UMass scored a pair of overtime wins over the weekend with Ryan Ufko netting the winner in both games (photo: UMass Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll of Feb. 26 fared in games over the weekend of March 1-2.
No. 1 Boston College (27-5-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 1 Boston College 5 at No. 17 New Hampshire 3
03/03/2024 – No. 17 New Hampshire 0 at No. 1 Boston College 1
No. 2 Boston University (22-8-2)
Did not play.
No. 3 North Dakota (24-8-2)
03/01/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 3 at No. 3 North Dakota 5
03/02/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 0 at No. 3 North Dakota 3
No. 4 Wisconsin (25-9-2)
03/01/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 5 at No. 4 Wisconsin 2
03/02/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 1 at No. 4 Wisconsin 4
No. 5 Denver (23-8-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
03/02/2024 – No. 5 Denver 7 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
No. 6 Michigan State (22-9-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 5 at No. 4 Wisconsin 2
03/02/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 1 at No. 4 Wisconsin 4
No. 7 Quinnipiac (24-8-2)
03/01/2024 – RV Clarkson 3 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)
03/02/2024 – St. Lawrence 1 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 8
No. 11 Colorado College (19-10-3)
03/01/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 2 at No. 11 Colorado College 2 (OT)
03/02/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 11 Colorado College 4
No. 12 Western Michigan (18-13-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 3 at No. 3 North Dakota 5
03/02/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 0 at No. 3 North Dakota 3
No. 13 Cornell (17-6-6)
03/01/2024 – Union 3 at No. 13 Cornell 2
03/02/2024 – Rensselaer 1 at No. 13 Cornell 3
No. 17 New Hampshire (17-14-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 1 Boston College 5 at No. 17 New Hampshire 3
03/03/2024 – No. 17 New Hampshire 0 at No. 1 Boston College 1
The Gustavus Adolphus women’s team celebrates its 2023 national championship win in Amherst, Mass. (photo: Gustavus Adolphus Athletics).
Eleven teams were selected to the NCAA Division III women’s hockey tournament after the field was announced Sunday night on NCAA.com.
Of the 11 teams, six teams will play in the first round and the remaining five will enter at the quarterfinal stage.
Seven teams qualify by earning an automatic bid as conference champions (CCC/Western New England, MIAC/Gustavus Adolphus, NCHA/Adrian, NEHC/Elmira, NESCAC/Middlebury, SUNYAC/Cortland, UCHC/Nazareth), while the remaining entrants (Amherst, Hamilton, Plattsburgh, Wisconsin-River Falls) were selected as at-large teams.
Teams from the same conference will not be paired to play each other in the first contest.
First-round games will be played on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. EDT (Hamilton-Nazareth, Middlebury-Western New England, Cortland-Elmira), quarterfinal games will be played on Saturday, March 9 at 3 p.m. EDT (Wisconsin-River Falls vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Adrian vs. Hamilton-Nazareth winner, Plattsburgh vs. Middlebury-Western New England winner, Amherst vs. Cortland-Elmira winner), and semifinal games will be played on Friday, March 15 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT, hosted by the highest-ranking semifinalist.
The championship game is scheduled to be played on Sunday, March 17 at 3 p.m. EDT, hosted by the highest-ranking semifinalist.
Gustavus Adolphus is the defending national champion after defeating Amherst 2-1 in triple-overtime to cap off an excellent 27-3-0 season and win its first-ever national championship in program history.
Beginning in 2002, the D-III women’s hockey tournament has been held every year except for 2020 and 2021, seasons that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plattsburgh has won a record seven championships, followed by Middlebury with four.
St. Olaf won the MIAC title for the second time in three years. (Photo provided by St. Olaf Athletics)
‘We are the champions.’
Those four words are what St. Olaf, St. Norbert and UW-Stevens Point could say proudly after their respective conference tournament championship games Saturday night.
Two teams won the title as underdogs, with the Oles winning the MIAC crown over nationally ranked Bethel as the fifth seed and the No. 2 seed Green Knights going into Adrian and knocking off the top-seeded and reigning NCHA Harris Cup champs in a battle of nationally ranked teams.
Then there was UW-Stevens Point, which held serve as the No. 1 seed and claimed the WIAC crown.
All three champions are bound for the NCAA tournament, which begins Saturday with the opening round of action.
Road warriors win again
St. Olaf has made it a habit of winning the MIAC championship on the road. It’s what the Oles did two years ago when they went into Augsburg and won the title.
This time, they played at Bethel, facing off against the No. 15 team in the USCHO.com poll Saturday, and they owned the night in a 4-1 win.
St. Olaf lost twice and tied the second-seeded Royals once in the regular season but won the only game that really mattered on their way to their third title in program history.
Try Bowditch, Sean Walsh, Kelijah McElroy and Matthew Pointer all scored for the Oles (14-11-3) while Thomas Lalonde won his 10th game of the year on the strength of a 27-save effort. Bowditch also tallied an assist in the victory.
The goal the Royals (18-6-3) scored was the first given up in the MIAC tournament by St. Olaf, which outscored its three opponents 11-1, all three games coming on the road.
Speaking of the road, it seems to be where St. Olaf thrives best in the playoffs. They are 7-1 away from home in the MIAC tourney over the last three years, their latest win not only delivering a championship but also spoiling a remarkable season by the Royals, who were hosting a conference final for the first time since 2007.
Lalonde went more than 200 minutes in goal without giving a score up, a stretch dating back to Feb. 17, before Joe Westlund tallied the lone goal of the night for Bethel in the second period.
St. Olaf led 2-1 after two periods of play and added two more goals in the third, including an empty netter by Pointer with just over a minute left in regulation.
The Oles will take a four-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament and look to keep this season going on the national stage.
Green Knights end title drought
The last time St. Norbert hoisted the Harris Cup it was 2019. The wait for another crown ended Saturday night as the Green Knights upset No. 1 seed Adrian on the road by a 3-1 score to win the NCHA tournament.
The title marks the 16th in program history for the eighth-ranked team in the country and gives second-seeded St. Norbert an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney for the 21st time, including the first since 2022.
The Green Knights are headed their having won seven in a row and 12 of their last 13 overall.
It was 1-0 after a goal by Curtis Hammond in the opening period. It was the fifth goal of the season for Hammond.
Adam Stacho then found the back of the net for the 19th time this season as the Green Knights extended their advantage to 2-0 over the No. 3 Bulldogs at the 3:54 mark of the second.
Jaden Shields cut the lead in half a little less than five minutes later but St. Norbert pushed its lead back to two on a goal by Carter Hottmann, the sixth of the season for him.
Hottmann and Stacho both added an assist to their stat lines while Hunter Garvey racked up 35 saves on his way to being named MVP of the tournament. He came up with a clutch save in the final minute of action to help the Green Knights seal the deal on the win.
Logan Dombrowsky, in the midst of a stellar freshman season, dished out a pair of assists.
Adrian held a 36-25 advantage in shots, including a 12-5 edge in the third. The Bulldogs’ goalie, Dershawn Stewart, made 22 saves.
St. Norbert (22-6) scored twice off the power play. Adrian (22-6-1) came up empty on all three of its chances.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs could still make it to the postseason and they’ll learn their fate on Monday morning when the field is announced.
Pointers are champs again
For the fifth time in program history, UW-Stevens Point is the champion of the WIAC.
The title is the second in a row for the No. 6 Pointers, who dominated rival UW-Eau Claire in a 5-1 victory Saturday.
