Weekend wrap: October 28

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October 28, 2019

Gillis Frechette celebrates the game-winner against Northeastern (Cornell Athletics) — Gillis Frechette led Cornell to a weekend sweep over Robert Morris with three goals and three assists. (Photo: Cornell Athletics)

Bemidji State at (1) Wisconsin

On Saturday, Mekenzie Steffen put Wisconsin up 1-0 midway through the first period. Bemidji responded with a goal by Reece Hunt early in the second to tie the game at one. The Badgers began to pull away in the second-half of the game. Britta Curl scored the game-winner 11 minutes into the second. In the third, Nicole LaMantia extended the lead and Sophie Shirley’s empty-netter secured a 4-1 win. On Sunday, Abby Roque opened the scoring for Wisconsin. They added goals from Daryl Watts, Shirley and Caitlin Schneider to make it 4-0 before Paige Beebe ended the shutout. Wisconsin earned another 4-1 victory and weekend sweep. The Badgers have killed 26 straight penalties.

(2) Minnesota at (9) Ohio State

The Buckeyes started off strong, out-shooting Minnesota 7-0 to begin the game and scoring just 1:55 into the first as Liz Schepers put them up 1-0. Grace Zumwinkle responded for the Gophers to tie it at one at the end of the first period. Ohio State pulled ahead in the second with goals from Gabby Rosenthal and Emma Maltais to make it 3-1. Zumwinkle’s second of the day, a power play goal with 68 seconds left in the second, closed the gap to 3-2 with one period to play. In the third, Emily Oden tied the game with half the period yet to play, but Minnesota could not complete the comeback. Schepers scored her second of the game two minutes later and the Buckeyes held on to earn the 4-3 win. On Saturday, Jenn Gardiner’s first period goal had Ohio State up until midway through the second, when Zumwinkle tied it for Minnesota. Amy Potomak gave the Gophers the lead seconds before the end of the second. In the third, Zumwinkle and Taylor Heise scored within two minutes of each other late in the period to make it 4-1. Schepers’ cut the lead to two, but the Buckeyes could not complete the comeback as Minnesota won 4-2.

(3) Northeastern at Providence

Clare Minnerath recorded her second career shutout and a career-high 33 saves to lead Providence to a 1-0 win. Hayley Lunny’s second period goal was the only tally in the game as the Friars handed Northeastern their first loss of the season.

Lindenwood at (4) Clarkson

Michaela Pejzlova put Clarkson on the board four minutes into the game, but that’s all the offense they could muster. Lindenwood responded with a goal of their own from Jada Burke late in the second. The Lions owned the faceoff circle over the first two periods, though Clarkson eventually evened it up with third-period pressure. The Golden Knights outshot Lindenwood 44-22, but this one ended in a 1-1 tie. On Saturday, Clcarkson responded emphatically to take a 7-0 win. Rhyen McGill scored twice in the first and was joined by Elizabeth Giguere and Gabrielle David to make it 4-0 at the first period break. Tia Stoddard and Giguere each found the back of the net in the second and Brooke McQuigge iced the win was a goal in the third to make it 7-0.

(8) Robert Morris at (5) Cornell

Jamie Bourbonnais and Gillis Frechette each had a goal and three assists, while Maddie Mills added two goals as Cornell cruised to a 6-0 win on Friday. In game two, it was Micah Zandee-Hart with the eventual game-winner midway through the second. Two goals from Frechette in the third guaranteed the 3-0 win and weekend sweep for Cornell.

Syracuse at (6) Princeton

It took Princeton a bit to get going in their first game of the season, but when they did, they didn’t slow down. Savannah Rennie’s first period power play goal had Syracuse up 1-0 for more than 30 minutes of the game. Midway through the third, the Tigers seemed to find their comfort zone as Carly Bullock tied it up. Mariah Koepple scored the game-winner a few minutes later and Bullock added an empty-netter to secure a 3-1 win on Friday. In game two, it was Bullock again that led the way, as she scored 1:13 into the game and again midway through the first. Claire Thompson added a goal in the third to lead Princeton to a 3-0 win and weekend sweep.

Holy Cross at (6) Boston College

Five different Eagles scored as Boston College took a 5-1 conference win over Holy Cross. Kelly Browne and Hannah Bilka had BC up 2-0 before five minutes had elapsed. Alexie Guay extended the lead in the third before the Crusaders took one back on a goal from Sommer Ross. Savannah Norcross scored late in the second and Willow Corson added one in the third to give BC the win.

Maine at (6) Boston College

The Black Bears got on the board first with a power play goal from Ida Kouppala. Boston College responded a minute later with a goal from Maegan Beres. The Eagles took a 2-1 lead :30 into the second frame on a goal from Hannah Bilka. Kouppala tied it up with another power play tally, this time early in the third. Ally Johnson gave the Black Bears the lead with an extra attacker goal of her own, but Bilka was able to tie it up with under two to go and salvage a tie for Boston College.

Penn State at (10) Boston University

Goals from Kristina Schuler and Sammy Davis had Boston University up 2-0 after the first period on Friday. Brooke Madsen’s short-handed goal cut the deficit near the end of the second, but the Terriers responded 1:24 into the third with a goal by Abby Cook to extend the lead to 3-1. Rachel Weiss’ power play goal once again made it a one-goal game, but Nara Elia and Kaleigh Donnelly scored late in the third to earn BU the 5-2 win. On Saturday, Julia Nearis and Deziray DeSousa put the Terriers up 2-0 in the first. Katie McMillan cut the lead for Penn State early in the second period, but that’s as close as it would get. Nearis, Donnelly and Cook each scored to give Boston University the 5-1 win and weekend sweep.

Monday 10: Minnesota State, Notre Dame staying strong early in ’19-20, RIT sweeps at Air Force for first time ever

By Nate Owen

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October 28, 2019

Logan Drackett (30 - RIT) (2019 Omar Phillips) — Logan Drackett was a wall for RIT over the weekend as the Tigers swept Air Force in Colorado Springs for the first time in the school’s D-I history (photo: Omar Phillips).

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.

1. Minnesota State keeps rolling

The No. 2 Mavericks had little trouble with Alabama Huntsville this past weekend, outscoring the Chargers by a combined score of 9-2 in a two-game sweep.

On Saturday, the Mavericks scored three third-period goals to give freshman goalie Jaxson Stauber the win in his first collegiate start.

Senior Charlie Gerard scored the first goal of the game on Saturday after scoring twice for Minnesota State Friday.

“We need that out of our seniors. We need those guys to contribute because our underclassmen are doing a real good job of contributing,” Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings said. “We just need those seniors to pull their weight.”

Minnesota State led Division 1 in victories last season, and it five wins (5-0-1) are second only to Denver so far this season.

2. Notre Dame remains perfect

It was a big weekend for linemates Cal Burke and Mike O’Leary. The Notre Dame seniors combined for 13 points (two goals, five assists for Burke and four goals, two assists for O’Leary) in a weekend sweep of Lake Superior State.

The Fighting Irish are now 4-0 and are 10-2 against the Lakers dating back to the 2010-11 season.

3. Drackett comes up big for Tigers

It’s not often a team comes away with four points after getting outshot by a combined total of 80-22, but that’s what happened for RIT last week, thanks to goalie Logan Drackett.

The sophomore made 43 saves Thursday in a 2-1 win at Air Force, and then had a shutout with 36 saves on Friday. It was the first time the Tigers’ Division I history that the team had swept a series at Air Force.

“Great goaltending, but it was a gutty effort all around,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said following Friday’s game. “To come away with four huge road points will help pay dividends down the road.”

4. Rivals split

It always seems unusual for two league rivals to meet this early in the season, but that’s the way it’s been for Union and Rensselaer, who have played in October every year dating back to 2014.

The travel partners split their weekend series, with the Engineers winning 3-2 Friday and the Dutchmen winning 2-1 Saturday.

It was the first win of the season for Union, as the Dutchmen improve to 1-7. It was the first time that the Dutchmen have officially beaten the Engineers since Jan. 27, 2018. Union won a shootout in last year’s Mayor’s Cup, but the game counted as a tie for NCAA purposes.

5. Cup bid on hold

Alaska’s bid for an eleventh straight Governor’s Cup will have to wait until later in the season, as the Nanooks split the weekend series at Alaska Anchorage.

The Governor’s Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the series between Alaska and Alaska Anchorage, will be decided on Feb. 28-29 when the teams play a two-game series in Fairbanks.

6. Huskies vs. Huskies

Both Northeastern and St. Cloud State lost plenty of talent last offseason, leaving both Husky teams trying to work in a number of newcomers early in the year.

On Friday, Tyler Madden scored twice for NU in a 4-1 win over St. Cloud. Madden had another goal to open the scoring Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as St. Cloud scored twice in the second period en route to a 2-1 win.

The split is appropriate for two teams that made the NCAA tournament last season and should be in good position to do so again this year.

7. Wisconsin salvages split

Clarkson kept a potent Wisconsin offense in check for much of the weekend, but the Badgers got a crucial goal right when they needed it.

Owen Lindmark scored in the final seconds in regulation Saturday to give Wisconsin a 4-3 win over the Golden Knights. The Badgers led 3-0, but Clarkson scored three consecutive goals to tie the game.

Those last-second heroics came after Wisconsin was shutout Friday, thanks to 38 saves by Golden Knights goalie Frank Marotte, who has a .945 save percentage in six games this season.

“I thought we started to play our style this weekend. It was a good stepping stone for us,” Clarkson coach Casey Jones said.

Wisconsin played the weekend without Alex Turcotte, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, who was out with an illness.

8. Lots of penalties, but not a lot of action

It wasn’t long ago that Massachusetts and American International were two of the bottom feeders in Division I hockey.

That’s changed, as both Western Massachusetts teams made the NCAA Tournament last season, with the Yellow Jackets beating top-seeded St. Cloud and the Minutemen advancing to the national championship.

Massachusetts scored three straight goals Friday to beat AIC 4-1. The Minutemen held AIC to a combined five shots in the second and third period, despite finishing the game with 27 penalty minutes.

The two teams finished with a combined 12 penalties, but finished 0 for 11 on the power play. The Minutemen have killed off all 26 of their opponent’s power plays this season.

