UMass Boston has announced the hiring of Cory Schneider as a new assistant coach.
Schneider makes the short trip to UMass Boston from Wentworth, where he spent the past two season as an assistant coach. While with the Leopards, Schneider was charged with planning and running practices, recruiting, breaking down film, and helping to run the team’s strength and conditioning programs.
“I’m super excited to have Cory on board,” UMB head coach Peter Belisle said in a statement. “The fact that he was a captain at a program like Ohio State University shows how good of a leader he already he is, and we think he’s only going to continue to grow. He’s going to be a valuable asset for our program.”
Schneider played his collegiate hockey at Ohio State and in four seasons with the Buckeyes, he played in 112 career games and recorded 10 goals and 12 assists. He was named a captain as a senior.
After graduating from OSU in 2012, Schneider went on to play professionally in the ECHL and the Central Hockey League.
“I am really excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the UMass Boston hockey program,” Schneider added. “Peter Belisle has done a fantastic job with the program and it is an honor to be a part of it. I really like the players in our locker room and I can’t wait to get the season started.”
Schneider will help fill the void of longtime assistant coach Sean Walsh, who was named the new head coach at Southern New Hampshire in July.
Can you believe we have real games in September? Just one, but a great appetizer.
This Week’s Picks:
Saturday, September 30 Niagara at Colgate Dan: Niagara launches the Jason Lammers era with a road game before the calendar month changes. He has a great vision for Niagara hockey that is going to bring them into the future, but a new coach in his first game on the road is going to be too much to convince me to pick them here. Colgate wins. Chris: Both teams were picked to finish 11th in their respective league’s preseason polls. It would be great to see Niagara open the Jason Lammers era with a win, but I think the home team will take this one. Colgate wins.
Denver Pioneers has named Chase Hollander as a volunteer coach for the 2017-18 season.
Hollander joins the Pioneers with eight years of coaching experience, recently serving as a goalie coach at Mike Valley’s Elite Goalies Camp, the Sweden Hockey Institute and Elite Hockey Training.
During his coaching tenure, he has worked alongside Mike Valley, the director of goaltending development for the Dallas Stars, and Thomas Magnusson, the director of goalie development for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
“I worked with Chase during my tenure with the Dubuque Fighting Saints,” Pioneers coach Jim Montgomery said in a statement. “We are lucky to have such a high-quality person serve as our volunteer coach and work primarily with our goalies. Chase will add to our program and enrich our student-athletes on and off the ice.”
As a player, Hollander posted a 3.80 GAA and .887 save percentage through 25 games with Wisconsin-Stout from 2013 to 2016.
Hollander graduated from Stout in May 2017 with a bachelor of science degree in psychology and minor in coaching. The 24-year old is currently studying sport and performance psychology at the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology.
Hello women’s college hockey fans. The season kicks off in earnest this weekend. Once again, each week Nicole and I will pick the winners of the games, and we’ll have a friendly competition to see who is the better prognosticator, which yours truly took last season. Many of the top teams are in action this weekend, so here we go.
Friday, Sept. 29
Mercyhurst at No. 2 Wisconsin Candace: We’ll learn more about Mercyhurst from this second game after Wisconsin shut out the Lakers last night. I see the Badgers prevailing. Wisconsin 3-0 Nicole: The Badgers should sweep here. Wisconsin 4-1
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 29-30
Syracuse at Bemidji State Candace: Probably the hardest series to pick all weekend. I think a travel day might hurt Syracuse in the first game. Bemidji State 2-1, Syracuse 2-1 Nicole: I’ll call a split. Bemidji takes the first game, Syracuse wins game two. Bemidji State 2-1, Syracuse 3-0
Minnesota State at Lindenwood Candace: Lindenwood already has two games under its belt, but got swept against a different WCHA team. I’ll call another sweep. Minnesota State 3-2, 2-1 Nicole: These two split. Mankato wins game one, Lindenwood wins game two. Minnesota State 2-1, Lindenwood 1-0
No. 9 Quinnipiac at Maine Candace: Maine will be improved, and Quinnipiac will likely give up more goals than last year, but I think the Bobcats sweep. Quinnipiac 3-2, 3-2 Nicole: The Bobcats have too much firepower. They sweep. Quinnipiac 3-0, 4-1.
No. 1 Clarkson at No. 8 Northeastern Candace: The power series of the weekend. The Huskies have a lot of returning strength, but I think Clarkson prevails in two tough games. Clarkson 3-2, 3-2 Nicole: We’ll learn a lot about these two this weekend. I’ll hedge it and call a split. Clarkson wins game one, Northeastern wins game two. Clarkson 4-3, Northeastern 3-2
Rensselear at Ohio State Candace: I just don’t think RPI will have found its scoring yet. Ohio State 2-1, 3-1 Nicole: I think the Buckeyes start the season out strong and sweep. Ohio State 2-0, 3-0.
Connecticut at St. Cloud State Candace: The visiting Huskies will get a sweep. Connecticut 3-2, 3-1 Nicole: I expect Connecticut to handle this series and sweep. Connecticut 3-1, 4-2.
Penn State at No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth Candace: The Nittany Lions won’t be at the level of the Bulldogs just yet. Minnesota-Duluth 3-1, 3-1 Nicole: Penn State has improved, but I don’t think it’s enough to challenge UMD, who’ll have to prove themselves early again this season. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 3-1
Friday, Sept. 29, Sunday, Oct. 1
Merrimack at No. 3 Minnesota Candace: The Warriors surprised Boston University last weekend, but I don’t think they have enough to handle high-flying Minnesota. Minnesota 4-1, 4-0 Nicole: Gophers sweep. Minnesota 5-2, 3-1.
Sunday, Oct. 1
Vermont at Providence Candace: These two will probably battle all year long. Tough to call this early season game. I’ll go with home ice. Providence 3-2 Nicole: A competitive game. I’ll go with the visitors. Vermont 3-2
Kennedy Marchment of St. Lawrence (St. Lawrence Athletics)
Last year in the ECAC, Clarkson proved that 2014 was no fluke, nor did they need an Olympic year to win. St. Lawrence made an early splash with a sweep of Northeastern and Cornell, and Colgate showed the ECAC continues to grow and be strong. Princeton showed how important impactful freshman are, and Harvard left everyone scratching their heads. It’s going to be a tough fight at the top of the conference. I expect Clarkson to finish on top again, but you never quite know how things will shake out in the ECAC.
Brown Last season: 7-22-0, 5-17-0 (10th). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Sam Donovan: She led the team with 21 points. Sena Hanson: She was the second-highest scorer on the team as a freshman.
“We will have four new forwards, two D, and one goaltender. This class, added with our returners, will provide more skill and depth to our program.” — coach Bob Kenneally.
Three questions
1. How can they improve on special teams? They were third-from last in power-play goals and last on the penalty kill. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but improvements in both of those stats would be a good marker to show how they’re working to get better. They also averaged the sixth-most penalty minutes in the country. They need to get disciplined and stop putting themselves at a disadvantage.
2. Who’s in net? Senior Monica Elvin took the lion’s share of the starts last season, so it would seem the role is up for grabs.
3. Can they survive February? The Bears’ final regular season month is brutal, with games against Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Cornell, Quinnipiac, and Princeton.
Crystal Ball
It seems unlikely Brown finishes better than 12th.
Clarkson Last season: 32-4-5, 19-1-2 (first). Won the national championship.
Names to know Shea Tiley: The netminder was a top 10 goalie in the country last season and blanked high-octane Wisconsin in the national title game. Loren Gabel: She averaged just more than a point per game as a sophomore and was the third-highest scorer on the team. Savannah Harmon: She was the second-highest scoring defenseman in the country last season with 36 points.
“This year, we will be looking to continue to make strides forward after a pretty special 2016-17 season that saw the Clarkson Women’s Hockey program win our second national championship in the past four years; win the first ECAC Hockey Tournament Championship in program history; win our third ECAC Hockey Conference Championship; and make the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year.” — coach Matt Desrosiers.
Three questions
1. Can Michaela Pejzlová and Loren Gabel become elite? Clarkson returns quite a lot of talent, but their two top scorers last season combined for 115 points, 30 percent of Clarkson’s overall offense. The fourth-highest scorer was a defenseman. Gabel and Pejzlová have shown plenty of promise and will need to take the next step if Clarkson is going to defend its title.
2. Can they be better on special teams? The Golden Knights penalty kill was 12th and the power play was 10th, both respectable spots, but even just slight improvements on both sides of the special teams puck would give them a bit more breathing room.
3. What will it take to win the close ones? Three of their four losses were by a single goal, and they had five ties. With an even bigger target on their back this season, those close games could make all the difference. If they can find an extra gear for those games, they’re going to give teams an awful hard time this year.
Crystal Ball
The Golden Knights will repeat as ECAC champions.
Colgate Last season: 22-11-3, 13-8-1 (sixth). Lost to Cornell in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Livia Altmann: She played well for Team Switzerland at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championships and had a goal from the blue line. Julia Vandyk: She was solid for them in goal last season and gives their defense the confidence they need to push forward.
“We are so excited to get the 2017-18 season underway. We have put together a nonconference portion of the schedule that we think will challenge and prepare us to compete for our first league championship this season. We are also fortunate that we will be able to play so many home games in the Class of 1965 Arena this season; there will be plenty of opportunities for the fans to come watch us play.” – coach Greg Fargo.
Three questions
1. Can they beat the top teams? The Raiders will have to find a way to eke out some wins against Princeton and Clarkson if they’re going to ascend in the standings.
2. Can they avoid a late slump? Last year, they lost four straight to end the season. The final few weeks of this year’s schedule seem much friendlier, but the Raiders have to find a way to play the full season without letting up.
3. Can they put it all together? They return 94 percent of their goal scoring from last season. They lost just a few seniors to graduation, have a large senior class this season, return most of their offense and defense, and have a strong goalie. All the pieces are there, and they’ve had two really good seasons before this. They’ve got experience; now it’s time to make it all mesh and come up with something great.
Crystal Ball
The Raiders should finish fourth.
Cornell Last season: 20-9-5, 13-4-5 (third). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament final.
Names to know Kristin O’Neill: She set the program record for short-handed goals in a season (5) as a freshman. The highest returning scorer on the team is just a sophomore. She also had the most blocked shots by a forward on record in program history (46). Marlène Boissonnault: The netminder played 13 games and had a 10-1-2 record. She’s likely to be the full-time goalie this season.
Three questions
1. Can they survive the early weeks? Cornell starts the season with a gauntlet that includes the two teams who played for last year’s title, plus No. 4 St. Lawrence, Princeton, and Quinnipiac.
2. How do they improve the offense? The Big Red had one of the best power plays in the country and were seventh in the country in team defense, but were in the bottom half for team offense. There’s a big opportunity for some younger players to make a name for themselves, but someone’s got to step up and take it.
3. Can they unseat St. Lawrence and Clarkson? Cornell’s been steadily moving up and is picked third in the preseason voting. They’ve shown they can beat both teams; is this the year they make a move?
Crystal Ball
I’m going to give them the edge over St. Lawrence and put Cornell second.