The tone was set early by the top-seeded Pointers (21-5-2). Just over five minutes into the action, Sean Bunting scored. Noah Finstrom made it 2-0 less than a minute later and David Hill pushed the lead to 3-0 after one period of action against the Blugolds (17-9-2).
UW-Stevens Point added two more goals in the second and UW-Eau Claire score its only goal in the period.
Bunting ended up scoring twice in the game and also dished out an assist on Fletcher Anderson’s goal, which capped the scoring.
Alex Proctor got the job done in goal, making 41 saves. He also came through with an assist on Bunting’s second goal, getting him the puck on a breakaway opportunity. The Pointers have scored four or more goals in four consecutive games and are now 13-1-2 at home.
Max Gutjahr racked up 20 saves for the Blugolds.
Kyler Grundy scored UW-Eau Claire’s lone goal on a power-play opportunity. UW-Eau Claire went 0-4 against UW-Stevens Point this season.
North Dakota celebrates its sixth Penrose Cup championship after shutting out Western Michigan on home ice Saturday night (photo: Russell Hons).
Ludvig Persson stopped all 35 shots fired his way to help No. 3 North Dakota defeat No. 12 Western Michigan 3-0 and capture the Penrose Cup for the sixth time in program history on Saturday night from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
UND wins its 21st conference crown in program history and league-leading sixth Penrose Cup in 11 years. The Fighting Hawks have won four of the last five league titles.
Persson shined between the pipes once again to register his NCHC-leading fifth shutout of the season, stopping all 27 shots fired his way over the final 40 minutes to earn his 21st win of the season.
North Dakota jumped out to an early lead on a breakaway goal as Louis Jamernik V got sprung on a great feed from Dylan James to give the Fighting Hawks a 1-0 UND lead just over four minutes into the game.
UND held strong through the opening 40 minutes, carrying the 1-0 lead into the final period before Jackson Blake put his mark on the contest with a highlight-reel goal to extend the advantage to 2-0 with just over 13 minutes to play.
Owen McLaughlin put the finishing touches on the victory, dancing around Western Michigan goaltender Cameron Rowe and tucking it home on the breakaway to seal the 3-0 win.
Michigan’s Seamus Casey scored the game’s first goal and then the last 1:31 into overtime on a power play as the Wolverines defeated Minnesota 6-5 Saturday night from 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn.
Casey also had an assist for a three-point game, while Gavin Brindley had two goals and two assists and Rutger McGroarty a goal and two assists to back Noah West’s 23 saves in goal.
Dylan Duke added three assists and Mark Estapa also scored for the Wolverines.
For the Gophers, Jaxon Nelson had two goals and an assist, Brody Lamb and Luke Mittelstadt a goal and an assist each, and Aaron Huglen a goal.
Justen Close and Nathan Airey combined to make 26 saves between the pipes.
No. 5 Denver 7, No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
Denver used six different goal scorers and was led by a 36-save performance from goaltender Matt Davis to earn a 7-2 victory and weekend sweep of St. Cloud State at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
Denver won its season-high fourth straight road contest and earned its first road sweep of SCSU in more than 16 years. The last time DU won both games in St. Cloud was Dec. 7-8, 2007 when it had a pair of 3-2 victories.
McKade Webster, Sean Behrens, Jack Devine, Tristan Lemyre, Aidan Thompson and Alex Weiermair all scored for the Pioneers.
Alex Weiermiar shows off the skill to extend DU's lead to 6-0.
It is the 12th time this year that Pioneers have scored six or more goals in a game. pic.twitter.com/g4lU5OUVxK
Tristan Broz led Denver with three assists, Devine had two goals on the evening, Thompson and Weiermair each added an assist to their scores, and Zeev Buium registered a pair of helpers.
St. Cloud outshot Denver 10-5 in the period, but the Pioneers had the 1-0 lead at the break as Thompson scored an unassisted goal with 20.9 seconds left in the period during a 2-on-1 rush after forcing a turnover in his own end.
Mason Salquist ended Davis’ shutout at 13:48 of the third period and Veeti Miettinen also scored for the Huskies with 2:07 left.
St. Cloud State netminder Isak Posch finished with 16 saves.
No. 9 Maine 3, Vermont 2
Maine earned a 3-2 win at Vermont on Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.
Midway through the third period, Ben Poisson potted the game-winning power-play goal.
— Maine Men’s Ice Hockey (@MaineIceHockey) March 3, 2024
Nicholas Niemo put the Black Bears up 1-0 just over seven minutes into the contest before the Catamounts’ Joel Maatta tied it before the break. A Harrison Scott short-handed goal early in the middle frame was than answered by a Vermont power-play tally from Timofei Spitserov for a 2-2 game after two periods.
Albin Boija made 14 saves for the win, while Gabe Carriere collected 22 stops for Vermont.
No. 7 Quinnipiac 8, St. Lawrence 1
Sam Lipkin scored twice and Charles-Alexis Legault and Collin Graf each had a goal and two assists to lead Quinnipiac to an 8-1 win over St. Lawrence from the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.
Cooper Moore chipped in three assists and Vinny Duplessis made 24 saves befre giving way to Noah Altman and Matej Marinov, who played the final 8:51 but did not face any shots.
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) March 3, 2024
Christophe Tellier posted a goal and an assist and Iivari Räsänen, Travis Treloar and Andon Cerbone also scored.
For the Saints, Mason Waite scored and Mason Kucenski made 28 saves.
No. 4 Wisconsin 4, No. 6 Michigan State 1
Carson Bantle and Sawyer Scholl each scored twice to lead Wisconsin to a 4-1 win over Michigan State Saturday night from the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Kyle McClellan made 28 saves in net for the Badgers.
Karsen Dorwart scored for the Spartans and goalie Trey Augustine finished with 36 saves.
Atlantic Hockey Tournament – First Round
Canisius 5, Mercyhurst 2
Stefano Bottini, Kyle Haskins and Powell Connor all had a goal and an assist and David Fessenden made 22 saves for Canisius in the 5-2 win at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y.
With the win, Canisius coach Trevor Large becomes just the third coach in program history to reach 100 victories.
Niagara 4, Army West Point 1
Noah Carlin registered a goal and an assist for the Purple Eagles, while Jarrett Fiske made 42 saves between the pipes in a 4-1 win from Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, N.Y.
— Niagara University Men's Hockey (@NiagaraMHKY) March 3, 2024
Robert Morris 4, Bentley 3 (OT)
Cameron Garvey was the overtime hero, scoring at 19:49 of extra time to lift Robert Morris to a 4-3 win at the Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass.
Logan Bateman starred in goal this season for Albertus Magnus (photo: Albertus Magnus Athletics).
Albertus Magnus goaltender Logan Bateman has been named men’s hockey Division III independent player of the year, Anna Maria’s Matthew Hennessey rookie of the year, and Albertus Magnus’ Kyle Wallack co-coach of the year with Anna Maria’s Dave McCauley.
Bateman had a stellar year in net, going 14-8-0 with 570 saves, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He also notched two shutouts on the season in wins over Nichols and Neumann.
Hennessey went 10-5-0 in goal for Anna Maria along with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.
Wallack earned his honor for the second straight season, guiding the Falcons to a 16-9 record, including a 2-1 win over Salve Regina in overtime on Nov. 14. Over the last three seasons, Wallack has compiled a 49-24-2 record leading the Falcons.
