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Stenlund the OT hero as Niagara knocks off RIT, advances to Atlantic Hockey championship
BUFFALO — Niagara freshman Ludwig Stenlund’s goal 7:03 into overtime broke a scoreless tie between the Purple Eagles and Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers in the second semifinal of the Atlantic Hockey tournament.
Stenlund, who was named the league’s Rookie of the Year the night before, took a feed from Johnny Curran, made a move in the slot, and then beat RIT goaltender Logan Drackett between the legs for the game-winner.
“Honestly, I don’t remember what happened,” said Stenlund. “I got the puck from Johnny Curran, and the goalie was kind of far out so I tried to make a move and put it through his five-hole. Luckily, it went in.”
“You saw (Stenlund’s) poise tonight,” said Niagara coach Jason Lammers. “A lot of guys would just fire it at the net, but he took a breath and made a play.”
“When he got the pass, it looked like he was going to shoot,” said Drackett. “I kind of went down, and extended my left leg.”
“A good player is going to five-hole there, and he snuck it through. You never want to give up a goal like that, but good player, good move.”
Purple Eagles goaltender Brian Wilson stopped all 32 RIT shots for his second shutout of the season. Drackett finished with 26 saves for the Tigers.
Niagara, the sixth seed, advances to face top seeded American International in the AHA championship game, with the winner advancing to the NCAA tournament.
The Purple Eagles have defied expectations all season. Picked to finish in last place in the coaches and media preseason poll, Niagara won series with Canisius and then Air Force to get to the semifinals. In six playoff games so far, four have gone to overtime.
“It seems like we’ve been in overtime every game in the playoffs,” said Wilson. “We’ve done it so many times, it seems like it’s not even stressful anymore.”
“For a 0-0 hockey game, it was a really good game,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “It wasn’t a defensive struggle. There was a lot going on.
“Our offense had some really good chances tonight,” said Lammers. “And obviously we got the last one.”
There were only three power plays in the game. RIT’s one and only came with 36 seconds left in regulation and carried over into overtime. The Purple Eagles were able to kill it, and then eventually won it on Ludwig’s 23rd goal of the season.
“Our guys have believed in ourselves all year,” said Lammers. “What I love about this group is we’re humble, and we’re hungry.”
Minnesota back in women’s national title game after blanking Cornell Friday night
HAMDEN, Conn. — The Minnesota women’s hockey team will play for their seventh NCAA title on Sunday as they advanced to the championship game with a 2-0 win over Cornell Friday.
Senior Nicole Schammel put the Gophers on the board midway through the second with a power-play goal that would prove to be the game-winner.
“It was really exciting. I was just hoping someone scored. To be the one to get it is pretty special,” said Schammel.
Minnesota is second in the country on the power play and has now converted 26 of their 100 chances on the season.
“Any time you can be playing on the very last day of the season it’s a special moment and special opportunity,” said Minnesota coach Brad Frost.
Junior Sarah Potomak added an empty-net goal with 32.4 seconds left to secure the win.
The Gophers are team that tends to wear teams down with their speed, depth and scoring prowess. They dominate in time of possession and just plain out-score everyone.
That wasn’t the case on Friday.
Frost said he knew his team would have to adjust for a Big Red team that is particularly good through the neutral zone.
“We wanted to defend well, especially against their first line. They’re so dangerous on the rush. Our team could care less if it’s 1-0 or 5-4, but we just knew we had to defend today. As we saw today, one goal is enough,” said Frost.
Minnesota blocked 30 shots in the game. Junior Patti Marshall led the Gophers with six blocks while senior Sophie Skarzynski added five. It was a total team effort that Frost said he was excited to see from his team.
The Gophers return to the championship game after failing to advance past the quarterfinal round last year. Half the roster has never played in a Frozen Four.
“It’s so hard to get to the Frozen Four and then it is so hard to get to the last game. It’s really, really hard. When you get there, it’s such a reward just to get to that game,” said Frost.
Cornell finishes their season with a 23-6-6 record. It was an up-and-down season for the Big Red but AHCA Coach of the Year Doug Derraugh was happy with how his team shut down a normally prolific offense.
The Gophers average 37 shots on goal and 4.3 goals per game, but Cornell held them to just 27 shots and the two goals.
Managing the Gophers was an important focus for the Big Red heading into the semifinal, said Derraugh.
“We had two options as coaches going into this — we could either do what we’ve always done, but knowing the way that they play, we were concerned about their offensive capabilities. In the end, we decided to do what we always do and we thought we did a good job of it today. We came in trying to have as aggressive mindset as we possibly could, understanding that we had to be smart about it. I think,, overall we managed the puck very well. We played the way we played all year long, which is aggressive defense. It starts with managing the puck, [and] that wasn’t always perfect today, but was clean for the most part,” he said.
Norwich uses special teams to bounce Geneseo, advance to men’s D-III championship
STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Norwich’s special teams were middle of the pack in the Division III men’s hockey rankings throughout the regular season.
But Friday was a different story.
Maxime Borduas and Brett Ouderkirk both had a goal and an assist on the power play as the Cadets dominated special-teams play to down Geneso 4-2 in a Division III men’s hockey national semifinal at K.B. Willett Arena.
