Our scheduled guests on the Dec. 10 episode of USCHO Live! are Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin, whose Lakers are atop the Atlantic Hockey standings, and Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey.
Join us for the conversation and information, Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 8 to 9 p.m. EDT at blogtalkradio.com/uscholive. If you can’t listen live, check out the podcast of USCHO Live! available on the player at the right (click through if you’re reading this via RSS.)
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Each episode of USCHO Live! features a look at news around NCAA hockey, a look ahead at upcoming games and events, and conversation with people who coach, administer and play college hockey, and journalists who cover the sport.
About the hosts
Jim Connelly is a senior writer at USCHO.com and has been with the site since 1999. He is based in Boston and regularly covers Hockey East. He began with USCHO.com as the correspondent covering the MAAC, which nowadays is known as Atlantic Hockey. Each week during the season, he co-writes “Tuesday Morning Quarterback.” Jim is the winner of the 2012 Joe Concannon award, and is a studio analyst for NESN.
Ed Trefzger has been part of USCHO since 1999 and now serves as a senior writer and director of technology. He has been a part of the radio broadcasts of Rochester Institute of Technology hockey since their inception — serving as a producer, studio host, color commentator and as RIT’s play-by-play voice for seven seasons. Ed is VP and general manager CBS Sports Radio affiliates 1310 and 1590 The Team in Rochester, N.Y.
These are the three things I think I learned this past week.
1. Holy Cross woke a sleeping giant.
Okay, maybe Boston College hadn’t been totally asleep. But the Eagles were already coming off a 5-1 loss to Maine when they hosted Holy Cross two weeks ago, so a drubbing seemed in order.
Instead, the Crusaders pulled off the road upset, 5-4, giving BC only a single win in its last four games.
New Hampshire paid the price this past weekend. Although the Wildcats played well, the Eagles swept the homne-and-home series to move atop the Hockey East standings.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them stay there all year.
2. Parity rules.
I knew that, but not to the extent it played out this weekend.
Massachusetts and Merrimack found themselves at the bottom of the standings going into this past weekend, but you couldn’t have told that from the results.
UMass traveled to Notre Dame for a two-game set and though the Irish were 6-2-1 at home and the Minutemen were 1-6-2 in league play, that didn’t stop them from splitting the series.
Merrimack began the weekend with only a single league point off a record of 0-5-1. But in a home-and-home series with Boston University, the Warriors emerged with three of four points, winning at home and splitting on the road.
Notre Dame had been the 13th ranked team in the country. While BU had been just outside the Top 20, it had been one of the leaders in the “also receiving votes” category.
3. Alfond Arena dominance is back.
In the old days, a road trip to Maine felt like stepping into a den of lions. The Black Bears dominated opponents with one of the top home ice advantages in the sport.
In recent years, though, they’d lost a lot of that home mojo.
Well, it’s back. Baby, it’s back! Although Maine still has yet to win a game on the road (it’s 0-5-1 away from Alfond), it’s now 7-1-0 at home. Included in those wins are lopsided victories over Boston University (7-0) and Boston College (5-1).
This past weekend, the Black Bears added Massachusetts-Lowell — a team that had won six straight and 10-of-11 – to their trophy case. They knocked off the seventh-ranked River Hawks, 4-2.
Whatever lingering doubts existed as to Maine’s home ice dominance (such as Jim and I both picking Lowell) have to be gone now.
Clarkson has piled up the wins over the first half thanks to a stingy defense. But this weekend, the Golden Knights showed they could win shootouts too, sweeping rival St. Lawrence by scores of 5-4 and 4-3.
The Saints led in both games, but Clarkson scored three unanswered goals over a six-minute span Friday, while the Golden Knights erased a 3-2 first-period deficit Saturday at a sold-out Appleton Arena. Friday’s game at Cheel Arena featured the third-largest crowd ever in Clarkson history.
With the two wins, Clarkson is now on a 7-0-1 run against St. Lawrence. The Golden Knights are also third in the ECAC with a 6-2 record, although they have two games in hand over first-place Quinnipiac. Clarkson is off for the holidays, resuming the second half against Vermont in the Catamount Cup on Dec. 28.
A winless weekend for the Bobcats; Dutchmen on fire: It’s been a while since Quinnipiac has a weekend with a zero in the win column. That’s what happens when you rattle off unbeaten streaks of 21-and-13 games over the last calendar year.