McCauley led Anna Maria to a 15-9-1 record this season.
1st Team
F, Braeden McKinnon Anna Maria
F, Sam Anderson Albertus Magnus
F, Evan Pringle Canton
D, Derek Raposo Anna Maria
D, Harley Michaels Albertus Magnus
G, Logan Bateman Albertus Magnus
2nd Team
F, Tyler Ignazzitto Albertus Magnus
F, Guillaume Coulombe Anna Maria
F, Damon Kiyawasew Rivier
D, Tyler Duderstadt Rivier
D, Scott Cremen Canton
G, Matthew Hennessey Anna Maria
All-Rookie Team
F, Damon Kiyawasew Rivier
F, Liam Hennessy Rivier
F, Nico Schoner Canton
D, Will Lavigne Albertus Magnus
D, Eric Chamandy Albertus Magnus
G, Matthew Hennessey Anna Maria
Artem Buzoverya has garnered the points this season for Hobart (photo: Kevin Colton).
The NEHC men’s division has announced the recipients of the league’s major award winners, all-conference and all-rookie teams as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Hobart’s Artem Buzoverya was named NEHC player of the year after finishing conference play with five goals and 18 assists for 23 points. His 18 assists ranked second in the league and his 23 points ranked third in NEHC action. Two of his five tallies were game winners. Buzoverya’s 34 points overall helped Hobart lead the country in scoring offense with a 5.40 goals per game average. The senior forward also registered an impressive plus-26 plus/minus in NEHC play, helping to lead the Statesmen to a 16-1-1 conference record.
Skidmore’s Tate Brandon garnered NEHC goaltender of the year accolades after his impressive senior campaign. The Thoroughbred netminder led the NEHC in wins (12), posting a conference record of 12-3-1. Brandon also ranked first in saves with 400 while collecting three shutouts during NEHC action.
Hobart’s Bauer Morrissey was selected as NEHC rookie of the year after leading all NEHC defensemen in both conference points (21) and conference assists (17). His 23 total assists led all freshman defensemen in the nation and his .90 assists per game ranks 9th among all players in Division III. Morrissey helped anchor a blueline that led the country in defense, allowing just .96 goals per game.
The Statesmen’s Mark Taylor was voted NEHC coach of the year by his peers for the third straight season after guiding the program to a 16-1-1 conference record and the No. 1 seed heading into the NEHC postseason. Overall, the Statesmen are 22-2-1 and lead both the NEHC and the nation in winning percentage, goals per game, goals against average, scoring margin and penalty kill percentage, among several other categories. The Statemen finished the regular season ranked first in the national polls and will look to defend their 2022-23 national title.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Tanner Hartman, Hobart
Forward, Ignat Belov, Hobart
Forward, Artem Buzoverya, Hobart
Defense, Danny Magnuson, Skidmore
Defense, Colby Bailey, Babson
Goaltender, Tate Brandon, Skidmore
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Kaeden Patrick, Skidmore
Forward, Nicholas Domitrovic, Elmira
Forward, Shawn Kennedy, Elmira
Defense, Jordan Gonzalez, Elmira
Defense, Kevin Sadovski, UMass Boston
Goaltender, Damon Beaver, Hobart
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Luke Aquaro, Hobart
Forward, Andrew Stefura, VTSU Castleton
Forward, Clark Kerner, Norwich
Defense, Jared Patterson, Hobart
Defense, Matthieu Wuth, Hobart
Goaltender, Sami Molu, Norwich
Goaltender, Bryce Walcarius, Norwich
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forward, Chris Duclair, Hobart
Forward, Owen Sclisizzi, Norwich
Forward, Matt Sullivan, Southern Maine
Defense, Bauer Morrissey, Hobart
Defense, Cooper Betrand, Norwich
Goaltender, Bryce Walcarius, Norwich
Trinity’s Devon Bobak has been a wall in net this season for the Bantams (photo: Trinity Athletics).
The NESCAC announced its men’s hockey awards for the 2023-24 season.
Trinity netminder Devon Bobak was selected as the NESCAC player of the year by the conference coaches. Bobak is the fifth Bantam to garner the honor and third in four seasons. Bobak anchors a defensive unit that has allowed the fewest goals this season in the NESCAC (32). The sophomore owns the best goals-against average (1.26) and top save percentage (.939) among the NESCAC goaltenders.
Trinity stands at 21-3-1 and will host the remaining rounds of the NESCAC tournament on March 2-3. The Bantams are making their sixth semifinal appearance in seven tournaments.
Fellow Bantam Ned Blanchard is the inaugural winner of the NESCAC defensive player of the year award which was established this season. The senior is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 17 points on two goals and a team-leading 15 assists. Blanchard has 13 blocked shots and owns a plus-27 rating heading into the semifinal matchup versus Middlebury.
Hamilton’s Luke Tchor was voted as the NESCAC rookie of the year. Tchor has played in 25 games and leads the NESCAC in points (34) and in assists (21) and ranks third in the conference in goals scored (13). The newcomer is second straight Hamilton player to garner the NESCAC rookie of the year honor and the fourth overall.
The Continentals own a 17-7-1 record as they make their fifth semifinal appearance in seven tournaments.
Trinity’s Matthew Greason was voted as the NESCAC coach of the year by his peers. Greason garners the honor for the second time in his 13th season behind the Bantams’ bench. As the leader of the Bantams, Greason entered the season with a career record of 223-77-21 and his 223 victories are the most among active Division III coaches with 12 or fewer seasons. Greason also ranks seventh among the active coaches in winning percentage (.727).
The conference also announced its all-NESCAC teams.
All-NESCAC First Team
F – Richard Boysen, Trinity, Jr.
F – Tyler Sedlak, Tufts, Jr.
F – Luke Tchor, Hamilton, Fy.
F – Ryan Tucker, Amherst, Sr.
D – Ned Blanchard, Trinity, Sr.
D – John Campomenosi, Trinity, Sr.
D – James Philpott, Hamilton, Jr.
G – Devon Bobak, Trinity, So.
All-NESCAC Second Team
F – Bryce Bollman, Bowdoin, Fy.
F – Jin Lee, Middlebury, Jr.
F – Max Resnick, Tufts, So.
F – Kyle Tomaso, Trinity, Sr.
D – Isaac Abbott, Bowdoin, Fy.
D – Sam Miller, Tufts, Sr.
D – Jack Sullivan, Colby, Sr.
G – Alex Kozic, Bowdoin, Sr.
Ronny Paragallo has been an offensive catalyst this season for Assumption (photo: Julia Jacobsen).
Assumption junior forward Ronny Paragallo has been selected as the Northeast-10 player of the year.
It is the first time that an Assumption player has won NE10 player of the year since Cam Laughlin in the 2017-18 season.
Assumption – the NE10 regular-season champion – had three other major award winners to join Paragallo, as John Woernle was named co-defensive player of the year, Jonathan Surrette won rookie of the year and Michael Looney earned the Lance “Duke” Brady coach of the year honor.
Saint Michael’s David Ciancio was co-defensive player of the year and Saint Anselm’s Cam Carroll was voted goaltender of the year.
The league also announced two all-conference teams and an all-rookie team.
Paragallo tallied 23 goals and 44 points in 30 games this season for Assumption, which is the fifth-most goals and points by an NE10 player in a single season. He added 21 assists to his statsheet, as well as a plus-19 ice rating – the highest among all conference players. Paragallo helped Assumption to a 16-4 conference record (45 points) and the top seed in the NE10 championship.