Dartmouth Last season: 7-21-0, 5-17-0 (11th). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Joe Marsh: He will be coaching the team as head coach Laura Schuler coaches Team Canada in the Pyeongchang Olympics. He coached the St. Lawrence men’s team for 27 seasons. Christina Rombaut: She is the highest returning scorer to the team as a sophomore.
“I’m excited to step in and help Laura’s program. I’m coming into a program that Laura and her staff are continuing to establish on a national level. Philosophically, we are on the same page. The transition should be easy because of how well she has built and organized this program in her time here. … We have a very solid game plan in place for what needs to be done to rebuild the team. I am thrilled to be here.” – coach Joe Marsh.
Three questions
1. Who’s going to step up on offense? Just two players scored in double-digits last season, and they both graduated – and one was a defender.
2. Who’s the starting goalie? Robin Chemago was a solid presence for them in back and she graduated. Christie Honor played in six games last season. Shannon Ropp played in one game two seasons ago. Kayla Wormsbecher is a freshman. There’s a lot of question marks here, especially since they averaged twice as many goals against as goals scored last season.
3. Can Marsh continue the culture change? Last season, Schuler put a lot of emphasis on rebuilding and culture shift, but is gone just a year later. Will she have to start from scratch next season or can Marsh help keep the Big Green on a path toward improvement?
Crystal Ball
I have Dartmouth finishing 11th.
Harvard Last season: 5-19-5, 5-13-4 (ninth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Beth Larcom: She won gold at the IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships with Team USA and set a Harvard record for saves by a freshman, but only saw eight games last season. Presumably, the net is hers to lose. Lexie Lang: She led the team with 21 points. Becca Gilmore: She was named the top U.S. forward at the IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships.
Three questions
1. What happened last year? It’s the question women’s college hockey fans would love to have an answer to. Where did it all go wrong? They were 30th in the country in team offense and gave up nearly a goal more per game than they scored. How do they right the ship? Just six players scored in double-digits last season, a graduated senior was the only one to score more than 10 goals, and only one player had more than 20 points. As a team, they tallied just 137 total points. They rotated three goalies, all of whom had a goals-against above 2.00. There isn’t a spot on the ice that doesn’t have room for massive improvement.
2. If they don’t show improvement, is Katey Stone on the hot seat? She’s a coaching legend and there was plenty of young talent on the team, which is what made the season so shocking. She definitely gets the opportunity to prove last season was an exception, not the rule, but you do have to wonder how much of a cushion she really has.
3. Can they finish strong? Six of their final eight games are against teams that were ranked last season. They finish with the Beanpot tourney, where even if they get past BU, they’ll get BC or Northeastern in the final. Then they close against St. Lawrence and Clarkson. It’s a brutal stretch heading into the postseason, and it might make or break them.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got Harvard eighth.
Princeton Last season: 20-10-3, 14-6-2 (fourth). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC semifinals.
Names to know Cara Morey: The new head coach replaces Jeff Kampersal, who left for Penn State after 21 seasons leading the Tigers. Morey was an assistant at Princeton for six years before taking over the lead role. Stephanie Neatby: She earned a pile of awards as a freshman: USCHO rookie of the year, ECAC Goalie of the Year, finalist for ECAC Player of the Year, finalist for ECAC Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-ECAC, First-Team All-Ivy League, ECAC All-Rookie Team. Karlie Lund: A top forward who led the team in scoring with 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 33 games. Carly Bullock: She was the ECAC Rookie of the Year.
Three questions
1. Can they keep from sliding back? The rest of the conference keeps improving, and after a stellar season in 2015-16, Princeton struggled to match their own success. They failed to make the ECAC championship game and didn’t make the NCAA tournament. If they’re going to keep pace with the improving ECAC, they’ve got to make sure they don’t regress any more.
2. What will it take to beat Clarkson? The Tigers are winless against the Golden Knights dating back to Feb. 15, 2013, a streak that includes eight losses and a tie.
3. Which underclassmen are going to step up this season? Neatby and Bullock made immediate impacts. The Tigers will need another few youngsters to make quick transitions this season.
Crystal Ball
The Tigers finish fifth.
Quinnipiac Last season: 21-10-6, 13-6-3 (fifth). Lost to Princeton in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know TT Cianfarano: She has 108 points in 109 career games for the Bobcats. Melissa Samoskevich: She led Quinnipiac with 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points as a sophomore last season. Anna Kilponen: A transfer from North Dakota, she played with Team Finland in Sochi in 2014.
Three questions
1. Who’s in net? The biggest question mark for the Bobcats is at goalie. Sydney Rossman was the number three goalie in the country last season. Sophomore Abbie Ives started just three games last season, and junior Clare Lachner has never appeared for Quinnipiac.
2. Can the offense provide enough cover for the defense to get up to speed? Quinnipiac has been known as a defensive squad, but they’re going to rely on their experienced offense to give them a cushion. The Bobcats had the second-stingiest defense in the country last year.
3. Can they beat the top half of the conference? Last season, they had just three wins over teams ranked in the top half of the conference, two against Colgate and one against Princeton in the postseason. If they are going to move up in the standings, they have to do better.
Crystal Ball
I have them sixth. I don’t think they do as well as last season without Rossman in net.
Rensselaer Last season: 10-24-2, 7-14-1 (eighth). Lost to Clarkson in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Shayna Tomlinson: The highest returning scorer, she was second on the team last season with 11 assists and 17 points. Lovisa Selander: The goalie had an outstanding rookie campaign two years ago in net and looks to bounce back a bit this season.
“You just come in with a clean slate and you make your evaluations. You only have a couple of weeks as a team before you’re playing. I’ve been really impressed with the group so far. The attitude and effort, that’s all we’re asking at the start of the year. It’s been great in practice. The energy level has been great.” — coach Bryan Vines
Three questions
1. Who’s going to score? For the second straight year, the Engineers managed just 62 goals all season. They have to find ways to put the puck in the net.
2. Can the defense support Selander? They averaged 3.25 goals allowed per game, and Selander faced nearly 1,100 shots over the course of the season. The defense has to be getting in front of the puck and keeping it out of their zone.
3. Can they make the ECAC tournament? The coaches’ preseason poll has them finishing ninth and out of the postseason. Returning to the tournament this season should be a big goal for the Engineers.
Crystal Ball
RPI will finish 10th.
St. Lawrence Last season: 26-6-4, 16-3-3 (second). Lost to Cornell in the ECAC tournament semifinals.
Names to know Kennedy Marchment: She tied for third in scoring in the country. Hannah Miller: She had a breakout season and was ranked sixth nationally in assists per game (0.92) and tied for 11th nationally with 1.33 points per game. She was a Second-Team All-ECAC Hockey selection.
“Every year, we try to design a schedule that will give our players memorable experiences. Last year, we had the opportunity to play the first women’s college hockey games in D.C. This year, our trip to California will be a first for our program, and will also give some of our players a chance to play in front of friends and family.”
Three questions
1. Can they repeat last year’s chemistry? What Marchment, Miller, and Brooke Webster had on the top line was magic. Webster seemed to have the finishing touch, but finding another player that meshes that well is not likely to be easy.
2. Can they beat the elite? The Saints have shown they can beat the best in their conference, but it was a disappointing postseason, with an ECAC semifinal exit at the hands Cornell and a 6-0 loss to Boston College in the NCAA tournament. Last season, they were very good. They need to improve on that.
3. Can they hold off Cornell? Until they prove otherwise, Clarkson is the presumptive top of the conference. St. Lawrence has a hold on the second spot, but there will be plenty of teams gunning for them, most immediately, the Big Red.
Crystal Ball
For now, I’ve got St. Lawrence finishing third.
Union Last season: 5-28-1, 2-19-1 (12th). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Haley Shugart: She finished the season with a team-high 11 points, which included a team-high seven goals as well as four assists as a freshman. Kate Spooner: She appeared in 26 games in net as a freshman and is the first goalie in Union history to record four or more wins in her rookie season.
“We want to create a new ceiling for our team. We began to scratch the surface of our on-ice identity last year. We really want to drive that home this year — play free, play fast, play tough, and play hard on the puck. We want each player to be confident and feel unique in their role on the team.” — coach Josh Sciba.
Three questions
1. Are they ready to shake it off? It’s been a rough stretch for Union, but the signs of growth and improvement have been there. Now it has to come together, and the team has to be willing to hold on to the opportunity they have this year. They’ve never won more than four games as a Division I program. There are a lot of expectations to meet this season.
2. Will they make the ECAC tournament? Coaches picked them sixth in the preseason poll, which would put them in their first-ever ECAC postseason.
3. Can the freshmen get up to speed quickly? The Dutchwomen have 11 first-year players that they’ll have to count on to be impactful if they want to meet their expectations this season. There’s opportunity for young players to make themselves crucial, but it won’t be easy.
Crystal Ball
Taking a bit of a flyer and banking on their experience — putting Union eighth.
Yale Last season:10-17-4, 8-12-2 (seventh). Lost to St. Lawrence in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know Eden Murray: She will be expected to lead the offense. She earned the team’s Mandi Schwartz Award, given for courage, grit, and determination, and tied for the team lead in points while placing second in assists. Tera Hofman: She took the lion’s share of starts in net last season as a freshman. A year of experience should help.
Three questions
1. Can the defense continue to improve? After having one of the worst team defenses in the country two seasons ago, the Bulldogs cut more than half a goal off their team average last season, but they’re still averaging more goals allowed then scored. It was a great jump for a single season, and I’d love to see them show even more improvement.
2. Will experience make a difference? The Elis have a large senior class — eight women will be leading them this year. They’ve got big shoes to fill after the graduation of Pheobe Staenz and Krisa Yip-Chuck.
3. Can they continue to improve? Two seasons ago, Yale finished a single point out of the postseason. They responded by placing seventh. It gets tougher to move up in the standings from here.
Crystal Ball
The Elis finish seventh.
Last year in the ECAC, Clarkson proved that 2014 was no fluke, nor did they need an Olympic year to win. St. Lawrence made an early splash with a sweep of Northeastern and Cornell, and Colgate showed the ECAC continues to grow and be strong. Princeton showed how important impactful freshman are, and Harvard left everyone scratching their heads. It’s going to be a tough fight at the top of the conference. I expect Clarkson to finish on top again, but you never quite know how things will shake out in the ECAC.
Brown
Last season: 7-22-0, 5-17-0 (10th). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Sam Donovan: She led the team with 21 points.
Sena Hanson: She was the second-highest scorer on the team as a freshman.
“We will have four new forwards, two D, and one goaltender. This class, added with our returners, will provide more skill and depth to our program.” — coach Bob Kenneally.
Three questions
1. How can they improve on special teams? They were third-from last in power-play goals and last on the penalty kill. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but improvements in both of those stats would be a good marker to show how they’re working to get better. They also averaged the sixth-most penalty minutes in the country. They need to get disciplined and stop putting themselves at a disadvantage.
2. Who’s in net? Senior Monica Elvin took the lion’s share of the starts last season, so it would seem the role is up for grabs.
3. Can they survive February? The Bears’ final regular season month is brutal, with games against Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Cornell, Quinnipiac, and Princeton.
Crystal Ball
It seems unlikely Brown finishes better than 12th.
Clarkson
Last season: 32-4-5, 19-1-2 (first). Won the national championship.