But the Bobcats came home from the Capital Region with only one point, thanks to a 3-3 tie at Rensselaer Friday, and a 6-4 loss at Union Saturday. The last time Quinnipiac didn’t get at least one win in a two-game weekend was Nov. 18-19, 2011, when the Bobcats lost at Colgate and Cornell.
The six goals allowed Saturday at Union were the most Quinnipiac has given up since a 6-3 loss against Harvard on Feb. 3, 2012.
Meanwhile, the Dutchmen extended their winning streak to seven games. Union is 9-1 over its last ten games, and is tied for first place with the Bobcats, with two games in hand.
Individual highlights abound: Teammate Ryan Haggerty may lead the nation in goals, but RPI forward Brock Higgs is having quite a season of his own so far. The senior has a career-best 11 goals in 16 games this season, including this highlight-reel score against Princeton Saturday.
Quinnipiac goalie Michael Garteig became the second league goalie is under two weeks to score a goal. While not as noteworthy as Cornell goalie Mitch Gilliam’s empty-netter Nov. 26, it’s still an unusual feat. Garteig was given the goal after review of the game film from Saturday’s matchup with Union. Dutchmen defender Shayne Gostisbehere tipped the puck into his own net, and it was determined that Garteig was the last Bobcat player to touch it.
It is strange to be talking about the end of the first half of Big Ten play when Big Ten play has barely begun, but the fact remains that the next league games are scheduled for the second week in January.
Three things from the weekend:
1. Hey! There was a shootout! I still hate the shootout!
Okay, so that’s not really what you want to read — and it’s not news to anyone — but I seriously hate the shootout and its carryover to Big Ten play does nothing to change my mind. Kudos to Michigan State for playing Minnesota to a tie and “winning” the first-ever Big Ten shootout, and against no less than Adam Wilcox. And for the record, winning the shootout does not mean winning the game. Got it?
Last week, my partner-in-writing insisted that the Minnesota-Michigan State series would come down to goaltending. I poo-pooed that idea, but it turns out he was right … but only because of the shootout. The Spartans got the better of it and earned two points to the Gophers’ one Friday night, and Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand looked outstanding in both the shootout and the series, making 79 saves on the weekend.
2. Hey! Michigan State scored last in each of its games against Minnesota!
The second effort of the Spartans in each game was impressive. Freshman Villiam Haag had the game-tying goal in the 2-2 Friday contest at 5:56 in the third, five minutes after the Gophers took a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Michael Ferrantino scored with one second left in regulation in Minnesota’s 3-2 win Saturday, with Hildebrand pulled for the extra attacker. Sure, that goal was meaningless in the greater scheme of things, but it did give the Spartans a boost at the end of the series and they were upbeat in the locker room after the loss.
Equally impressive was the way in which Minnesota came out in Saturday’s game and owned the first 10 minutes of play. The Gophers made sure that they didn’t underestimate their opponent, didn’t miss an opportunity and didn’t waste any time.
3. Hey! Any Badger can score!
Okay, so maybe that’s not entirely true, but nine different Badgers scored in Wisconsin’s two-game sweep of Penn State, a series in which the Badgers outscored the Nittany Lions 11-4. The goalscorers included a pair of defensemen, sophomore Kevin Schulze and senior Joe Faust, each with his first goal of the season and fifth of his career — and each in the third period, Schulze’s in Friday’s 7-1 win and Faust’s in Saturday’s 4-3 game.
It should be noted, too, that the Badgers are a much steadier team with Joel Rumpel in net.
It should be noted, too, that Penn State has more than a little work to do.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point junior Garrett Ladd helped the Pointers to a big win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire over the weekend (photo: Jack McLaughlin).
The last weekend for many teams entering the semester break saw some great action and still a few more upsets.
Here is a quick recap of some of the key conference action:
ECAC East
League-leading Norwich swept a pair of games at home over Skidmore and cross-state rival Castleton to maintain a slim lead in the conference standings. Chris Duszynski’s second hat trick of the season provided the offensive spark in Saturday’s 6-2 win against the Spartans.
Babson split a pair of games this weekend, stumbling on Saturday against the University of New England, which posted its second conference win by a 3-1 score on home ice. Colby Drost led the way for the Nor’easters, stopping 41 of 42 shots in the win.
Massachusetts-Boston continued its strong play in December by sweeping both games this weekend and moving up to fourth in the standings with games in hand on all the teams above them. After winning at UNE by a convincing 6-1 score, the Beacons won at Southern Maine for the first time in coach Peter Belisle’s tenure by a 3-2 score. Michael Kuhn’s two second-period goals erased a 2-1 deficit and carried the Beacons to the weekend road sweep.