Woernle and Ciancio become the first co-defensive players of the year in league history. Woernle accounted for 23 points – including a league-best 21 assists – in 30 games for Assumption, while contributing to the Greyhounds having the stingiest defense in the NE10 with a league-low 2.79 goals-against average. Ciancio tallied 19 points this season (eight goals and 11 assists) for Saint Michael’s, which was the fourth-most among NE10 defensemen. A junior captain, Ciancio led a backline for the Purple Knights that posted a 3.31 goals-against average and 82.2% penalty kill.
Carroll, a freshman goaltender, is the second Saint Anselm player to win NE10 goaltender of the year in the past three seasons, as Nick Howard won the award in 2021-22. He becomes the first rookie to win goaltender of the year since Saint Anselm’s Robert Kang in the 2010-11 season. He started 23 games for the Hawks, including 17 in NE10 play, and he posted a 2.77 goals-against average and .918 save percentage versus conference opponents. Carroll led all NE10 goalies with 737 saves, including five games with 40 or more saves.
Surrette was the unanimous choice for rookie of the year, as he recorded 32 points (21 goals, 11 assists) – the most by a freshman player since Saint Anselm’s Tucker Mullin in the 2009-10 season. He ranked second in the conference in goals, points and plus/minus rating (plus-18). Surrette logged six game-winning goals for the Greyhounds, who won the NE10 regular-season title.
It is Looney’s first time winning the Lance “Duke” Brady Coach of the Year award following a remarkable season for Assumption (23-7, 16-4 NE10), which won the NE10 regular-season title, claimed the top seed in the NE10 championship and will host the final this Saturday against Southern New Hampshire. Looney is the first Assumption coach to win coach of the year since Lance “Duke” Brady won it himself in the 2017-18 season. Brady passed away in February of 2019 and the award was named after him.
FIRST TEAM
F: Ronny Paragallo, Assumption
F: Matt Horan, Franklin Pierce
F: Brennan McFarland, Saint Michael’s
D: John Woernle, Assumption
D: David Ciancio, Saint Michael’s
G: Cam Carroll, Saint Anselm
SECOND TEAM
F: Shane Sullivan, Assumption
F: Hunter Brackett, Saint Anselm
F: Zach Taylor, Saint Michael’s
D: Ryan Cardow, Post
D: Luke Mix, Saint Anselm
D: Case Kantgias, Saint Michael’s
G: Thomas McLarnon, Assumption
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Leo Piandes, Assumption
Jonathan Surrette, Assumption
Todd Branish, Franklin Pierce
Cameron Craig, Post
Parker Norling, Post
Cam Carroll, Saint Anselm
Patrick DeMarinis, Saint Anselm
Ty Bloom, Saint Michael’s
Collin Berke, SNHU
St. Olaf goalie Thomas Lalonde has played a key role in the Oles’ success. (Photo provided by St. Olaf Athletics)
Forget about the two shutouts in the MIAC tournament, the nine wins or the 2.05 goals against average.
All are impressive, but St. Olaf goalie Thomas Lalonde deflects credit for his success the way he knocks away a puck during an action-packed game.
“I really believe my team deserves the credit,” Lalonde said. “We’ve worked really hard to have success in the postseason, and the team makes the job of a goalie easier night after night. And it extends to the coaching. This group works hard and deserves credit, too.”
Lalonde, who has shared goaltending duties this season with fellow talented goalie Lukas Haugen, said everyone on the ice plays a role in making he and Haugen look good.
He talks about the defense and its ability to keep opposing players on the outside, and credits the forwards for their ability to bring the puck out and help limit scoring chances. Lalonde also points to the time spent in practice working on striking that right balance between offense and defense.
“It’s a whole team effort,” Lalonde said.
Lalonde has started 14 games for the Oles (13-11-3) and it’s not necessarily anything he’s done on the ice that has helped him have success. A lot of it comes down to something that simply does not show up on the stat sheet.
“I’m focused on having as much fun as possible, and all of us on the team have bought into that,” Lalonde said. “I’m trying to enjoy every minute because it’s going to come to an end for all of us one day. I’m remembering to have fun playing hockey and that’s a big factor in playing well and having a great season.”
St. Olaf has had a great season. The fifth-seeded Oles play second-seeded Bethel for the MIAC championship tonight. The Royals (18-5-3) are hosting the game for the first time since 2007 and are ranked 15th in the country.
It’s the second time in three seasons that St. Olaf is in the final. And just like in 2022, the Oles will have to win on the road to be champs and punch a ticket to the NCAA tournament.
The magnitude of the moment isn’t lost on Lalonde.
“Our goal all year was to give ourselves a chance to play a game for a conference championship. We aren’t taking it for granted,” Lalonde said. “We know how hard it is to get here and Bethel deserves to be here as much as we do. We recognize the moment is special and recognize we still have a lot of wood to chop to win a championship.”
Lalonde is from Canada and played his high school hockey in Minnesota. He fell in love with playing goalie the first chance he had to put on gear as a youth player.
“When you are 5 or 6, there is no automatic goalie. Everyone gets a turn,” Lalonde said. “I was a forward most of the year, but when it was my turn to be the goalie, I remember wearing the equipment around the house the night before and it looked cool. I won my first game 10-1, and I remember loving every minute of it. I’ve been a goalie ever since.”
It’s a position he enjoys because of everything that comes with playing it.
“Its one of hardest positions to play in all of sports,” Lalonde said. “I love the chaos during the game and you feel a real thrill every game. It’s not easy making saves and there is never a dull moment.”
This St. Olaf team is in the MIAC final, in part, because of the experience it has. Lalonde was part of a talented freshmen class that came in two seasons ago and has stuck together.
Connor Kalthoff, the points leader with six goals and 14 assists, is one of those juniors. Cody Sherman, who ranks second in points with seven goals and 12 assists, is also a junior. Jonathan Young, another junior, leads the team in goals scored (10) and ranks sixth in points (14).
But the Oles also have great senior leadership from players like Jonathan Panisa (5 goals, 11 assists), Troy Bowditch (7 goals, 8 assists) and Noah Heisler (1 goal, 14 assists).
“We are a veteran group and the experience factor is really key this time around,” Lalonde said. “We feel like a well-rounded complete team, and even though we have been here before, we are as hungry as ever.”
And that’s the thing about Lalonde and the Oles. They aren’t satisfied with having experienced being a champion before.
“It was an amazing experience two years ago, but that can’t be the end of our goals. It has to be the beginning of something special,” Lalonde said. “Our hunger to achieve it again is what keeps us going. And the hunger to win it for the new guys is what inspires us to work hard and give everything we have night in and night out.”
Bemidji State players celebrate their 6-0 win over Minnesota State that gave the Beavers the 2024 MacNaughton Cup title (photo: BSU Photo Services).
Bemidji State has won the MacNaughton Cup outright as CCHA regular-season champions after a 6-0 shutout of Minnesota State Friday night at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
Jackson Jutting posted two goals and two assists and goaltender Mattias Sholl stopped all 28 shots fired his way.
— Bemidji State Men’s Hockey (@BSUBeaversMHKY) March 2, 2024
Kasper Magnussen added a goal and an assist, while Adam Flammang, Eric Martin and Donte Lawson also scored. Austin Jouppi and Rhys Chiddenton had two assists each.
Mavericks goalies Alex Tracy and Keenan Rancier combined on a 30-save effort.
