A resilient St. Cloud State team rallied from 2-0 down scoring the game’s final four goals in a 4-2 victory earning a split of a two-game series at Minnesota Duluth (File photo: Melissa Wade)
DULUTH, Minn. — There are games throughout the course of a season that mean more than the outcome on that particular night. Top-ranked St. Cloud State’s 4-2 over No. 5 Minnesota Duluth on Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth had that kind of feeling for the Huskies.
St. Cloud’s No. 1 ranking in the USCHO.com poll could fall by the way side after the Huskies lost to the Bulldogs on Friday night, but they responded by impressing in a lot of areas while erasing an early 2-0 deficit in defeating the defending NCAA champions. It was the kind of effort that can reverberate throughout the rest of the season.
There was no panic in their game after they were dominated in the early going. Their skill was on display as they wrestled control of the game away from the Bulldogs. And they received the type of goaltending needed to make a long run in the NCAA tournament.
The pieces were all in place by night’s end, on a night when a very good Minnesota Duluth team put together the type of effort that would have beaten most teams.
“This isn’t an easy place to play,” said SCSU captain Jimmy Schuldt, whose goal tied the game at 2-2 late in the first period. “Anybody who has ever played here knows that. But we talk about it all the time; it’s easy to stick together and be positive when you’re winning.
“The true test of character comes when things aren’t going well, to see how you respond. It was a character win.”
First-year St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson, a former Minnesota Duluth assistant coach facing his former team or the first time, was impressed by the composure his team showed.
“We were able to get through it and not panic,” Larson said. “It speaks to the character we have on this team.”
The Bulldogs were outshot 14-6 in the first period on Friday night came out determined not to have a repeat performance on Saturday. SCSU didn’t get its first shot on goal until the first period was over 10 minutes old.
UMD took a 1-0 lead at 3:13 of the first period on a goal by Riley Tufte. The Bulldogs increased their lead to 2-0 10 minutes later when Justin Richards scored a power-play goal, and it looked as though a weekend sweep was in the works.
“We expected a lot of pressure at the start,” Larson said, “and they came with it. Their forecheck can be tough, and when they get it going they make it tough on your breakout.”
The game began to change late in the first period when Huskies defensemen Spencer Meier finished off a pretty passing play to cut the Bulldogs’ lead in half. SCSU drew even 49 seconds later when Schuldt intercepted a clearing pass in the slot and fired the puck past goaltender Hunter Shepard.
Schuldt had only a split second to measure the risk against the possible reward for pinching in from the point. When the puck landed on his stick he wasted no time in putting it in the net.
There was not stopping the Huskies after that. SCSU scored what proved to be the game-winner at 4:25 of the second period when Easton Brodzinski made a pretty stick-handling move in the slot to free himself from a defender and slip the puck past Shepard on his backhand.
“That first goal was huge for us,” Larson said. “You could just feel how it took the pressure off our bench.”
Before the Huskies sealed things with a late third-period goal, goaltender David Hrenak was the best player on a team that showed how it’s done when it comes to playing with a lead.
“That’s what we need from David,” Schuldt said. “On nights like these when he is on the top of his game he is right up there with the best goalies in the country.”
And when the Huskies play like they did on Saturday night, it’s possible that they are still the best team in the country.
Around the Nation
Minnesota 2, No. 9 Notre Dame 1
Minnesota’s Blake McLaughlin scored with 7.8 second remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 tie as the Golden Gophers completed a weekend sweep of No. 9 Notre Dame.
The Irish jumped to a 1-0 lead before Brandon McManus tied the game in the second.
The NCHC has issued a one-game suspension to North Dakota sophomore defenseman Gabe Bast.
The suspension stems from an illegal hit to the head during UND’s game against Colorado College on Friday, Jan. 11 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
During last night’s game, Bast was assessed a major penalty for contact to the head and given a game misconduct penalty at 3:01 of the third period.
Bast will be required to serve the one-game suspension during North Dakota’s series finale on Saturday, Jan. 12 against Colorado College in Grand Forks. He is eligible to return for the Fighting Hawks in their series opener at Omaha next Friday, Jan. 18.
The WCHA announced Saturday a one-game suspension for Alaska senior defenseman Nikolas Koberstein, effective for the Nanooks’ next NCAA game.
The suspension is a result of Koberstein’s five-minute major penalty and game misconduct infraction for checking from behind, which occurred at the 18:07 mark of the third period in Alaska’s game on Friday, Jan. 11 at Bemidji State.
Upon review, “the hit was delivered in a manner that warranted the suspension,” according to a WCHA press release.
Alaska’s next scheduled game is Saturday, Jan. 12 at Bemidji State. Koberstein is eligible to return for the Nanooks’ Friday, Jan. 18 game at home against Bowling Green.
Hockey East announced Saturday that Vermont senior forward Conor O’Neil has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 14:13 of the second period on Friday, Jan. 11 at Massachusetts.
O’Neil will miss the game on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Massachusetts and is eligible to return to the Catamounts’ lineup on Friday, Jan. 18 against UMass Lowell.
No. 16 Clarkson’s offense exploded for four straight goals in a 5-1 win over No. 15 Union on Friday (photo: Jim Meagher).
Two goals in the first and second periods spotted host Clarkson a 4-0 lead as the No. 16 Golden Knights rolled past No. 15 Union, 5-1.
Clarkson spread the scoring around with five different goal scorers and Michael Underwood posted a goal and an assist in the victory. Goaltender Jake Kielly remained hot, posting 23 saves for the win.
No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 3, No. 1 St. Cloud State 1
Noah Cates, fresh off earning silver at the World Junior Championships, broke a 1-1 tie with 10:07 remaining, as Minnesota Duluth knocked off No. 1 St. Cloud State, 3-1.
Nick Swaney and Justin Richards also tallied for the Bulldogs, while Robby Jackson scored the lone goal for the Huskies.
Hunter Shepard won the goaltending battle stopping 30 shots to St. Cloud State’s David Hrenak, who finished the game with 15 saves.
The two teams meet again on Saturday in the USCHO Game of the Week.
The host Eagles overcame a 2-1 deficit and scored the game’s final three goals as BC knocked off a red-hot Providence team, 4-2, in Hockey East action.
BC, which has lost 25 straight out of conference games dating back two seasons, continues its strong league play and keeps pace with Massachusetts, a 4-1 winner on Friday over Vermont. The Eagles and Minutemen are tied for first in Hockey East.
Minnesota 5, No. 9 Notre Dame 1
Minnesota exploded for four third-period goals as the visiting Gophers upset Notre Dame, 5-1.
Mat Robson made 42 saves in net for the Gophers, which didn’t have a single power play on the night. Notre Dame had two chances with the man advantage but couldn’t capitalize.
Sampo Ranta led the scoring setting up three of the five Minnesota goals.
Head down to the locker room and check in with Coach Motzko following tonight's 5-1 win over No. 9 Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/Mu0Kxz6Cun
The St. Olaf Ice Arena will have a grand-opening ceremony on Jan. 19 (photo: St. Olaf Athletics).
St. Olaf will celebrate the grand opening of its new St. Olaf Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 19.
The ceremony will begin at 6:40 p.m., followed by the men’s game versus Hamline at 7 p.m. The events will be streamed and archived online. The women’s varsity hockey team is competing at Hamline that day.
Connected to the Skoglund/Tostrud athletic complex, the $8 million arena features an NHL-size rink and 804 individual stadium chairs. The complex features seven men’s and women’s locker rooms, as well as state-of-the-art video broadcasting capabilities and media boxes.
The new arena will engage the campus community in year-round ice-related opportunities for hockey and broomball players, curlers, skaters, and fans — all in a central location that will support competitive success by seamlessly integrating athletic and recreational activities with academic pursuits.
Entrance to the rink is directly accessible from both Skoglund and Tostrud Center main entrances. Parking is available in the Tostrud Center lot.
The arena is made possible by more than 325 alumni, parents, and friends who have committed $4.83 million in capital gifts and pledges in support of the project to date, in addition to $1.5 million in capital expenditures from the college.