Norwich (23-4-3), which has a 19-game unbeaten streak, advanced to the title game for the second time in three years.
“I was actually pretty satisfied at Christmas at 6-4-1, given our schedule and a lot of injuries,” Norwich coach Cam Ellsworth said. “There were some people who might have been a little concerned but our leadership (on the team) was able to rally our guys and take out a lot of noise and distraction and just worry on getting better.”
Norwich not only went 2-for-3 on the power play and killed all four opportunities that a high-powered Geneseo squad had with a man advantage.
“They are a really high-skilled team so we didn’t want to let them set up,” said senior defenseman David Robertson of the Norwich penalty kill, which entered the weekend ranked 33rd in the nation. “We had a huge big blocks and just stayed aggressive (on the penalty kill) and didn’t let them do what they wanted to.”
Tom Auburn had 18 saves and carried a shutout into the third period for the Cadets, who won the title in 2017.
Geneseo beat Norwich 3-2 in a national quarterfinal in 2014 in the only other meeting between the two programs.
Devin McDonald had 20 saves for the Knights (23-4-3), who had a 23-game unbeaten streak snapped.
Borduas’ power-play goal just over four minutes into the third period gave Norwich a seemingly-comfortable 3-0 lead. But Geneseo quickly answered with a pair of goals in a span of 61 seconds to make it a game.
Henry Cleghorn scored off a scramble at the 5:59 mark, and teammate Carson Kelley then picked up a rebound in front of the Cadets net.
Robertson put the game away with an empty-net goal with a 28.6 seconds left – a shot which he released deep in the Norwich zone, banked high off the glass near the Cadets bench and slid all the way down the ice.
“I’m not sure about puck luck there, [but] that was a nice shot,” the senior defenseman joked. “I might take that piece of glass home after this and hang it up on the wall.”
Geneseo entered with a power play clicking at a nation-best 29 percent (40-for-138) but managed just two shots on net with a man advantage.
“I think 5-on-5, we played a really good game but special teams tonight was kind of a disaster for us,” Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. “We couldn’t get our power play going. We lived by that all year and tonight was a different story. Ice conditions played a role in tonight’s game unfortunately. We would make the right move finally on the power play and the puck would bounce, so it was kind of difficult to get anything going. Then Norwich capitalized on a couple of opportunities. We lost the special teams battle and that is why we lost the game.”
Norwich converted on its first power-play chance at the 6:30 mark of the second period to take a 1-0 lead. Boudras dropped a pass back from the left side of the Geneseo net and fellow freshman Ouderkirk converted.
“I was open in the slot and yelling for the backdoor (pass) from Max there and he put it right on my tape,” Ouderkirk said.
McDonald angrily shoved the net away after the goal as he felt the net had come off its mooring before the shot.
“It was off by four inches. It’s pretty frustrating,” McDonald said. “I think it’s embarrassing they don’t have drill-in pegs for the (tournament). It cost us a goal. I’m not saying that (Norwich) didn’t deserve to win. They dominated us on the (special teams), but if that is the way I’m going to end my college career, it’s pretty frustrating.”
Colby Downs gave Norwich a 2-0 lead just over seven minutes later as the sophomore collected a rebound to the right of McDonald off a shot from the left point. Borduas then took a centering pass from Ouderkirk.
It turned out to be the game-winner as the Cadets held on against the fast-closing Knights.
“We have gone through a lot of different scenarios in games on our road here,” Robertson said. “We’ve had close games and last weekend were in an overtime game. We don’t really get phased when we get scored on – it’s going to happen and is part of the game. We just stayed composed and got back to what we were doing.”
St. Cloud State defeats Colorado College in penalty-filled game to open NCHC semifinals
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Before the first NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinal, top-ranked St. Cloud State might have had reason for concern.
The Huskies had played their opponent, Colorado College, four times during the regular season, and CC had led in each of those games. The two had also tied in their previous outing in February.
“Obviously a playoff battle,” said St. Cloud coach Brett Larson. “In this league, in this tournament, you knew it was going to be tough. I thought CC played hard. You could tell that they’ve been battle tested.”
However, after a slow start, the Huskies rode two assists from Blake Lizotte and a goal and assist from Patrick Newell to a 5-2 win over Colorado College, sending the Huskies into the NCHC championship game and ending CC’s season, as the Tigers are not high enough in the PairWise to make the NCAA tournament.
CC goalie Alex Leclerc looked sharp early, making several saves, including one on Nick Poehling from right in front of the crease. St. Cloud had the better early scoring chances, though shots were even.
Near the midway point of the period. Ryan Poehling of St. Cloud went hard toward the net and appeared lost and edge. He went headfirst toward the boards, bracing himself as he hit with his forearms, and was shaken up and left the ice, possibly with a concussion. He did not return in the game, and his status for Saturday was unknown at press time.
“It was really scary,” said Larson. “Obviously it doesn’t matter who it is, that was a scary moment. He lost an edge, and that’s a scary moment in the hockey game. Everyone was holding their breath on the bench. I can tell you this, he’s going to be OK. We’ll just see how bad the injury is by the morning.”