9. Parrottino carries Huskies

Tommy Parrottino helped Michigan Tech avoid a weekend sweep, scoring a natural hat trick to help the Huskies to 4-2 win over Bowling Green.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Michigan Tech, and also gave the Huskies their first WCHA win of the season.

“It was a special night for me,” Parrottino said. “My grandparents were in the building. I haven’t had a hat trick since probably my senior year in high school.”

10. Overtime finally pays off for UMass Lowell

Carl Berglund’s goal with 39.7 seconds left not only gave UMass Lowell an important Hockey East road win over Providence, but also snapped a streak off three consecutive overtime games without a win.

The River Hawks scored three times to salvage a 3-3 tie with Boston University Friday, and Saturday’s win was only the team’s second overtime win in its last 22 chances.

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 teams fared, Oct. 24-27

By USCHO Staff

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October 27, 2019

Cale Morris (32 - Notre Dame) (2018 Omar Phillips) — Cale Morris made his 2019-20 season debut making 29 saves as Notre Dame downed Lake Superior State 6-4 on Saturday night, Oct. 26 (photo: Omar Phillips).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Oct. 21 fared in games over the Oct. 24-27 weekend.

No. 1 Denver (6-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 2 Minnesota State (5-0-1)
10/25/2019 – No. 2 Minnesota State 5 at Alabama Huntsville 1
10/26/2019 – No. 2 Minnesota State 4 at Alabama Huntsville 1

No. 3 Massachusetts (4-1-0)
10/25/2019 – RV AIC 1 at No. 3 Massachusetts 4

No. 4 Cornell (0-0-0)
10/26/2019 – US Under-18 Team* 0 at No. 4 Cornell 3

No. 5 Notre Dame (4-0-0)
10/25/2019 – Lake Superior State 2 at No. 5 Notre Dame 5
10/26/2019 – Lake Superior State 4 at No. 5 Notre Dame 6

No. 6 Wisconsin (4-2-0)
10/25/2019 – No. 13 Clarkson 4 at No. 6 Wisconsin 0
10/26/2019 – No. 13 Clarkson 3 at No. 6 Wisconsin 4

No. 7 Providence (4-2-0)
10/25/2019 – No. 7 Providence 6 at No. 10 Boston College 2
10/26/2019 – RV UMass Lowell 3 at No. 7 Providence 2 (OT)

No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (3-3-0)
10/25/2019 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 5 at No. 20 Minnesota 2
10/26/2019 – No. 20 Minnesota 0 at No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 2

No. 9 Quinnipiac (4-1-0)
10/27/2019 – Vermont 0 at No. 9 Quinnipiac 4

No. 10 Boston College (2-3-0)
10/25/2019 No. 7 Providence 6 at No. 10 Boston College 2

No. 11 Northeastern (4-1-1)
10/25/2019 – No. 11 Northeastern 4 at No. 14 St. Cloud State 1
10/26/2019 – No. 11 Northeastern 1 at No. 14 St. Cloud State 2

No. 12 Penn State (4-1-0)
10/25/2019 – Robert Morris 1 at No. 12 Penn State 2

No. 13 Clarkson (3-2-1)
10/25/2019 – No. 13 Clarkson 4 at No. 6 Wisconsin 0
10/26/2019 – No. 13 Clarkson 3 at No. 6 Wisconsin 4

No. 14 St. Cloud State (1-1-2)
10/25/2019 – No. 11 Northeastern 4 at No. 14 St. Cloud 1
10/26/2019 – No. 11 Northeastern 1 at No. 14 St. Cloud 2

No. 15 Ohio State (4-1-1)
10/25/2019 – No. 15 Ohio State 7 at RV Mercyhurst 2
10/26/2019 – No. 15 Ohio State 3 at RV Mercyhurst 1

No. 16 North Dakota (4-1-1)
10/25/2019 – Bemidji State 1 at No. 16 North Dakota 2 (OT)
10/26/2019 – Bemidji State 1 at No. 16 North Dakota 4

No. 17 Bowling Green (4-3-0)
10/25/2019 – Michigan Tech 1 at No. 17 Bowling Green 3
10/26/2019 – Michigan Tech 4 at No. 17 Bowling Green 2

No. 18 Western Michigan (2-3-1)
10/25/2019 – No. 18 Western Michigan 0 at RV Michigan 4
10/26/2019 – RV Michigan 1 at No. 18 Western Michigan 4

No. 19 Harvard (0-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 20 Minnesota (3-3-0)
10/25/2019 – No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 5 at No. 20 Minnesota 2
10/26/2019 – No. 20 Minnesota 0 at No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 2

RV = Received votes
* = Team not eligible for poll

Saturday wrap-up: Late Lindmark goal pushes No. 6 Wisconsin past No. 13 Clarkson, earns weekend split

By USCHO Staff

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October 26, 2019

Thanks to Owen Lindmark, Wisconsin fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Just days after the Badgers ascended to sixth in the USCHO.com Division I men’s poll, they were in danger of possibly being swept by No. 13 Clarkson at home. But Lindmark’s goal with 6.1 second remaining was the game-winner, averting a potential lost weekend for the Badgers at the hands of the Golden Knights.

Lindmark's game-winner! ? pic.twitter.com/zXVq1qbZVE

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) October 27, 2019

Saturday’s victory looked like a foregone conclusion when K’Andre Miller scored at 7:08 of the second to give the hosts a dominating 3-0 lead.

But Clarkson was feisty. Adam Tisdale responded to Miller’s goal with one of his own 11 seconds later. Devin Brosseau then scored twice in the third, including the equalizer with 1:12 remaining.

Lindholm, though, found a loose puck in a scramble on the rush in front of Clarkson’s Frank Marotte and poked it him in the closing seconds. A challenge for goaltender interference by Clarkson was for naught.

Around the Nation

No. 14 St. Cloud State 2, No. 11 Northeastern 1
A night after losing at home for the first time in more than a year, St. Cloud State bounced back and earn 2-1 victory over Northeastern, handing the visiting Huskies their first loss of the season.

Tyler Madden scored his third goal of the weekend to give Northeastern the early lead in the first. But Jack Poehling and Sam Hentges each tallied in the middle period for a lead St. Cloud never relinquished.

And Another One! Sam Hentges gives St. Cloud the 2-1 lead at the midpoint in the 2nd period off the assist from Chase Brand! ? #scsuonfsn @fsnorth @Fox9Sports @MarkDParrish pic.twitter.com/wOPlQa8P46

— Husky Productions (@hphky) October 27, 2019

The defense for the hosts clamped down on Saturday, allowing Northeastern just 17 shots total and nine over the first two periods of play.

Michigan Tech 4, No. 17 Bowling Green 2
A natural hat trick by Tommy Parrottino – with all three goals coming in less than 20 minutes – broke open a 1-1 game as Michigan Tech earned the victory over No. 17 Bowling Green, 4-2.

Parrottino’s first goal at 11:45 of the second period gave the Huskies a lead in never lost. He then followed up with a second tally with 1:45 left in the second and the back-breaker for the Falcons at 11:16 of the third.

Saturday night highlights #mtuhky #FollowTheHuskies https://t.co/dskvCT87rQ

— Michigan Tech Hockey (@mtuhky) October 27, 2019

Robbie Beydoun made 25 saves to earn the victory.

UMass Lowell 3, No. 7 Providence 2 (OT)
Carl Berglund’s goal with 39.7 seconds remaining in overtime gave the visiting River Hawks a 3-2 road upset of seventh-ranked Providence.

It was Lowell’s four straight overtime game, but the team’s only win (1-1-2). In fact, it was only the second overtime win in the last 22 attempts (2-10-10) for the River Hawks.

Take at a look at Carl Berglund's OT winner tonight at Providence #UnitedInBlue #HockeyEast pic.twitter.com/pBKENpVyHI

— UMass Lowell Hockey (@RiverHawkHockey) October 27, 2019

Lowell took a 2-1 lead on an assisted Zach Kaiser goal at 3:47 of the second. But Providence responded with a 5-on-3 power play goal just 56 seconds later, that coming from the stick of Patrick Moynihan.

Providence held a hefty shot advantage through two periods, outshooting Lowell, 24-9. But The River Hawks got their skating legs under them in the third and outshot the Friars, 23-18, through the overtime period before getting the game-winner.

No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 2, No. 20 Minnesota 0
A sweep of local non-conference rival Minnesota was just what two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth needed to get back on track.

Saturday, it was a 21-save shutout for Hunter Shepard combined with an early Quinn Olsen goal and another from Jackson Cates in the closing seconds as the Bulldogs earned a 2-0 win over the Gophers.

Jared Moe was stellar in net despite taking the loss, stopping 21 shots, many of the high-end scoring chances.

Dogs sweep! https://t.co/kKoHD27ok0

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) October 27, 2019

North Dakota brings back LaDouceur as player personnel/office operation coordinator

By USCHO Staff

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October 26, 2019

Ryan LaDouceur (right) returns to North Dakota after being part of the Fighting Hawks’ 2016 national championship team (photo: North Dakota Athletics).

North Dakota announced Friday that Ryan LaDouceur has been hired as a player personnel/office operation coordinator.

The Grand Forks native returns to the team after a stint coaching in Sioux Falls, S.D., and most recently as the head hockey coach at his alma mater, Red River High School.

“We’re excited to welcome Ryan back into the UND hockey family,” UND coach Brad Berry said in a statement. “His familiarity with our staff and our program will be a valued asset for us.”

The position will assist the coaching staff with recruiting events, planning and administrative tasks and will be responsible for planning events and functions, travel arrangements and communication with coaches, players and families and alumni.

LaDouceur has roots with the UND hockey team as he served as the program’s student manager for three seasons, culminating in the 2016 year with the NCAA championship team. He also was the director of the Ralph Engelstad Hockey Academy and worked at the academy in some capacity from 2014 to 2018.