St. Olaf will continue to fundraise for the $8 million arena as part of its $200 million For the Hill and Beyond comprehensive campaign.
A new version of the Humanitarian Award debuted in 2015 (photo: Jim Rosvold).
The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation announced on Thursday the 17 nominees for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
Player's Name
Class
Position
School
Cam Beecy
Sr.
D
Norwich
Devin Brosseau
Jr.
F
Clarkson
Jake Bunz
Sr.
D
Wisconsin
Cal Burke
Jr.
F
Notre Dame
Stevie DeForge
Sr.
F
Babson
Vincent Desharnais
Sr,
D
Providence
Ian Edmondson
Sr.
D
Canisius
Jessie Eldridge
Sr.
F
Colgate
Ryan Galt
Sr.
F
Omaha
Nick Kossoff
Sr.
G
Lake Superior State
Annie Pankowski
Sr.
F
Wisconsin
Tommy Parran
Sr.
D
Ohio State
Jacyn Reeves
Sr.
F
Ohio State
Samantha Ridgewell
Sr.
G
Merrimack
Luke Rivera
Sr.
F
Fredonia
Josh Teves
Sr.
D
Princeton
James Varney
Jr.
F
Stonehill
One player – Rivera – is a repeat nominee.
Finalists for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced in February. The 2019 recipient will be honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 12th as part of Frozen Four weekend in Buffalo, N.Y.
Emma Ruggiero of Buffalo State (SMD19/Buffalo State Athletics)
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 11-12
No. 9 Gustavus Adolphus versus No. 4 St. Thomas
Gustavus is coming off an important win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire last Saturday. If the Gusties win both games over St.Thomas, it could give them the lead in the MIAC standings. However, St. Thomas continues their hot streak and has yet to lose a game. I think St. Thomas is too strong for Gustavus to win a game. St.Thomas 3-2, 2-0
No. 8 Hamline versus Augsburg
Augsburg is currently fifth in the MIAC standings and will need to work hard and earn as many conference points from their remaining games in order to climb in the conference standings. Hamline averages 4.3 goals a game, whereas Augsburg averages 2.8. I believe Hamline’s powerful offense will be too much to lose to Augsburg. Hamline 4-2, 2-1
Colby versus Williams
Williams is still making the case to be in the top 10. Therefore, they need to make each game remaining in their season count. Colby has had low scoring games this year except for their most recent win over Southern Maine. Williams is on a hot streak; their last loss was Dec. 1 to Wesleyan. Since then, the Ephs has defeated top-tier programs such as Elmira and Manhattanville. Colby could potentially hold Williams to a tie, but the likelihood of them coming out with the win is low. Williams 2-1, 3-1
No. 10 Wisconsin-Eau Claire versus Lake Forest
Lake Forest will be hosting the Blugolds, and this will be their second series against a top 10 opponent this year. The Foresters had trouble finding the back of the net in their first series against a ranked opponent, which was their first game at the beginning of the season. I think the home-ice advantage will be beneficial, but not enough to win. The Blugolds will be looking to add a couple wins to their record coming off a recent loss to Gustavus. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 4-1, 3-0
No. 3 Elmira versus Manhattanville
Elmira’s confidence should be at an all-time high. The Soaring Eagles won the holiday tournament, defeating Norwich and Plattsburgh. Manhattanville would need to win both games in order to stay above Elmira in the UCHC standings. This series should not be taken lightly by either team, as it holds important conference points. Elmira 4-3, 3-1
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 11-12
No. 1 Plattsburgh versus Buffalo State
Even if Plattsburgh were to lose to Buffalo State, the Cardinals would still hold the lead in the NEWHL standings. Plattsburgh is an extremely talented team with great coaching. The Cardinals should win this series no problem and have an even greater lock on the conference regular season title. Plattsburgh 5-1, 4-0
Emma Maltais and Ohio State University hope to upset top-ranked Wisconsin. (www.BigTenPhoto.com / Walt Middleton Photography 2011)
In this season of epic parity, Nicole and I are struggling with our picks. Last weekend, I went 12-8-4 No. .583, while Nicole was 11-9-4 No. .541. On the year, I am 172-70-30 No. .687 while Nicole is 164-78-30 No. .658. Hopefully, we can do better this weekend.
Friday, Jan. 11
Syracuse at RIT Candace: I lean toward the Orange, although RIT has been the hotter team of late. Eh, I’ll flip my mind. RIT 2-1 Nicole: Syracuse wins. Syracuse 3-1
Quinnipiac at No. 9 Colgate Candace: I have to think Colgate regroups, though it will be tough. Colgate 2-1 Nicole: I’ll take Colgate at home. Colgate 2-0
No. 6 Princeton at No. 4 Cornell Candace: One of the top games of the weekend. Cornell did not play well last weekend, so I go with the visitor. Princeton 2-1 Nicole: I’m going with Princeton to win. Princeton 3-2
Harvard at Dartmouth Candace: Harvard has been inconsistent, Dartmouth terrible. Harvard 2-1 Nicole: Harvard wins. Harvard 3-1
No. 5 Clarkson at Rensselaer Candace: I see the Golden Knights getting back on track. Clarkson 4-1 Nicole: Clarkson wins. Clarkson 4-0
St. Lawrence at Union Candace: St. Lawrence needs a win, and they should get it. St. Lawrence 3-1 Nicole: St. Lawrence wins. St. Lawrence 4-1
Brown at Yale Candace: Brown is in freefall right now, though Yale is not much better. Yale 2-1 Nicole: Yale takes this one. Yale 3-1
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 11-12
New Hampshire at Connecticut Candace: I think New Hampshire has been the better team of late. New Hampshire 2-1, 3-1 Nicole: I think these two split. New Hampshire 3-1, Connecticut 2-1
No. 10 Boston College versus No. 3 Northeastern Candace: Maybe the Eagles will break out of their funk. Why not? Boston College 4-3, 4-3 Nicole: I think I have to pick Northeastern to sweep. Northeastern 4-3, 3-1
Boston University versus No. 7 Providence Candace: I’m going with home ice for each. Providence 3-1, Boston University 3-2 Nicole: Providence sweeps. Providence 2-0, 3-2
Merrimack at Vermont Candace: Eh, I’ll pick the Warriors to sweep. Merrimack 3-2, 2-1 Nicole: A split. Merrimack 3-1, Vermont 2-1
Minnesota Duluth at Bemidji State Candace: The Beavers have been playing well of late, but Duluth showed signs of life last weekend. Minnesota Duluth 3-2, 3-2 Nicole: UMD wins game one, BSU wins game two. Minnesota Duluth 4-2, Bemidji State 2-1
No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 8 Ohio State Candace: I’d love to pick a split, but I like Wisconsin to sweep. Wisconsin 3-2, 3-2 Nicole: This one is tough, but I think it’s a split. Wisconsin 4-2, Ohio State 3-2
No. 2 Minnesota at Minnesota State Candace: The Gophers should roll. Minnesota 4-1, 4-1 Nicole: Minnesota sweeps. Minnesota 5-2, 4-1
Saturday, Jan. 12
Yale at Brown Candace: I think Yale has more confidence than Brown, though that’s not saying much. Yale 3-2 Nicole: I’ll take Brown. Brown 2-1
No. 6 Princeton at No. 9 Colgate Candace: I think the Tigers cement their position atop the ECAC this weekend. Princeton 4-2 Nicole: I’m going with Princeton. Princeton 3-2
Quinnipiac at No. 4 Cornell Candace: This could be an upset, but if I’m right about Friday, Cornell will be desperate in this game. Cornell 3-2 Nicole: Cornell wins. Cornell 3-1
St. Lawrence at Rensselaer Candace: I think St. Lawrence gets a needed sweep. St. Lawrence 3-1 Nicole: St. Lawrence wins. St. Lawrence 4-1
No. 5 Clarkson at Union Candace: Clarkson keeps pace with Princeton. Clarkson 4-1 Nicole: Clarkson wins. Clarkson 3-0
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 12-13
Maine at Holy Cross Candace: If Holy Cross gets a win, it’s in the first game, but I don’t see it. Maine 3-1, 3-1 Nicole: Maine wins game one, Holy Cross wins game two. Maine 3-1, Holy Cross 2-1
Alex Rodriguez and Augsburg hope to help paste the first loss of the season on Wisconsin-Stevens Point. (Kevin Healy/Photo by Kevin Healy for Augsburg)
One of the biggest games of the season takes place Friday night when Augsburg hits the road to battle Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a showdown between two nationally ranked teams. The top-ranked Pointers have yet to lose. The No. 4 Auggies have lost just once and are riding a three-game winning streak.