Right after that, CC went on a power play when Robby Jackson was called for goaltender interference. The Tigers made them pay, as Westin Michaud got a pass from Trey Bradley and released a snap shot short side from the left faceoff dot as he drove the lane, beating Dávid Hrenák at 9:47. Right after CC scored, Jackson was sent back to the box for a 10-minute misconduct.
However, much like every game CC played against St. Cloud during the regular season, they couldn’t hold the lead. On St. Cloud’s first power-play opportunity, Patrick Newell rifled a shot short side at 12:27 from the top of the left circle.
“They’re resilient,” said Michaud. “They’re the best team in the nation; that’s my opinion. There were times when we didn’t play our style and our way and worked hard enough, and it kind of cost us, but there were other times where we were positive and brought it to them.”
St. Cloud then took the lead almost immediately after, as Jon Lizotte intercepted the puck on a clear near the right point and sent a pass to Nolan Walker streaking on the left side of the slot. Walker redirected it past Leclerc at 12:51.
“They’re a team that really plays off momentum,” said St. Cloud State captain Jimmy Schuldt. “We’ve seen that in the four games we’ve played them this season. We made a couple good plays to get a lead, and that was definitely a turning point in the game.”
Later in the period, CC’s Trevor Gooch was called for a five-minute major and game misconduct for contact to the head, giving St. Cloud a golden chance to stretch the lead. However, the Tigers were able to do damage control on their penalty kill, keeping it a one-goal game at the first intermission.
St. Cloud still had a minute of power play at the start of the second period, but the Tigers killed it off. St. Cloud then took consecutive power plays in the first 10 minutes of the second, but CC was unable to convert.
“The game is 2-1, and then it’s 3-1, and I think we had some chances there,” said CC coach Mike Haviland. “I still liked the way we battled. We never quit in the game. We kept coming. They took care of their opportunities, and we didn’t in ours.”
Instead, as play resumed to five-on-five, St. Cloud took the two-goal lead. CC’s Zack Berzolla was unable to keep the puck in the offensive zone, and Blake Lizotte raced up the left boards. He first a shot from the top of the circle that went wide, and it came to Spencer Meier at the right point, and he fired a shot that Berzolla deflected into the air, where Jackson knocked it out of the air and into the net at 9:38.
“I came down the ice; I kind of got a break out of the D zone and missed the net by about five feet,” said Blake Lizotte. “I kind of shook my head on that one. Spencer Meier made a great play, didn’t take any time and threw it at the net, and Robby obviously made an incredible play batting it out of the air.”
The game went slowly, but St. Cloud extended its lead at 7:21 of the third when Jack Ahcan got the puck at the left circle and fired a shot that beat Leclerc five-hole. After a review for potential goaltender interference, the goal stood.
CC did get one chance to get back in it. With Nick Perbix already in the box, Jon Lizotte got whistled for a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind, putting the Tigers on a five-on-three power play for 1:25. Haviland then pulled Leclerc for a six-on-three advantage, but the Tigers only managed one shot on net with that numerical advantage.
With only the major time left, Haviland put Leclerc back in the net, but CC finally capitalized on its special teams chances at 14:47 when Bryan Yoon fired a wrist shot from the center of the blue line that beat Hrenák high glove side.
Right after that, CC had a golden chance from the slot, but Hrenák made the stop, and then Nick Poehling ended any hopes of a CC comeback by beating Leclerc from the left circle with a shot high glove side.
American International eliminates Robert Morris in AHA semis on Christensen’s OT winner
BUFFALO — Survive and advance.
That’s the motto in playoff hockey, and it’s what top-seeded American International was able to, defeating eighth-seeded Robert Morris 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Blake Christensen just 1:44 into the extra frame.
The Yellow Jackets survived a comeback bid by eight-seeded Robert Morris, which evened the game with an extra-attacker goal by Daniel Mantenuto with 1:05 left in regulation.
“It looked bad for a little bit,” said AIC freshman Jan Stefka, whose first collegiate goal staked the Yellow Jackets to a 1-0 lead in the first period. “We were down but regrouped in the locker room and got the win. I’m proud of the boys.”
Alex Tonge’s 19th goal of the season evened the game at 1-1 late in the first. The senior, playing in his 146th and final game, was able to redirect a feed from Michael Louria over the shoulder of AIC goaltender Zackarias Skog (24 saves).
AIC dominated for stretches of the second period, outshooting Robert Morris 15-9 and scoring the only goal, Joel Kocur’s 10th of the season at 17:04. The goal was originally waved off but the call on the ice was reversed after a brief video review.
“(The referees originally) said there was a kicking motion,” said RMU coach Derek Schooley. “But (the AIC player) missed the kick, and (Kocur) came in from behind him. I watched (the replay) from a broad view and could see what they were saying, but there was no overhead (replay).”
The goal stood up until late in the third period, when the Colonials staged a comeback. With goaltender Francis Marotte (35 saves) pulled for an extra attacker, Mantentuto was able to collect a loose puck in the slot and beat Skog stick-side to even the score at 2-2.
“In the third period, we managed the game pretty well for 18 minutes and 55 seconds,” said AIC coach Eric Lang. “Credit Robert Morris, they seem to do that, and by no means did we think it would be easy.”