Michigan State is the Big Ten regular-season champion for the first time after a 5-2 win Friday night over Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., at the Kohl Center.
Jeremy Davidson scored twice for the Spartans, while Reed Lebster added a goal and two assists.
Cutter Gauthier scored twice with an assist, Ryan Leonard popped two goals, and Jamie Armstrong also scored. Will Smith chipped in three assists for the Eagles.
For UNH, Nikolai Jenson, Kristaps Skrastins and Colton Huard scored and Alex Gagne posted a pair of assists.
Jacob Fowler totaled 28 saves in the win for BC, while Jakob Hellsten made 18 saves for the Wildcats.
No. 3 North Dakota 5, No. 12 Western Michigan 3
Five different players scored in North Dakota’s 5-3 win over Western Michigan Friday night from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
Carson Albrecht, Cameron Berg, Owen McLaughlin, Jackson Kunz and Louis Jamernik V scored for the Fighting Hawks and Jackson Blake put up two assists.
For the Broncos, Matteo Costantini had a goal and an assist and Samuel Sjolund and Daniel Hilsendager scored single goals.
Ludvig Persson made 34 saves for the win in goal, while Cameron Rowe notched 12 for WMU.
Clarkson 3, No. 7 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)
Mathieu Gosselin scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime as Clarkson defeated Quinnipiac 3-2 from the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.
Gosselin added an assist for a two-point game, while Tristan Sarsland and Erik Bargholtz recorded goals for the Golden Knights.
🚨GOSSELIN🚨
Ayrton Martino set up Mathieu Gosselin to give the Golden Knights the win here tonight over number seven Quinnipiac in overtime! #letsgotechpic.twitter.com/lBFobPTAKJ
— Clarkson Men’s Hockey (@ClarksonMHockey) March 2, 2024
Cooper Moore and Zach Tupker scored for the Bobcats.
Austin Roden stopped 23 shots in goal for Clarkson and Vinny Duplessis made 26 saves for Quinnipiac.
No. 5 Denver 6, No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
Sam Harris scored two goals to lift Denver past St. Cloud State Friday night from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
Rieger Lorenz, Miko Matikka and Kieran Cebrian each went for a goal and an assist and Jared Wright also scored for the Pioneers.
Matt Davis earned the win in goal with a 32-save performance.
For the Huskies, Tyson Gross had a goal and an assist, Adam Ingram scored, and Dominic Basse and Isak Posch combined to stop 21 shots between the pipes.
No. 8 Minnesota 6, No. 16 Michigan 2
Jaxon Nelson had a hat trick and Oliver Moore scored two goals as Minnesota downed Michigan 6-2 from 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday night.
Luke Mittelstadt added a goal for the Gophers and Bryce Brodzinski tallied three assists.
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 2, 2024
Garrett Schifsky and Rutger McGroarty scored for the Wolverines, with Jake Barczewski and Noah West combining to stop 23 shots.
Justen Close made 19 saves in goal for the Gophers.
Vermont 2, No. 9 Maine 1
Chris Theodore’s goal at 11:46 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and Vermont held on the rest of the way for a 2-1 win Friday night over Maine from the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.
Isak Walther netted the other Catamounts goal and Gabe Carriere made 31 saves in goal.
Harrison Scott scored for Maine and goalie Albin Boija stopped 17 shots in his net.
Merrimack 2, No. 10 Providence 1
Mac Welsher and Marc Citara each posted a goal and an assist to lead Merrimack to a 2-1 over Providence Friday night from Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass.
Shane Bull went for 22 goals and 42 points this season for Oswego (photo: Oswego Athletics).
The SUNYAC has announced the 2024 men’s hockey top awards which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
The Herb Hammond Player of the Year is Oswego’s Shane Bull.
Bull led the league in goals and points with 17 goals and 29 points in conference play and 22 goals and 42 points overall. He was also first in the league with a plus-21 in SUNYAC play and is second with a plus-23 overall. Bull had two hat tricks, one when he scored a season-high four goals in a win vs. Brockport on Feb. 2. Bull helped lead his team to a No. 2 seed going into post season, but the Lakers lost to No. 3 Plattsburgh in overtime, 3-2, in the semifinal game. Oswego ended the season 16-9-1.
Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III Coach of the Year. From 1983-88, Hammond coached at Brown before leaving coaching to become a National Hockey League scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.
The defensive player of the year is Tristan Francis from Oswego. Francis helped the Lakers finish 12-4 in conference play to clinch the second seed and earn a bye into the semifinals. Francis started 14 of 26 games for Oswego and accumulated 17 blocks and 11 points with two goals and nine assists.
Geneseo’s Adam Harris has been named the goaltender of the year. Harris led the Knights to the No. 1 seed after regular season play. Over the 2023-24 season, he tied for No. 1 with nine conference wins (.900 win percentage) and was second with 12 overall victories (.800 win percentage) in goal. Harris had a goals-against average of 1.99 and a save percentage of .938 with 287 saves in league play. Overall, he stopped 425 shots for a .928 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average.
The rookie of the year is Tio D’Addario from Plattsburgh. D’Addario started 14 of 27 games so far in his first year with the Cardinals. He tallied 13 points in conference play with seven goals and six assists. Overall, he has 22 points with 10 goals and 12 assists. D’Addario has three game-winning goals and a plus-15 overall. He was also named the SUNYAC rookie of the week two times this season. Plattsburgh earned the No. 3 seed after regular-season conference play and won two games to advance to the final.
In addition, three all-conference teams and one all-rookie team have been announced.
First Team
Shane Bull, Oswego, F, Sr.
Tyler Flack, Oswego, F, Sr.
Bennett Stockdale, Plattsburgh, F, Sr.
Alex Wilkins, Geneseo, D, Gr.
Quinn Warmuth, Oswego, D, Gr.
Adam Harris, Geneseo, G, Jr.
Second Team
Nate Berke, Cortland, F, Sr.
Alex Dameski, Geneseo, F, So.
Peter Morgan, Geneseo, F, Jr.
Ryan Hogg, Plattsburgh, D, Gr.
Kevin Weaver-Vitale, Plattsburgh, D, Sr.
Jacob Hearne, Plattsburgh, G, Jr.
Third Team
Joe Glamos, Buffalo State, F, Jr.
Colby Seitz, Cortland, F, So.
Tyson Gilmour, Geneseo, F, Gr.
Johnny Facchini, Cortland, D, Jr.
Dakota Zarudny, Geneseo, D, So.
Cal Schell, Oswego, G, So.
2024 SUNYAC All-Rookie Team
Vadim Kiriakov, Buffalo State, F, Fr.
Luke Panchisin, Geneseo, F, Fr.
Jacob Torgner, Geneseo, G, Fr.
Sterling Wolters, Geneseo, D, Fr.
Tio D’Addario, Plattsburgh, F, Fr.
Lenny Perno, Potsdam, G, Fr.
Ty Outen had a phenomenal season between the pipes for Stevenson (photo: SKM Photography).
The UCHC has announced its 2023-24 men’s hockey award winners and all-conference teams.
The award winners were selected through a thorough survey of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Utica senior defenseman Brian Scoville was named both the 2023-24 UCHC player of the year and defensive player of the year. He becomes the first student-athlete in league history to sweep both awards in the same season. Scoville is currently second among all Division III defensemen with 30 points and 1.15 points per game. He has tallied nine goals and added 23 assists for 32 points in 28 games and has a plus-41 rating, which is among the best in the nation. Scoville has scored five power-play goals and added a pair of game-winning tallies. He excelled in league play recording seven goals and 20 assists in 20 UCHC contests. Overall, Scoville has tallied at least a point in 19 games and has six multiple-point outings.