Names to know
Shea Tiley: The netminder was a top 10 goalie in the country last season and blanked high-octane Wisconsin in the national title game.
Loren Gabel: She averaged just more than a point per game as a sophomore and was the third-highest scorer on the team.
Savannah Harmon: She was the second-highest scoring defenseman in the country last season with 36 points.
“This year, we will be looking to continue to make strides forward after a pretty special 2016-17 season that saw the Clarkson Women’s Hockey program win our second national championship in the past four years; win the first ECAC Hockey Tournament Championship in program history; win our third ECAC Hockey Conference Championship; and make the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year.” — coach Matt Desrosiers.
Three questions
1. Can Michaela Pejzlová and Loren Gabel become elite? Clarkson returns quite a lot of talent, but their two top scorers last season combined for 115 points, 30 percent of Clarkson’s overall offense. The fourth-highest scorer was a defenseman. Gabel and Pejzlová have shown plenty of promise and will need to take the next step if Clarkson is going to defend its title.
2. Can they be better on special teams? The Golden Knights penalty kill was 12th and the power play was 10th, both respectable spots, but even just slight improvements on both sides of the special teams puck would give them a bit more breathing room.
3. What will it take to win the close ones? Three of their four losses were by a single goal, and they had five ties. With an even bigger target on their back this season, those close games could make all the difference. If they can find an extra gear for those games, they’re going to give teams an awful hard time this year.
Crystal Ball
The Golden Knights will repeat as ECAC champions.
Colgate
Last season: 22-11-3, 13-8-1 (sixth). Lost to Cornell in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Livia Altmann: She played well for Team Switzerland at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championships and had a goal from the blue line.
Julia Vandyk: She was solid for them in goal last season and gives their defense the confidence they need to push forward.
“We are so excited to get the 2017-18 season underway. We have put together a nonconference portion of the schedule that we think will challenge and prepare us to compete for our first league championship this season. We are also fortunate that we will be able to play so many home games in the Class of 1965 Arena this season; there will be plenty of opportunities for the fans to come watch us play.” – coach Greg Fargo.
Three questions
1. Can they beat the top teams? The Raiders will have to find a way to eke out some wins against Princeton and Clarkson if they’re going to ascend in the standings.
2. Can they avoid a late slump? Last year, they lost four straight to end the season. The final few weeks of this year’s schedule seem much friendlier, but the Raiders have to find a way to play the full season without letting up.
3. Can they put it all together? They return 94 percent of their goal scoring from last season. They lost just a few seniors to graduation, have a large senior class this season, return most of their offense and defense, and have a strong goalie. All the pieces are there, and they’ve had two really good seasons before this. They’ve got experience; now it’s time to make it all mesh and come up with something great.
Crystal Ball
The Raiders should finish fourth.
Cornell
Last season: 20-9-5, 13-4-5 (third). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament final.
Names to know
Kristin O’Neill: She set the program record for short-handed goals in a season (5) as a freshman. The highest returning scorer on the team is just a sophomore. She also had the most blocked shots by a forward on record in program history (46).
Marlène Boissonnault: The netminder played 13 games and had a 10-1-2 record. She’s likely to be the full-time goalie this season.
Three questions
1. Can they survive the early weeks? Cornell starts the season with a gauntlet that includes the two teams who played for last year’s title, plus No. 4 St. Lawrence, Princeton, and Quinnipiac.
2. How do they improve the offense? The Big Red had one of the best power plays in the country and were seventh in the country in team defense, but were in the bottom half for team offense. There’s a big opportunity for some younger players to make a name for themselves, but someone’s got to step up and take it.
3. Can they unseat St. Lawrence and Clarkson? Cornell’s been steadily moving up and is picked third in the preseason voting. They’ve shown they can beat both teams; is this the year they make a move?
Crystal Ball
I’m going to give them the edge over St. Lawrence and put Cornell second.
Dartmouth
Last season: 7-21-0, 5-17-0 (11th). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Joe Marsh: He will be coaching the team as head coach Laura Schuler coaches Team Canada in the Pyeongchang Olympics. He coached the St. Lawrence men’s team for 27 seasons.
Christina Rombaut: She is the highest returning scorer to the team as a sophomore.
“I’m excited to step in and help Laura’s program. I’m coming into a program that Laura and her staff are continuing to establish on a national level. Philosophically, we are on the same page. The transition should be easy because of how well she has built and organized this program in her time here. … We have a very solid game plan in place for what needs to be done to rebuild the team. I am thrilled to be here.” – coach Joe Marsh.
Three questions
1. Who’s going to step up on offense? Just two players scored in double-digits last season, and they both graduated – and one was a defender.
2. Who’s the starting goalie? Robin Chemago was a solid presence for them in back and she graduated. Christie Honor played in six games last season. Shannon Ropp played in one game two seasons ago. Kayla Wormsbecher is a freshman. There’s a lot of question marks here, especially since they averaged twice as many goals against as goals scored last season.
3. Can Marsh continue the culture change? Last season, Schuler put a lot of emphasis on rebuilding and culture shift, but is gone just a year later. Will she have to start from scratch next season or can Marsh help keep the Big Green on a path toward improvement?
Crystal Ball
I have Dartmouth finishing 11th.
Harvard
Last season: 5-19-5, 5-13-4 (ninth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Beth Larcom: She won gold at the IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships with Team USA and set a Harvard record for saves by a freshman, but only saw eight games last season. Presumably, the net is hers to lose.
Lexie Lang: She led the team with 21 points.
Becca Gilmore: She was named the top U.S. forward at the IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships.
Three questions
1. What happened last year? It’s the question women’s college hockey fans would love to have an answer to. Where did it all go wrong? They were 30th in the country in team offense and gave up nearly a goal more per game than they scored. How do they right the ship? Just six players scored in double-digits last season, a graduated senior was the only one to score more than 10 goals, and only one player had more than 20 points. As a team, they tallied just 137 total points. They rotated three goalies, all of whom had a goals-against above 2.00. There isn’t a spot on the ice that doesn’t have room for massive improvement.
2. If they don’t show improvement, is Katey Stone on the hot seat? She’s a coaching legend and there was plenty of young talent on the team, which is what made the season so shocking. She definitely gets the opportunity to prove last season was an exception, not the rule, but you do have to wonder how much of a cushion she really has.
3. Can they finish strong? Six of their final eight games are against teams that were ranked last season. They finish with the Beanpot tourney, where even if they get past BU, they’ll get BC or Northeastern in the final. Then they close against St. Lawrence and Clarkson. It’s a brutal stretch heading into the postseason, and it might make or break them.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got Harvard eighth.
Princeton
Last season: 20-10-3, 14-6-2 (fourth). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC semifinals.
Names to know
Cara Morey: The new head coach replaces Jeff Kampersal, who left for Penn State after 21 seasons leading the Tigers. Morey was an assistant at Princeton for six years before taking over the lead role.
Stephanie Neatby: She earned a pile of awards as a freshman: USCHO rookie of the year, ECAC Goalie of the Year, finalist for ECAC Player of the Year, finalist for ECAC Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-ECAC, First-Team All-Ivy League, ECAC All-Rookie Team.
Karlie Lund: A top forward who led the team in scoring with 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 33 games.
Carly Bullock: She was the ECAC Rookie of the Year.
Three questions
1. Can they keep from sliding back? The rest of the conference keeps improving, and after a stellar season in 2015-16, Princeton struggled to match their own success. They failed to make the ECAC championship game and didn’t make the NCAA tournament. If they’re going to keep pace with the improving ECAC, they’ve got to make sure they don’t regress any more.
2. What will it take to beat Clarkson? The Tigers are winless against the Golden Knights dating back to Feb. 15, 2013, a streak that includes eight losses and a tie.
3. Which underclassmen are going to step up this season? Neatby and Bullock made immediate impacts. The Tigers will need another few youngsters to make quick transitions this season.
Crystal Ball
The Tigers finish fifth.
Quinnipiac
Last season: 21-10-6, 13-6-3 (fifth). Lost to Princeton in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
TT Cianfarano: She has 108 points in 109 career games for the Bobcats.
Melissa Samoskevich: She led Quinnipiac with 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points as a sophomore last season.
Anna Kilponen: A transfer from North Dakota, she played with Team Finland in Sochi in 2014.
Three questions
1. Who’s in net? The biggest question mark for the Bobcats is at goalie. Sydney Rossman was the number three goalie in the country last season. Sophomore Abbie Ives started just three games last season, and junior Clare Lachner has never appeared for Quinnipiac.
2. Can the offense provide enough cover for the defense to get up to speed? Quinnipiac has been known as a defensive squad, but they’re going to rely on their experienced offense to give them a cushion. The Bobcats had the second-stingiest defense in the country last year.
3. Can they beat the top half of the conference? Last season, they had just three wins over teams ranked in the top half of the conference, two against Colgate and one against Princeton in the postseason. If they are going to move up in the standings, they have to do better.
Crystal Ball
I have them sixth. I don’t think they do as well as last season without Rossman in net.
Rensselaer
Last season: 10-24-2, 7-14-1 (eighth). Lost to Clarkson in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Shayna Tomlinson: The highest returning scorer, she was second on the team last season with 11 assists and 17 points.
Lovisa Selander: The goalie had an outstanding rookie campaign two years ago in net and looks to bounce back a bit this season.
“You just come in with a clean slate and you make your evaluations. You only have a couple of weeks as a team before you’re playing. I’ve been really impressed with the group so far. The attitude and effort, that’s all we’re asking at the start of the year. It’s been great in practice. The energy level has been great.” — coach Bryan Vines
Three questions
1. Who’s going to score? For the second straight year, the Engineers managed just 62 goals all season. They have to find ways to put the puck in the net.
2. Can the defense support Selander? They averaged 3.25 goals allowed per game, and Selander faced nearly 1,100 shots over the course of the season. The defense has to be getting in front of the puck and keeping it out of their zone.
3. Can they make the ECAC tournament? The coaches’ preseason poll has them finishing ninth and out of the postseason. Returning to the tournament this season should be a big goal for the Engineers.
Crystal Ball
RPI will finish 10th.
St. Lawrence
Last season: 26-6-4, 16-3-3 (second). Lost to Cornell in the ECAC tournament semifinals.
Names to know
Kennedy Marchment She tied for third in scoring in the country.
Hannah Miller: She had a breakout season and was ranked sixth nationally in assists per game (0.92) and tied for 11th nationally with 1.33 points per game. She was a Second-Team All-ECAC Hockey selection.
“Every year, we try to design a schedule that will give our players memorable experiences. Last year, we had the opportunity to play the first women’s college hockey games in D.C. This year, our trip to California will be a first for our program, and will also give some of our players a chance to play in front of friends and family.”
Three questions
1. Can they repeat last year’s chemistry? What Marchment, Miller, and Brooke Webster had on the top line was magic. Webster seemed to have the finishing touch, but finding another player that meshes that well is not likely to be easy.
2. Can they beat the elite? The Saints have shown they can beat the best in their conference, but it was a disappointing postseason, with an ECAC semifinal exit at the hands Cornell and a 6-0 loss to Boston College in the NCAA tournament. Last season, they were very good. They need to improve on that.
3. Can they hold off Cornell? Until they prove otherwise, Clarkson is the presumptive top of the conference. St. Lawrence has a hold on the second spot, but there will be plenty of teams gunning for them, most immediately, the Big Red.