AIC was able to regroup in the locker room and got the game-winner just 1:44 into overtime on a shot from a tight angle by Christensen, his 16th of the season.
“Shawn McBride tried to do a wrap-around, but it was saved,” said Christensen. “Then I tried a wraparound as well and it managed to go in.”
“Tough bounce, tough break,” said Schooley. “It hurts, it stings. Congrats to AIC.”
Lang said his team was able to put the late goal behind it and regroup for overtime.
“It’s tough, when a team gets a goal that late on you, and you walk in the room and it’s pretty quiet,” he said. “But we’re a resilient group and champions at times have to battle through adversity. We talked about that we were playing a darn good hockey game. These things happen, and it’s not going to be easy.”
AIC will try to become the first top seed to win the Atlantic Hockey tournament since Air Force in 2012. The Yellow Jackets are one win away.
“I didn’t even know that that was a stat,” said Christensen. “That’s pretty crazy, but we’re not really worried about that. We know what we can do in our locker room. We know that we can come out and play and if we do enough right things, we’ll come away with the win.”
Solow’s overtime winner pushes Northeastern past Boston University in Hockey East semifinal
BOSTON — If teams haven’t figured it out yet, Friday’s semifinal between Northeastern and Boston University proved that you simply cannot give the Huskies life late in a game.
Northeastern has scored 57 goals in the third period and overtime this season, and on Friday became the first team to defeat BU when trailing heading to the third period, advancing to the Hockey East final via a Zach Solow goal at 15:44 of overtime.
Huskies coach Jim Madigan admits he would like to see more of those goals scored earlier in the game, but also understands his club has a believability that makes them difficult to beat.
“We talked about it entering the third and I said, ‘This is our period,’” said Madigan. “We’ve excelled in this period so there’s a confidence level, there’s a comfort level entering the third period.
“The urgency meter goes up and awful lot.”
Solow, the game’s hero, tied a Northeastern program record with his sixth game-winning goal of the season. It was also his second overtime game winner this season. A year ago as a freshman, he took a backseat to the likes of Adam Gaudette, Dylan Sikura and Nolan Stevens. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t spending every day learning from that trio.
“The guys from last year, they were really good players, really smart players,” said Solow. “Off the ice, they helped everyone, especially me. They helped me get acclimated to the college game. This season, I’m just trying to shoot more and put myself in positions that they put themselves and just try to capitalize on it.”
Capitalize he did on Friday. As Boston University got caught at the end of an extended shift, Brendon Hawkins picked off a pass up the right wing wall and immediately fed the puck to Solow. With a lot of room to operate, Solow fired the puck top shelf past Jake Oettinger (42 saves) to send his team to Saturday’s title game.
“It’s a fine line between winning and losing,” said BU coach Albie O’Connell, whose team’s season ended on Friday with the loss. “It’s a tough play at the end. [Northeastern] had one guy forechecking. We had three guys back and a goalie and we kind of rimmed the puck. That’s what happens when you’re tired. You make mistakes.”
Boston University looked to take a 1-0 lead with 2:03 remaining in the first as Logan Cockerill fired a shot through a screen. But video review showed that Bobo Carpenter made slight contact with goaltender Cayden Primeau’s (29 saves) head as the puck was passing him and the officials disallowed the goal.
Nearing the midway of the second as a power play ended, the Terriers finally did grab that lead as Ty Amonte poked home the rebound of David Farrance’s shot.
Northeastern took little time in the third proving that is their period. They evened the score as Matt Filipe’s rush up the right wing generated a rebound that Tyler Madden fired home just 16 seconds into the frame.
With 13:19 remaining, it appeared that Northeastern had taken the lead as Lincoln Griffin poked home the rebound of Brandon Hawkins shot. But again, video replay showed that Hawkins made contact with BU netminder Jake Oettinger, negating the goal.
Each team had the opportunity to win the game late in regulation with power plays, but neither converted. Northeastern’s Zach Solow had arguably the best shot, a 20-footer with 1:58 remaining that Oettinger saved.
The win is the 26th of the season for Northeastern, a new program record. That’s certainly a highlight that makes Madigan proud, but he is also very aware win No. 27 carries with it something special.
“This team just broke the all-time record for wins in a season with 26,” said Madigan. “So I’m thrilled to get that win. But the biggest win is 27 and we look forward to coming out here tomorrow night with the chance to battle again.”
UMass Lowell loses top scorer Lohin year early as River Hawks co-captain inks with Lightning
UMass Lowell junior co-captain Ryan Lohin has signed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He will report immediately to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
Lohin led the River Hawks in scoring, posting 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) with a plus-7 rating in 33 games this season.
“Ryan has chosen to forgo his senior year and sign a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning,” said UMass Lowell coach Norm Bazin in a statement. “He has given us three years and we are supportive of him as he embarks on his quest to play professional hockey. He will always be a Lowell man and we wish him well.”
In 110 career games in a River Hawks uniform, Lohin amassed 81 points on 33 goals and 48 assists.
