like Wisconsin obviously is a nice early sign for us,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said.
The Badgers, who are still the 12th-highest scoring team in the nation after last weekend, had their opportunities against Penn State. Peyton Jones made 38 saves during Thursday’s contest to help his team to a 6-1 blowout victory.
“One of the things that worked was we head great goaltending,” Gadowsky said. “No matter how well you play defensively against a team like Wisconsin with such talent, you’re going to need excellent goaltending to have a chance and we had exactly that.”
Jones, a senior, has handled most of the starting goaltender duties since his freshman year. The Nittany Lions ranked 24th in goals allowed during his freshman year, 42nd his sophomore season and 56th last year, allowing an average of 3.16 goals per contest over the three seasons.
“Peyton is exactly the same in every situation, he seriously is,” Gadowsky said. “You don’t know if you’re winning 10-0 or losing 10-0, you don’t know if it’s a preseason exhibition game in October or a Big Ten tournament playoff game in March.”
This year, Penn State is allowing two goals per game, which is good enough to be tied for ninth in the nation. Jones currently has a 6-0-0 record with a 1.67 GAA and one shutout. Along with his goaltender, Gadowsky gave credit to his defensive-corps, saying they’ve improved from the second-half of last season into this season.
Even with the improved-defensive numbers, don’t think that Penn State has abandoned its bread and butter.
“That’s our goal, to improve defensively, but it’s not just that,” Gadowsky said. “It’s to improve defensively without sacrificing any of the offense, which is something that is part of our identity and something we believe in.
“So, it’s not just to improve one aspect of our game, it’s to improve that aspect without taking away from the other. Look, it’s really early. We’ve liked what we’ve seen so far but we still have a lot of work to do, that’s for sure.”
Penn State is averaging 4.57 goals per game, which puts them behind conference foe Notre Dame and two other schools that have played a combined three games.
Senior forwards Nate Sucese and Brandon Biro have got off the starting blocks well this season. Sucese has four goals and nine assists and Biro has five goals and seven helpers. Both are in the top-five nationally in terms of points scored.
“Part of it is the exact same for both of them is the fact that they work so hard, not only in the season but in the summer,” Gadowsky said about the pair of seniors. “They both really take their preparation seriously, both in terms of conditioning in the weight room, their skills, they’re two of the hardest working players that I’ve coached. It’s nice to see guys like that get off to a good start.”
Penn State continues its Big Ten schedule this weekend at home against Michigan State before leaving the friendly confines of Pegula Ice Arena for the first time this season to face Minnesota next weekend. Gadowsky said he noticed that the intensity an energy levels were higher for their first conference series and that he expects the same going forward.
“That was the quickest and highest-paced weekend that we’ve had, and I’m sure we can expect in conference play that’s not going to change at all,” he said.
Minnesota sees itself when looking at Michigan
Both Minnesota and Michigan roll into this weekend’s series at Yost Ice Arena with 3-4-1 records, but, according to Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko, the similarities don’t end there.
“When I looked at their stat page, when I looked at their team, I saw some real similarities,” Motzko said. “They had a 2-0 lead, their freshman took a penalty, Ohio State scored to get back in the game, Ohio State wins 3-2. Sound familiar?
“Mel Pearson and I are singing the exact same tune the week after a series, where they were in control of a game and it didn’t work out right.”
The Gophers are coming off dropping four of six possible conference points to Notre Dame at home. Junior forward Brannon McManus sees this weekend as an opportunity to get back to winning ways.
“It’s just getting confidence back, just getting back into the win column,” he said. “It’s a good weekend to do that. We’ve gotten better every week and we’ve made a lot of progress.”
This weekend will also be a homecoming for freshman defenseman Matt Staudacher and junior goaltender Jack LaFontaine. Staudacher hails from Fenton, Mich., which is a 40-mile drive from Ann Arbor. LaFontaine played his freshman season at Michigan and is in his first season with the Gophers.
“I went to games there since I was young, so having the opportunity to play against them is going to be really special,” Staudacher said. “I’m obviously happy the be (in Minnesota), so it’s going to be super cool to play in that rink and hopefully get a win.”
Michigan State seeks continued growth on PK
Michigan State gave up five power-play goals last weekend against Cornell. Against high-flying Penn State this weekend, head coach Danton Cole knows the penalty-kill unit needs to be better.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work and there have been some good signs,” he said. “We need a few more timely saves from our goalies, if we go 1:50 and don’t give up a shot and then they get one shot and score that’s a tough penalty kill. It’s demoralizing in a sense that, you’ve done a good job for that long and then you have a quick breakdown.”
The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, are coming off a weekend where they scored five power-play goals of their own. Penn State’s sixth-ranked unit is 11-of-35 this season.
“It’ll be a big part of the game this weekend,” Cole said. “The way they play, you’re going to be shorthanded four, five or six times a game and we have to be better at that.”