Crystal Ball
For now, I’ve got St. Lawrence finishing third.
Union
Last season: 5-28-1, 2-19-1 (twelfth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Haley Shugart: She finished the season with a team-high 11 points, which included a team-high seven goals as well as four assists as a freshman.
Kate Spooner: She appeared in 26 games in net as a freshman and is the first goalie in Union history to record four or more wins in her rookie season.
“We want to create a new ceiling for our team. We began to scratch the surface of our on-ice identity last year. We really want to drive that home this year — play free, play fast, play tough, and play hard on the puck. We want each player to be confident and feel unique in their role on the team.” — coach Josh Sciba.
Three questions
1. Are they ready to shake it off? It’s been a rough stretch for Union, but the signs of growth and improvement have been there. Now it has to come together, and the team has to be willing to hold on to the opportunity they have this year. They’ve never won more than four games as a Division I program. There are a lot of expectations to meet this season.
2. Will they make the ECAC tournament? Coaches picked them sixth in the preseason poll, which would put them in their first-ever ECAC postseason.
3. Can the freshmen get up to speed quickly? The Dutchwomen have 11 first-year players that they’ll have to count on to be impactful if they want to meet their expectations this season. There’s opportunity for young players to make themselves crucial, but it won’t be easy.
Crystal Ball
Taking a bit of a flyer and banking on their experience — putting Union eighth.
Yale
Last season: 10-17-4, 8-12-2 (seventh). Lost to St. Lawrence in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Eden Murray: She will be expected to lead the offense. She earned the team’s Mandi Schwartz Award, given for courage, grit, and determination, and tied for the team lead in points while placing second in assists.
Tera Hofman: She took the lion’s share of starts in net last season as a freshman. A year of experience should help.
Three questions
1. Can the defense continue to improve? After having one of the worst team defenses in the country two seasons ago, the Bulldogs cut more than half a goal off their team average last season, but they’re still averaging more goals allowed then scored. It was a great jump for a single season, and I’d love to see them show even more improvement.
2. Will experience make a difference? The Elis have a large senior class — eight women will be leading them this year. They’ve got big shoes to fill after the graduation of Pheobe Staenz and Krisa Yip-Chuck.
3. Can they continue to improve? Two seasons ago, Yale finished a single point out of the postseason. They responded by placing seventh. It gets tougher to move up in the standings from here.
Rensselaer announced recently the hiring of Tara Connolly as an assistant women’s hockey coach.
Connolly joins Christie Cicero on the staff of first-year head coach Bryan Vines.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Tara to the RPI women’s hockey family, said Vines in a statement. “She is a tireless recruiter, great teacher and even better person. Her ability to forge lasting relationships with student-athletes and help them develop to their full potential, on and off the ice, will be an asset to our program and we are excited to see the lasting impact she makes.”
Connolly joins Rensselaer after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at Wesleyan. She was responsible for practice plans and managed the forward lines, power-play units and goaltending. Also assisting in the team’s strength and conditioning program, she was tasked with designing and executing goaltender train and skills programs, including goalie-specific clinics and player skills sessions.
In 38 career games in goal at Bowdoin, Connolly posted a 21-11-3 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .914 save percentage. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and teaching in 2013, before earning her master’s in liberal studies-social sciences from Wesleyan in 2016.
Pete Souris has been named the recipient of the prestigious Joe Concannon Award.
The prestigious honor, named in 2001 in memory of popular Boston Globe sportswriter Joe Concannon, is bestowed annually upon an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding body of work in covering and promoting the interests of Hockey East.
Souris becomes the first recipient with direct ties to the league after serving as assistant commissioner for public relations for over six years.
“I can’t think of a better person to set the precedent of honoring someone outside the field of media representatives than Pete,” said Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna in a statement. “Consistent with the purpose of this award, Peter has done an incredible job in promoting the interests of Hockey East through various media, going back to his undergraduate days at UNH. He has distinguished himself by a selfless desire to help the conference in any way he can.”
Souris has spent nearly two decades promoting and assisting in the media coverage of Hockey East, including the last two years as associate athletic director for communications at UMass Lowell. He was hired in January of 2014 as assistant athletic director for communications.
Previously, Souris spent over six years at Hockey East where he supported 11 schools in a media relations capacity, served as the media coordinator for six Hockey East championships at the TD Garden and was the media coordinator for two sold-out Frozen Fenway events at Fenway Park in 2010 and 2012. In addition, he was charged with creating a digital media plan for the conference’s website and social media channels, as well as serving as the liaison for the league’s three national and regional television partners.
Souris previously spent six years from 2001 to 2007 working in the athletics media relations department at New Hampshire, serving as the primary contact for men’s hockey. Also, he served as the media coordinator for the 2004 and 2007 NCAA hockey regionals in Manchester.
He has worked the last 18 Frozen Four events in a media relations capacity.
Hockey East announced Tuesday the new playoff format for the 2018 Hockey East tournament.
The playoffs will begin with two best-of-three series at campus sites before moving to the TD Garden for the 34th annual championship weekend March 16-17, 2018.
“We return to the format last used in 2014,” said Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna in a news release. “It will create a number of late-season ‘races,’ for first, fourth, fifth and eighth, each with identifiable benefits.”
All 11 teams will once again make the playoff tournament. The five highest seeds will all receive byes into the quarterfinal round, while seeds four and five will be guaranteed to play each other at the higher seed’s arena on the second weekend of the playoffs. Seeds six, seven, and eight will host seeds nine, 10, and 11 in the opening round on March 2-4. The three winning teams will then be reseeded and travel to the top three seeds for quarterfinal match ups from March 9-11.
Tournament semifinal games will take place Friday, March 16.
Semifinal tickets include admission to both semifinal games. Winners of the semifinals will advance to the Hockey East title game, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 17, to determine the winner of the Lamoriello Trophy. Student tickets, located in the upper balcony, will be made available for $10 when showing a valid student ID, either on campus or at the TD Garden box office.
Groups of 15 or more are also eligible for a $5 discount on $17 balcony seats and a $7 discount on select loge seats. All discounted tickets must be purchased at the TD Garden Box Office. To take advantage of group discounted tickets, contact the TD Garden group sales department at 617-624-1805 or [email protected].
Tickets will become available on school campuses beginning on Monday, March 12, when the four remaining schools are identified.
Under Bazin, the River Hawks have compiled a 151-68-21 record in six seasons. He has guided UML to five consecutive Hockey East championship game appearances, five NCAA tournament berths, three Hockey East tournament championships and two regular-season titles.
“It’s certainly a privilege to stay here and coach the team for the foreseeable future,” Bazin said to the Sun. “It’s pretty special to guide the program you played at.”
Timm Walsh has been named the fourth annual recipient of the NCHC Mark Rudolph Officiating Achievement Award for the 2016-17 season.
Walsh completed his fourth season as an NCHC referee last March and was presented with the award on Saturday night at a ceremony at NCHC Officiating Camp in Eagan, Minn., which was attended by all NCHC referees, linesmen from Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska, as well as NCHC staff.
The presentation was also attended by Walsh’s wife, Lori, their son, Devin, and their daughters, McKenna and Riley.
Criteria for the award recipient is an individual who, through dedicated effort and service, both on and off the ice, has achieved a distinguished accomplishment during the previous NCHC season, and who by his actions has significantly enhanced the NCHC and its officiating program.
Walsh joined the NCHC officiating staff for the conference’s inaugural 2013-14 season after completing several successful seasons in the WCHA where he worked the playoffs consistently.
In addition to the NCHC officials’ annual charity golf tournament, Walsh dove into the Movember fundraising efforts headfirst, generating ideas for an inaugural Movember silent auction, which took place at a Denver home game in November. All details of the auction were finalized by Walsh, but while he was officiating the game on the ice that evening, his family and the family members of the other NCHC officials manned the auction booth. Because of Walsh’s contributions and the efforts of several officiating families, the NCHC officiating staff raised over $10,000 for Movember in 2016, which eclipsed the NCHC officials’ previous effort of $5,700.
“Timm Walsh has been an important piece of officiating within college hockey for many years. We have always been proud to have him as a part of the NCHC team,” said NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton in a statement. “With that said, what Timm did last year to support the officials’ Movember effort showed tremendous dedication and was incredibly generous. We are very honored to present this year’s Mark Rudolph Officiating Award to Timm Walsh.”
One the ice, Walsh has been selected to officiate the NCHC Frozen Faceoff all four years of the conference’s championship tournament (2014-17), while advancing to the 2017 NCAA tournament, working the Northeast Regional championship game in Manchester, N.H.
“Aside from Walshy’s brilliant sense of humor, which has been known to attract crowds at times, he has been the consummate professional during his four seasons on our staff,” added NCHC director of officiating Don Adam. “Regardless of his level of experience, Timm is always open to constructive criticism and nobody is harder on him than he is on himself. He possesses the drive and work ethic to get better every game and season. Because of Walshy’s initiative and the assistance of his family and others, our staff raised over $10,000 for men’s health awareness. Walshy has been a selfless contributor both on and off the ice and he continues to be a valued member of our staff.”
Previous winners of the Rudolph award are John Philo (2014), Paul Carnathan (2015) and Joe Sullivan (2016).
The Atlantic Hockey preseason coaches’ poll was released Tuesday and defending tournament champion Air Force has been chosen as the top team for the 2017-18 season.
Denisa Křížová of Northeastern (Northeastern Athletics)
Boston College has had control of the conference for the past couple of seasons, but that could change this year. The Eagles are missing two of their top players in Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan as they are centralized prior to the Olympics. Meanwhile, Northeastern returns 75% of their scoring from last season and has been on the verge of breaking through for a few seasons now. It’s going to be an interesting year across college hockey – and especially in Hockey East. I have no idea how to pick who’ll finish where beyond the top two – and even those could flip-flop. The rest of the order seems like it will be a total toss-up, so I put absolutely no weight behind any of my ranks from 3-9.
Boston College Last season: 28-6-5, 17-4-3 (first). Lost to Wisconsin in the Frozen Four.
Names to know Caitrin Lonergan and Delaney Belinskas: Lonergan was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team and the USCHO All-Rookie team, while Belinskas was also on the Hockey East All-Rookie team. They tied for third on the team with 33 points last season. They’ll have an even more expanded role this year. Katie Burt: Her play in net will be so crucial to the team’s success with their two top defenders gone for the season. Burt has always been very good, but the team needs her to find another level in her season. Toni Ann Miano: She has a huge opportunity to step up and be impactful. She’s had a rocky go of it at times, but don’t be surprised when you see her name pop up a bunch this year.
“Our team is very excited, and we have four strong freshmen joining our team who I think will help us. (Kenzie Kent, McKenna Newkirk and Katie Burt) are ready to try and prove something. It’s going to be a year where they can try to prove something and prove that they can help carry a team.” – coach Katie King
Three questions
1. Will the underclassmen take the opportunity presented to them? There are just four seniors on this roster, and there’s a spotlight on the young talent here. How quickly the freshmen assimilate and how the sophomores handle year two will be huge.
2. Can Miano live up to the potential? She was suspended for part of last season, but before that she was playing at a nearly point-per-game clip. With Keller and Flanagan gone and a young team, the Eagles need strong leadership and a solid blue line.