Lohin was originally drafted by the Lightning in the seventh round (208th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
Pitlick gives up senior season at Minnesota, signs deal with Nashville
Minnesota forward Rem Pitlick, who led the team in scoring for the last two seasons and was named First Team All-Big Ten earlier this week, has signed a two-year, entry level contract with the Nashville Predators, forgoing his senior season with the Gophers.
Pitlick recorded 108 points (47 goals, 61 assists) in 112 career games at Minnesota, tallying 30 or more points in each of his three seasons.
He had his most successful season with the Gophers in 2018-19, notching career highs for points (45), goals (21) and assists (24) while tying for the NCAA lead with 10 power-play goals and three shorthanded tallies. Pitlick led the nation in scoring during the second half of the season with 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists).
Nashville drafted Pitlick in the third round (76th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
Women’s D-I Frozen Four: Minnesota blanks Cornell, to play Wisconsin, which crushed Clarkson
HAMDEN, Conn. — Minnesota got a power-play goal from Nicole Schammel in the second period and an empty-netter from Sarah Potomak to advance to the national championship game. The Gophers are playing in their first national championship since 2016, when they defeated Boston College.
Minnesota will face WCHA rival Wisconsin, which broke open its semifinal in third period against two-time defending national champion Clarkson and cruised to a 5-0 win. Wisconsin has not won a national championship since 2011.
Men’s D-III Frozen Four: Wis.-Stevens Point defeats Hobart, will face Norwich
STEVENS POINT, Wis.– Norwich jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-2 win, staving off a desperate Geneseo rally and getting an empty-net goal by Dave Robertson with 28. 6 seconds left to seal the win.
In the second semifinal, Tanner Karty scored the game-winning goal and chipped it two assists as Wisconsin-Stevens Point defeated Hobart, 5-3, and remained undefeated on the year.
Picking AHA, B1G, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, NCHC, WCHA championship weekend, March 22-23
It’s conference championship weekend, and our conference columnists make their picks.
Atlantic Hockey
Semifinals
RIT vs. Niagara
I’m putting this game first because I think it’s a little bit easier to call for me. I like RIT’s depth, but I think Niagara can go toe-to-toe with literally everyone. The Purple Eagles are starting to peak at just the right time, which I think sets this game up for potential disaster for the Tigers. In a game this even, I would stick with the team with the better goalie, which in my opinion, right now, is Brian Wilson. Plus, on top of it all, Niagara somehow feels underrated and overlooked in comparison to the other three teams. I have all of these reasons, so I should probably just take it at this point. Niagara wins.
Robert Morris vs. American International
Everything in my gut here is pushing me to RMU. I saw the Colonials last weekend, and they showed more fortitude and perseverance than any one team I’ve seen in a long time. They rallied in Game 2, then delivered one of the most courageous physical battles in Game 3 against a Bentley team that pounded them for the first two periods. RMU has the all-important goaltending advantage with Francis Marotte, and if forced to shorten the bench, this team has some major star power in its lineup. These skaters have done everything short of winning a championship, and I know I’m right when I say they have as good a chance this year as any.
But it’s AIC. It’s a team that has that certain something, that “it factor” that’s so hard to measure. The Yellow Jackets are one of the best third period teams in college hockey, and there’s a chemistry to that roster that is unmatched. This team’s been peaking since October, which is when I started beating that war drum about how good it could become. As much as my gut tells me RMU is the right team at the right time, I also can’t undo everything from this year in one moment or less.
One day in the future, I’m going to play back how often I pick against RMU in the postseason. Then Derek Schooley will serve me a big plate of boiled crow. AIC wins it here.
Championship
AIC vs. Niagara
I’ll start by saying this: if Niagara plays RMU, I’m taking the Colonials to win that game. If RMU knocks off both the first and second seeds in this tournament, it assumes the “team of destiny mantle” and wins that game, though I don’t know if it’s running away or one that drags into overtime. Then when Niagara wins, I’ll gladly take all of the blame.
— Dan Rubin
Big Ten
Championship
The Big Ten championship game will be played at 8 p.m. Saturday inside the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind. This is the first time two previous Big Ten playoff champions are facing off for the title, so it’s the first time in conference history that a repeat champ will be crowned. The game will be carried by the Big Ten Network and can be streamed online by BTN2Go and the Fox Sports app.
No. 4 Penn State at No. 2 Notre Dame
The Nittany Lions arrive in South Bend by beating Ohio State in Columbus last weekend, 5-1, after taking their first-round home quarterfinal series against Wisconsin in three games. Penn State is 5-5-0 in its last 10 games, which includes the last three regular-season series and four playoff games. In that stretch, the Nittany Lions outscored their opponents 44-34 and never scored fewer than three goals per game; however, in two of those contests, Penn State allowed five goals and in one game, seven.
The Fighting Irish swept Michigan State in quarterfinal action before defeating Minnesota 2-1 in overtime last weekend. Notre Dame is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games, which includes seven regular-season games. In that span, the Irish outscored opponents 27-18; in their last five games, they’ve scored more than two goals just once, but they won each of their playoff games with two or fewer goals.
During the regular season, the teams split their four games. The difference in three of those was a single goal. In their second meeting, Penn State won 9-1.