Augsburg features one of the top offenses in the country, scoring 63 goals off 105 assists. Alex Rodriguez leads the MIAC in goals scored (13), while Luke Dietsch has tallied nine goals to go along with 10 assists.
The Pointers have cranked out 68 goals off 110 assists. Like Augsburg, Wis.-Stevens Point is about as balanced as you can get as a hockey team. Carter Roo leads the way with eight goals and eight assists. Tanner Karty has scored four goals and tallied 10 assists. You wonder what will give in what could very well be a high-scoring showdown. The Pointers get the edge at home. Wis.-Stevens Point 5-4
Friday, Jan. 11
Saint John’s at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Johnnies are led by Brady Heppner and his nine goals. Andrew Lindgren has been rock solid in goal, fashioning a 1.86 goals-against average. The Johnnies have won two in a row and will need their best effort of the year to get the win over the Blugolds. Unbeaten in its last six, third-ranked Wis.-Eau Claire is looking to keep the momentum rolling in its favor. This is a team with a lot of playmakers. Luke Kohls, Jake Bresser, and Steen Cooper all have 11 assists apiece. Wis.-Eau Claire 4-2
St. Norbert at Marian
The sixth-ranked Green Knights face a big test on the road against a Sabres team hoping to get back into the national poll. Kurt Black has been one of St. Norbert’s better offensive players, punching in eight goals. T.J. Black continues to impress in goal with a 1.50 GAA. St. Norbert is looking to get back on track when it comes to road games. The Green Knights are just 2-3-1 away from home. Marian’s Hunter Vorva is a pretty good goalie in his own right; he owns a 2.15 GAA. The Sabres are hoping to turn things around after dropping two in a row. Nick Monfils has tallied six goals and five assists. St. Norbert 5-3
St. Scholastica at Concordia
The Saints are hoping to get back into the national rankings after losing their last two. A win would give them that opportunity. Cole Golka has scored eight goals. Nick Trenciansky has been solid in goal and gives St. Scholastica a chance to win every night. He has eight wins and 337 saves. Concordia is coming off a big weekend in New York and has shown it can play with anyone. The Falcons are still looking for their first win of 2019 and hope to nail down their first home win of the season as well. Nick Guerra will be a key this weekend. He leads the team in goals, tallying 10 on the season. Concordia 4-3
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11-12
St. Thomas versus Gustavus Adolphus
It’s a rematch of a 2018 MIAC tournament semifinal. The Gusties pulled off the upset last season and are hoping for the same kind of result this time. This is a big game for both teams, which are tied for fourth place in the conference. Expect a defensive battle. Chris Amsden has been solid between the pipes for the Gusties, allowing 19 goals and making 231 saves. He is 4-4-1. The Tommies can turn to Andrew Rohkohl or Cam Buggrabe. The two have combined for seven wins and more than 300 saves. Offensively, look for Johnny Panvica of St. Thomas and Evan Erickson of Gustavus to be potential difference makers this weekend. Don’t be surprised if at least one game goes to overtime. The winner stays in the hunt for the title. St. Thomas 3-2, 4-3
Saturday, Jan. 12
Saint John’s at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Johnnies have to be able to find a way to match the offensive firepower of the Pointers. Kyle Wagner could play a key role in this one. He only has three goals, but he’s dished out 11 assists. Keep an eye on Matt Colford as well. He has four goals and seven assists. The Pointers have 10 different players who have at least 10 points. That’s not easy to deal with, and they are 7-0-1 at home. Wis.-Stevens Point 5-3
Augsburg at Wisconsin-Stout
The Auggies face off against one of the surprise teams of the season in college hockey. Being on the road, the defense has to be on top of its game for the Auggies, who have leaned on the stellar play of Nick Schmit in goal this season. He has won eight games and has stopped 274 shots. The Blue Devils have won their last five and are looking for a statement win. Logan Nelson has scored nine goals and dished out six assists. Tommi Ahlgren has won 10 games in goal. This one could turn out to be a classic. Augsburg 5-4
Amanda Conway of Norwich has 20 points in 13 games. (MARK COLLIER)
Norwich University is led by seven seniors and seven juniors, as well as coach Mark Bolding. Bolding is in the middle of his 12th season as the head coach of the Norwich women’s hockey program. The program won the national championship only once prior to last year’s victory. The program’s first title was achieved in 2011. Winning a national championship always brings high expectations for the following year. Bolding admits the team is striving for another national championship.
“Well I am sure every player and coach that is still here or came into the program this season wants to try our best to win again. It’s been done before, so why not us? Easier said than done though, as we all know. The reality with any team that makes it to the NCAA tournament is to simply get back to that stage and try our best to still be playing in mid-March in the big game. We’ve watched other teams win multiple times in a row, and each year they reload and just seem to find a way to be an elite team every year. Consistency in team success is what we strive for here.”
Bolding says another goal is to continue getting better.
“I’d say our goal for the rest of the season is to try and improve each week and not take a step back with effort and intensity. Too many good and determined teams are left to play (for us) to be anything but sharp as we move through a busy January/February and playoffs. I think the leadership on our team will really be called on to keep the troops alert and focused. Our captain, Bryn Labbe, does an excellent job. It should be a fun second half for all.”
Being the previous national champion brings many perks and great memories; however, it will bring a few challenges. Bolding discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a national champion.
“I’d say the advantages are we have lots of returning players that have that experience and taste of winning — they know how hard it really is to make it through all those great teams. Experience matters I believe with great consistent teams. Disadvantages are simple — no one wants your team to do it again, and all opponents want a piece of you to show they beat you. We’re over it now — too many great teams ahead of us to think about last year. So back to the underdog title for us is fine.”
Norwich has been listed as a top program for many years now in D-III women’s hockey. Bolding and his staff have done a tremendous job building the program to a high caliber level and maintaining the strength the program is known to have. Amanda Conway, one of Norwich’s star players, is having a good junior year with 13 goals and seven assists in 13 games this season. The first team All-American gives insight on playing for Bolding and his program.
“Working under coach Bolding for the past three years has being a learning experience as a player. I think I have grown a lot in the past three years. Coach Bolding really helped me change my style of play to be more of a complete player that I wanted to be.”
Conway admits, just like Bolding, the team would like to win a national championship. However, their team goals go beyond just a single moment in their season. Conway also discusses a personal goal.
“A personal goal that I have for myself is to just get better every day in any way possible. A team goal for us would be to win another national championship, but just working together, communicating, and improving each day.”
The Cadets previously competed in a tournament with three other teams, Adrian, Plattsburgh, and Elmira, that are all ranked in the top five. Bolding shares what the opportunity means to be in such a high-level tournament and how it impacts their team.
“The East/West Classic tournament provided excellent competition again, and all four games were well played — tough, playoff type of games, very intense. It’s a great gauge for where we are now and really exposed the good and the bad in our team and our current play. Lots of fun, but lots of work ahead for each team.”
The Cadets had a thrilling overtime win over Adrian to capture the third-place hardware in the East/West Classic. Conway shares the experience through a player’s perspective.
“Playing in this tournament against these teams is very exciting. A faster pace than some of our other games, but beating Adrian was a big step for our team. It was a really exciting game that came down to the last minute of overtime, which really showed our perseverance as a team.”
Conway shares her two top programs to compete against and admits that they bring the best competition out of her and the team.