3. Can they start strong? Last season’s opening weekend against Minnesota-Duluth led to a tie and loss and signaled to the rest of the country that Duluth was a force. BC has Minnesota-Duluth then No. 9 Quinnipiac to start the season, and that will really set the tone for them.
Crystal Ball
BC gets the benefit of the doubt and the top spot, but I don’t think it’s going to be easy.
Boston University Last season: 19-12-6, 12-8-4 (third). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East tournament semifinal.
Names to know Victoria Bach: She led the team in scoring last year and looks to lead the offense again this season. Jesse Compher: She is a two-time gold medalist with the USA U-18 team and BU hopes she’ll make a big — and immediate — impact. Abby Cook: Cook was the second-highest scoring defenseman on the team as a freshman.
“Every new season is exciting and brings with it a different look and personality. The 2017-18 BU squad has a good deal of uncertainty at all three positions. Who will step up in goal, how will the two transfers and four young defenders perform with our pair of upperclass blue liners? Up front, Victoria Bach and Rebecca Leslie are marquee players, but who will evolve behind them? Taking on the responsibility of new and more challenging roles will be expected of numerous players. How quickly they understand, adapt, and perform in these roles will help determine how much success we have this season. My staff and I will look for consistency in our overall effort and mental performance. Last year, we were erratic in this area and it cost us a few games.” – coach Brian Durocher
Three questions
1. What the heck happened in the opening weekend? BU played its first preseason game against Canadian University Concordia and struggled to keep up. The game ended a 2-2 tie, but that’s definitely got to make the Terriers a bit worried. They followed that with a loss to Merrimack. Maybe it’s a blip or an early wake-up call, but either way, there’s clearly a lot to learn still.
2. Can they shore up the goalie situation? Erin O’Neill got a handful of games last season, but neither she nor the now graduated Victoria Hanson were stellar. The Terriers should be able to score quite a bit this season, but they gave up nearly three goals per game last year. They need to be stronger in back.
3. How can they be better on the PK? They were fifth in the country for penalty minutes and killed penalties at just an 82 percent clip. They have to give their goalie a chance and stay the heck out of the box, and they have to be stronger on that penalty kill. The margin for error in Hockey East is too slim to be giving away that many advantages.
Crystal Ball
I’m trying hard not to let that preseason result skew my view too much, but I do think BU is the odd (Boston) school out this year. There’s a lot of talent below them and I think spots 3-6 are going to be incredibly tight. Mostly based on how I think the others will move up, I’ve got BU fifth.
Connecticut Last season: 14-18-4, 9-13-2 (seventh). Lost to Northeastern in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know Leah Lum: She is one of eight returning seniors and the team’s leading scorer last season. Annie Belanger: She is 5-foot-10 and a huge presence in net for the Huskies. Natalie Snodgrass: She should be an impact freshman. She’s a two-time IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships gold-medal winner with Team USA and led that team in scoring in 2016.
“We are excited to get going. We had a great first half last season, but injuries in the second half derailed us. We’re looking to bounce back. We have to focus on daily improvement, use experience to our advantage, and help along our younger players. If we do those things, our play will speak for itself. We have a great senior class that has been through a lot, and we’ll be leaning on them this season.” – coach Chris MacKenzie.
Three questions
1. Can they win at home? The Huskies say a goal this season is to finish with a winning record. One big key will be improving at home. Last season, they were 9-8-2 on the road but just 5-9-1 at home.
2. Can they play a complete season? They were 3-8-1 over the final 12 games of the regular season last year after a fairly strong start. If they want to reach their goal of a Hockey East title, that’s just not going to cut it.
3. Can they win close games? They played 20 games decided by two goals or fewer last season. They’re on the verge and have shown they can compete. Now they need to step up. One way they can do that: special teams. They converted just 14 percent of the power-play opportunities and killed just 85 percent of penalties. If they’re going to make advances and nab some upsets this year, they have to be better on special teams.
Crystal Ball
Based on my weekly pick ’em standings, I’m actually pretty horrible at this, but I think the Huskies have a chance to make a splash this season. That big and experienced senior class joined with Snodgrass’ scoring ability have me putting them third.
Maine Last season: 10-21-1, 6-17-1 (ninth). Did not make the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know Tereza Vanišová: She was the co-Hockey East Rookie of the Year. She also had five goals for the Czech Republic in the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championships. She tied for the team lead in points. Allyson Matteu: She was third in the team in scoring as a defender. She was fourth in the conference for scoring among defenders.
“We have a roster with 18 freshmen and sophomores, and I think when you have a roster with that sort of makeup it’s pretty inevitable that you’re going to have to count on a lot of those players in key situations. Looking back at last year, obviously it was disappointing not making the playoffs and where we finished, but from a positive standpoint I think that we proved, beating all three of the Boston schools, that we can play against anyone when we put it together. I think we’re more skilled than last year, I think we’re deeper than last year, but experience is going to be something that we’re going to have to try and gain as quickly as possible to make an impact in the league this year.” – coach Richard Reichenbach
Three questions
1. Can they get better on the road? Just one road win all of last season has to make those games a priority this season.
2. What did they learn last year? Looking at stats and standings as a whole makes it look bleak, but there were quite a few high moments in the season, including sweeping Northeastern late.
3. Can the sophomores step up? It is a young team, but 11 sophomores now have a year of experience.
Crystal Ball
It is a tough year in Hockey East from top to bottom. I’ve got Maine eighth.
Merrimack Last season: 11-22-3, 7-17-0 (eighth). Lost to Boston College in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know Mikyla Grant-Mentis: She led the team with 27 points as a freshman. She was also third in the conference in face-off percentage. Felila Manu: She led all of Hockey East with 56 blocked shots last season. Katelyn Rae: She led the team with 18 goals.
“We can’t say that we’re young anymore. We started from scratch and had a lot of youth in our lineup, but now we’re in a position where we feel that, as mostly juniors, that’s not something that’s going to be holding us back anymore in terms of our development. We’re excited to see what our new leadership brings to the table in terms of climbing the ladder in Hockey East in terms of really being competitive with those top four teams. It was really rewarding to actually accomplish that goal (of making the playoffs), but in the same vein we thought we were a better team than what we showed. We just didn’t have a strong finishing power.” – coach Erin Hamlen
Three questions
1. What’s the next step? The Warriors made the Hockey East tournament last season in just their second year in existence. It was a great first step toward growth, so what’s the next one to show things are improving?
2. What’s the key to a better defense? For a young and new team, Merrimack had an impressive power play and offense, but the defense game up an average of 3.25 goals per game. They have to find a way to lock down the blue line better so their offense has a chance to shine.
3. How can the 13 juniors make their final two seasons count? The team’s “first class” has already made huge strides in their first two seasons and has started to write Merrimack’s history book. With such a big presence, they have a chance to create a legacy.
Crystal Ball
With everyone else in the conference showing signs of promise, it’s difficult to pick Merrimack higher than ninth.
New Hampshire Last season: 14-19-2, 11-11-2 (sixth). Lost to Boston University in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know Amy Schlegel and Julia Fedeski: They tied for second in the league in defensemen scoring, trailing only BC’s now-Olympian Megan Keller. Mary-Jo Pelletier: She is a scoring threat and led the team in blocked shots for the second straight season.
“We hope to build off of the successes we had last year and exceed expectations. We are fortunate to play in a great, competitive league. We want to play for a championship. That is what we will work for every day. Our defense has a lot of experience and we added two freshmen to the mix, so we expect great play out of that group. In the net we need to have more consistency, and with Ava Boutilier joining Hilary Cashin and Kyra Smith we hope to see that. Ultimately, we could talk about all of our players. They all work hard and they all deserve to be mentioned, but we need to play every game as a team, prepare for every situation and execute when it matters to reach our goals. If we enjoy the process of getting better every day, we will give ourselves a great chance of reaching those goals.” – coach Hilary Witt
Three questions
1. Who’s going to fill Jonna Curtis’ skates? The senior led the team with 42 points and was second in the conference with that total. The Wildcats next three highest scorers were defenders. The forwards have an opportunity, and someone needs to step up and take it.
2. Can they be better in nonconference matchups? New Hampshire won just three nonconference games last season. Sure, all the focus has been on improving in Hockey East standings, but in the big picture, they need those out-of-conference games on their resume, and they need to be winning them.
3. What will it take to make the jump? The Wildcats finished at .500 last season with 24 points and in sixth place, but were a single point back from Vermont and Providence and four points back from third-place Boston University.
Crystal Ball
By virtue of where I placed everyone else, I’ve got New Hampshire sixth. Can I just pick a four-way tie for fourth?
Northeastern Last season: 22-12-3, 14-8-2 (second). Lost to Boston College in the Hockey East tournament final.
Names to know Denisa Krížová: She averaged 1.3 points per game and led the team in scoring. McKenna Brand: She led the conference with three short-handed goals and five game-winning-goals and led the team with 23 goals. Brittany Bugalski: The netminder set a program record for goaltender minutes played last season and put up a respectable 1.98 goals-against-average and a .928 save percentage.
“For this year, I like to use the words ‘cautiously optimistic.’ I think we have the deepest team since I’ve been at Northeastern. We’ve had great players over the years, but I feel like this roster through and through is probably our deepest. We have four lines that can compete. We have eight D that will compete for spots in the starting lineup. We have strong goaltending. We have a senior class that’s pretty large that’s been playing a lot since their freshman year, so they have lots of experience.” – coach Dave Flint
Three questions
1. Can they start strong? With 16 upperclassmen on the roster, the Huskies should have no problem getting right at it, which is good since they start against defending champions Clarkson and follow up with BC, then Colgate, which spent much of last year ranked and is receiving votes this year.
2. How can they win close games? Northeastern played nine overtime games last season and won just two of them.
3. Can they return to the NCAA tournament? They made their first appearance in 2015-16 and with the wide-open field and their returning roster, they have more than good shot to do it again.
Crystal Ball
I have to give BC the benefit of the doubt coming off last season, but I think everyone should be a little scared of the Huskies. I’d be the least surprised if they win the conference, but I’ll put them second for now.
Providence Last season: 17-17-3, 11-10-3 (fourth). Lost to Vermont in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know Whitney Dove and Katie Friesen: The duo were top-5 scoring defensemen last season as a freshman and sophomore respectively. Brooke Boquist: She is the team’s leading returning scorer and tied for the team lead with 18 goals last season.
“I think that we have depth and skill at every position. We’ve really put together a team that has a chance to take another step and that’s always the goal, to be a better today than we were last year. We truly believe that we are moving in the right direction to be a contender in our league.” – coach Bob Deraney
Three questions
1. Can they jump over Vermont? It’s a refrain across the nation this year, but it’s not a great year to try to make a move purely because so many teams have the personnel and opportunity to make waves. The two teams ended up tied at the end of the season in win percentage and Vermont took their opening round series in the Hockey East tournament.
2. Can they clean up their game? A year ago I pointed out that the Friars were second in the country in penalty minutes. This year, they’re first, having taken 224 penalties for a total of 470 minutes — 77 more minutes than any other team. It’s impossible to be successful playing that much time short-handed.