This game comes down to which team can dictate the style and pace of play. Penn State wants to play wide open. The Irish want a tight, controlled contest. Notre Dame’s Cale Morris is the 2018 Mike Richter winner and has look poised and solid in the second half. Penn State’s Peyton Jones has been on fire recently. If the Nittany Lions were hosting, I’d call it for them, but I think that Notre Dame wins in a close game.
— Paula C. Weston
ECAC Hockey
Semifinals
Brown vs. Cornell
Could Brown’s run continue? After sweeping the No. 1 seed, Quinnipiac, last weekend, they draw the No. 2 seed Cornell in the semifinals. It is a favorable matchup for the No. 8 Bears as both games this year have been close. The teams met in the second regular-season game for both teams where the Big Red scored three times in the second period for a 3-2 win. In Providence on Feb. 15, the Bears scored three times in a 53-second span for a 3-3 tie. I expect another close, tight game, but Brown can’t get into another three-goal deficit again. Cornell at 86.9 percent has a solid PK, so Brown will have to do its damage most likely 5-on-5. Cornell wins 4-2.
Harvard vs. Clarkson
This should be a contest that can go either way. The Golden Knights have scored 112 times this season while Harvard has found the back of the net 104 times this season. Will Clarkson be able to limit Harvard’s defensemen offensively and force them to make turnover? Will Harvard be able to limit Nico Sturm’s and Haralds Egle’s chances? The teams split the regular season with the home teams winning. Clarkson has the edge in goal with Jake Kielly. Clarkson wins 5-3.
Championship
Clarkson vs. Cornell
If these two meet, I expect a highly-skilled and a highly-physical game. Clarkson’s roster average is 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, according to Eliteprospects.com, while Cornell is 6-foot-1, 187 pounds. I think time and space will be limited on both ends of the ice for both teams. With two solid goalies in Kielly and Matthew Galajda, it may come down to who can pot in one or two chances or capitalize on mistakes by the other team. If there was an edge up front, I think it’s Clarkson. Clarkson wins 2-1.
— Nathan Fournier
Hockey East
Semifinals
Boston College vs. Massachusetts
BC has a lot of momentum coming off of last weekend’s series in Providence, but I still think that UMass is simply the better team. UMass wins.
Boston University vs. Northeastern
These teams have played on the big stage before with Northeastern winning. If BU plays defense and gets goaltending, they could win. I’m counting on that. BU wins.
Championship
As much as UMass feels like the team of destiny this season, I feel like if BU gets to the finals, they will win. I’ll give you all the possibilities anyway. BU beats UMass or BC; NU beats UMass or BC.
— Jim Connelly
NCHC
Semifinals
St. Cloud State vs Colorado College
There’s a part of me that is tempted to call for the upset here as Colorado College has history in St. Paul, having reached the WCHA Final Five championship game in their final season in that conference. I do think, however, that the Huskies will have too much for CC. St. Cloud State 4-2.
Denver vs. Minnesota Duluth
This is a tough game to call, not least because the teams split their four-game regular season series. This is a toss-up for me, but I like UMD to eke it out. Minnesota Duluth 3-2.
Third place
Colorado College vs Denver: CC won the Gold Pan this year and will want to end their playoff run with a bang whether the Tigers are in this game or in the final. Let’s go out on a slight limb. Colorado College 3-2.
Championship
St. Cloud State vs Minnesota Duluth: If this is the game that we get, then it ought to be terrific. Another toss-up between two very solid teams, but I’m going to take the Huskies. St. Cloud State 3-1.
— Matthew Semisch
WCHA
Championship
Bowling Green at Minnesota State
For the uninitiated, this might seem like an easy call. Minnesota State is the top seed, they’ve been virtually unbeatable at home (just one loss in Mankato all season) and are playing for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Slam dunk, right?
Wrong.
Even forgetting the fact that anything can happen in a one-game winner-takes-all title, Bowling Green has been a unique pain in Minnesota State’s side in the past few years of the WCHA. In the last five seasons, the Falcons are 7-5-2 against the Mavericks — including a sweep in the only series the teams played this season (BGSU won a pair of 4-1 games in Ohio in December.
That was the only time all year the Mavs were swept.
Minnesota State, for what it’s worth, has defeated BGSU twice in the WCHA postseason before (both in the Final Five semifinals).
Another interesting twist — the Falcons can still get in to the tournament without winning, but it will be close. a win would leave nothing to chance.
I think, despite the fact that BGSU finished third and not second in the WCHA, that these were the two best teams in the league over the course of the season. They’re pretty evenly matched, and I think this one will be close. Having said that, if any team has a chance to beat the Mavericks in Mankato, it’s the Falcons. I think they win a close one here (maybe in OT?) and make sure the WCHA has two teams in the NCAA tournament again.
— Jack Hittinger
Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Krueger selected winner of 2019 Edward Jeremiah Award as top D-III men’s coach
For leading Wisconsin-Stevens Point into the NCAA Division III men’s national semifinals, Tyler Krueger has been named winner of the Edward Jeremiah Award as the AHCA Division III Men’s Coach of the Year.
The award is named in honor of the great Dartmouth head coach and was first presented in 1970.
In his first season as head coach without the interim tag, Krueger has guided the Pointers to the only unbeaten record in the country this season (27-0-2). The current 29-game unbeaten streak is the longest in program history.