Scoville is Utica’s fifth UCHC player of the year and the is fourth Pioneer to win UCHC defensive player of the year alongside 2018 All-American Dalton Carter, Daniel Fritz, and 2022 All-American and 2023 All-American Jayson Dobay.
Stevenson’s Ty Outen was named the UCHC goaltender of the year. Outen is in the midst of a tremendous season for the Mustangs, compiling an 19-5-1 mark, while recording a 1.77 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage to go along with four shutouts. Outen is fifth in the nation with 749 saves and seventh in save percentage. He has made at least 30 saves in 12 contests this season. Outen was a four-time UCHC goaltender of the week in 2023-24. It is the third straight season that a Stevenson goaltender earned this award.
Utica’s Eric Vitale was named the conference’s rookie of the year. Vitale has tallied 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists in 26 games played, while recording a plus-19 rating. He has two power-play goals on the year and has eight multiple-point games. Vitale, the UCHC rookie of the week on Feb. 5, has excelled over the last 10 games, registering eight goals and seven assists over that span, including his first collegiate hat trick on Feb. 2. Vitale is Utica’s third UCHC rookie of the year, joining Conor Landrigan (2017-18) and Brandon Osmundson (2019-20).
Utica head coach Gary Heenan was named the conference’s coach of the year by his peers for the third consecutive season and fourth time overall. Heenan has led the Pioneers to the No. 2 ranking in the USCHO.com Division III national poll, a current record of 22-3-2 and a 19-0-1 record in conference play (58 of 60 possible points) for a team that won the UCHC regular-season title for a seventh straight year. Utica, who is riding a 16-game winning streak, has advanced to the conference championship game for the sixth time in seven seasons.
First Team All-UCHC
Forward: Logan vande Meeraker, Alvernia
Forward: Liam McCanney, Stevenson
Forward: Matt Wood, Utica
Defense: Brian Scoville, Utica
Defense: Cole Jungwirth, Wilkes
Goaltender: Ty Outen, Stevenson
Second Team All-UCHC
Forward: Shane Murphy, Utica
Forward: Billy Berry, Wilkes
Forward: Nick Swain, Wilkes
Defense: Jack Karlsson, Stevenson
Defense: Kimball Johnson, Utica
Defense: Joe Johnson, Wilkes
Goaltender: Ethan Roberts, Utica
UCHC All-Rookie Team
Forward: Rhett Evjen, Stevenson
Forward: Aiden Hughes, Utica
Forward: Eric Vitale, Utica
Defense: Justin Fernet, Manhattanville
Defense: Griffen Barr, Utica
Goaltender: Jackson Fellner, Alvernia
Izzy Daniel has collected 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points this season for Cornell (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).
ECAC Hockey has announced its three all-league teams and one all-rookie team for the 2023-24 season.
First Team All-ECAC
Izzy Daniel, F, Cornell, Sr.
Danielle Serdachny, F, Colgate, Gr.
Sarah Fillier, F, Princeton, Sr.
Nicole Gosling, D, Clarkson, Sr.
Mae Batherson, D, St. Lawrence, Gr.
Michelle Pasiechnyk, G, Clarkson, Sr.
Second Team All-ECAC
Julia Gosling, F, St. Lawrence, Sr.
Abby Hustler, F, St. Lawrence, Jr.
Elle Hartje, F, Yale, Sr.
Haley Winn, D, Clarkson, Jr.
Sydney Morrow, D, Colgate, So.
Emma-Sofie Nordström, G, St. Lawrence, So.
Third Team All-ECAC
Elyssa Biederman, F, Colgate, So.
Anna Segedi, F, St. Lawrence, Sr.
Dominique Petrie, F, Clarkson, Gr.
Kendall Cooper, D, Quinnipiac, Sr.
Kate Reilly, D, Quinnipiac, Gr.
Hannah Murphy, G, Colgate, Jr.
ECAC All-Rookie Team
Emma Pais,* F, Colgate, Fr.
Kahlen Lamarche, F, Quinnipiac, Fr.
Karel Prefontaine, F, Cornell, Fr.
Andrea Trnková, D, Rensselaer, Fr.
Keira Hurry, D, Clarkson, Fr.
Annelies Bergmann,* G, Cornell, Fr.
Cayla Barnes has made a major impact on the back end this season for Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).
The WCHA has recognized its 25 student-athletes on the 2023-24 all-WCHA teams and all-rookie team.
First Team All-WCHA
Hannah Bilka, F, Grad., Ohio State
Casey O’Brien, F, Sr., Wisconsin
Kirsten Simms, F, So., Wisconsin
Cayla Barnes, D, Grad., Ohio State
Caroline Harvey, D, So., Wisconsin
Sanni Ahola, G, Sr., St. Cloud State
Second Team All-WCHA
Britta Curl, F, Grad., Wisconsin
Lacey Eden, F, R-Jr., Wisconsin
Abbey Murphy, F, R-Jr., Minnesota
Hadley Hartmetz, D, Grad., Ohio State
Nelli Laitinen, D, So., Minnesota
Hailey MacLeod, G, So., Minnesota Duluth
Third Team All-WCHA*
Jennifer Gardiner, F, Grad., Ohio State
Emma Gentry, F, Sr., St. Cloud State
Joy Dunne, F, Fr., Ohio State
Laila Edwards, F, So., Wisconsin
Nina Jobst-Smith, D, Sr., Minnesota Duluth
Madeline Wethington, D, Grad., Minnesota
Raygan Kirk, G, Sr., Ohio State *Four forwards due to ties in voting
WCHA All-Rookie Team
Joy Dunne, F, Fr., Ohio State
Cassie Hall, F, Fr., Wisconsin
Jocelyn Amos, F, Fr., Ohio State
Laney Potter, D, Fr., Wisconsin
Ava Murphy, D, Fr., Wisconsin
Éve Gascon, G, Fr., Minnesota Duluth
The 2023-24 WCHA forward, defender, goaltender, and rookie of the year are set to be announced on March 6. Coach of the year, outstanding scholar-athlete, and the WCHA player of the year will be announced on March 7.
Sydney Pedersen has been a steady force on the Mercyhurst blue line this season (photo: Ed Mailliard).
College Hockey America has announced its award winners for the 2023-24 season.
Penn State sophomore Tessa Janecke is the only dual winner this year as she was voted the Meghan Agosta Player of the Year and the CHA’s first Vicki Bendus Forward of the Year by CHA coaches. This season, Janecke became the 28th player in CHA history to record a 50-point season and skates into this weekend’s CHA championship with 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists. Janecke also reached 100 career points during Penn State’s semifinal-clinching win over RIT on Feb. 24. Janecke took home the CHA scoring championship this season as the conference’s points leader in CHA contests. She tallied 35 points on 12 goals and 23 assists in 20 CHA games.