Ohio State and Notre Dame headline the weekend
With No. 9 at No. 5 with conference points on the line, it’s not hard to sell the series between Ohio State and Notre Dame this weekend.
Still, Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik knows it’s important to not overthink the series.
“We’ve got to be structured in our system and not make the mistakes,” he said. “I think that’s the big key, not giving up the easy goals and the big breakdowns.”
Rohlik also showed a lot of respect to the team that finished runner up to his squad in the Big Ten last season.
“They’re a team that doesn’t beat themselves,” Rohlik said. “Usually they try to keep the score down and it’s OK to win 2-1, 3-2 and a lot of times, games dictate that. It seems every time we play Notre Dame it’s been that kind of game.”
Junior Morgan Schauer is the lone upperclassman on the Sharks this season. (Photo: LIU/Alan J Schaefer)
Despite the fact that the Long Island University Sharks just won their program’s first game on Friday, coach Rob Morgan said it doesn’t feel like this is a team that’s just starting out.
Sure, there are still things that show their inexperience – from how to load the bus to how to kill time both before a game and during the period breaks – but all things considered, Morgan said it’s easy to forget this is a group made up of 21 freshmen, one sophomore and one junior that’s known each other for about eight weeks
“They’re really tight and incredibly supportive of one another. It’s just an inexperienced team. It’s just that we need to learn and grow,” he said. “They’re really starting to mature as a program. It’s tough to stay in that freshman mentality when you have to play every other shift.”
Morgan Schauer is the team’s lone upperclassmen. She played her first two collegiate seasons at Robert Morris and has been able to provide some guidance for the team based on that experience. She has a confidence on the ice and leads by example, said Morgan.
“She realizes that she can help the younger players learn by understanding that mistakes are part of the game – that’s how you grow. Don’t get caught up thinking about making an aggressive mistake when that’s what, as a coach, we want our players to make. That’s the way they’re going to learn and grow,” he said.
But asking the team’s only upperclassman to mentor the whole team would be a big ask. Without other players, to look to, the team has been finding the guidance they need from the team’s assistant coaches.
Assistant coaches Sam Faber and Nicole Renault bring different, valuable coaching and playing experience to the Sharks, said Morgan, and are a blessing for this young program. But in addition to their on-ice guidance, this year in particular, some of their biggest contributions will come off the ice. They are filling the knowledgeable, leadership role that a senior class would have at a more established program.
Renault is just three years removed from her own playing career. When she joined the Syracuse Orange, the team has been playing Division I for just four seasons. She and Faber lead the team in one-ice skills drills at every practice, but they also give advice on how to be a successful student-athlete, how to set up a locker room and how the players handle themselves on the road.
Sam Faber, Rob Morgan and Nicole Renault coach the LIU Sharks. (Photo: LIU/Alan J Schaefer)
The team also benefits from having a number of older freshmen – some of whom are 20 years old – that have experience playing in international leagues and in international tournaments.
“Having that a little bit of maturity is helping us build our foundation, our culture and helping us move in the right direction,” said Morgan. “They’ve got goals that go beyond the NCAA. Their training and their level of focus, their desire to want to get better every day and push through adversity, that’s definitely rubbing off.”
Despite a 1-7 record through their first eight games and being out-scored 52-12, Morgan said he’s been impressed with how his team has bounced back from losses and gets back to work. They are resilient, he said and have proven to be incredibly adaptable.
“I’ve been really proud to see them grow and develop and help lay the foundation here to help build upon,” he said.
Building up the program means growing each week, as well as learning what it takes to compete – and win games – at the Division I level.
The team got a huge lesson in what it takes to succeed when they hosted national champions Wisconsin two weekends ago. The match-up raised some eyebrows. It was a late schedule addition when the Badgers had an open weekend due to Princeton accidentally scheduling Wisconsin prior to the allowed opening of the Ivy League season. Though the scores were lopsided, Morgan said it was an invaluable experience for LIU’s players to see how the Badgers prepare and carry themselves.
“That was huge for us. (Wisconsin is) disciplined, they execute very well, they play with a lot of energy, they make very, very few mistakes on the ice. For our players, for our young team to experience that and then learn from it – there’s definitely a lot of benefits that came our way for playing against Wisconsin,” said Morgan. “We realized we have a lot of work to do.”
The second game of that series was played in the Nassau Coliseum, part-time home of the NHL Islanders. That’s an occurrence Morgan would like to happen at least yearly, though he knows it will take some work.
“It might take a long time to get there, but as long as we’re working towards it each day, only good things can happen,” he said.
Morgan was talking about his desire to see his team schedule at least one game each season at the Coliseum, but the sentiment carries over to how he feels about his team’s ability to improve and contend this season.
“Collectively we each get better each day…Everybody makes the playoffs in our conference,” he said. “By the time the playoff push rolls around, we hope that we’ll be in a position where we can be great and play to our full potential.”
“We don’t have to be great right away. We have to be great at the right time.”