“I would say my favorite teams to play against are Elmira and Plattsburgh because they are so talented and always bring the top competition at our level.”
Being a top player for a program can bring pressure and expectations that some may not be able to handle. Bolding shares his thoughts about Conway, and it’s clear to see Conway’s shoulders are fit to hold the responsibilities of a star player.
“Conway is an elite player, and she means so much to this team day in and day out. She blends in with the group and just finds a way to create scoring chances each game. It’s crazy how she thinks about the game and just knows how to find seams, open space, and when to release the puck. We are fortunate to have her on our team.”
As the conference and NCAA playoffs loom ahead soon, we should expect Norwich and other teams to start playing their best hockey yet. The Cadets will undoubtfully put on a great show as they look to capture another national title.
Dávid Hrenák was chosen in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings (photo: St. Cloud State Athletics).
Pat Mikesch, coach and general manager of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, remembers the first question he got from then-St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko after meeting with Gamblers goaltender Dávid Hrenák during the recruiting process.
“He said, ‘Is this kid this happy all the time?’” Mikesch recalled. “I told him that he is. He’s always in a good mood.”
Part of the reason is the fact that Hrenák was — and is — in his comfort zone, even though he is some 5,000 miles away from home.
Being greeted in a foreign country with open arms can have that kind of effect on someone, and it took the then-18-year-old from Považská Bystrica, Slovakia, longer to learn the language than it did to understand that he made the right decision to continue his hockey career in the U.S.
Two years later the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Hrenák as emerged at St. Cloud State as one of the top college goalies in the country and a key reason why the Huskies take a No. 1 ranking into this weekend’s series with Minnesota Duluth in Duluth.
First-year coach Brett Larson knew when he took the job that he inherited a lot of talent, and it starts in goal.
“He is super long, super agile and extremely calm, both in the locker room and on the ice,” Larson said of Hrenák. “So in the big moments, he does a really nice job of just keeping everything calm and focused on what the task is. He is very technically sound, so when you combine that with the athletic ability he has, it really makes him a dynamic college goalie.”
And one who appears on track to have a chance to play in the NHL. The Los Angeles Kings selected Hrenák in the fifth round (144th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
“It was a dream come true,” Hrenák said. “I have to thank my teammates and coaches from last year for making it happen.”
Hrenák has done a lot of that since venturing to the U.S. from Slovakia. Hrenák’s first trip to the U.S. came in 2016 when he played for Slovakia in the Under-18 World Championships in Grand Forks, N.D. That experience led him to pursuing the chance to play college hockey in the U.S.
His first stop, he knew, would be the USHL. As it turned out, a friend of his from Slovakia, Adam Huska, was a goalie for Green Bay for the 2015-16 season before moving on to Connecticut. The same contacts in Europe who alerted Mikesch to Huska’s talents let him know about Hrenák.
When Hrenák got the seal of approval on Green Bay and the coaching staff from Huska, the deal was done. He looked at it as a chance to learn a new culture and go on a bit of an adventure while also advancing his hockey career.
It’s been everything he could have asked for and more so far, which has given him little time to miss his family back home.
“My teammates have become like my family, so they make it much easier,” Hrenák said.
Hrenák adapted very quickly to his new surroundings, according to Mikesch.
“He lived with Jared Spooner, who is playing at Minnesota State now,” he said. “Jared was his wing man and took care of him.”
There were adjustments to be made on the ice, too.
“Over there, they focus on flexibility,” Mikesch said, “while here we are more about building strength. And he was able to add some leg strength.”
Hrenák said he heard from Arizona State and Notre Dame, among others, during the college recruiting process but quickly settled on Str. Cloud State without taking any other visits.
“Once I learned about St. Cloud and how players feel like they become part of a family, and after I talked to the coaches, I knew St. Cloud was the right place,” Hrenák said.
It didn’t hurt that two of his new teammates would be Nick and Jack Poehling, who had played with him in Green Bay.
Hrenák made the All-NCHC Rookie Team last season, going 14-7-2, with a 2.11 GAA, a .919 save percentage and three shutouts. The Kings, among others, were impressed.
“We were actually surprised he wasn’t drafted (in 2017),” Mikesch said. “Our other goalie that year, Maxim Zhukov, was drafted, and I thought David would be drafted, too.”
Hrenák has a 10-1-1 record this season, with a 2.22 GAA, a .903 save percentage and two shutouts. He said his goal is the same as that of the team — to try to get better every day.
From an experience standpoint, things can’t get any better.
Ted Donato’s Harvard squad plays twice on the road this weekend – Friday at Princeton and Saturday at Quinnipiac (Melissa Wade).
Each week, USCHO.com columnists will pick the winners of the upcoming games in their respective conferences.
Atlantic Hockey
Friday-Saturday
RIT at American International
AIC’s win over Sacred Heart on Tuesday pushed the Yellow Jackets into first place for the first time this late in the season. Now they defend their place against RIT, a team riding a three-game unbeaten streak. The Tigers are 32-6-3 all-time against AIC, including the sweep at the Polisseni Center earlier this season. Everyone knows how much I believe in AIC, so I think they come away with points this weekend. I’m going with the Yellow Jackets to sweep the pair of early-afternoon games.
Bentley at Robert Morris
The Falcons’ season ended last year in Pittsburgh after pushing RMU to three hard-fought games. Bentley seems like a team poised to make some noise if everything can come together, and their tie against Dartmouth last week proves they can have mettle. The Colonials, meanwhile, need to right the ship after a pair of losses in the Three Rivers Classic. Can’t really blame them for losing to St. Cloud State, as hard as some might try. I think this is a split.
Niagara at Holy Cross
Yes, Holy Cross is in last place in Atlantic Hockey, and yes, Niagara is in third. But consider this: The Crusaders rallied from down 2-0 last week to take a 4-2 lead in about 20 minutes’ worth of work. Then they won the game in the third period after giving up a two-goal lead of their own. As for Niagara, finding points on the road would go a long way with only one full road series left on the schedule. I’m going with a split again.
Army West Point at Air Force
This series is the best thing about this conference. Records don’t matter, and statistics can be thrown out the window. It’s ironic that it will play out on the backdrop of a government shutdown this year. Air Force swept Army in West Point earlier this year, so I’m predicting more of the same. Expect hard-hitting, tight hockey in spades.
Mercyhurst vs. Canisius
Mercyhurst leads this series, 43-35-10, making it one of Atlantic Hockey’s oldest and most competitive rivalries. The Griffins have a slight edge in goaltending right now, which is what I think will press them forward. Call it a Canisius sweep, but the games will be tough hockey and will set the stage for the teams’ rematch later this year.
Saturday
Sacred Heart at Yale
I’m taking a tie in this game because the result doesn’t matter given the cause the teams are playing for. Jason Pagni was one of those hockey guys who everyone in Connecticut seemed to know. He created the New England Prep School League and helped develop Nutmeg State kids into college student-athletes. He passed away in a one-car accident in 2014, creating a giant void that is memorialized on the ice when these two teams meet. So for me, the result doesn’t matter as much as the message, which carries on in the Connecticut Hockey Foundation.
— Dan Rubin
Big Ten
Friday-Saturday
Michigan at Ohio State
The Wolverines followed up their 4-2 win over the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame Stadium last Saturday with a 4-2 loss to visiting Merrimack Tuesday night. The Buckeyes return home after a wild weekend in East Lansing, where they watched a three-goal lead evaporate in a 7-7 tie against the Spartans before beating Michigan State soundly, 6-0. Ohio State has a 4-0-3 undefeated streak on the line as Michigan comes to town. The Buckeyes have won their last five in a row against the Wolverines. I think that streak ends this weekend. Michigan wins Friday, Ohio State wins Saturday.
Minnesota at Notre Dame
Minnesota split at home against Penn State last weekend, losing 4-2 Friday followed by Saturday’s 4-1 win. The Irish have played two games in the second half, a 4-0 home win over Boston College New Year’s Eve and last Saturday’s loss to Michigan. The Irish were 3-1-0 against the Golden Gophers last season, including two wins at home. Notre Dame sweeps.