GOTW: Tyler Madden’s pair of goals lift Northeastern past St. Cloud State in battle of Huskies

By USCHO Staff

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October 25, 2019

(Tim Brule) — Tyler Madden scored two second-period goals as No. 11 Northeastern broke a 1-1 tie to skate to a 4-1 road victory over No. 14 St. Cloud State (Photo: St. Cloud State Athletics)

Two second period goals by sophomore Tyler Madden broke open a 1-1 tie and propelled No. 11 Northeastern to a 4-1 win over No. 14 St. Cloud State in the USCHO Game of the Week.

The win improves Northeastern to 4-0-1 on the young season, while St. Cloud (0-1-2) suffered its first loss at home since March 10, 2018. A year ago, St. Cloud was 17-0-1 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

John Picking opened the scoring at 8:32 of the first. The two clubs traded goals early in the second as Sam Hentegs scored on the rush before Madden picked up his fist of the game at 9:37. It was Madden’s second goal, coming with just 36 second left in the second, that was the back breaker.

Biagio Lerario added an empty-net tally to seal the victory for Northeastern.

The two teams will face-off again on Saturday evening to close out the two-game series.

Around the Nation

No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 5, No. 20 Minnesota 2
A desperate Minnesota Duluth team grabbed a 3-0 lead early, and watched host Minnesota rally to within a goal before third period goals by Koby Bender and Scott Perunovich put the game away.

The victory ended a two-game losing streak for the defending national champs which began the season ranked number one before dropping three of its first four games.

The Gophers dug a big hole early before Ben Meyers goal in the final minute of the second and Sammy Walker’s tally at 8:36 of the third brought the crowd at 3M Arena alive.

Bender, though, had a response to rip momentum away from Minnesota, scoring just 69 seconds after Walker cut the lead to one.

Not a bad way to spend an evening in the Twin Cities.@SuperiorChoice_ FINAL: @UMDMensHockey 5, Minnesota 2. #BulldogCountry pic.twitter.com/sXLJjLtKJg

— UMD Athletics (@UMDBulldogs) October 26, 2019

Both teams will travel north to Duluth for Saturday’s conclusion of the home-and-home nonconfence series.

No. 13 Clarkson 4, No. 6 Wisconsin 0
The Golden Knights figured out a way to stop one of the nation’s hottest teams: don’t let them score.

Clarkson goaltender Frank Marotte stopped all 38 shots he faced while Josh Dunne, Harlads Egle, Devin Brosseau and Jack Jacome all netted goals for the road upset of sixth-ranked Wisconsin, 4-0.

Leading 2-0 after 40 minutes, Clarkson faced a Badgers barrage in the third. Wisconsin outshot the Golden Knights, 16-4, in the game’s final frame, but Clarkson accounted for the period’s only two goals.

Hey @Buccigross @espn , this is a #SCTop10 play by @ClarksonMHockey's @JackJacome26 !!! #TopShelfSnipe https://t.co/lWL17z3FrN

— TOM PINKERTON (@tpink5) October 26, 2019

The two teams play the back on of the two-game series on Saturday.

No. 7 Providence 6, No. 10 Boston College 2
The seventh-ranked Friars scored the final three goals of the game to break open one-goal affair and win going away against the tenth-ranked Eagles, 6-2.

Jack Dugan remained red hot for the Friars scoring a goal and adding two assists. He was one of six Friars to register a multiple-point game.

Jack Dugan appreciation tweet. @Buccigross #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/WZwJn7lhU5

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) October 26, 2019

The turning point in the game came just after the midway point when BC’s Ron Greco was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for interference. A holding penalty to David Cotton less than a minute later gave Providence a 5-on-3 power play where Michael Callahan connected.

UMass Lowell 3, Boston University 3 (OT)
The River Hawks dug themselves a hole, falling behind 3-0 at home to the Terriers. But as if they had a ladder to climb from that home, chipped away before earning a 3-3 tie and salvage a point in each team’s Hockey East opener.

Patrick Harper score twice, including a shorthanded goal just 14 seconds into the second period. A power play goal from David Farrance at 7:48 of the third had BU comfortably sailing.

But 24 seconds after Farrance’s goal, Lowell’s Connor Sodergren caromed home a rebound. Before the end of the second, Kenny Hausinger pulled the River Hawks within a goal.

And Seth Barton’s tally at 1:20 of the third completed the comeback.

Both teams had chances to win the game, including a Carl Berglund breakaway for Lowell late in the overtime. BU goaltender Sam Tucker made the save to help BU grab the point for the tie.

Here's the save by Tucker on the UML breakaway in overtime. (?: @RichardTGagnon) pic.twitter.com/lBth3CGAoA

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) October 26, 2019

It is the second straight Friday BU has let slip a three-goal lead to walk away with a tie. For Lowell it was its third straight overtime game and second straight tie.

Norm Bazin Post-Game Interview after the #RiverHawks 3-3 tie against BU #UnitedInBlue #HockeyEast pic.twitter.com/kRm7OHD84q

— UMass Lowell Hockey (@RiverHawkHockey) October 26, 2019

Picking the WCHA: Oct. 25-26

By Jack Hittinger

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October 25, 2019

It’s a new week and all 10 WCHA teams are finally in action at the same time. But most importantly, I’d like to introduce my new WCHA partner, Daver Karnosky. He’ll be making picks for the first time this week and will be writing the first column next week. We’ll be going head to head in the picks this week and will start keeping tally from now, but just as a reminder, here’s how I did last week (just OK).

Jack last week: 6-5-1

Jack this season: 15-11-3

Anyway, on to the action. Lots of good games this week:

Michigan Tech at (17) Bowling Green

Michigan Tech was off last weekend after a rough home sweep at the hands of Alaska. They’ve had time to rest up, but will it be enough to beat Bowling Green? I say no, but Daver thinks they have a shot. Either way, I expect some good games both nights.

Jack: Bowling Green sweeps Michigan Tech, 4-3 and 3-1

Daver: Bowling Green 3-1 Friday; Michigan Tech 2-1 Saturday

Northern Michigan at Ferris State

Northern Michigan is playing very well right now, and that excellent comeback last weekend in Boston is going to give them plenty of confidence this week at Ferris.

Jack: Northern Michigan sweeps Ferris State, 5-2 and 4-1

Daver: Northern Michigan sweeps Ferris State, 4-2 and 5-2

(2) Minnesota State at Alabama Huntsville

Minnesota State is looking good as advertised, with solid wins over Arizona State and North Dakota already under their belts. The Chargers, on the other hand, are struggling. I think they’ll recover, but I don’t think it will be this weekend.

Jack: Minnesota State sweeps Alabama Huntsville, 4-2 and 3-0

Daver: Minnesota State sweeps Alabama Huntsville, 5-1 and 4-1

Alaska at Alaska Anchorage

The Nanooks are perhaps the most surprising story in the WCHA this season. The Seawolves are tough to get a read on. They had last week off after a first-week sweep at Maine in which they lost 7-0 and 2-1 in overtime. I think the Nanooks will sweep here, but this is the Governor’s Cup, so expect a tough pair of games both times.

Jack: Alaska sweeps Alaska Anchorage, 2-1 and 4-1

Daver: Alaska sweeps Alaska Anchorage, 3-0 and 3-1

Lake Superior at (5) Notre Dame

Damon Whitten sure didn’t back down when making Lake Superior State’s schedule this season. They’ve played, in consecutive weeks, Denver and Michigan, and now have to go to Notre Dame. Unfortunately they haven’t been able to beat either of the other two teams although they have played very well against both Denver and Michigan. Will they be able to finally get a valuable nonconference win this weekend? I think they can squeeze one out.

Jack: Notre Dame 3-1 Friday; Lake State 2-1 Saturday

Daver: Lake Superior 2-1 Friday; Notre Dame 4-2 Saturday

Bemidji State at (16) North Dakota

This is normally a home-and-home against the cross-state rivals, but this season the Beavers are playing both games in Grand Forks. That ups the degree of difficulty for them a bit, but I think they can still get a split at the Ralph.

Jack: Bemidji State 3-2 Friday; North Dakota 4-2 Saturdy

Daver: North Dakota 4-3 Friday; Bemidji State 3-2 Saturday

NCHA announces results of men’s, women’s coaches polls ahead of 2019-20 season

By USCHO Staff

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October 25, 2019

The NCHA announced Thursday the results of the men’s and women’s coaches polls ahead of the start of the 2019-20 season.

MEN’S POLL

School (First-place votes)
1. St. Norbert (9)
2. Adrian (2)
3. Marian
4. Milwaukee School of Engineering
5. Aurora
6. Lake Forest
7. St. Scholastica
8. Concordia (Wis.)
9. Trine
10. Finlandia
11. Lawrence

WOMEN’S POLL

School (First-place votes)
1. Adrian (7)
2. St. Scholastica (2)
3. Lake Forest
4. Concordia (Wis.)
5. Trine
6. St. Norbert
7. Aurora
8. Marian
9. Finlandia

NCHC picks: Oct. 25-26

By Candace Horgan

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October 25, 2019

Scott Perunovich of Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota Duluth at Denver at Magness Arena, November 17, 2018. (Candace Horgan) — Scott Perunovich and Minnesota Duluth will look to get their defensive mojo back against in-state rival Minnesota. (Candace Horgan)

Matthew has leapfrogged me after two weeks, as I was a dreadful 2-9-1, and Matthew a more respectable 5-6-1. On the year, I am now 8-12-5 and Matthew is 10-10-5. Hey, batting .500 is good enough to start the year.

Let’s see if I can recover from my awful week last week. Unfortunately, Matthew and I see eye to eye.

Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26

No. 11 Northeastern at No. 14 St. Cloud State
Candace: I was impressed in the opening weekend that St. Cloud still has a good offense, but the defense seems to miss the steadying presence of Jimmy Schuldt. I’m sure that will improve. Northeastern tied Holy Cross last weekend, but given the Crusaders also beat Providence, perhaps that’s not a bad tie. I think this is a split. St. Cloud State 4-2, Northeastern 3-2
Matthew: This is a pretty good choice for USCHO to spotlight this week. I’m not put off by SCSU’s pair of ties last weekend at Bemidji State, but I’m very curious to see if Northeastern can keep up its unbeaten start in St. Cloud. SCSU has a regular-season championship banner to raise and a statue of Herb Brooks to unveil this weekend, and the home Huskies will want to put on performances that live up to the festivities going on away from the ice. Hard to pick a sweep, though. St. Cloud State 4-2, Northeastern 3-2

Michigan State at Colorado College
Candace: Home ice and altitude may help the Tigers get the sweep. Chris Wilkie and Nick Halloran looked very impressive in CC’s opening weekend against Minnesota, and except for a defensive blip in the late part of the second period, CC may very well have come away with a sweep against the Gophers. Colorado College 3-2, 4-2
Matthew: Colorado College can’t be too disappointed with a split with Minnesota, and the Tigers are rested after taking last weekend off. Michigan State may well be better this season, but the Spartans aren’t what they have been in the past. This might be going out on a limb slightly, but I’ll take CC to sweep. Colorado College 4-2, 4-3

Miami at Colgate
Candace: A new coach hasn’t yet improved Miami’s fortunes. I don’t think Colgate is quite strong enough to sweep though. Colgate 3-2, Miami 3-2
Matthew: I want to give Miami some love here, but considering three of Colgate’s first five games were against ranked teams, the Raiders’ 1-3-1 record is maybe a little misleading. I’ll take a split here, and I don’t think the RedHawks would be overly disappointed with that, either. Colgate 3-1, Miami 3-1

No. 18 Western Michigan versus Michigan (home-and-home)
Candace: Western really struggled last weekend against Bowling Green, just days after beating the Falcons convincingly in the Icebreaker. Hard to see this as anything but a split, with each team winning on home ice. Michigan 3-2, Western Michigan 3-2
Matthew: Western Michigan is still ranked after its 1-2-1 start, and while the Broncos are too talented to stay a sub-.500 team, they’ll want to get going pretty quickly here. Hey, at least they aren’t playing Bowling Green anymore. Split. Michigan 4-2, Western Michigan 4-2

No. 8 Minnesota Duluth versus No. 20 Minnesota (home-and-home)
Candace: There’s not need for the Bulldogs faithful to be panicking just yet, but UMD can’t afford to get swept again, especially against a Big Ten squad. I think UMD will get a split, each team winning on home ice, although UMD has brought its best against their in-state rivals of late. Minnesota 4-3, Minnesota Duluth 4-3
Matthew: I look at Duluth in a similar way to how I look at Western. The Bulldogs are back-to-back defending national champions, but like WMU, they’re too good to stay down after what has been a not ideal start to the season. Home teams win here, I think. Minnesota 3-2, Minnesota Duluth 3-2

Bemidji State at No. 16 North Dakota
Candace: North Dakota looked impressive in its opening weekend, and followed it up with a solid outing on the road against a tough Minnesota State team. The goals won’t come as freely against the stingy Beavers, but I like UND to sweep in a rocking Ralph Engelstad Arena. North Dakota 3-2, 4-2
Matthew: UND looked good in its home sweep two weeks ago against Canisius. That said, nobody should be discouraged by the Fighting Hawks only getting a loss and a tie at Minnesota State because, well, almost no visiting team wins in Mankato. This will be a tough series against a well-organized Bemidji team, but I like UND to grind out two wins. North Dakota 3-2, 3-2

Women’s D-I weekend picks October 25: Every ranked team in action as Ivy League schools start the season

By Nicole Haase

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October 25, 2019

Madlynne Mills of Cornell (Cornell Athletics) — Cornell takes the ice for the first time this season against (8) Robert Morris. (Photo: Cornell Athletics)

Bemidji State at (1) Wisconsin

Bemidji swept Minnesota Duluth last week, but has losses to Lindenwood and Providence. They should carry quite a bit of confidence and momentum into the weekend, but this is a team that I’m never sure what exactly to expect from. Playing in Madison is never easy and the Badgers feature the top three scorers in the country on their top line. Goaltending is the Beavers’ biggest question mark and this is not a team you can afford to be soft against in net. Bemidji has used three different goalies this season, while Wisconsin’s Kristin Campbell is allowing .83 goals per game and has three shutouts already. This should be a sweep for Wisconsin, but Bemidji won’t be easily beat.

(2) Minnesota at (9) Ohio State

The Gophers took last season’s series against the Buckeyes 3-1, with the lone loss coming at home. Minnesota is undefeated so far this season, while Ohio State is on a four-game winless streak. They were swept by the Badgers and had two ties against Minnesota State last weekend where the Mavericks took the extra conference point in each game. The Buckeyes will be looking to get back on track, but it won’t be an easy task. Minnesota is not only allowing just 1.12 goals per game, but they have the top scoring defense in the nation. I expect a split, but both teams have the ability to sweep.

(3) Northeastern at Providence

The Huskies are undefeated while Providence has started the season 2-2-2. The Friars have played a number of close games, but seem to still be searching for that extra bit that will allow them to convert those close contests into wins. Senior goalie Clare Minnerath was extremely limited in ice time prior to becoming the start this season and has been handling the transition pretty well, but she’ll be tested this weekend. Northeastern should win this one.

Lindenwood at (4) Clarkson

Clarkson has had just one home game thus far, so they’ll take advantage of home ice and great fans. The two teams have never played each other, though Clarkson senior transfer has experience playing the Lions from her time at St. Cloud State. The Golden Knights are led by Elizabeth Giguere (4g, 7a) and Gabrielle David (3g, 7a). Both teams are splitting time in net, so watching how the coaches choose handle the matchups will be interesting. I expect Clarkson to sweep.

(8) Robert Morris at (5) Cornell

This should be the premiere series of the weekend. Cornell gets a tougher draw for their opening weekend than they probably anticipated when they scheduled these games. The Ivies have the challenge of having to play teams nearing mid-season form the very first time they take the ice for the season. I’m expecting these two to split, but wouldn’t be surprised if Robert Morris is able to earn a win and tie.

Syracuse at (6) Princeton

This is the first look we’ll get at this year’s Tigers, who are returning all five of their all-ECAC players from last season. Princeton is solid in every part of the game, with scoring threats, a solid blue line and experience in net. They’re going to be a team to reckon with this season. Syracuse has a lot of potential and is exciting to watch. The two teams split a series last year in Syracuse, but Princeton should sweep this one.

Quinnipiac at (6) Princeton

Princeton jumps right into the season with a third game this week on Tuesday. Quinnipiac will be coming off a weekend against Sacred Heart that they should sweep. The Bobcats build their game on defense and they’ll need to find a way to keep Sarah Fillier and Maggie Connors in check to keep the game close. But I think Princeton has too many weapons for Quinnipiac to overcome. The Tigers win this one.

Holy Cross at (6) Boston College

The Eagles already have a 6-0 win over Holy Cross on their resume this season and it’s unlikely this game will go differently for the Crusaders. BC is averaging more than four goals scored per game and is allowing just one goal in each contest. They’ve got too much firepower for Holy Cross and will win this one.

Maine at (6) Boston College

The Black Bears have a number of offensive weapons and are one of the most interesting teams to watch, in my opinion, as they mix a number of playing styles together. They will have their hands full with the Eagles, who won both the teams’ meetings last season. Not much has been able to slow down Boston College’s scoring. BC is likely to win, but I think if there’s a team that might be able to give them a surprising run for their money, it’s Maine.

Penn State at (10) Boston University

This should be a fun series to watch, with two very evenly matched teams. The two have played six games against each other all time and the overall record is 2-2-2. BU responded to a loss to UNH with two straight wins, while Penn State is 3-0-1 over the past four games since dropping a pair to Wisconsin. Chantal Burke has been solid for the Nittany Lions, taking over in net for the injured Jenna Brenneman. I think we’ll see a split here, but each team as the ability to sweep.

Pickin’ the Big Ten: Oct. 25-26

By Paula C. Weston

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October 25, 2019

It didn’t take long for Drew to pull ahead of me. He picked Ohio State to sweep Omaha and I picked the teams to split – but on the wrong nights. And, of course, I was punished for picking the Lakers to sweep the Wolverines.

Last week

Drew: 5-5-0 (.500)
Paula: 4-6-0 (.400)

This season

Drew: 13-9-2 (.583)
Paula: 12-10-2 (.541)

This week

We’re still a week away from Big Ten conference play but there are some juicy interleague matches this week, including two intrastate, home-and-home series: Minnesota Duluth vs. Minnesota and Western Michigan vs. Michigan. B1G Hockey currently has the best intraconference record in D-1 (16-6-2, .708) with every team in the league at .500 or better. It will be interesting to see how this last week of all nonconference play affects the league overall as the season progresses.

All times are local.

No. 13 Clarkson at No. 6 Wisconsin
Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

At home last weekend, the Golden Knights beat Vermont and lost to Providence. Wisconsin grabbed headlines by sweeping Minnesota Duluth. Can the Badgers maintain their momentum after an emotional series against Duluth? It also remains to be seen whether the Wisconsin offense will continue to be so dominant. These teams met once last season, a home win for Clarkson. I’m not picking against the Badgers again until they lose.

Drew: Clarkson 3-2, Wisconsin 5-1
Paula: Wisconsin 4-2, 4-2

Lake Superior State at No. 5 Notre Dame
Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

The Lakers head to South Bend after having been swept in Ann Arbor and the Fighting Irish return to play after a weekend off. Notre Dame leads this overall series 36-26-7, but the teams haven’t met since 2014-15 when the Irish were 2-0-1 against the Lakers.

Drew: Notre Dame 4-1, 3-2
Paula: Notre Dame 4-2, 4-2

Michigan State at Colorado College
Friday at 7:37 p.m., Saturday at 6:07 p.m.

Colorado College earned a home split against Minnesota last weekend while Michigan State beat the US Under-18 Team in exhibition. The Tigers lead this series 45-31-1 all-time, but the teams haven’t met since the 2010 Great Lakes Invitational Tournament.

Drew: Colorado College 4-2, Michigan State 2-1
Paula: Michigan State 3-2, 3-2

No. 8 Minnesota Duluth vs. No. 20 Minnesota
Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

Stinging after that sweep at the hands of Wisconsin last weekend, Minnesota Duluth will attempt to find solace against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are 134-81-17 all-time against the Bulldogs, but Duluth owns this series 8-3-2 in the last six years. Last year, the teams tied 1-1 before the Gophers won 7-4. Friday’s game is in Minneapolis.