3. How will the underclassmen fare? Last year’s large freshman class was impactful, contributing 100 points. If this year’s seven newbies can contribute to what those sophomores have learned, the Friars could really be a team to reckon with.
Crystal Ball
It seems impossible to pick Providence at seventh, but based on where I’ve put everyone else, that’s how the chips fall. As I said above, I think most of the final standings are up for grabs and I don’t have a clue how they’ll play out.
Vermont Last season: 15-14-9, 9-8-7 (fifth). Lost to Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals.
Names to know Taylor Willard: She is the only captain this year, but wore the C last season, and put a ton of minutes in for Vermont at the end of the season. Eve-Audrey Picard: She was high in the rookie of the year voting last season. She’s back even stronger this season, according to coach Plumer. Jess Koizumi: She joined the staff as an assistant head coach.
“We’re off to a good start with our team. I think the biggest challenge for us is integrating a huge group of new players and new staff. We have eight new players and two new assistant coaches and a new director of operations and equipment manager and a new SID. On the plus side, we really return a lot of key parts of our team. We’re strong in net, we return five of our six defensemen that played regularly. Despite the fact that we did lose a big senior class, we still are returning some key players. We return our top three scorers. Optimism is the word of the day, and we’re excited to see it all put together. It’s going to be a work in progress, but we’re hoping to peak at the end of the season like we did last year.” – coach Jim Plumer
Three questions
1. Can they survive the second half? The Catamounts have set themselves a rough task in the second half with games against Minnesota, Boston College, and three against Northeastern. It looks like the conference will be a tight race top to bottom, and every point will matter.
2. How do they win close games? Vermont had nine ties — seven in conference — more than anyone else in the country. They ended up tied with Providence for fourth place, but might have even had a shot at third if they’d been able to convert a few of those into wins.
3. How can they bolster the defense? There was a slim margin of difference between their average goals for and average goals against. Pair that with the number of ties and it’s clear to see that Vermont needs to widen the gap in offensive output and shut down on defense. Time in net was split last year, but Melissa Black was the goalie each time the Catamounts beat a ranked opponent. It would seem starting with her solid presence in back might be a good start.
Crystal Ball
I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to think that Vermont takes a step up in the conference this year. I expect them to finish fourth.
Minnesota has announced two additions to the team’s coaching staff with John Hamre joining the program as director of hockey operations and Andy Kent coming aboard as the team’s volunteer goalie coach.
Hamre replaces Ben Gordon, who stepped down as director of hockey operations to join the Chicago Steel as associate head coach in the USHL. Kent replaces Justin Johnson, who stepped down to focus on other professional opportunities.
Hamre brings more than 25 years of hockey experience to the Gophers coaching staff.
Hamre most recently served as the director of hockey operations at Wisconsin during the 2015-16 season. His extensive hockey background also includes tenures in the ECHL, NAHL, EHL and AJHL, as well as nine seasons as the boys varsity hockey coach at The Blake School from 2002 to 2011.
He has also worked at the international level – serving as video assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team during the 1994 Winter Olympic Games and later acting as a training camp assistant coach for the South African National Team in 2016.
His first coaching position came at the University of Minnesota as a graduate assistant coach during the 1991-92 season followed by two seasons as the Gophers’ video coordinator and administrative assistant (1992-94).
Hamre earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Minnesota in 1991 before adding an MBA with a finance emphasis in 1993 and a Ph.D in philosophy in 2007.
Kent has spent the last six seasons as the volunteer goaltending coach with the Gopher women’s program and will continue to work with both teams.
He has been on staff for six straight NCAA Frozen Four appearances with the Minnesota women’s program including four national titles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
Kent also served as the goaltending coach for Finland’s Women’s National Team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Augsburg, Kent’s alma mater, has also benefited from his goaltending instruction as Kent served as the goaltending coach for the Augsburg men’s team from 2013 to 2017.
Kent was a four-year letter-winner at Augsburg, playing from 2005 to 2009, and graduated from Augsburg in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in management information systems.
Daniel Brickley will be a player to watch during the 2017-18 season for Minnesota State (photo: Shelley M. Szwast).
Minnesota State is the top choice in both the preseason WCHA coaches’ poll and media poll.
Both the coaches and media also chose preseason All-WCHA Teams and preseason Players of the Year.
WCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
School
Points (First-place votes)
1. Minnesota State
90 (9)
2. Bemidji State
81 (1)
3. Michigan Tech
70
4. Bowling Green
67
5. Ferris State
59
6. Lake Superior State
51
7. Northern Michigan
40
8. Alaska
35
9. Alabama Huntsville
29
10. Alaska Anchorage
18
WCHA Preseason Media Poll
School
Points (First-place votes)
1. Minnesota State
137 (12)
2. Bemidji State
115
3. Michigan Tech
110 (1)
4. Bowling Green
108 (1)
5. Ferris State
81
6. Lake Superior State
62
7. Northern Michigan
59
8. Alaska
43
9. Alabama Huntsville
36
10. Alaska Anchorage
19
All-WCHA Preseason Team – Coaches’
Player's Name
Position
Class
School
Marc Michaelis
F
So.
Minnesota State
C.J. Suess
F
Sr.
Minnesota State
Mitch McLain
F
Sr.
Bowling Green
Daniel Brickley
D
Jr.
Minnesota State
Mark Auk
D
Sr.
Michigan Tech
Michael Bitzer
G
Sr.
Bemidji State
The coaches voted Minnesota State teammates Daniel Brickley and Marc Michaelis as preseason co-Players of the Year and Jake Jaremko as preseason Rookie of the Year.
All-WCHA Preseason Teams – Media
First Team
Player's Name
Position
Class
School
Mitch McLain
F
Sr.
Bowling Green
Marc Michaelis
F
So.
Minnesota State
Corey Mackin
F
Jr.
Ferris State
Daniel Brickley
D
Jr.
Minnesota State
Kurt Gosselin
D
Jr.
Alabama Huntsville
Michael Bitzer
G
Sr.
Bemidji State
Second Team
Player's Name
Position
Class
School
Gerry Fitzgerald
F
Sr.
Bemidji State
C.J. Suess
F
Sr.
Minnesota State
Joel L'Esperance
F
Sr.
Michigan Tech
Mitch Reinke
D
So.
Michigan Tech
Mark Auk
D
Sr.
Michigan Tech
Atte Tolvanen
G
Jr.
Northern Michigan
The media tabbed Brickley its preseason Player of the Year.
Abby Roque (Wisconsin-18) will need to be a force for Wisconsin to have success. Mo. (Don Adams Jr.)
The top three teams in the league had significant departures due to graduation and are missing players this season who are centralized with Team USA and Canada prior to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota-Duluth all have a lot of questions they’ll need to answer in order to be successful. Each program has plenty of young talent, but it will be how quickly each adapts that will decide how the season plays out. Normally, I’d go with last year’s winner as the preseason number one, but in this case, I have to give the nod to Minnesota because while they have a lot of unknowns, they have solid Sidney Peters in net. Wisconsin has to replace Patty Kazmaier Award winner Ann-Renée Desbiens, and that will be no easy feat.
Bemidji State Last season: 12-20-3, 7-18-3, (seventh). Lost to Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
Names to know Clair DeGeorge: A freshman who really impressed in preseason workouts. She’s taller than 6 feet in her skates, won the team’s fitness run, and looks to be someone to have an immediate role on the team. Emily Berglund: She made huge strides from her freshman to sophomore season, and the Beavers hope they’ll see even more growth out of her. The team’s leading scorer, she’s got a lot of pressure on her shoulders. Erin Deters: She is the only goalie on the roster with any experience. She was blocked by Mowat, but held her own when she got the chance in the net. She’s going to have to work to earn the spot.
“The good news is we’re returning seven of our 10 top scorers. The bad news is we didn’t score a lot. The biggest question for us is in goal after the graduation of Britni Mowat.” – coach Jim Scanlan.
Three questions
1. Can they pick up the offense? The blue line and goaltender are going to need time to settle in. Last season, even with Mowat, they allowed 1.5 more goals per game than they scored. No one person is going to be the superstar of the Beavers. They need everyone to find a new gear and give their defense a breather.
2. How do they handle the opening weeks? They open the season with Syracuse and then run the gauntlet of Clarkson, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota-Duluth. That’s probably not going to go great for them, but how the respond and grow from those games and carry on through the season will tell us a lot about the team.
3. Who follows Mowat? No pressure on Deters and two freshman goalies, but you’ve got some big skates to fill. There were games over the past four years where Mowat was the only thing keeping Bemidji in games. With an anemic offense and a need to get players up to speed in the face of an absolutely soul-crushing schedule, Bemidji needs to rely on the goaltender.
Crystal Ball
I expect them to finish fifth.
Minnesota Last season: 26-8-5, 19-4-5 (second). Lost to Clarkson in the NCAA semifinals.
Names to know Sidney Peters: A redshirt senior who stepped up and had a big season in net for the Gophers after not having played much in previous years. Minnesota is going to need her to be even more stalwart in the net as their young squad finds their skates. Sidney Baldwin: She is the highest returning scorer on this squad, and she had just 16 points last season. There’s so much room for players to step up this season, and Baldwin has to be the one to lead them as the captain. Taylor Wente and Grace Zumwinkle: They are two-time gold-medal winners with the Team USA U-18 team. Any year they’d be highly touted rookies, but especially this season where there’s so much room to step up and make an impact. The Gophers need them to transition quickly.
“We’re going to have to be at our best as coaches just as our players are. There’s nothing set in stone. Generally coming into the season as a coach you’re going to say OK, here are our top two lines, here’s our power play units. It’s completely open. We’re just going to have to be patient with it and see players emerge and show that they can be in those certain roles.” – coach Brad Frost.
Three questions
1. Who’s going to score? It’s a bit of a tired refrain across the country this year, but it’s most relevant here. The Gophers lost seven senior to graduation, plus Amy and Sarah Potomak and Kelly Pannek to pre-Olympic centralization with Team USA and Canada. They will be missing their top six scorers from last season. Last season, the team tallied 124 goals, 206 assists, and 330 points. Those six accounted for 65 percent of those goals, 70 percent of the assists, and 68 percent of the points. With Baldwin, a D, as their biggest returning scorer, a lot of Gophers need to step up. Lucky for Minnesota, they don’t really rebuild, they just reload.
2. Can they finish strong? For the first time in three years, the Gophers will finish the season on the road at Wisconsin. They’ve been able to have the Badgers at home the past two seasons. With all the questions and unknowns in this season for those two teams, those final two games are likely to be crucial for conference standings.
3. Who’s filling Lee Stecklein’s skates? Not to mention Megan Wolfe? Stecklein has been one of — if not the best — defenders in the league for years. She provided poise, calm, and experience on the blue line, was as scoring threat and, at 6 feet, was a huge presence and protection in front of the net. If the Gophers offense is going to need time to figure itself out, the defense has to be sure early on.
Crystal Ball
Despite all the question marks, this is Minnesota we’re talking about. Frost and his staff are some of the very best, and this is a highly experienced and talented rookie class. They might not be as dominant as you’re used to seeing, but I expect they’ll figure it out soon enough. I don’t have any idea how to judge who’ll best figure out their question marks, but Minnesota has a solid answer in goal so they get the advantage right now. They finish first.