Syracuse senior Tatum White is the first winner of the CHA scholar-athlete of the year award, which recognizes a CHA student-athlete who excels in the classroom, community and on the ice. White has been a four-year contributor to the Syracuse program and ranks as one of the top faceoff specialists in the NCAA this season and throughout her career. A medicinal chemistry major, White has been named three times to the CHA all-academic team, AHCA All-America Scholar honor roll, College Sport Communicators all-district team and ACC academic honor roll during her career. At Syracuse, she is the co-chair of the SAAC Culture Committee, a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Student-Athlete Board and a Team IMPACT Fellow. White is also active in the community in Syracuse and her hometown of Kingston, Ont., volunteering at the Upstate Medical University Hospital, serving as a volunteer coach for minor hockey programs and provincial camps in Ontario and running her own youth hockey camp that she founded in Kingston in 2019.
Mercyhurst junior Sydney Pedersen is this year’s Molly Byrne Best Defenseman selection. Pedersen is the CHA’s active leader in defenseman scoring with 68 career points on 20 goals and 48 assists. This year, she has registered 26 points on seven goals and 19 assists while blocking 58 shots for the Lakers. She leads all CHA defensemen – and ranks No. 2 nationally among blueliners – in shots on goal this season with 124.
Mercyhurst graduate student Ena Nystrøm takes home her second consecutive Brianne McLaughlin Goaltender of the Year Award this season. She has posted a 20-15-1 mark in net for the Lakers this season with a 2.22 GAA and a .926 save percentage and is tied for third nationally in shutouts with six. She is one of three goaltenders nationally to surpass 1,000 saves this season (1,003) and enters the CHA championship with 2,577 saves in her Laker tenure to rank No. 6 on the CHA career saves list. Nystrøm also ranks in the CHA career top-10s for wins (fifth, 52), save percentage (sixth, .929), shutouts (tied for seventh, 14) and games (tied for ninth, 99).
Robert Morris freshman Alaina Giampietro takes home the Nicole Hensley Rookie of the Year Award, ending the season with 31 points on 19 goals and 12 assists. The goal total leads all CHA rookie is currently tied for the NCAA lead among freshmen. The Colonials forward was a two-time CHA rookie of the month selection and was tapped as the Hockey Commissioners Association national rookie of the month in October.
Mercyhurst junior Kylee Mahoney is the CHA best defensive forward this season as she won 55.3 percent of her faceoffs this season for the Lakers and has contributed 16 points on eight goals and eight assists to the Mercyhurst attack. She is the fifth Mercyhurst forward to win the award since its inception in 2010-11.
Mercyhurst junior Vanessa Upson is third consecutive Laker to win or share the CHA individual sportsmanship award. She has been whistled for just four minor penalties this season, including only one in 20 CHA contests, despite seeing significant ice time for the Lakers. Upson became the latest member of the CHA 100-point club during the Lakers’ CHA semifinal series as she turned in a seven-point weekend against the Colonials to move to 104 career points entering play this weekend.
Penn State’s Jeff Kampersal is the CHA coach of the year for the second season in a row and third time in his career. Kampersal led the Nittany Lions to a repeat performance as the CHA’s regular-season champion and has PSU poised to play for a second-consecutive CHA postseason title on Saturday. Penn State captured the CHA regular-season crown with a 14-4-2 mark in conference play and holds a 21-12-3 overall mark this season. In his 28 seasons as a head coach at Princeton and Penn State, Kampersal has amassed a career record of 445-339-98 (.560) and ranks No. 5 on the NCAA Division I career wins list.
Northeastern’s Allie Lalonde has compiled eight goals among 17 points this season (photo: Jim Pierce).
Hockey East Association has announced the 2023-24 women’s all-rookie team, women’s all-star teams and five other season-long awards as voted by the league’s 10 head coaches.
All-Rookie Team
G: Sedona Blair, New Hampshire
D: Molly Jordan, Boston College
F: Ashley Allard, UConn
F: Audrey Knapp, Providence
F: Allie Lalonde, Northeastern
F: Kaylee Lewis, Vermont
F: Julia Pellerin, Boston College
F: Sammy Taber, Boston College *
First-Team All-Stars
G: Gwyneth Philips, Northeastern, GR
D: Megan Carter, Northeastern, GR *
D: Camryn Wong, UConn, GR
F: Jada Habisch, UConn, SR
F: Ida Kuoppala, Maine, GR
F: Natalie Mlynkova, Vermont, SR *
Second-Team All-Stars
G: Tia Chan, UConn, JR
D: Jules Constantinople, Northeastern, SO
D: Krista Parkkonen, Vermont, SO
F: Peyton Anderson, Northeastern, GR
F: Lacey Martin, Boston University, SR
F: Sammy Taber, Boston College, FR
Third-Team All-Stars
G: Sedona Blair, New Hampshire, FR
D: Rae Breton, New Hampshire, GR
D: Brooke Becker, Providence, SR
F: Skylar Irving, Northeastern, JR
F: Kira Juodikis, New Hampshire, JR
F: Katy Knoll, Northeastern, GR
*denotes unanimous selection
Also recognized for her efforts in the 2023-24 campaign is Northeastern’s Megan Carter, who has been named defender of the year for the second straight season. It is the fifth consecutive year that a Husky has been tabbed as the league’s best defender.
UConn senior Kathryn Stockdale has been honored as the best defensive forward during the regular season. She becomes the fourth Husky to win the award, following Jennifer Chiasson (2009-10), Leah Burress (2015-16), and Briana Colangelo (2017-18).
New Hampshire graduate forward Annie Berry was awarded the conference’s sportsmanship award for the second straight year. Berry has played 159 games in a Wildcat sweater and taken just 40 penalty minutes in conference play.
For the first time ever, two players share the league’s scoring crown as Maine’s Ida Kuoppala and Vermont’s Natalie Mlynkova (Zlin, Czechia) were honored as the highest point-getters in Hockey East play (15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points). Kuoppala is the first Maine Black Bear to lead the league in scoring, while Mlynkova is just the second Catamount to do so after Theresa Schafzahl in 2021-22.
Northeastern netminder Gwyneth Philips earned the three stars award, accumulating the highest total of points from first, second, and third star accolades during Hockey East league games over the course of the regular season.
Hockey East will announce finalists for the Player, Rookie, and Coach of the Year awards on Monday, March 4 at 3 p.m. EDT. The winners of those awards will then be revealed prior to the semifinals on March 6.
The Bulldogs are seeking anther NCHA crown. (Photo provided by Adrian Athletics)
Hello conference championship weekend.
This is what a lot of us have been waiting for, and it’s where NCAA tournament dreams are either going to come true or be dashed.
The MIAC, WIAC and NCHA all have automatic bids on the line Saturday, and I expect all three championship games to be competitive as can be. It’s a leave it all on the ice kind of weekend based on what’s at stake.
In the NCHA and WIAC, the final matchups are as expected. Adrian plays St. Norbert in a battle of the top two seeds, while the same is true in the WIAC, where UW-Stevens Point takes on UW-Eau Claire.
The MIAC has the most interesting championship game. Bethel faces off against St. Olaf. Bethel was expected to be here. St. Olaf is the one playing with house money.
Without further delay, here are the picks.
Bethel (18-5-3) vs. St. Olaf (13-11-3)
Winners of six in a row, the Royals are hosting the conference championship game for the first time since 2007. That’s the last time Bethel won the title.
The Oles are in the championship game as the fifth seed and are looking for their first title since 2022.
In the regular season between these two teams, two games went to overtime. One ended with Bethel prevailing in OT, the other finished in a tie before the Royals won the shootout. Bethel also notched a 3-1 win over St. Olaf.
Don’t expect a high scoring game. Goals are going to be at a premium. But don’t be surprised if this one goes to overtime to determine a winner.