Drew: Minnesota Duluth 3-1, 4-2
Paula: Minnesota 3-2, Minnesota Duluth 4-2

No. 15 Ohio State at Mercyhurst
Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

The Buckeyes split a pair of games at home with Omaha last weekend and Mercyhurst was swept at home by St. Lawrence. The Buckeyes are 8-2-1 all-time against the Lakers. The teams last met in 2015 in Erie, a win and tie for Ohio State.

Drew: Ohio State 3-1, 3-2
Paula: Ohio State 4-2, 3-2

Robert Morris at No. 12 Penn State
Friday at 7:00 p.m.

After splitting with visiting Alaska last weekend and having been shut out for the first time in two seasons, the Nittany Lions will be ready to go against the Colonials for this one. Last weekend, Robert Morris split with Army on the road. Penn State leads this all-time series 6-4-0. PSU swept RMU in a home-and-home series last season, including an 11-6 win in Pegula Arena.

Drew: Penn State 6-1
Paula: Penn State 7-6

No. 18 Western Michigan vs. Michigan
Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Last weekend, the Broncos lost two 2-1 games to Bowling Green and Michigan swept visiting Lake Superior State. Michigan leads this all-time series 72-35-10 but the teams haven’t met since the 2013 Great Lakes Invitational. The Wolverines host Friday night.

Drew: Michigan 3-1, Western Michigan 3-1
Paula: Michigan 4-2, Western Michigan 3-2

The Twitters

Follow Drew (@drewclaussen) and me (@paulacweston) on Twitter. Say hello and we’ll do the same.

USCHO GAME OF THE WEEK: Young, revamped St. Cloud State team faces ‘big challenge’ this weekend at home from Northeastern

By Matthew Semisch

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October 25, 2019

Nick Poehling (SCSU-7) 2018 November 10 St.Cloud State University hosts Denver in a NCHC contest at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, MN (Bradley K. Olson) — Nick Poehling has posted a goal and an assist so far in two games for SCSU (photo: Bradley K. Olson).

With 10 freshmen on its roster, St. Cloud State has had a lot of introductions to make early on this season.

That process is still ongoing two counter games into the Huskies’ new campaign. Already, following two ties last weekend at Bemidji State, 14th-ranked SCSU is off the scorching pace with which the Huskies opened last season, winning their first five games and going 13-1-2 in their first 16. They went on to become the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA tournament but were upset right away by American International.

There’s a lot of promise among St. Cloud’s newcomers, and that’s needed considering the Huskies lost three 40-point forwards plus several other key players from last season’s team, either to graduation or pro contracts. While the new boys get their feet wet, though, veterans have been leading the way.

Nine SCSU players, all sophomores and up, provided the Huskies’ points last weekend at Bemidji’s Sanford Center. Four different St. Cloud players scored in just under 11 minutes during Friday’s third period to help the Huskies salvage a 4-4 tie. On Saturday, Nick Poehling and Easton Brodzinski gave SCSU a 2-0 second period lead, but Bemidji State drew level in the third and helped finish the game at 2-2.

Six different SCSU players have one goal apiece to their names ahead of this weekend’s home series against No. 11 Northeastern. Spreading out the scoring like that is no bad thing in second-year coach Brett Larson’s eyes, but he’ll expect more going forward from his freshmen, five of which played in the Bemidji State series.

“Bemidji might be one of the tougher teams defensively in the country, and I knew it was going to be hard to create a lot of offense against them, so I’m really not looking at points per se as far as our offensive production right now, or not for the first weekend, anyway,” Larson said.

“I thought our young guys, to be honest, just did a good job of surviving a really tough weekend, and that’ll give them some confidence going into a few weekends at home here, feeling like they at least know they can play at this level.

“I thought it was a really good series,” Larson concluded. “Obviously Bemidji is a really tough place to go in and play, and I thought it was a great learning experience for our guys to see how hard you have to play to be successful in college hockey.”

Six St. Cloud upperclassmen got onto the score sheets last weekend in Bemidji, but what stands out is the name at the top of the Huskies’ scoring chart.

Sophomore forward Sam Hentges, who played high school hockey an hour down the road at Totino-Grace and went on to become a Minnesota Wild draft pick, had 10 goals and 10 assists in 37 games last season. He scored the equalizer in last Friday’s goalfest and had two assists on the weekend.

Hentges centered SCSU’s top line Friday, flanked by Brodzinski and freshman winger Zach Okabe. On Saturday, Hentges and Brodzinski were on the Huskies’ second line alongside sophomore Micah Miller.

“I really think Sam’s off to a great start,” Larson said. “He’s been so committed in practice to getting better and doing things the right way and he’s really been working hard, and I think it’s paying off for him. Right now, he’s really earning one of those top two spots as far as a center that we can count on, and he’s pushing guys around him to be better.

“It’s always a big step going from the expectations of being a support guy to being the guy, if that makes sense. Now, he has to be a guy that’s going to drive the way our team plays, and he’s a fast, skilled, hard player and when he plays that way, he drives the players around him to play that way as well.”

The Huskies’ defensive corps was a perceived strength entering the new season, thanks in part to senior captain Jack Ahcan and alternate Clark Kuster. Don’t forget junior goaltender David Hrenak, a second-team all-NCHC pick last season. Still, just like up top, there’s a lot of newness at the blue line and behind SCSU’s Slovak starting goalie.

“For a lot of them (on the blue line), other than Jack Ahcan really, it’s the same thing: they’re stepping from support roles into roles where they need to drive how we play, and that’s a bit of a transition for anybody, but especially for a defenseman,” Larson said.

“They’re going to be counted on to play against higher lines this year, they’re going to be counted on to play in more specific special team roles and they’re going to be counted on to play big minutes.”

Given the context, Larson isn’t concerned about two season-opening ties as compared to last year’s hot start.

“It’s such a different team,” Larson said. “Last year, the expectations were that we would be on a roll like that, and this year, the expectations are that there could be some ups and downs with a really young group.

“We’ve got 16 sophomores and freshmen combined, and a lot are in big roles, and our goal as a staff is just to keep getting better every weekend and handle different challenges. You go into a tight space, hard, no room-type area game in Bemidji and now you go back to a home game against a really skilled, fast Northeastern team on a bigger sheet, which is a totally different challenge.

“They’re both tough challenges but different challenges, so I think each weekend, we’re going to have learning lessons that are going to help us grow.”

More lessons will come this weekend as SCSU plays in what was always bound to be a memorable weekend. A banner heralding last season’s NCHC regular-season champions will be unveiled, as will a statue memorializing Herb Brooks, for whom the National Hockey Center is named.

Northeastern will do its best on the ice to spoil the party. NU (3-0-1) opened its season with a two-game sweep at Union, then beat No. 4 Massachusetts on Oct. 15 and tied with Holy Cross four days later. Northeastern outscored its opponents 9-5 in those four games.

“Fast and skilled,” Larson said of what he has seen of Northeastern on video. “They attack off the rush, they’re really creative and skilled in the offensive zone.

“Heck, they’re only giving up one even-strength goal a game right now as well defensively, so they’ve got a skilled team that plays hard, and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Hockey East picks: Oct 25-27

By Jim Connelly

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October 24, 2019

Aren’t early season games supposed to be easier to predict? Yeah, I guess not so much.

Jim last week: 8-8-3
Dave last week: 10-6-3
Jim to date: 20-17-4
Dave to date: 26-11-4

Friday, October 25

Providence at Boston College
This is an interesting matchup in that Providence did a great job bouncing back from a loss to Holy Cross with two wins in the North Country last weekend. Meanwhile, Boston College got swept by Denver, albeit the number one team in the country. That question is how each team responds to either a success or a negative.

Dave: BC 4, Providence 3 (OT)
Jim: Providence 3, BC 2

New Hampshire at Merrimack
Merrimack still has struggled to show a lot while New Hampshire, at times, has looked great and then at other times – like last week’s OT loss at Bentley – becomes a team that is difficult to figure out. Certainly, home ice should matter here, but it’s difficult to tell which is the better team on paper.

Dave: UNH 4, Merrimack 2
Jim: UNH 5, Merrimack 2

Maine at Vermont
After an opening weekend drubbing at Providence, Maine has actually played some very good hockey, sweeping Alaska-Anchorage at home and then splitting with a more-than-respectable Quinnipiac team on the road. So if there was any concern about playing on the road, that has left. That said, Stefanos Lekkas is still a beast in Vermont, coming off a 35-save shutout.

Dave: UVM 3, Maine 2
Jim: UVM 2, Maine 1

Boston University at UMass Lowell
Neither team is entering this weekend on a high note. Lowell lost and skated to a scoreless tie against a Colgate team that entered winless. BU blew a three-goal lead on Friday and then lost on Saturday against Northern Michigan. Somewhat early season disasters collide badly needing wins. The Hockey East semi-rivalry (both teams have clashed in the postseason multiple times in recent years) could end in a tie.

Dave: BU 4, UMass Lowell 3
Jim: UMass Lowell 4, BU 2

American International at Massachusetts
A few years ago, this might have been the battle of cellar dwellers. Oh, have times changed. The Yellow Jackets and Minutemen each won their respective regular-season title last year and both had success in the NCAA tournament with AIC knocking off the top seed and UMass reaching the national title game. This could be a nice local rivalry with the campuses separated by less than 25 miles.

Dave: UMass 5 AIC 1
Jim: UMass 3, AIC 2

Saturday, October 26

New Hampshire at Boston University
Both teams play on Friday which is interesting in the impact it might have. Could fatigue factor? Certainly. But that’s usually where you have to think about which team is the better team on the ice.

Dave: BU 3, UNH 2
Jim: UNH 3, BU 2

UMass Lowell at Providence
Another game where the two teams played a night earlier. That should have some impact, but you also have to consider how much Providence has had the edge in this series in recent years. For some reason, in the regular season, Lowell has struggled with the Friars, so a road game this early could be interesting.

Dave: Providence 3, UMass Lowell 2 (OT)
Jim: Providence 4, UMass Lowell 2

Friday/Saturday October 25 & 26

Northeastern at St. Cloud State
It has been a strong start for Northeastern to begin the season, but it has been based almost entirely on defense. Scoring goals would be helpful at this point and playing a team like SCSU, which tied both of its opening games at Bemidji State, could be pretty hungry.