Minnesota-Duluth Last season: 24-7-5, 19-5-4 (third). Lost to Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Names to know Ryleigh Houston: She transferred to UMD from North Dakota, where she was second on the team in scoring. The Bulldogs graduated a ton of talent; last year’s senior class accounted for 81 of UMD’s 110 goals, including 21 game-winning tallies. They need Houston to make an impact immediately. Jessica Convery: She transferred from Mercyhurst for her senior season and looks to fill the hole left by Maddie Rooney, who is centralized with Team USA. Rooney was the breakout star of last season. UMD needed a goalie for a single-season, so this was the perfect fit. Catherine Daoust: She was second on the team in scoring, and the blue line needs a new leader with the graduation of Sidney Morin. Daoust has a ton of potential, and whether she steps it up this season will be fun to watch.
“Our defense is really an exciting group. We have four returning defensemen and three of them are assistant captains – Catherine Daoust, Jessica Healey and Linnea Hedin. They’ve worked hard off ice to put in good position on the ice. With those four back there, I feel very confident.” – coach Maura Crowell.
Three questions
1. Can Convery deliver in net? Any biases aside, she’s going to face a very different situation than she did at Mercyhurst. She’s got a solid defense in front of her, but Convery she faced just 492 shots last season in the CHA, while Rooney saw 1075. UMD starts the season with Boston College and Minnesota in the first four weeks, so there’s not a lot of room for her to adjust.
2. How do you replace Lara Stalder and Ashleigh Brykaliuk? Every team has top scorers to replace, but these two were playmakers all over the ice for the Bulldogs. Stalder saved a goal in the WCHA tournament last year. They were leaders, they logged a ton of minutes, and they were dynamic. It’s not just about replacing the points they scored; UMD needs a couple of players to take their example and live up to it.
3. Can they maintain the momentum? UMD returned to prominence last season, and start the season ranked fifth in the country. There were dynasties in Duluth in the past; can these Bulldogs continue what was started last year?
Crystal Ball
This conference is nigh on impossible to predict this season with so many question marks. For now, I’ve got UMD third.
Minnesota State Last season:7-26-4, 4-21-3 (eighth). Lost to Wisconsin in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
Names to know Rebekah Kolstad: She is another transfer from North Dakota. The Mankato native comes home and brings a boost to the offense. Her experience will serve this young team well. Emily Anthony: She led the team with 14 points and seven goals.
“Two years ago when I started, we had one senior and 21 sophomores and freshmen. So now they have the experience. We kind of have to do things by committee instead of relying on a single person.” – coach John Harrington.
Three questions
1. Who’s in net? Brianna Quade had most of the minutes last season, but Katie Bidulka and Chloe Crosby each saw limited time. The starting job is up for grabs for whomever wants to step up and take it.
2. How can they continue to build? In 2014-15, they didn’t win a conference game. The next season, they won one. Last year, they took four conference matches. That growth is so exciting to see and has to be huge for the players. MSU has updated their facilities, and recruits are taking notice of the idea that they can immediately help build something at this program. They need to keep showing that momentum to help recruit better players. It all ties together.
3. Will the experience matter? That young team has been playing together for two seasons now. It’s time for them to show how much they’ve learned and grown. Every week is an opportunity to make history at MSU, and these players need to rise to the challenge and embrace it.
Crystal Ball
It would be surprising if Mankato finishes anywhere other than seventh.
Ohio State Last season:14-18-5, 7-16-5 (fifth). Lost to North Dakota in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
Names to know Kassidy Sauve: She was truly stellar in net last season under the toughest of circumstances. She was absolutely shelled all season and continued to put up good numbers, all after recovering from hip injuries. Jincy Dunne: Dunne was a highly touted recruit who sat out her first year and then didn’t make quite the splash we’d expected last season. She was in pre-Olympic camp with Team USA in 2014 as a 16-year-old and then reportedly suffered concussion issues. The Buckeyes could really use her to reach her potential this season. Milica McMillen: She is a former Minnesota player that’s been playing in the NWHL. When Jess Koizumi left OSU for Vermont, Nadine Muzerall brought McMillen in as an assistant coach.
“We are very excited here in Columbus to start off a new year. We are grateful we are tied for third in the WCHA [poll]. It’s been awhile since we’ve been ranked that high and that’s the goal. We want to continue to strive to be better each year. Our team continues to grow with our new staff and our new direction.” – coach Nadine Muzerall on the WCHA preseason call.
Three questions
1. Can they find an offense? Sauve and the defense can only do so much; the offense averaged just 1.86 goals per game last season, good for 29th in the country. It’s simply not going to cut it. They are returning all of their top scorers; they lost just two players to graduation. That experience has to shine through.
2. Can they weather the first few weeks? They play Minnesota, Wisconsin, and UMD in the first five weeks of their season. By November 5, we’ll know a lot about this team and how far they’ve really come. And then we’ll know even more about them based on how they handle whatever those outcomes are.
3. Can they do more than just play spoiler? I actually asked this exact question last year and it stands true. Before I believe that OSU is indeed the no. 3 team in the WCHA, I need to see they can consistently win games, not just pull a few upsets. They had wins over North Dakota and ties with UW and UM last season, but swept just two series all year, against Lindenwood and Penn State. There were flashes of brilliance by the Buckeyes last season, but they need to find a way to win the games they should.
Crystal Ball
I love the growth the Buckeyes have shown, and Sauve hasn’t gotten near the attention she should have, but I don’t know if they can pass UMD. The potential is there, but they’ve not shown they can be consistent. For now, I have them fourth.
St. Cloud State Last season: 9-23-4, 7-18-3 (sixth). Lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
Names to know Janine Adler: She was a revelation in St. Cloud last season. The sophomore was stellar in net for the Huskies, but now five of the team’s eight defenders are new to the program. They need Adler to be solid more than ever. Julia Tylke: She led the team in scoring and will be looked to as the leader of the offense. Laura Kluge: She is an incoming freshman that played professionally in Sweden last season and for Team Germany at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championships, where she tallied four points in six games. The Huskies will really enjoy her experience. At 5-foot-10, she also adds some size.
“We have 11 new faces, a lot of youth and enthusiasm and a lot of new things going on. We only have three seniors, so we’ll rely on them. But we are bringing back our four top scorers. We are excited about our goaltending with great competition back there.” – coach Eric Rud
Three questions
1. What does it take to make the next step? Rud pointed out that his team has finished ahead of where they predicted in each of his years at the helm. This season, they’re picked below Bemidji State and there’s certainly opportunity for them, but what does that look like? They had a couple of upsets and moments of brilliance last season, but now they have 11 new players.
2. Can they be consistent? The Huskies did not sweep a single series last season. When they shocked Colgate 7-5, they came back and only managed a 0-0 tie the next day. They’ve got to work on putting together complete weekends and being able to do more than shock a team every once in awhile.
3. How do they wake up the power play? The Huskies were 7-of-91 with the extra attacker, scoring at just a 7.69 percent clip. They were also one of just two teams to have fewer than 100 power-play chances. Special teams and working to earn the advantage should be a focus for this squad.
Crystal Ball
There’s room to move up, but right now I have SCSU at sixth.
Wisconsin Last season: 33-3-4, 22-2-4 (first). Lost to Clarkson in the national championship game.
Names to know Abby Roque: She was the WCHA Rookie of the Year and finished fourth on the team in scoring. She’s the highest returning scorer thanks to graduation and Annie Pankowski and Emily Clark being centralized. Aside from her scoring threat, she’s solid and physical. The Badgers need her to be even better this season. Baylee Wellhausen: She is a Badger who isn’t always apparent on the score sheet, but will have a chance to really step up and be even more impactful this season. She upped all her scoring totals last season and is a tough, scrappy player in the corners. A captain this season, she’s going to be important to their success. Claudia Kepler: Kepler is a Madison-area native that transferred to Wisconsin from Ohio State. She sat out last season and showed such work ethic that the team named her a captain before she’s ever stepped on the ice. She led the Buckeyes in goals each of her three seasons there and looks to be a big boost for a Badger squad short on seniors and experience.
“This is going to be without a doubt my youngest team since I’ve been here. We dressed eight freshman (during the exhibition vs. South Korea) and a transfer goaltender. The challenge will be trying to get our young players up to speed as quickly as we can, and as they mature and as they gain experience and most importantly as they gain confidence, we’ll become a better hockey team.” – Mark Johnson
Three questions
1. How do you replace Ann-Renée Desbiens? Wisconsin has had a long history of elite goaltending, and there’s a big question mark in net right now. North Dakota transfer Kristen Campbell had limited time on the ice for the Fighting Hawks. Nikki Cece played well for the Badgers when Desbiens was injured last season, but she’s starting out the season unwell. It’s a wide-open contest for starter, and the Badgers may rotate through their options, something they’ve not had to do for quite a few years.
2. Can they solve the scoring situation? Wisconsin lost their top four scorers to graduation or the Olympics, but they had a much more spread out offensive attack last season. There will be an impact, but it’s not as big of a hit as Minnesota is taking. But the Badgers have also have the more abstract issue of solving why they struggled to score at times last season. With the power they had up front, they scored just once in the Frozen Four, and that’s not going to cut it for most any team.
3. Have they solved the Minnesota conundrum? The Badgers were snakebitten against the Gophers for a long stretch. They shook the monkey off their back during the 2015-16 season, and the meetings have been more even, but Wisconsin can’t let the Gophers get in their head, and they have to continue to be able to compete with Minnesota if they’re going to be successful this season.
Crystal Ball
Much like with Minnesota, the coaches and the recruits here are too good to be too worried. The biggest concern for Wisconsin is that they struggled to score at times last season, and that was with one of the most talented lineups Madison has ever seen. Now they have to rely on youngsters and they don’t have Ann-Renée Desbiens. Until we see more on how they’ll adapt this season, I have to pick them second.
Stephanie Grossi (8 – Syracuse) will lead a Syracuse team that should challenge for the top spot (Omar Phillips)
Folks that have overlooked the CHA in the past may be surprised to watch these teams this season. The conference is on the rise, with much more competition within its ranks than in years’ past and a lot less clarity about how the whole thing will shake out. Teams picked to finish in the bottom half have shown they have the ability to pull upsets, and it doesn’t feel like anyone is safe in the top half. I’d be completely unsurprised if Robert Morris, Syracuse, or Mercyhurst wins.
In an Olympic year, everything is a whole lot more wide open nationwide, and the CHA wouldn’t mind playing upstart and causing a little upheaval. These teams are fun to watch, and they’re proving that the game really is growing. There’s a ton to build on here, and it should be spectacular to watch.
USCHO women’s columnist expects Robert Morris to repeat as conference champions and earn the league’s NCAA auto-bid, but knows Mercyhurst and Syracuse might have something to say about it.
Lindenwood Last season: 6-25-2, 3-16-1 (sixth). Lost to Robert Morris in the semifinals of the CHA tournament.
Names to know Brittania Gillanders: A 5-foot-10 forward who led the team in scoring last season. She’s a huge presence in front of the net, and the Lions have to get her some support. Jolene deBruyne: She had some pretty big shoes to fill after Nicole Hensley graduated, and she handled herself rather well, putting up a .911 save percentage.