Tyler Kostelecky leads the Royals with 13 goals and 13 assists. He’s the go-to player for this team, but he has a cast of talented teammates around him.
But the Oles have shown they can defend as well as anyone. They have yet to allow a goal in the tourney. Offensively, Connor Kalthoff leads the team in points with six goals and 14 assists.
This could go either way. And it’s hard betting against Bethel at home. But it’s even harder betting against St. Olaf on the road in the MIAC tournament. St. Olaf, 3-2 OT
No. 3 Adrian (22-5-1) vs. St. No. 8 Norbert (21-6)
This is a matchup worthy of the NCAA tournament. Maybe even a national championship game. As it is, these two teams are set to battle for the Harris Cup Saturday.
The Bulldogs and Green Knights split in the regular season, with Adrian taking a 4-1 win and St. Norbert winning 6-2.
Adrian has won the last two championships while St. Norbert is seeking its first crown since 2020.
Could we see a lot of goals Saturday night? Absolutely. Both of these teams are really good at putting the puck in the back of the net.
Adrian averages nearly five goals per game, led by Zachary Heintz, who has scored 17 this season. Mathew Rehding has scored 16. Goalie Dershawn Stewart has recorded five shutouts.
For St. Norbert, Liam Fraser and Adam Stacho are a formidable one-two punch, combining for 35 goals, including 18 from Stacho. And don’t forget about Logan Dombrowsky and his 14 goals and 21 assists.
Adrian has lost just once at home this season. So home ice means something. Adrian, 5-4
No. 6 UW-Stevens Point (20-5-2) vs. UW-Eau Claire (17-8-2)
The Pointers take aim at winning another WIAC crown. This is their 10th straight appearance in this game and the sixth time in the last seven seasons they are hosting the Blugolds in the final.
UW-Stevens Point is 3-0 against UW-Eau Claire this season. The Pointers have scored 95 goals while allowing 65, with their offensive attack led by Fletcher Anderson, who has tallied 12 goals and 17 assists. Noah Finstrom has scored 11 goals and dished out 12 assists.
The Blugolds have managed 85 goals and have given up only 47. Kyler Grundy leads the attack with 11 goals and 19 assists.
All three meetings were decided by two goals or less. A hot start is going to be critical for UW-Eau Claire against an opponent that has just once loss at home this year.
This game should be entertaining from start to finish and could very well be decided late in the action. UW-Stevens Point, 4-3
Can the Red Dragons pull off one more upset and capture a SUNYAC title on Championship weekend? Lots of great storylines and hockey to be played (Photo by Erin Locasio/EDL Photography)
Championship week is upon us and while MASCAC and UCHC find a No.1 v. No.2 matchup for the title, all other conferences find lower seeds with a chance to claim a conference crown and D-III auto-bid to the national tournament. It really does not get better for scoreboard watching than this weekend! Relative to my picks I found some great consistency last week going 11-1-0 on the mid-week quarterfinal rounds via Twitter/X and 13-3-0 on the weekend in my column for a terrific slate of 24-4-0 (.857) overall. The outstanding effort upped my overall numbers to 153-66-14 (.687) which is heading quickly toward a stellar finish heading into the NCAA tournament. Picks for this weekend’s action, including the NESCAC semifinal round only, is on tap, leaving just a total of eight games to predict. So, here are the prognostications for the playoff winners in the East:
Saturday, March 2, 2024
CCC
Salve Regina v. Endicott
The No. 2 seed Gulls are the defending champions hosting the No. 4 seed Seahawks who have picked up their game in the playoffs with balanced scoring. Hard to pick against any RJ Tolan team in a big-game situation but I picked Salve as my dark horse way back at the end of the summer and need to stick with my conviction here. Cayden Bailey is the difference in a minor upset – Salve Regina, 4-3
MASCAC
Fitchburg State v. (11) Plymouth State
The last team to win a MASCAC title other than Plymouth State is Fitchburg State back in 2018. The Falcons would love to upset the heavily favored Panthers and will need to stay out of the penalty box and avoid PSU’s prolific power play. This one is a lot closer than many think it will be due to the outstanding work of Frederick Soderberg between the pipes. Panthers win another title but need to fend off the Falcons late – Plymouth State, 3-2
NE-10
Southern New Hampshire v. Assumption
The Greyhounds dominated the NE-10 in the regular season and needed a big comeback to take out St. Anselm in the semifinal round last weekend. A slow start against the Penmen could be fatal so look for Paragallo & Company to rev up the offense early and outlast SNHU for the only title in D-II hockey – Assumption, 5-3
NEHC
(9) Skidmore v. (1) Hobart
The Statesmen are unbeaten on home-ice and have swept the season series with Skidmore including a win to close out the regular season. Home team has great depth and a 200-foot game that will not give the Thoroughbreds much free ice. Tate Brandon keeps it close but empty-net goals pad the final score – Hobart, 5-1
NESCAC
Middlebury v. (4) Trinity
The Panthers were my big upset pick last week on the road at Bowdoin and now face one of the best teams in the country. The best part about having nothing to lose is playing loose and fast. Like the last matchup in Vermont, this one is tight and goes to overtime with the Bantams scoring the golden goal – Trinity, 3-2
Hamilton v. Tufts
The Jumbos sort of play their second home playoff game in as many weeks as the higher seed against a team that knocked them off in overtime just a couple of weeks ago. If you like the pace of play pushed this game is the one to watch on Saturday with an overtime goal needed to decide who plays on Sunday for the title– Tufts, 3-2
SUNYAC
Cortland v. (6) Plattsburgh
The Red Dragons have not played in a SUNYAC title game in eighteen seasons, nor have they beaten Plattsburgh this season setting up the challenging three-game sweep for the Cardinals if they want to repeat as conference champions and get an invite to the big dance. Lots to play for on both sides but the overtime magic works for the visitors in another title game stunner – Cortland, 3-2
UCHC
(12) Stevenson v. (2) Utica
The Pioneers and Mustangs played so long ago this season that those results really do not matter. Two incredibly good teams should provide a lot of great hockey with Utica’s power play being the difference in a win that needs an empty-net goal for comfort on the scoreboard – Utica, 5-3
There is every reason to leave it on the ice this weekend with the hope to capture a conference crown that was a goal in the pre-season all those many months ago. Time for everyone’s absolute best on the ice – “Drop the Puck!”
With no money lines available but Atlantic Hockey playoffs starting, USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger come up with what they think money lines should be for:
#11 Robert Morris @ #6 Bentley
#10 Army West Point @ #7 Niagara
#9 Mercyhurst @ #8 Canisius
They also analyze odds on three interesting games this week:
Clarkson +325 @ Quinnipiac -475; over/under 6
Michigan State +120 @ Wisconsin -150; o/u 6
Denver -140 @ St. Cloud State +110; o/u 7
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit ncaa.com/mfrozenfour
Rick Zombo helped lead Lindenwood’s transition from ACHA to NCAA hockey (photo: Lindenwood Athletics).
Lindenwood has announced that Rick Zombo will not return as head coach for the men’s hockey team.
The Lions finished with a 6-18-4 record in 2023-24. its second Division I season, after going 7-22-1 in 2022-23.
Zombo had been head coach of the men’s hockey program since the summer of 2010 when the Lions were an ACHA team. In 2016 and 2022, the team won ACHA Division I national championships.
A nationwide search will begin immediately to find Zombo’s replacement.