Dave: SCSU sweeps 4-3 (OT), 3-2
Jim: NU sweeps 3-1, 3-2

Sunday, October 27

Vermont at Quinnipiac
One of the factors in this game is the travel from Burlington, Vt., to Quinnipiac’s campus in Hamden, Ct. This is the only game of the weekend for the host Bobcats, while UVM has to host Maine on Friday. Could there be some bus fatigue?

Dave: Quinnipiac 4, UVM 2
Jim: Quinnipiac 4, UVM 1

ECAC Hockey Picks: Oct. 25-26-27

By Mark Divver

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October 24, 2019

Nate
Last week: 5-6-1
Overall: 13-12-2

Mark
Last week: 5-7
Overall: 12-14-1

Nate’s one game over .500. Mark is two games under. Here are the games scheduled for this weekend. All start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26

Rensselaer at Union; Union at Rensselaer

Nate: At 0-6, not a lot has gone right for Union. RPI swept the series with its league rival last season and I see a similar result given the Dutchmen’s struggles thus far.
Friday: Rensselaer 4-1; Saturday: Rensselaer 5-3

Mark: This is one of those “two-teams-headed-in-opposite-directions’’ matchups. Says here the Dutchmen harness the emotion of a home game against their closest rival and grab their first victory on Friday. Rensselaer bounces back at home on Saturday.
Friday: Union 3-2; Saturday: Rensselaer 4-2

Miami at Colgate

Nate: Colgate has struggled to generate offense at times this season, but has been sound defensively. It’s been the opposite for Miami, who has been solid offensively, but is surrendering an unsightly 4.52 goals per game this year. This looks like a good chance for the Raiders to continue to make strides on offense.
Friday: Colgate 3-1; Saturday, Colgate 4-3

Mark: At home, Colgate builds on a solid showing against Lowell last weekend and pulls off a sweep against the Red Hawks
Friday: Colgate 1-0; Saturday, Colgate 4-2

St. Lawrence at Holy Cross

Nate: Holy Cross tied a tough Northeastern team last week, while St. Lawrence has only five goals in four games.
Holy Cross 3-0

Mark: Home ice gives the Crusaders the edge here. It’s a small edge, but it’s a winning one.
Holy Cross 2-1

Clarkson at Wisconsin

Nate: A strong Clarkson defense will have its hands full with a Wisconsin team that has scored 20 goals over its last three games, highlighted by an eleven-goal outburst against Merrimack on Oct. 12. This feels like a split, with the Wisconsin offense and Clarkson defense each having a good game.

Friday: Wisconsin 5-2; Saturday: Clarkson 4-2

Mark: Cole Caufield takes a few more steps toward a 40-goal season and the good times continue to roll in Madison as the Badgers sweep.
Friday: Wisconsin 4-1; Saturday: Wisconsin 5-2

Saturday, October 26

St. Lawrence at Bentley

Nate: In a battle of low-scoring teams, I think the Saints will be able to generate just enough offense to win.
St. Lawrence 2-1

Mark: Ben Murphy, longtime Bentley assistant now at St. Lawrence, returns to his old stomping grounds and the Larries go home with a win.
St. Lawrence 3-1

Sunday, October 27

Vermont at Quinnipiac, 2 p.m.

Nate: The Catamounts have averaged 33 shots a game so far, but might struggle to match that number against a Quinnipiac team that has played its usual puck-possession style through the first few weeks of the season.
Quinnipiac 4-2

Mark: I’d make a lame joke about bobcats and catamounts if I could think of one. Instead, I’m just going say that Quinnipiac wins this one.
Quinnipiac 5-3

Atlantic Hockey Picks: October 24-26

By Chris Lerch

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October 24, 2019

Last week:

Dan: 9-2-1
Chris: 8-3-1

On the season:

Dan: 25-8-2 (.743)
Chris: 20-13-2 (.600)

This Week’s Picks

Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25
Rochester Institute of Technology at Air Force
Chris: It’s cliche, but you really can throw out the records when these teams meet. RIT is 3-1 and Air Force 0-4 but I’m thinking the Falcons come away with at least a split.
Dan: It’s incredibly difficult to win in the altitude, and RIT’s seen its share of issues out west in the past. I think last year was the first time since joining D1 that the Tigers didn’t travel to Colorado. I’m going with an Air Force sweep, but I think one of these games goes to the 3-on-3 overtime.

Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26
Sacred Heart at Niagara
Chris: These teams are expected to finish first and (tied for) third by the league’s coaches, and I tend to agree. I’m going with the homestanding Purple Eagles, who put a scare into Minnesota twice last weekend. Niagara sweeps.
Dan: You know, there’s something about Sacred Heart that I kind of like in this series. Coming off the AIC loss, the Pioneers still looked pretty good. I’m taking a split here.

Ohio State at Mercyhurst
Chris: The Buckeyes lead the all-time series between the schools 8-2-1 including 1-0-1 at the MIC. I think THE Ohio State adds to that record with a sweep.
Dan: Ohio State’s going to lose this weekend, but it’s going to be on Saturday afternoon to Wisconsin. Sorry, Buckeye fans. I hope this is a good consolation prize. #OnWisconsin. Ohio State sweeps.

Friday, October 25
Army West Point at Bentley
Chris: I envy Dan getting to see this one, which should be a dandy. Army comes in an impressive 3-1 including a split with Robert Morris last weekend, while Bentley is coming off a 3-2 overtime win against New Hampshire last Friday. I’m going with the home team here on a hunch. Bentley wins.
Dan: I remember a time when Army coming to Bentley favored the Black Knights because they were better suited for the JAR, and the Falcons were better suited to win at Tate Rink. For some reason, I still have no idea how that plays out at the Bentley Arena, so I’m going with the home team here. Bentley wins.

Robert Morris at Penn State
Chris: Penn State has won the last four meeting between the schools and is coming off an ugly loss to Alaska. I don’t think the Nittany Lions will take RMU lightly. Penn State wins.
Dan: Penn State’s offense is built to score goals in bunches, so getting into a track meet against the Nittany Lions rarely works out well. I just have a bad feeling here. Penn State wins.

St. Lawrence at Holy Cross
Chris: The Saints have scored zero goals in their last two games, and while I expect them to get on the scoresheet, I don’t think it will be enough against the Crusaders, who have already recorded a win against Providence and a tie with Northeastern. Holy Cross wins.
Dan: After talking to David Berard this week, I’m feeling like the Holy Cross defense is starting to really develop something special. Facing a struggling offense is usually a recipe for a classic #RubinJinx, but I’m holding my ground. Holy Cross wins.

American International at Massachusetts
Chris: Recent rounds of the battle of Springfield haven’t disappointed, and I expect this to be another barn burner. But I like the favored Minutemen to prevail. UMass wins.
Dan: I would love to see AIC walk out of this one with a win, but logic and rationale won’t let me. I do think this is going to be closer than people might think, and I think people think it’s going to be pretty close. UMass wins.

Saturday, October 26
St. Lawrence at Bentley
Chris: The SLU road show against AHA teams continues, and I think the result will be the same as on Friday. Bentley wins.
Dan: I’ve held the same line about SLU since the season started. I think the coaching staff will be fine, but the program needs to slowly build. It’s not going to be an overnight change. Bentley wins.

No. 11 Northeastern at No. 14 St. Cloud State preview with Northeastern’s Jim Madigan: Game of the Week Podcast Season 2 Episode 4

By Ed Trefzger and Jim Connelly

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October 24, 2019

Northeastern coach Jim Madigan joins us for a preview of an all-Huskies matchup, as his No. 11 team travels to No. 14 St. Cloud State. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger also look at other key games, including No. 8 Minnesota Duluth’s home-and-home series with No. 20 Minnesota, No. 13 Clarkson for a pair at No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 7 Providence at No. 10 Boston College, American International at No. 3 UMass, and a trio of rivalry matchups outside the top 20.

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

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New NCHC task force aims to assist players with everyday issues ‘that impact their lives,’ including athletics

By Matthew Semisch

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October 24, 2019

NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton gets interviewed at 2013 media day. (NCHC) — NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton gets interviewed at the conference’s media day in 2013 (photo: NCHC).

Months of planning are bearing fruit with the NCHC’s Student-Athlete Well-Being Task Force that the conference unveiled Tuesday.

The task force was created during the NCHC’s annual meetings this past spring in Florida. Member schools’ athletic directors were first approached about the initiative, and school presidents and chancellors were brought in a month later to help finalize the scope of the task force.

NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton facilitated three task force calls this past summer.

Sportsmanship and conduct, along with diversity and inclusion, were the initial focal points. Mental health, sexual assault and other topics were also discussed and will continue to be talked about as the group’s work progresses.

The group is currently made up of two athletic directors (Colorado College’s Lesley Irvine and St. Cloud State’s Heather Weems), two coaches (North Dakota’s Brad Berry and CC assistant Leon Hayward), two faculty representatives (Western Michigan Lisa DeChano-Cook and Miami’s Ron Scott), and Judith Siminoe, an advisor to SCSU president Robbyn Wacker.

“We wanted to have a cross-section of different kinds of constituents,” Fenton told USCHO on Wednesday. “It was really about asking who might be interested in serving on the group and also if they felt as though they could contribute in a meaningful and impactful way because of other professional opportunities they’ve had in this area of their life.

“(The task force) was also organized at a time when the academic year was ending, so it was tough to originally put students on it, but our thought moving forward is that we will add student-athletes to the task force because we’re talking about things that impact their lives.”

The group has added to or revised conference policies and created new educational opportunities that have already started to be implemented this season. The NCHC’s task force announcement came on the first day of a week-long diversity and inclusion campaign on the NCAA’s social media platforms.

“For the right reasons, our society has brought to light things that are impactful in people’s lives that are important to talk about, (whether they be) societal issues or maybe more specific to athletics,” Fenton said.

“Our membership and our conference office staff felt as though there was something more we could do to better help and support student-athletes in somewhat of a general well-being sense out of the conference office and obviously being facilitated on the campus of each member institution.”