He was named WIAC Coach of the Year after leading UWSP to its third straight regular-season title and an unblemished 8-0-0 record in league play.
His career record over two seasons at UWSP is 48-6-5.
Krueger spent the previous three seasons on the staff of former head coach Chris Brooks, most recently as associate head coach.
Prior to joining the coaching staff, Krueger was a four-year member of the Pointers hockey team. He skated in 79 games as a Pointer with two goals, 15 assists and a plus/minus of plus-34 for his career. He captained the 2014 team that reached the NCAA title game. A Stevens Point native, Krueger graduated from UWSP in 2014 with a bachelor of science degree in health promotion and wellness.
Krueger was assisted this year by Evan Dixon and Zach Badalamenti.
The runner-up for the Jeremiah Award is Geneseo’s Chris Schultz, recipient of the award in both 2014 and 2016.
Thirty men’s Division III players chosen 2018-19 All-Americans
A total of 30 Division III men’s players have been named AHCA All-Americans for the 2018-19 season.
Leading the way is Geneseo with four honorees, followed by St. Norbert with three.
Adrian senior Cory Dunn is a three-peat at First Team after a Second Team selection as a freshman.
FIRST TEAM – EAST
F: Brady Fleurent, SR, University of New England
F: Conlan Keenan, JR, Geneseo
F: Matt Lippa, SR, Manhattanville
D: Oscar Arfelt, SR, Manhattanville
D: Duggie Lagrone, SR, Geneseo
G: Devin McDonald, SR, Geneseo
FIRST TEAM – WEST
F: Riley Christensen, SR, St. Norbert
F: Tanner Karty, SR, UW-Stevens Point
F: Alex Rodriguez, SR, Augsburg
D: Luke Davison, SO, St. Norbert
D: Cory Dunn, SR, Adrian
G: Connor Ryckman, SO, UW-Stevens Point
SECOND TEAM – EAST
F: Connor Powell, JR, Elmira
F: Nolan Redler, JR, UMass Boston
F: Andrew Romano, JR, Geneseo
D: Nick Albano, SO, UMass Boston
D: Phil Johansson, SR, Amherst
G: Tim Sestak, JR, Wesleyan
SECOND TEAM – WEST
F: Tyler Bossert, SO, Concordia (Minn.)
F: Eddie Matsushima, SR, UW-River Falls
F: Roman Uchyn, SR, St. Norbert
D: Braden Hellems, SR, Adrian
D: John O’Connor, JR, Augsburg
G: Hunter Vorva, JR, Marian
THIRD TEAM – EAST
F: Ryan Bloom, JR, University of New England
F: Sascha Figi, SO, Fitchburg State
F: Walker Harris, JR, Wesleyan
D: Michael Grande, SO, Trinity
D: Max Novick, SO, Oswego
G: Tom Aubrun, JR, Norwich
Geneseo netminder McDonald named winner of 2019 Sid Watson Award as top D-III men’s player
Geneseo senior goaltender Devin McDonald has been chosen as the 2019 winner of the Sid Watson Award, symbolic of the best NCAA Division III men’s hockey player.
The award honors the memory of former Bowdoin coach and athletic director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA Coach of the Year, Watson served Bowdoin for more than 30 years, winning 326 games in 24 seasons as head coach.
This season, McDonald has compiled a record of 23-1-2 with a 1.12 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
The Calgary native has been a factor from his freshman year when he played 25 games and earned Third Team All-SUNYAC recognition, an honor he also received last year as a junior.
Entering the NCAA tournament, his career numbers in 97 games are a 2.05 GAA, a .921 save percentage and a win-loss record of 70-13-13. This year he was named a First Team AHCA All American.
“Devin has established himself over the course of four seasons as one of the best players in college hockey,” said Geneseo coach Chris Schultz in a news release. “He has a tremendous passion for the game and has earned himself the reputation of rising to the occasion in the big moments. With Devin in goal, it has solidified our defense first mind set, which has allowed us to get on the offense, have the ability to play creatively, and be confident that if something breaks down, and we need a save, that Devin will bail us out. Devin’s worth to our program cannot go understated.
“Beyond his on ice importance, Devin has also become a pillar within our tight-knit community and has quickly become a fan favorite among that community, Jr. Ice Knight program, and within our on campus community itself.”
The runner-up for this year’s Sid Watson Award is University of New England senior forward Brady Fleurent.
After guiding Cornell to ECAC Hockey women’s regular-season title, Derraugh garners National Coach of the Year laurels
For leading his team to the ECAC championship and into the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, Cornell’s Doug Derraugh has been chosen AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year.
It is the second such honor for Derraugh, who was previously recognized in 2010.
Cornell won both the regular-season title in ECAC Hockey, earning Derraugh his fourth ECAC Coach of the Year award. Through 14 seasons in Ithaca, N.Y., Derraugh has compiled a career record of 267-149-42. This is the fourth time he has led Cornell to the Frozen Four, the previous three times coming in consecutive years, 2010-2012.