Michigan State at Penn State
The Spartans head to Hockey Valley looking for their first win of 2019, having gone 0-2-2 in the new year, most recently with that tie and loss in the home series against Ohio State. Michigan State gave up 13 goals in that series – but the Spartans scored seven, and that should be encouraging. The Nittany Lions begin a four-game home stretch with this series. Penn State went 2-1-1 against Michigan State last season, but the Nittany Lions are 9-3-0 at home this season while the Spartans are 3-6-1 on the road. Penn State sweeps – or at least gets a win and a tie.
— Paula C. Weston
ECAC Hockey
Friday-Saturday
Arizona State at Cornell
Cornell ends its regular-season nonconference slate with the darlings of college hockey in Arizona State this weekend. It will be two games with Pairwise implications with Arizona State 10th and Cornell 16th. I expect a split, with the Sun Devils winning Friday and Cornell on Saturday.
UMass Lowell at Colgate
Both teams are riding high heading into the weekend with Colgate defeating Quinnipiac and Princeton and UMass Lowell knocking off UMass last weekend. I think both teams can win one so I will take the Raiders Friday and the River Hawks Saturday.
Friday
Union at Clarkson
This is the game to watch between two ECAC teams this weekend. Both teams have beaten a top-five team since Christmas. I will go with Clarkson as the Golden Knights have won eight of their past 10 games.
Harvard at Princeton
These two teams put up eight goals in their first matchup of the season, and while that’s not out of the realm of possibilities again, I don’t think it will happen again. Harvard has been better defensively while Princeton is struggling to score beyond its top line. I expect Harvard to win.
Dartmouth at Quinnipiac
One of the Bobcats’ four losses this season was to the Big Green as Dartmouth won 5-1. So expect Dartmouth to play well again in Hamden, although I see Quinnipiac splitting the season series.
Rensselaer at St. Lawrence
In the battle of the bottom two teams in the ECAC standings, RPI had a decent weekend last weekend in defeating Army and lost in OT to Harvard. St. Lawrence, meanwhile, had a tough go of it at the Ice Vegas Invitational, losing both games to Air Force and UConn. RPI wins.
Saturday
Rensselaer at Clarkson
RPI has only scored three or more goals four times this season. Scoring two or less versus the Golden Knights won’t cut it. Clarkson has had trouble with teams at the bottom of the standings this season, but I believe they won’t let that happen again. Clarkson wins.
Dartmouth at Princeton
Princeton had no trouble with Dartmouth in Hanover earlier this season. I don’t see another blowout at Hobey Baker. I think Princeton squeaks out a victory this time around.
Harvard at Quinnipiac
With skilled players on both teams, it should be a fast and exciting brand of hockey. You can’t go wrong picking either team in this one. I believe Quinnipiac is in the bump in the road in their schedule. Harvard wins.
Union at St. Lawrence
The Dutchmen have had some good games this season as well as some some head scratchers. The game against St. Lawrence will tell a lot about Union for the remainder of the season. I do think they defeat the Saints.
Sacred Heart at Yale
It’s been a tough go for Yale since Christmas and their problems have been defense with Phil Kemp and Jack St. Ivany at the World Juniors. They should be back in the lineup for Sacred Heart and should help solve those issues. Yale wins.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Providence at Brown
It will be the second time these teams meet this season as they met at Dartmouth’s Ledyard Bank Classic a few weeks ago. The Friars came away with a 3-1 win, but Brown hung with them for most of the game. Brown pulls off the upset.
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Rensselaer at UConn
The Huskies are 4-2 this season against ECAC teams and that includes a 3-1 victory over RPI in Troy, N.Y. I believe they will make it 5-2 against the ECAC with a win over RPI.
— Nathan Fournier
Hockey East
Friday-Saturday
Northeastern at Maine
I liked Maine’s win against Yale on Tuesday, but I think Northeastern is just a step ahead that, even on the road, they can win. Northeastern sweeps.
Vermont at Massachusetts
This one is difficult. I feel like I should give Vermont a win here as they are 4-1-0 in their last five. But I also think UMass is hungry after losing to Lowell. UMass sweeps.
UMass Lowell at Colgate
Consecutive wins have been difficult for this River Hawks team, but I feel like this is one weekend where road wins might be feasible. UMass Lowell sweeps.
Friday
Providence at Boston College
This one is simply playing the odds and going with the Friars. But this is Hockey East play and BC might suddenly play more like themselves. Providence wins.
New Hampshire at Boston University
Will BU make a turnaround this season? Might this be the start? Tough to say, but I’ll run with it. BU wins.
Saturday
Connecticut at Merrimack
UConn has been decent of late, though Merrimack comes off the upset at Michigan. Tough call, but I still like the Huskies. UConn wins.
Boston University at Providence
Even if BU gets off on the right foot on Friday, Providence is head and shoulders better and should win at home on Saturday. Providence wins.
Boston College at New Hampshire
Why do I have a feeling UNH pulls of this win (upset? Probably not) at home. But I’m picking them. New Hampshire wins.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Providence at Brown
The battle for the Mayor’s Cup is a big one for these two teams. I think Providence is strong enough to win this one. Providence wins.
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Maine at Boston College
On home Ice, I like the Eagles in this one. BC wins.
Rensselaer at Connecticut
RPI has been strong out of conference at times. But UConn should have the dogs to win this. UConn wins.
— Jim Connelly
NCHC
Friday-Saturday
Omaha at Denver
Denver may be 4-4 from its first eight league games, but the Pioneers have exceeded many people’s expectations after starting the season with a new coach and without several key pieces from last season’s squad. I don’t think DU will run into too many problems this weekend at home against a UNO team that is 0-4 against top-five teams this season, getting outscored 21-4 in those games. Denver 4-1, 4-2.
St. Cloud State at Minnesota Duluth
The country’s second-best offense will face a big challenge on the road this weekend against UMD, which is tied for fourth nationally. St. Cloud State is eighth in the same category, so these will likely be two low-scoring games. A sweep either way here would be very impressive. Minnesota Duluth 2-1, St. Cloud State 3-2.
Colorado College at North Dakota
Getting swept at Canisius put North Dakota closer to the point that UND might have to win the NCHC playoff title to get into the NCAA tournament. This week, the Fighting Hawks play at home against a Colorado College team that, like UND, hasn’t exactly been pulling up trees. CC hasn’t played at home for a while but going 1-4 in their last five games doesn’t make me feel too hopeful for the Tigers this weekend. North Dakota 3-1, 3-1.
Miami at Western Michigan
With Western Michigan second in the NCHC on 14 points and Miami tied for fourth on 12, this would be a good chance for either team to help break the current three-team logjam in the standings and perhaps start inching toward St. Cloud State (21 points). I like Western’s offense and the Broncos are at home, but I’m not sure a sweep is on the cards here. Western Michigan 4-2, Miami 4-2.
— Matthew Semisch
WCHA
Friday-Saturday
Minnesota State at Ferris State
The Mavericks come into this one fresh off a sweep of Michigan Tech — a nice pair of victories over the team that had been in first place of the WCHA. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, struggled against Alabama Huntsville, going to overtime twice and getting a split. I think the advantage goes to the Mavericks here, but anything can happen at Ewigleben Arena, so both games will be closer than you’d think.
Alabama Huntsville at Lake Superior State
The resurgent Lakers are back in the USCHO top 20 this week thanks to a stretch of 6 straight victories — including a sweep in Anchorage, which is never an easy thing. UAH got a much-needed OT win over Ferris State last week. I think the Lakers are hot right now, but the only red flag is that they’ve struggled at home — they’re just 2-5-1 in Sault Ste. Marie. I don’t know if that will be enough to get UAH a win, but it will make for entertaining games with a Laker sweep.
Bowling Green at Michigan Tech
A big series for both teams. Tech lost their first-place position after getting swept by Minnesota State on the road. Bowling Green, meanwhile, had the chance to take first from them but split their series with Bemidji State and failed to grasp ahold of the top spot. I think a split seems most likely, though, with both teams losing ground to Minnesota State. BG wins Friday with Tech taking the finale.