The NCHC’s sportsmanship and conduct policies and procedures have been altered. Schools and the conference office now have added responsibilities within the general scope of the league’s sportsmanship policy and processing of violations, and Fenton has more authority to take discipline as needed for sportsmanship violations.

The league’s student-athlete code of conduct was also updated to stress the NCHC’s commitment to fostering environments that promote and emphasize diversity and inclusion. All eight member schools are required to conduct annual diversity and inclusion training for members of their men’s hockey programs.

Video vignettes filmed with Fenton have been made, and he told USCHO that the first video, highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion, was sent to member schools last week. Feedback that he has received indicates that the message has been well received.

Videos were also made at the NCHC’s preseason media day, with Fenton, head coaches and team captains reading the league’s sportsmanship policy. That policy will also be read aloud and played on arena video boards prior to each game.

Fenton is excited to see what becomes of the task force’s efforts, which could be shared with schools’ other athletic programs.

“Anything that we do, if it can have an impact on anyone’s life in a sport program or otherwise, we’re certainly in favor of that,” Fenton said. “We’re working with administrators in particular that have oversight and management of all sorts of sports in their athletic department, and if they feel as though there’s something that can apply practically to another team, then we want to be supportive in allowing them to use what comes out of our efforts with that particular team or otherwise.”

Freshman goalie making waves

Goaltending was a question mark for Omaha entering the new season, with three freshmen vying for the starting job.

Two weeks in, that role is on its way to being solidified.

Isaiah Saville earned NCHC goaltender of the week honors after helping the Mavericks to a road split last weekend at then-No. 12 Ohio State. He made 24 saves in a 3-2 loss Friday and made 38 saves in Saturday’s 2-1 UNO victory.

A draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, Saville helped UNO go 5 for 5 on penalty kills Saturday, making 15 saves while the Mavericks were shorthanded.
In three games played (2-1-0) this season, Saville leads the NCHC with a 1.68 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.

DU senior off and running

Denver forward Tyson McLellan picked a good time to have a big weekend, as his first three goals of the season helped the Pioneers to a home sweep of then-No. 6 Boston College.

McLellan’s empty-netter in a 2-0 win Friday put to bed top-ranked DU’s fifth consecutive victory to start the season, and their first at Magness Arena after previous trips to Alaska and Lake Superior. On Saturday, McLellan scored twice more in a 6-4 win.

McLellan, who has already matches his goal total from last season, won 20 of 39 faceoff draws in the series and finished with a +2 rating.

Pios carry banner in tricky week

NCHC teams had a combined 11-4-4 non-conference record through the first two weeks of the season, but last weekend wasn’t nearly as straightforward.

Denver’s sweep was unquestionably the brightest spot among NCHC teams that were in action. Minnesota Duluth is down five spots to No. 8 after being swept at Wisconsin, and North Dakota picked up a tie and a loss at second-ranked Minnesota State, which entered the weekend having won 23 of its last 24 home games.

Miami grabbed on Friday its first win under new head coach Chris Bergeron as the RedHawks eked past Ferris State 4-3. The RedHawks weren’t as fortunate Saturday, falling 3-1 to Ferris.

Lastly, Western Michigan’s tricky start to the season continued with two one-goal losses to Bowling Green. The teams met three times in eight days, with WMU winning 5-2 in an IceBreaker Tournament third-place game Oct. 12.

Notre Dame coach Jackson looking forward to facing former club, Lake Superior State, this weekend

By Drew Claussen

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October 24, 2019

30 MAR 2013: Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson takes a timeout. Notre Dame plays St. Cloud State in the NCAA Midwest Regional at the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. (USCHO - Rachel Lewis) (©Rachel Lewis) — Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson takes a timeout as the Irish plays St. Cloud State in the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio (photo: Rachel Lewis).

For Jeff Jackson, the team occupying the opposing bench across the ice at Compton Family Ice Arena this weekend is sure to bring up some memories.

Notre Dame will host Lake Superior State, the school that Jackson coached at for 10 years, for two games this weekend.

“It was such a significant part of my career, being hired there in the first place by Frank Anzalone and the influence he had on me,” Jackson said. “That was my start in college hockey as a coach.”

Jackson was an assistant coach under Anzalone for four seasons before getting the head coach position in 1990. He won the 1988 NCAA title as an assistant coach and in 1992 and 1994 as a head coach. The Lakers also advanced to the championship game in 1993.

“Frankly, it’s the relationships, being such a small school, you develop relationships with the community, and you develop relationships with the other coaches and the staff there,” Jackson said about his time in Sault Ste. Marie. “It’s just such a family-type environment.”

Jackson, who hails from Roseville, Mich., said he spent a lot of time in the state’s Upper Peninsula camping and fishing growing up.

“Being a Yooper for 10 years was a fun thing for me because I liked it up there,” he said. “I liked the smallness of it, hockey was big, but the smallness of community and the campus.”

During the conversation about his time with the Lakers Jackson talked about more than a dozen people that came to mind, including players, fellow coaches, trainers, administration and the radio guys.

“I still am in constant contact with guys that played for me back then,” Jackson said. “There’s a lot to be said that when you win a championship you walk together forever.

“That’s just a sign of what the program was all about back then. It was such close-knit group and close family group. It was quite a thing to be a part of.”

Jackson left LSSU after the 1995-96 season to become the coach and senior director of the U.S. National Team Development program. After that he had a stint in the Ontario Hockey League and NHL before being hired at Notre Dame in 2005.

He was inducted into the Lake Superior State athletics hall of fame in 2009.

The Irish and Lakers haven’t faced off since Notre Dame swept a home series early in the 2014-15 season. With the Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Western Michigan on the schedule, Jackson said there was an emphasis to rejuvenate some old CCHA rivalries this season, adding that he hoped to be able to make the return trip to the Upper Peninsula next season to face to Lakers.

Lake Superior State started this season by sweeping Merrimack at home but have dropped the previous two series to Denver and Michigan. Jackson said that he still keeps tabs on the Lakers, even though it’s been a few seasons since the two teams have faced.

“I want to see them have success and get back to the tournament and be more of a factor nationally and in their conference,” he said. “Last year was a real positive year for them, getting over 20 wins and being right on the cusp of the tournament. I was glad to see them take a big step.

“I expect them to have another good year this year, they’ve had a tough four games here against pretty good teams,” the coach added. “I know we’ll have our hands full this weekend.”

Morris nearing return to Irish net

After he missed the opening series with an upper-body injury, Jackson said that star goaltender Cale Morris could possibly return to the ice this weekend depending on how practices this week went.

“He’s getting close,” Jackson said. “There’s a chance he plays this weekend. This time of the year we’re trying to be a little more precautionary with him. It’s not a major injury, it’s just one of those nagging-type of injuries. I expect him to practice as this week progresses.”

Freshman Ryan Bischel started both games for the Irish against Air Force two weekends ago, picking up two wins. He had 33 saves on Friday and 22 on Sunday while allowing four goals across both games.

“He handled himself very well,” Jackson said of Bishel. “We recruited him for a reason, he’s a really solid goaltender that’s real similar to Cale in a lot of ways. He’s very calm in net. He didn’t get flustered, he gave up a goal in each game that he’d probably like to have back but I thought he settled down both games and played very well.”

Wisconsin revels in sweep of Minnesota Duluth, Clarkson on tap

After an impressive sweep of Minnesota Duluth at home, Wisconsin will have another tough test this weekend when No. 13 Clarkson comes to Madison.

“It is a tough test,” Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said at his Monday press conference. “Clarkson’s a little more unknown for us, obviously with Duluth winning two championships it’s easy getting ready for those guys.”

Granato said it was the responsibility of the coaching staff to make sure the young team moves on from last weekend.

“It’s important to refocus,” he said. “Obviously, it was a nice way to kick off the home season, everyone’s feeling good about themselves. The most important thing for a young team is that as soon as it’s done with, you start focusing on the next challenge because this one will be just as challenging as the Duluth series was for us.”

The sweep of the Bulldogs got a lot of attention nationally, the Badgers jumped to No. 6 in the USCHO Division I Men’s Poll, up 11 spots from last week.

“After four games, does it make our guys feel good to feel that what we’ve done has been recognized? Sure, it does,” Granato said. “Ultimately it’s about facing your next challenge and not getting too wound up.”

Gophers get their own crack at the Bulldogs

If there was a team that might not have been thrilled to see Wisconsin sweep Minnesota Duluth, it would be Minnesota.

The Gophers opponent this weekend, that was already an in-state rival and the defending national champion, will now be motivated to put said sweep in the rear-view mirror.

“We’re going to have a very ornery team coming in here next week,” Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko quipped after the Gophers completed their sweep of Niagara last Saturday.

The Gophers defeated Niagara 3-2 in overtime last Friday and 4-2 on Saturday. This weekend, Minnesota will host Friday’s game and travel to Duluth’s Amsoil Arena for Saturday’s contest.

“For me especially, with them being a northland team and me being a northland kid, I take this one a little more to heart than other games,” sophomore forward Blake McLaughlin, a Grand Rapids, Minn., native said on Tuesday of facing the Bulldogs. “Even though I know I shouldn’t. I’m pretty excited for this weekend.”

Another revenge factor, one of the few blips in Duluth’s season last year was when the two teams tied 1-1 to open the season and Minnesota followed up with a 7-4 victory the next night.

By the time you reach your senior year, you’ve played these guys a couple times and you get really excited for it,” senior Ryan Zuhlsdorf said Tuesday. “That first shift when you’re out there, you try extra hard to hit them.”

Women’s DI: Robert Morris’ tough start will set them up for late season success

By Nicole Haase

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October 24, 2019

Jaycee Gebhard of Robert Morris (Robert Morris Athletics) — Jaycee Gebhard leads the Colonials with six goals and 14 points. (Photo:Robert Morris Athletics)

Robert Morris is running a gauntlet of ranked teams early in the season, playing (2) Minnesota and (4) Clarkson the past two weeks and heading to Ithaca to take on (5) Cornell this coming weekend. It’s one of the toughest stretches any team will face, and so far, the results haven’t been what they’d hoped. In those four games they are 0-3-1, with two overtime losses. Against Minnesota, the extra frame defeat came from a power play goal. Against Clarkson, it came with just 17 seconds left in the overtime period.