“We still have 14 underclassmen, but the majority of those are sophomores, and you can tell that they are more comfortable. They were put in a lot of situations early in their career and I hope to see the benefits of that this year. I want to see us improve offensively this season. We obviously struggled scoring and are hoping to see large gains in that with power play improvements and creating more chances from our back end.” – Coach Scott Spencer
Three questions
1. What did they learn last year? Lindenwood was incredibly young last year, and the transition to the college game was tough for their freshmen. How their younger players use what they learned last season will make a big impact on their season.
2. Can they finish strong? The Lion travel to Robert Morris, host Syracuse, and visit Penn State to end the season. They’ll need to get some points from those series.
3. Can they score? Lindenwood was last in the country, averaging just 1.09 goals per game last season.
Crystal Ball
It’s a steep learning curve in the CHA right now, and I don’t see much changing from last year’s standings. The Lions need to find small victories to build and grow on.
Mercyhurst Last season: 15-18-2, 11-8-1 (third). Lost to Lindenwood in the opening round of the CHA tournament.
Names to know Emma Nuutinen, Vilma Tanskanen and Kennedy Blair: They transferred to Mercyhurst from North Dakota after the program folded. All three have high-level experience and the opportunity to make an immediate impact. Nuutinen played for Finland at the last Women’s World Championships, and she and Tanskanen were on Finland’s 2014 Olympic roster. Blair redshirted last season, so she has a full four years of eligibility left. Brooke Hartwick: She led the team in goals, assists, points, and shots last season. She is one of just four seniors on this year’s squad.
“We’re pretty optimistic.The team is looking forward to working hard and getting back to our roots. I’m looking forward to seeing our compete level. Last year was probably the first year in the existence of our program we didn’t have the consistency in our compete level. That’s something this team wants to never happen again and they’re committed to making sure it doesn’t. Early on, we want to be prideful and work hard every game regardless of the score and putting the building blocks together to hopefully building a championship season.” – Coach Mike Sisti
Three questions
1. Can they return to the top? Mercyhurst finished first in the CHA 11 of the past 13 years. Last season’s third-place conference finish was their worst ever. The Lakers are incredibly proud of their accomplishments as a program and the legacy they’ve created. No one there will be happy with how last season went, and I expect them to be a formidable foe this year. That being said, RMU and Syracuse have done nothing but get stronger; unseating them now that the door has opened is not going to be easy.
2. Can McConnell bounce back? (0r is someone else going to take the starting role?) As a freshman, she received the CHA Goaltender Trophy for the lowest goals-against average (1.75) in conference play. Last season, she played just 16 games and ended with a 6-8-1 record. Her battery-mate transferred to Minnesota-Duluth. It would seem McConnell’s net to lose, but two freshmen are certainly going to try and win the starting job.
3. How will they handle their schedule? Mercyhurst plays eight of its first 12 games against teams that were ranked last season, including three NCAA tournament teams. They start at Wisconsin, the no. 2 team in the country before hosting No. 6 St. Lawrence and a few weeks later, No. 3 Minnesota. No team in the country would want that schedule. It’s a tall order for a team that’s looking to rebuild confidence and momentum.
Crystal Ball
Mercyhurst has a storied program and I don’t expect Sisti to take the recent slide from the top well. Add in the influx of talented North Dakota players, and I think we see an invigorated Lakers squad. It’s hard to give them the benefit of the doubt without having hit the ice, so I place them third now, but much like I said about Robert Morris last year at this time, I’d be completely unsurprised if they end up on top.
Penn State Last season: 9-21-5, 8-10-2 (fourth). Lost to RIT in the opening round of the CHA tournament.
Names to know Jeff Kampersal: The new coach comes to Happy Valley after a long stint with Princeton. I expect his hiring to be a sign of improvement and increased buy-in at Penn State. The Nittany Lions were inconsistent, but showed promise last season, and the addition of Kampersal is only going to help. Brooke Madsen: She was a 2016-17 All-Rookie selection in the CHA and is the highest returning scorer. She’s got a lot to take on as a sophomore, and she needs to find a way to lead the offense.
“We are excited about the upcoming season and playing top competition in the CHA and nationally. The Nittany Lions are cohesive and committed to working hard in the weight room and on the ice. Our goal is to be a physically and mentally tough team that competes like crazy until the final buzzer sounds.” – Coach Jeff Kampersal.
Three questions
1. Can Kampersal have an immediate impact?
2. Can Penn State find consistency? They haven’t set themselves an easy path, opening the season at No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth and then hosting reigning national champions Clarkson two weeks later. They swept just two series last season. They have flashes of brilliance, but have to find a way to sustain it.
3. Who’s going to score? The Nittany Lions had eight players in double digits last season, but only three of them return this year.
Crystal Ball
I think Penn State is a program on the rise; it’s just unfortunate for them that the timing comes while other programs are stepping it up as well. I expect big things from them, but I don’t think this is the year. They finish fourth.
RIT Last season:7-27-2, 4-14-2 (fifth). Lost to Syracuse in the semifinals of the CHA tournament.
Names to know Kendall Cornine: She is the only player on this year’s roster that scored in the double digits last season. Stella Haberman and Kaleyn Johnson: They are two talented freshman I expect to make an impact early on. Haberman spent time in USA Hockey development camps, and Johnson has strong hockey sense that should help her adjust to the college game.
“We’re excited to get the season started and like the direction that we’re headed in. The team is eager to get back to its winning ways and understands we have to work harder on and train harder off the ice.” – Scott McDonald on the RIT website.
Three questions
1. Who’s going to step up? The Tigers have just two seniors this season, though they do have 17 returning players overall. With eight newcomers to bring up to speed, RIT has to have some leadership from sophomores and juniors in order to find success this season.
2. Who’s going to score? Just three players on last year’s roster tallied double-digit points, and two of those players are no longer on the roster. Cornine can’t do it on her own.
3. Can they win on the road? RIT has just five home games after the winter break. It’s going to be a tough enough season on it’s own, so they have to find a way to steal some road wins and build on that.
Crystal Ball
I’d really, really like to see RIT bounce back this season. They earned an NCAA bid in 2015. They had a young team last season, but they’ve got a year under their belt. Unfortunately for them, the conference just keeps improving. They finish fifth.
Robert Morris Last season: 24-5-6, 15-3-2 (first). Lost to Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Names to know Rebecca Gebhard, Brittany Howard and Amber Rennie: They were responsible for 42 percent of the team’s points last season and return to lead the reigning conference champions. Kirsten Welsh, Maggie LaGue, and Katherine Murphy: They were three of the top four scoring defenders in the league and helped Robert Morris have the no. 5 penalty kill unit in the country.
Three questions
1. Can the Colonials be solid in net? The graduation of Jessica Dodds leaves room for someone to step up, and RMU will need it if they are going to take the league.
2. Can they build on last season? After their NCAA loss to Wisconsin, coach Paul Colontino spoke of how much his team had grown and learned over the course of last season. Now that they’ve been there before, they need to prove they can sustain their success and build a perpetual contender.
3. Can they stay out of the penalty box? Robert Morris ended the season tied for second in penalty minutes. They now have the target on their back, and it’s a lot harder to stay on top; they can’t be giving their opponents so many extra-attacker opportunities.
Crystal Ball
Both Syracuse and Mercyhurst will be gunning for them, but the conference crown is theirs to lose. They have the experience, and they need to prove they can turn that into future and continued success.
Syracuse Last season: 16-13-5, 14-4-2 (second). Lost to Robert Morris in the CHA tournament final.
Names to know Allie Munroe: The junior defender is the reigning CHA Defender of the Year and she led all defenders in the CHA in scoring, averaging .69 points per game. Stephanie Grossi: The senior led the team in goals, points, and shots and tied for the lead in assists. Syracuse has to score more, and Grossi is their main playmaker. Abbey Miller: The senior was a top-10 goalie in the league last year, and the Orange defense allowed just 1.74 goals per game.
“We’re counting on our senior class to carry us in the early going with Grossi and Burriss up front, Quinn and Derrer on the blue line, and Miller in goal. Given time, we expect our seven freshmen to help fill the void from last year’s graduating class and our returning underclassmen to step into primary roles.” – Coach Paul Flanagan
Three questions
1. Can they take it to the next level? They were picked second in the coaches’ preseason poll, and since joining the CHA in 2008, they’ve played in six CHA Championship games, including three consecutive appearances since 2014, but they’ve yet to break through to the top spot.
2. Can they start strong? They struggled to get series sweeps at the beginning of the season, but swept four of the final six weekends, all of which were against conference opponents. They can’t afford a slow start if they want to keep up with RMU.
3. Who else is going to score? Grossi can’t do it on her own, but she took almost twice the shots as the other double-digit scorers on the team last season. Defense is definitely Syracuse’s strong suit, but they need to find more goals to really move ahead.
Crystal Ball
Robert Morris returns almost their whole team, including their top line. I don’t see how the Orange can overtake that. They finish second.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The purpose of the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game is to showcase young talent in the draft year for the NHL scouts.
To be selected to this game is an honor.
Knowing your school is getting one of these players is exciting.
Denver will be awaiting the arrival of defenseman Slava Demin, most likely in the fall of 2019.
Demin got an assist on the second goal for Team (Brian) Leetch in their 6-5 victory over Team (Chris) Chelios at the KeyBank Center Thursday night.
It was the type of assist every team loves to see their defenseman perform.
First, Demin picked up a poor clearing pass at the left point. He moved in, surveying the situation. Patiently, he realized he didn’t have a shot, so he dished it off to Ryan Savage (Miami commit) to the right down low. Savage easily redirected it past goaltender Drew DeRidder (Michigan State commit).
“The puck was coming down the slot and I came down and kept my head up,” Demin said. “I saw the net, saw the guys were in the way, and then I saw a wide-open stick, so I just tried to move it to the wide-open guy and just try to get a goal for our team. I saw the open guy and made the pass.”
That one play essentially describes what Denver was looking for when they recruited Demin — a good skating, puck moving defenseman with some offense in his game.
Demin was born in Cypress, Calif., and played his youth hockey mostly for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. He then moved northward to play junior hockey for the Wenatchee Wild, located well over two hours east of Seattle, Wash. The team plays in the British Columbia Hockey League.
He went there as a 16-year-old, the youngest player on the team (everybody else was born before 2000), and more than held his own. In 53 games last season, he registered five goals (four of them on the power play) and 22 assists for 27 points. He also added a goal and four assists in 10 playoff games.
Taking a break from the tough grind of junior hockey was a welcomed pleasure for Demin.
“It was a great experience,” Demin said of the Prospects game. “Just getting to play with some of the top players in the age group for the upcoming draft, you can measure yourself against the top players in the country. It’s a good way to kick off the season.”
Demin will be concentrating on his second season at Wenatchee before worrying about Denver.
“Right now, I’m focused on just my game and trying to get better,” said Demin. “Hopefully, to make sure when I come in there, I can be a good player and a positive player for them. I’m really excited to go there. A great coaching staff.”
Entered junior hockey younger than any player on his team.
Skilled enough to be selected to the Prospects game.
Already committed to Denver.
Demin has a very bright future awaiting him.
“When Denver saw me, they thought I played a really good game,” explained Demin. “I moved pucks well, used my skating and abilities, and was just a positive player all over the ice.”