Alaska at Bemidji State
The Beavers might be looking past this series to next weekend, when they will host Michigan Tech in an outdoor game for Hockey Day Minnesota. I think that might be enough for the Nanooks to muster a win to snap their losing streak. The Beavers win Friday while the Nannoks take Saturday’s game for a split.
Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage
The Seawolves host another UP team this weekend after getting swept by Lake Superior State. The Wildcats have won four straight and are on the second leg of their two-week Alaska trip. I believe they’ll be tired enough to give the Seawolves a chance at a win. Wildcats win Friday and Seawolves take it Saturday.
Defending champion Minnesota Duluth hosts St. Cloud State this weekend as USCHO’s Game of the Week (photo: Jim Rosvold).
No. 1 St. Cloud State visits No. 5 Minnesota Duluth in a weekend series, the first two of four regular-season NCHC contests between the two. Bulldogs radio voice Bruce Ciskie of KDAL in Duluth joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview.
Jim and Ed also look ahead to:
No. 20 Miami at No. 14 Western Michigan in a pair of NCHC games;
No. 15 Union at No. 16 Clarkson;
No. 10 Bowling Green at Michigan Tech;
And a trio of Big Ten games, among others.
This episode is sponsored by the 2019 NCAA Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for more information.
Tyson Empey and Geneseo face Lebanon Valley. (Keith Walters)
Holiday tournaments bring not only great hockey, but, without question, lots of surprise results as well. The focus now shifts to some always interesting nonconference games, as well as the meat of the conference schedules with games among key competitors on the slate this weekend. Last weekend’s tournament picks finished with a solid 8-2-0 (.800) record, which now brings the season totals to 58-23-6 (.701). I finally crossed that 70 percent threshold, so let’s hope I can keep the positive momentum going in the second half. Here are this week’s picks.
Thursday, Jan. 10
Fitchburg State at Plymouth State
Both teams are off to slow starts since the change in calendar year, making this head-to-head game even more important in determining who sits at the top of the MASCAC standings. Home ice should favor the Panthers, but FSU doesn’t care where they play, and Brian McGrath is a difference-maker in the crease for the Falcons. Fitchburg State 3-2
Friday, Jan. 11
Utica at No. 5 Oswego
If you like high-end talent, this may be the game to watch this weekend. Both teams have skill and depth and move the puck quickly from defense to offense. The Pioneers could use a signature win to keep building their confidence, but the Lakers are too tough on home ice. Oswego 3-2
Norwich at No. 9 Hobart
It’s a very nice stretch for the Statesmen, who play seven of their final 10 games on home ice. They have won five in a row, including the Middlebury Classic to open the second half. The Cadets lost their own tournament in a shootout last week, so expect a quick jump to try and put Hobart back on its heels. Home cooking is a good recipe for coach Mark Taylor. Hobart 4-2
No. 10 Trinity at Colby
The Bantams split last week with Williams and Middlebury, while Colby dropped a pair of games at Hamilton and Amherst. They are back in Waterville for key matchups with Trinity and Wesleyan, but best not look past the Bantams on Friday night. Trinity 4-3
Lebanon Valley at No. 2 Geneseo
The UCHC has presented some challenges for the Knights, as evidenced by last weekend’s close game against Nazareth. The Flying Dutchmen will need to be exactly that if they want to keep pace the high-powered offense of Geneseo. The visitors keep it close for a while, but the home team has too much firepower. Geneseo 6-3
Saturday, Jan. 12
No. 15 Babson at New England College
The Pilgrims are on a roll since their dominant victory at the Boston Invitational Tournament and early week nonconference game with Anna Maria. They have outscored their opponents by a 17-2 margin in their last three games. The Beavers, who are unbeaten on the road this season, will make it challenging to score goals, but the cozy quarters at Henniker keep things close. Babson 4-3
Assumption at St. Michael’s
This is a crucial NE-10 weekend series that could go a long way in helping to determine seeding through tiebreakers. The Purple Knights have been inconsistent, so look for the Greyhounds to try to get an early jump and steal another road win. Assumption 5-4
Williams at Plattsburgh
Another terrific nonconference affair as part of the two NESCAC travel partners taking on Plattsburgh up north. Expect this one to be close and not as a comparison, like the way the Ephs took down Oswego on the road including some overtime. Williams 2-1
Bryn Athyn at Curry
The Colonels blew a 2-0 lead against Babson last weekend, but finished strong in a big win over Plymouth State on Tuesday. The Lions have played teams tight, so getting the lead and keeping it will be important to take down the visitors. Curry 4-2
It’s just the second weekend of the New Year, and we have already seen many upsets and surprise results. It’s “coach-speak,” but you can’t take anyone lightly and assume a “W” for showing up. “Drop the Puck!”
Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley has been the only bench boss the school has had since the team’s inception in 2004-05 (photo: Jason Cohn).
Coaches don’t usually have time to reflect upon their past.
The hockey calendar is rapid enough that it keeps them in constant motion, hurdling into the future at a blistering pace. They don’t have an opportunity to reflect upon what they accomplish until the future starts becoming shorter, which in turn would signal the end of their careers.
So having an opportunity to ask about the past is something that ultimately brought identical reactions of equal, incredulous parts of surprise and satisfaction.
“You don’t know how long 30 years really sounds until you actually say it out loud,” Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin said. “It goes fast. The year I came into Mercyhurst (in 1988), they had played club hockey the year before. (But) they started varsity hockey and I was fortunate enough to get the job here.”
“I had played and was an assistant at a Division I school prior to the RIT job, so I had experienced hockey at a high level with Bowling Green,” RIT’s Wayne Wilson added. “RIT was a very successful Division III program, but unbeknownst to us, we were going Division I. It wasn’t anything that I was pushing for, but it had been suggested a couple of times (behind the scenes).”
This weekend, Bentley’s Ryan Soderquist will helm his 600th game for the Falcons. It makes him the fourth coach in Atlantic Hockey to reach the mark, joining Gotkin, Wilson and Air Force’s Frank Serratore.
“I never look at games overall whatsoever, but it’s obviously gone quick,” Soderquist said. “It doesn’t seem to me that I’ve been at the bench for 600 games at all.”
To Atlantic Hockey outsiders, the conference is an uphill battle against college hockey’s blue-blood programs. The public often perceived the league’s member programs (which, at times, rapidly changed or fluctuated) as the sport’s “have-nots” because they lacked glittery history and played in small barns without amenities. Those inside the league, though, know that the programs are built by the sweat equity of dedicated coaches who often needed to lay foundations with long-term vision.
In addition to the four aforementioned coaches, two more – Robert Morris’ Derek Schooley and Army West Point’s Brian Riley – have more than 500 games coached, and Sacred Heart’s CJ Marottolo joins them in another club with over 350 games in his career.
In total, the 11 Atlantic Hockey coaches have more than 5,000 games under their collective belt, of which more than 95 percent were for their current programs. Nine of those head coaches are at their first official head coaching job in a league that’s been around for less than two decades.
“Everyone welcomes you to Division I when you’re a new head coach, and then everyone turns on you pretty darn quick,” Wilson said with a laugh. “Everyone had different steps, and I’m sure there are different steps everywhere that have helped along the way. For us, for example, the (game hosted at Blue Cross Arena) got teams like Boston College to travel to us, and we were the first team in Atlantic Hockey to start getting a lot of those big names. They weren’t traveling at the time, so getting them in our building helped solidify or justify us as Division I, and it showed RIT and the Rochester community what (being Division I) looked like.”
The numbers hold up against criticizing analysis. It can be noted that Serratore advanced Air Force from independence into College Hockey America before joining the AHA in 2006. Additionally, Niagara and Robert Morris were both part of the CHA before it folded, which in turn led them to the league.
But Serratore’s been at Air Force for 30 games more than any of his predecessors combined, and Schooley is the only head coach Robert Morris has ever known. Lammers took over the Niagara job last year, meaning he only coached the Purple Eagles under the AHA flag, and his only previous head college experience was at Division III Geneseo.