Despite pushing some of the best teams in the country to their limit, the Colonials have just one point to show for their efforts. It’s been heartbreaking, said Coach Paul Colontino, but it’s also life.

“Life isn’t fair and it’s not supposed to be. So deal with it. Find a way to make the unfairness a non-issue. It’s going to be everywhere, so find a way to get past adversity. Fight through it,” he said.

This could have been the kind of demoralizing stretch that sinks a season before it really even start, but Colontino isn’t worried about that at all. Despite having just three seniors on the roster, he thinks of his squad as incredibly mature.

When coaches talk about building a program and creating a culture, they’re talking about what’s happened at Robert Morris in the past few years. They’ve won three straight regular-season titles after never having done so before. They earned their first-ever NCAA tournament bid in 2017. And they just keep getting better.

They averaged 2.56 goals per game last season, but are scoring at a clip of four goals per game thus far. Last season they were just 20% on the power play, but are scoring on 34% of their player advantages this season. Lexi Templeman was second on the team with 26 assists in 36 games played in 2018-19. She has 11 helpers through six games so far. Emily Curlett had 11 goals and 10 assists in 36 games last season and has five goals and five assists to her name already in 2019. Jaycee Gebhard has already scored a third of the number of goals she did last season.

“The level that they’re competing at is extraordinary. Sometimes it’s pretty, sometimes it isn’t, but either way, the roster top to bottom is extremely competitive and they want to win. They buy into systems, they buy into philosophies,” said Colontino. “(They’re asking themselves) ‘Now, how do we do what we did, yet find another way to add one or two more percent on everything so that we get the win the next time. How do we get a little bit better?’”

Playing in College Hockey America (CHA), with just five other teams, Robert Morris has to schedule 14 out of conference games to fill their schedule. And Colontino isn’t shy about filling that schedule with elite talent, even if it means the kind of brutal run to start the season they’re playing through right now.

It’s not the result of some master plan, it’s just how the schedule works out sometimes, said Colontino.

“The truth is, with 14 non-conference games that we need to schedule, we’ll play anybody anywhere. If Minnesota’s only time to play us is early October, same with Clarkson and same with Cornell then, why not, let’s play them. Let’s stack the all up and see how we do. If you think of it in the sense of ‘It doesn’t break us, it makes us stronger,’ it’s a win-win situation.”

Playing top-tier talent so early in the season can be daunting, but it also serves to help the coaching staff and the players to identify the areas of the Colonials’ game that needs work. There’s no missing some of the deficient areas when playing teams of Minnesota’s caliber.

“From a preparation standpoint, it’s awesome to get exposed in in October versus December. When you get exposed in October, you’ve got some time to correct things. Good teams find areas of weakness and they go after them. (That’s why it’s worthwhile to play them),” he said.

Purposely planned or not, this tough early-season schedule should leave the Colonials well-prepared for the rest of the season, both within their conference, but also at a national level, where they would be likely to face a team of that caliber again.

While Colontino can claim the stacked schedule isn’t a matter of intense planning and forethought, he can’t say the same about what that schedule does for the mindset of his team and the culture of the club he’s built in Moon Township. Expectations are high and they continue to rise. And no matter what happens at the end of the season, the Colonials will have learned something from playing the best of the best.

“If we’re not going to make the NCAA Tournament every year, I want to play teams that do.”

With holes to fill, UMass leaning on ‘elite’ Jones to lead Minutemen offense this season

By Jim Connelly

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October 24, 2019

Zac Jones will be counted on as an offensive leader this season for UMass (photo: UMass Athletics).

Replacing Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro – just the thought of doing as such sounds relatively impossible for a coach.

Now think of the program itself.

Those two left after playing two seasons at Massachusetts, a program that was just a few years away from being the doormat of Hockey East. Typically, when these players have landed on a campus as such, it was a fluke and after they leave, it’s unfortunately too easy for that team to return to the bottom.

In fact, talk to a number of pundits around Hockey East, and there are a lot of folks who think that UMass is still destined to return to the league’s bottom half.

Just don’t tell that to their coach Greg Carvel.

Simply put, Carvel doesn’t look at last year’s appearance in the national title game as a flash in the pan. Being able to recruit and nurture a Hobey Baker winner isn’t just a one-off for the Minutemen.

Carvel firmly believes that his club can and will compete each and every year, and by the start of this season, that philosophy seems to be holding true.

The freshman recruiting class has been impressive and, according to Carvel, gives UMass more depth than he has had in past year. That depth allowed him to sit two veterans last weekend as Jake Gaudet and Philip Lagunov, both juniors that typically are expected to be part of the lineup, have not been dressed at times.

“It’s a luxury we’ve never had, [but] now we feel like we have the depth where it’s a privilege to be in the lineup,” said Carvel. “You don’t get to stay there because we don’t have the depth. You now have to earn that right to be in there.

“Some guys got comfortable, maybe too comfortable over the summer. Some guys worked their tails off this summer, and that’s not surprising because we know those guys went home this summer angry and really put in the effort.

“We live by the motto that you get what you deserve and it’s our job as coaches to make sure that the guys who deserve it get in [the lineup].”

Carvel notes that forwards like Reed Lebster and Cal Kiefiuk have been able to fill any holes at the forward position, while one of the Minutemen’s top recruits, Zac Jones, has done a great job on the back end, acting like putty for some of the biggest holes on the UMass back end.

No one can replace Makar. Add the loss of stalwart defender Ferraro and the fact that one of the nation’s best rookies a year ago, Marc Del Gaizo has been absent from the blue line this year due to injury, there are a lot of holes to fill.

Jones has exceeded some expectations that Carvel had when he arrived on the UMass campus.

“I’m not surprised by the numbers [that he’s put up] but I am more impressed than I thought he would be with the puck on his stick,” Carvel said of Jones. “He’s elite. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it. He’s really poised with his vision with the puck and the ability to execute passes.”

Right now, Jones leads the Minutemen in scoring through four games potting two goals and adding five assists. Carvel is quick to point out, there are hardly junk points that Jones has registered.

“These are primary assists he’s getting. They’re all quality points,” said Carvel. “Through four games, that’s impressive for anybody.”

The road to recruiting Jones was an interesting one. As a freshman, he stands 5’10” and weighs around 180 lbs. But when Carvel’s staff first saw him, he was hardly that size. “He was really undersized, so that kept a lot of people off of him,” Carvel said.

But he also gave him a look, seeing him at a summer showcase after his assistants had ID’d him as a prospect.

“I watched half a period and I call [assistant coach] Ben [Barr] and said, ‘You’re right,’” Carvel quipped. “We had him on campus a couple of days later and he committed right there.”

Like this UMass team, there’s plenty of room for growth and improvement for Jones. Carvel hopes his fills out a bit and also gets better in the defensive zone. But four games into his first season on the UMass campus, the future for Jones, like the UMass program, seems bright.

Out-of-conference check in

It’s something that we consistently monitor about Hockey East: the non-conference record.

And through the opening three weekends of the season, things appear to be in good order.

Yes, I put appear in italics for a reason. With a 25-15-5 record through 40 non-conference games, that’s a decent mark. A .562 winning percentage is better than the final percentage from last season (.534) and the season before (.514).

But further dissection may turn smiles upside down.

Less than two weeks ago, Hockey East held a .672 winning percentage after a successful Friday night where Hockey East teams went 6-2-0 in non-league play. Since then, let’s just say, it hasn’t been as pretty.

And looking at where the wins come from might raise a further eyebrow of concern. Of 20 wins, 12 have come against ECAC teams. The ECAC currently sports a .370 winning percentage. The league is hovering around .500 against the other conferences (1-1-0 vs. B1G, 2-3-1 vs. NCHC and 4-3-1 vs. WCHA).

And then there is the record vs. Atlantic Hockey. Currently, Hockey East teams are 1-4-2 against AHA teams.

Yes, Atlantic Hockey is significantly better as a conference today than it was, say, five years ago.

But Atlantic Hockey also is 9-19-2, or .333 against other conferences. Translation: Atlantic Hockey will likely have a low conference RPI.

Which bring us back to why we worry so much about out-of-conference records.

It is a conference’s out-of-conference record that helps boost each team’s individual RPI. High RPIs equals more spots for a conference in the NCAA tournament.

I can banter on and on and show you mathematical equations that would make no sense. But I think most readers of this column are savvy enough to understand that Hockey East needs to as good, if not better, in non-conference games if there is a hope for three, four or five Hockey East teams to reach the NCAA tournament come march.

Blazing a Tral(maks)

It’s been very easy to pay a lot of attention to some of the blue chip players, particularly some of the rookies, across Hockey East. Even Providence’s Greg Printz put the league on notice on the opening day when he potted four goals.

Thus, it’s been easy, possibly, if you’re not in Orono other the surrounding towns to have overlooked the play of Maine junior Eduards Tralmaks. In five games, Tralmaks has scored six goals (and truly did it in five games after the Black Bears were shut out in the opener).

In total, Tralmaks has registered nine point, pretty good considering last season he scored a total of eight goals and 17 points in 36 games.

Certainly, one player does not make an offense. But for a team that may have had some concerns on where goals would come from prior to this season, Tralmaks fast start is a bright light and gives this Black Bears team increased hope.

1. Minnesota State keeps rolling

2. Notre Dame remains perfect

3. Drackett comes up big for Tigers

4. Rivals split

5. Cup bid on hold

6. Huskies vs. Huskies

7. Wisconsin salvages split

8. Lots of penalties, but not a lot of action

9. Parrottino carries Huskies

10. Overtime finally pays off for UMass Lowell

MEN’S POLL

WOMEN’S POLL

This week

The Twitters

Last week:

On the season:

This Week’s Picks

Freshman goalie making waves

DU senior off and running

Pios carry banner in tricky week

Morris nearing return to Irish net

Wisconsin revels in sweep of Minnesota Duluth, Clarkson on tap

Gophers get their own crack at the Bulldogs

Out-of-conference check in

Blazing a Tral(maks)

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