A 1991 graduate of Cornell, Derraugh took over the Big Red program after a 13-year career playing professionally in Europe, seeing action with nine different teams in some of the top leagues in Norway, Germany, Austria and Finland. He scored more than 100 points in a season twice and posted 30 points or more 10 times. He ended his professional career with 257 goals and 347 assists in 637 professional contests.
While a student at Cornell, Derraugh played in all 119 contests for the Big Red over his four years, helping to lead the Big Red to an NCAA tournament appearance and a second-place finish in the ECAC as a senior co-captain. He led the team in scoring in his final season with 30 goals and 36 assists, earning second-team All-Ivy League and honorable mention All-ECAC honors. His 30 goals in the 1990-91 season are the most ever scored by a senior at Cornell. Overall, he ranks 10th all-time at Cornell in career scoring with 153 points on 66 goals and 87 assists.
A native of Arnprior, Ont., Derraugh graduated from Cornell with a degree in biological sciences.
Derraugh was assisted this season by Edith Racine, Dean Jackson and Louise Derraugh.
The runner-up for this year’s award is Northeastern’s Dave Flint.
Clarkson, Wisconsin have two players each on 2018-19 women’s All-American teams
Five players who advanced to the NCAA women’s national championship in Hamden, Conn., including two each from two-time defending NCAA champion Clarkson and top-seeded Wisconsin, have been recognized as 2018-19 AHCA women’s All-Americans.
Boston College senior defenseman Megan Keller is a First Team selection for the third time, while Wisconsin senior forward Annie Pankowski is on the First Team after two years on the Second Team.
FIRST TEAM
F: Loren Gabel, SR, Clarkson
F: Elizabeth Giguere, SO, Clarkson
F: Annie Pankowski, SR, Wisconsin
D: Jincy Dunne, JR, Ohio State
D: Megan Keller, SR, Boston College
G: Lovisa Selander, SR, Rensselaer
SECOND TEAM
F: Jesse Compher, SO, Boston University
F: Sarah Fillier, FR, Princeton
F: Alina Mueller, FR, Northeastern
D: Jaime Bourbonnais, JR, Cornell
D: Skylar Fontaine, SO, Northeastern
G: Kristen Campbell, JR, Wisconsin
After 57-point freshman season, Princeton standout Fillier tabbed National Rookie of the Year
In a vote of assistant coaches at the nation’s NCAA Division I programs, Princeton freshman forward Sarah Fillier has been named the 2018-19 National Rookie of the Year.
A native of Georgetown, Ont., Fillier led Princeton in scoring with a line of 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 29 games. Her assists per game and points per game led the entire NCAA, as did her 21 power-play points.
Overall, she was fourth in the nation in total points and total assists.
“Sarah is one of the best 200-foot centers in our game,” said Princeton coach Cara Morey in a statement. “She is threatening offensively and is also responsible on the defensive side of play. She is one of the smoothest skaters I have ever seen, and it often appears as though she’s hovering above the ice. She has breakaway speed which allows her to pull away from opponents. Her instincts are like no other player in the NCAA; Sarah always seems to be around the puck. Sarah is a prolific goal scorer, netting 22 goals in just 29 games this season, but she is an even better play maker which is evident by her 1.21 assists per game this year.
“Sarah is the best player on the ice, but above all, she is also an amazing teammate off the ice.”
The runner-up for this year’s award is Northeastern freshman forward Alina Mueller.
St. Cloud State’s Schuldt selected NCHC Player of the Year; SCSU’s Larson Coach of the Year, Minnesota Duluth’s Shepard Goalie of the Year
The NCHC announced its award winners for the 2018-19 season Thursday night at its annual awards celebration at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minn.
Coach of the Year: Brett Larson, St. Cloud State
Player of the Year: Jimmy Schuldt, Sr., D, St. Cloud State
Rookie of the Year: Taylor Ward, F, Omaha
Senior Scholar-Athlete Award: Mason Bergh, F, Colorado College
Goaltender of the Year: Hunter Shepard, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
Forward of the Year: Patrick Newell, Sr., St. Cloud State
Defensive Defenseman of the Year: Jimmy Schuldt, Sr., St. Cloud State
Offensive Defenseman of the Year: Scott Perunovich, So., Minnesota Duluth
Defensive Forward of the Year: Justin Richards, So., Minnesota Duluth
NCHC Three Stars Award: Hunter Shepard, Jr., G, Minnesota Duluth
Sportsmanship Award: Patrick Newell, Sr., F, St. Cloud State
NCHC Postgrad Scholarship: Ryan Galt, Sr., F, Omaha
Media Excellence Award: Mick Hatten, Forum Communications
UMass takes two Hockey East awards as Makar chosen Player of the Year, Carvel Coach of the Year; BU’s Farabee wins Rookie of the Year
Hockey East announced Thursday night that Massachusetts sophomore defenseman Cale Makar has been named the Hockey East Player of the Year.
The award was presented as part of the 35th annual Hockey East championship awards banquet at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Mass.
Alongside Makar, Boston University freshman forward Joel Farabee was tabbed the Rookie of the Year for a season in which he led the Terriers in scoring with 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points.
Additionally, UMass coach Greg Carvel collected his first Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Minutemen to the Hockey East regular-season crown and the top seed in the Hockey East tournament for the first time in program history.