It’s also offset by David Berard, who has never finished below .500 in Atlantic Hockey play with over 160 games coached at Holy Cross. He is in his fifth official year but coached 32 games as the interim at Connecticut in 2012-13. Those games aren’t on the official record, but he was behind the bench for 19 wins that year while the Huskies were still in the conference.
“I can’t speak for the other teams in the league, but for me personally, it keeps me excited about my position at Mercyhurst,” Gotkin said. “Being able to get in at that ground level and build something, then to watch it grow through both the good and the bad is really an exciting thing. To be part of an institution and community, I’m humbled and honored to say that I’m a part of it.
It’s been a commitment by head coaches who had to undertake visions, and each program has its own story. RIT, for example, was a two-time national champion at the Division III level, and Mercyhurst made the national tournament at both the Division III and Division II levels. But both Wilson and Gotkin had to undertake their own brand of growth that resonates with the greater mission of the AHA schools.
Frank Serratore has been Air Force’s head coach since the 1987-88 season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
“We had already been to the tournament as a Division III program and a Division II program,” Gotkin said. “(At the time), Division II was basically drying up. The (Minnesota States) and Bemidjis and Alabama- Huntsvilles were all making decisions on where they would go, so for us, to be a Division I program and be with Holy Cross, Connecticut and Canisius, was really appealing. Being a Division I sport at a small school like Mercyhurst is monumental. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s really cool.”
That stands both in stride and in contrast to Soderquist and Bentley. The Falcons moved to Division I but needed to pour the foundation that would create a true hockey culture. It’s a process that took nearly 20 years but culminated with the launch of the Bentley Arena last season.
“When I took the program over, in the Bentley hockey program, I knew it was going to be a long haul of a building process,” Soderquist said. “It would take us year after year to prove to our institution to invest. We did it over time. We knew it was going to be a long process.
“At Bentley, it’s a tremendous honor to be the head coach of my alma mater,” he continued. “Maybe that’s been the driving force specifically over the last seven or eight years to continue to press forward to get the arena built. One of the greatest moments I’ve ever had, maybe the greatest moment, was the Saturday night win (over Army West Point last year) with all of our alumni in the building. We did it with the hard work and sweat equity of all of them.”
The vision didn’t end there, though. With the new arena built, Bentley fell in line with the rest of Atlantic Hockey programs who have challenged for national supremacy. There are breakthroughs everywhere, from Canisius’ sweep of North Dakota to the Falcons’ recent dominance of Hockey East. AIC is in first place for the first time in program history, and both the Yellow Jackets and Sacred Heart are at home in American Hockey League buildings.
“We had consistency (when we came to Division I),” Wilson said. “That first year, we suffered a lot of one-goal losses and were on the road more than we care to think about, but then we won the league in the first year in Atlantic Hockey. It wasn’t easy, but we wanted to get the best possible player we could get. In Division III, we had a smaller and limited budget that was limited to a particular area. You could recruit video, but you couldn’t go see anyone (outside of your area). When we went to Division I, we could cast a way bigger net to catch our fish. It changed dramatically, but the workload didn’t diminish.”
The present success is the product of those coaches’ work. But the future success ultimately hinges on the “sweat equity” of coaches who are builders instead of stewards. Atlantic Hockey programs lack the same history, tradition or pageantry of college hockey’s bigger conferences, but the teams in the league aren’t trying to add chapters into their books. They create where something didn’t exist, something that always seemed to require work that other coaches might not have experienced.
“It’s not atypical for coaches in our league to have to go do laundry, pick up snacks, figure out travel or figure out the budget,” Gotkin said. “It’s not to take away from the other leagues, but I don’t think a lot of those guys had to do it every single day. All of us in Atlantic Hockey, at one time or another or are still doing it today, had to do those things. So much more is involved.
“You have some of the best coaches and assistant coaches, I believe, in the country,” he said. “Our on-ice product is getting better and better and better every year, and it’s hard to win every night. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It starts at the top. From my perspective, watching the conference evolve over the years really starts with the vision of the head coaches and the assistants. It gets passed onto the players, and everyone realizes what a product Atlantic Hockey has.”
Recent history supports that theory. Wins over “power conference teams” are becoming more common during the regular season, and Canisius’ sweep of North Dakota stands as the most recent example. An Atlantic Hockey program has a victory in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments, including the last two behind Air Force. RIT remains the only program with a Frozen Four team, having advanced in 2010, but those walls are starting to crumble as the league continues to crack its glass ceiling.
“We all have a tremendous amount of pride in our league and in each other when you see the growth,” Soderquist said. “Watching the teams across the league win non-conference games, we take a lot of pride in that success. We know that as we continue to grow as a whole, our individual programs will grow. And as we grow as individual programs, the league gets better as a whole.
“My drive now has changed where we need to win a championship and be the first Bentley team to go to the NCAA Tournament,” he said. “It’s a feather in the cap to get where we are, but new goals are set to where we need to go.”
Nick Rosa of Babson leads the team in scoring. (Babson Athletics)
“We don’t know what we don’t know.”
When looking at a roster that includes 13 freshmen among the 26 players and noting that 10 have a 1999 birth year, it is obvious that this year’s edition of the hockey team at Babson is remarkably young. What may not register fully is their 11-3-1 record, which includes being 6-0-0 on the road and having a no. 15 national ranking in the most recent USCHO poll.
“I really mean we don’t know what we don’t know with this group,” said coach Jamie Rice. “It seems like every four years, we have a really big freshman class, but this group is the youngest to date. I believe we are the third-youngest roster in D-III hockey, which includes a Wilkes team that is all freshmen. They are a very talented group and have made it a very fun year so far, but there is a lot of hockey to be played in the next five weeks and that will tell us a lot about this team.”
An unbalanced schedule may also have helped the Beavers in their maturation process. Through quirks of needed changes in scheduling nonconference opponents like Amherst and Williams to the layout of the NEHC schedule, Babson saw nine home games in the first half, including two road games with Suffolk and Johnson & Wales that didn’t require any overnight stay. The second half sees the Beavers with just three home games and 10 on the road, including their recently completed first trip out of the region since 1999.
“I think the trip out west was one of the best things we have done in my time here at Babson,” noted Rice. “It was during our winter session where the players have a lot more time away from classes, and we were together as a group for five full days, including the two games against unfamiliar opponents. It was 30 players and coaches doing everything together. We had the chance to practice at senior goaltender Bryan Botcher’s home rink before our game in Milwaukee, and his parents were delighted to host a dinner for the team, which is something they don’t get to do based on their location very often.
“In Lake Forest, Josh Casper, a defenseman who graduated last year, was our host, and it was great to have our Midwest families from the Babson hockey community so excited and engaged with the trip. It was a great time, and we played two very good teams that we don’t normally play against and found ways to come from behind to win both contests. It was a terrific trip, and I definitely think it helped this team come together starting the final stretch of the season.”
The resilience of the team was tested again last weekend when Babson entered the third period trailing Curry, 2-0. The Beavers scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 win, and freshman Maz Torrez in his first game returning from injury scored the game-winning goal for his first collegiate goal.
“Maz is a great example of the skill we have in this young group,” stated Rice. “He made a terrific hockey move to score that goal in his very first game of the season having been injured. The whole group is similar in skill and enthusiasm. We don’t have a 20-point guy (Nick Rosa leads team with 10-8-18), but we have great skill and depth across our four lines, and this group just doesn’t get rattled when they get behind in a game. So far, they have been unflappable.”
While the team by their own admission has not had great starts to games overall this season, their ability to rally consistently in the third period has their coach excited about the remaining sprint to the finish.
“Every year we set the same goal to finish as high as we can in the conference and set ourselves up for a playoff run,” said Rice. “This has been a fun group to coach, and I think they make all of us on the staff more attentive to details, more prepared, and more focused on games, particularly the upcoming second time around in conference that are like single-game seasons. I know we have 10 conference games left, and come Monday there will be eight. Everyone is trying to move up or keep positive things going, so while we don’t know what we don’t know yet with this group, I know it will be a fun stretch right through February 9th.”
This weekend, the Beavers continue their travels with games at Southern Maine and New England College in their return to NEHC play.
Cornell senior captain Mitch Vanderlaan has the Big Red primed for a second-half run in ECAC Hockey (photo: Omar Phillips).
The longest winter break in program history came at a good time for Cornell.
The Big Red ended the first semester with a 2-1 win over Harvard on Dec. 1 and then didn’t start the second half until last Friday at Princeton.
Typically, a stretch that long between competitive games might make a coach nervous about a team losing its edge. But it hasn’t been a typical start for the reigning ECAC Hockey regular-season champions, as the Big Red were decimated by injuries throughout the opening months of the season.
Forwards Brenden Locke, Max Andreev and Jeff Malott, defensemen Brendan Smith and Alex Green, along with goalie Matthew Galajda, all missed time with injuries over the first half.
That’s a stark contrast to last season, when Cornell led the country in team defense, thanks in part to staying healthy on the blue line. The Big Red lost just 10 man-games to injury from its top seven defensemen, but have already lost 18 so far this year, in addition to losing Galajda for four games.
With all that taken into consideration, it hasn’t been a terrible stretch for Cornell. The Big Red finished last weekend with three points on the road, and are third in ECAC Hockey despite having played fewer games than the two teams ahead of them.
“You always want to get the four [points] but at the same token, the way that our guys competed the whole weekend was very good,” said Big Red associate coach Ben Syer following Cornell’s 2-2 tie with Quinnipiac Saturday. “We weren’t maybe as clean as we were going into the break. But to walk away with three points … these are tough buildings to play in.”
Syer filled in for head coach Mike Schafer last weekend after the latter missed the Big Red’s road trip with an illness. He is expected back for this weekend’s games.
Malott returned to the lineup prior to the break, while Locke, Smith and Andreev all returned last weekend. Galajda and Green are “day-to-day,” according to Syer.
Locke and Smith had been out since November, while Andreev missed Cornell’s final game of the first half against Harvard.
“It’s huge,” Syer said of those three players returning. “’Smitty’ is able to break pucks out and move pucks for us on a consistent basis. Locke is an offensive player and showed a great deal of poise, whether it’s with himself or setting up other guys. Max has some gifts offensively as well that adds to that depth.”
The injuries have given Cornell’s underclassmen a chance in different roles. Even when healthy, the Big Red have gotten plenty of contributions from its freshman and sophomores, as underclassman have scored 22 of the team’s 35 goals this season.
“We’re fortunate that our younger guys our really good at [adjusting to new role],” Cornell senior captain Mitch Vanderlaan said. “That’s the biggest thing. You can do as much as you can as an older guy, but at the end of the day, everyone has got to buy in, and they have. It’s been a bit of an up and down with all the injuries, but they’ve down well and we just keep trying to push the pace in practice and lead by example and they’ve been buying in from the start.”
One of those underclassman was sophomore goalie Austin McGrath, who made his first collegiate start Nov. 30 against Dartmouth and has started four consecutive games for Cornell. The Big Red are 2-1-1 in that span, and McCrath was named ECAC Hockey goalie of the week after stopping 65 of 69 shots against Princeton and Quinnipiac last weekend.
McGrath’s chance comes after spending last year stuck behind senior Hayden Stewart and Galajda, the league’s 2017-18 goalie of the year.
“He was almost the odd man out but he worked every day,” Vanderlaan said. “He’s been improving all the time and now that he gets the chance, he’s run with it. It’s been awesome to see.”
Vanderlaan was almost another addition to the tally of injured Cornell players, as he left the first period against the Big Green with an injury but returned for the final game before the break against Harvard.
Being at full strength again in the coming weeks should be a boost for a Cornell team that is currently in a tie for 16th in the PairWise. The Big Red play five of their next six games at home, including a two-game series with nonconference opponent Arizona State this weekend. It’s the first time the two teams will face each other.
Johnny Panvica skates with the puck during a men’s ice hockey game against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on November 9, 2017. (Mark Brown/University of St. Thomas)
Johnny Panvica spent his off season doing everything he could overcome surgery related to an injury he suffered near the end of last season. If you look at his statistics through the first 13 games of the year, it’s safe to say the junior forward at St. Thomas is getting back to his usual self.
He’s up to four goals and 12 assists, including three in a 6-2 win over Wisconsin-Superior over the weekend. He also scored a goal in that victory, which catapulted the Tommies to their third consecutive win and stretched their unbeaten streak to four.
“I had a great game that night,” Panvica said. “Sometimes, you just have those nights where everything goes well, and that was one of them. But I have great linemates; I owe them a lot of credit for the success.”
Panvica has been an impact player for St. Thomas since his freshman season, when he shook off being scratched the first five games to tally 10 goals and 11 assists. He followed that up with a stellar sophomore year, scoring 14 goals and dishing out 16 assists, helping to guide the Tommies to a sixth MIAC title in the last seven seasons.
“My time at St. Thomas has been amazing,” Panvica said. “I got off to a rough start to my freshman year, but went on to have a great season. I had a good year the next season, too. I just keep trying to get better every year.”
This season started a little slowly, but it appears as if Panvica has found his stride, scoring three goals and dishing out seven assists in the last four games. He’s thrilled to see all of that time and effort in rehab pay off.
“It was frustrating because it wasn’t like you can get done with surgery and come out ready to go,” Panvica said. “In the back of my mind I had to get over the mental block of the injury. I feel good about the way things are going now.”
When it comes to making plays, Panvica takes a lot of pride in it.
“I’ve always been a big hockey fan and love watching the fun players who get a lot of assists,” Panvica said. “Everyone wants to talk about scoring goals, but I love making plays. It just comes from good awareness on the ice and having great teammates to get the puck to.”
Panvica is a native of Minnesota and played junior hockey in the NAHL for the Minnesota Magicians before coming to St. Thomas. There are a lot of other players from the state as well, and that adds an extra layer of excitement and intensity to playing in the always competitive MIAC.
“There are a lot of Minnesota boys in the conference, and it’s fun playing against guys you played with and against growing up,” Panvica said. “We’re all competitive, but still friends off the ice.”
Playing in the MIAC, of course, is competitive night in and night out. The Tommies know that as well as anyone after winning the regular season conference title last season before losing in the semifinals of the conference tournament to Gustavus Adolphus.
“You know you have to play a full game every night. Any team can win a game. We saw that last year. You can’t take anyone for granted,” Panvica said.
The Tommies go into the weekend with a 7-4-2 overall record and a 1-1-2 mark in conference play, good enough for fourth place. Their hoping to keep their momentum rolling as the take aim at winning a MIAC championship.
“It all comes down to focus and executing our game plan,” Panvica said. “The big thing is we are as healthy as we’ve ever been in my time here. If we can stay healthy, we can make a run.”
Five things to know about the West Region
The best winning percentage for a goalie in the MIAC belongs to Cam Buggrabe, who has won 91 percent of his games. He is 4-0-1 on the year and has a goals-against average of 1.98.
Tyler Bossert of Concordia leads the MIAC in assists with 21. He has also scored seven goals.
Three of the five teams in the WIAC are on a win streak. Wisconsin-Stevens Point has the longest streak at nine games. Wisconsin-Stout has won five in a row, while Wisconsin-Eau Claire has won its last two.
Wis.-Stevens Point is the only team in NCAA Division III hockey without a loss. The Pointers are 15-0-2 and are ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Lake Forest goalie George Argiropoulos has allowed just three goals in the last two games and has 57 saves during the stretch. He came through with 29 of those saves in a 1-1 tie with St. Norbert. He has 156 saves on the season.
In the Poll
Three of the top five teams in the country are from the West Region. Wis.-Stevens Point is No. 1 and Wis.-Eau Claire is third in the country. Augsburg is fifth. St. Norbert and Adrian sit in sixth and seventh, respectively.