ECAC Northeast
League-leading Salve Regina came back from a 4-0 deficit in the second period against Neumann and forced overtime with a late third-period goal by Marc Biggs before losing in overtime to the Knights, who finished with four power-play goals on six chances for the game.
The overtime loss clearly must have stung the Seahawks as they fell to nationally-ranked Utica on Saturday by a 5-1 score, making their non-conference record 2-4-0 this season.
ECAC West
Neumann followed up its Friday win with a solid 8-4 win over Morrisville where eight players had at least two points and goalie Ben Curley remained unbeaten at 3-0-1 so far this season.
Both Hobart and Manhattanville faced off against NESCAC opponents without much success as Wesleyan beat the Statesmen by a 6-2 score and Trinity, led by John Hawkrigg’s hat trick and Sean Orlando’s four points beat the Valiants by a 6-3 score.
MASCAC
Salem State and Plymouth State helped themselves in the standings with wins over Worcester State and Westfield State. respectively. Ian McGilvrey posted four assists for the Panthers in their win, while two goals apiece from Alex Minter and John Needham led the Vikings, who outshot the Lancers by a 44-13 margin.
MIAC
Gustavus Adolphus won both games against St. Olaf over the weekend. Friday’s 3-1 win was a hard-fought battle where the Gusties made two first-period goals stand up for the win and an empty-net goal by Adam Smyth supplying the final difference. Saturday’s 2-2 regulation and overtime tie was decided on a shootout won by the Gusties 1-0 on a goal by Gustav Bengtson.
NCHA
Adrian moved to the top of the standings with a 6-0 win at Marian. Justin Basso scored just 90 seconds into the game on the way to posting three points for the Bulldogs, who outshot Marian by a 36-13 margin.
St. Norbert was not so fortunate on Saturday night hosting Lawrence. The home team took a 4-1 lead early in the third period only to watch the visitors score four unanswered goals, including the game-winner with just 22 seconds remaining in regulation. Lawrence won 5-4 and moved to 3-5-0 in conference play.
NESCAC
With a tie and a win this weekend, Williams moved atop the league standings with Saturday’s 1-0 shutout at Amherst. Goalie Sean Dougherty outdueled the Lord Jeffs’ Dave Cunningham and Matt Doyle’s third-period goal stood up as the game-winner.
Elsewhere, Tufts and Connecticut College both earned their first wins in league play on the road in Maine on Friday night. Tufts beat Colby 5-2, while the Camels rallied from behind to take a 3-2 win in overtime at Bowdoin. Senior Keith Veronesi scored the game-winner less than a minute into the extra session after Joe Giordano tied it with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
SUNYAC
In what is always a premium matchup in conference play, league-leading Plattsburgh skated away with a 3-3 tie at Oswego. The game saw both teams surrender one-goal leads and goalie Matt Zawadzki made 35 saves for the Lakers, who tied the game on Mike Wills’ first goal of the season just under two minutes after Plattsburgh had taken a one-goal lead early in the third period.
WIAC
Wisconsin-Stevens Point opened conference play against the defending national champions from Eau Claire and used two third-period goals by Garrett Ladd to open up a tight 2-1 game and provide the visitors with a 4-1 win. Brandon Jaeger moved to 8-0-0 on the season, posting 28 saves in the win.
From the warmth and comfort of my couch this weekend, here’s what I think I learned channel surfing from game to game on WCHA TV while Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was buried in ice and snow.
Minnesota State is alive and well
After winning just four of their first 11 games of 2013-14, it appeared as if Minnesota State was going to crack under the pressure of being ranked nationally in the preseason and picked by almost everyone to win the new-look WCHA.
Since starting 4-7, however, the Mavericks have won five straight games with back-to-back home sweeps of Alaska-Anchorage and Northern Michigan to move into second place in the WCHA.
Freshman netminder Cole Huggins has been a big part of the run and appears to be the Mavs’ go-to-goaltender now after making back-to-back starts. He leads the league with a 1.80 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
Meanwhile, the return of senior forward Zach Lehrke continues to spark the MSU offense. He tallied another goal and assist against NMU to extend his point streak to six in six games.
The question now is whether or not MSU can catch red-hot Ferris State, which is unbeaten in its last 13 games with no signs of slowing down. This should be an interesting race between both teams in the second half.
If you’re not happy for Huntsville, you’re a Grinch
With NMU and MSU heading to intermission Saturday, I made a quick switch over to Alabama-Huntsville at Bowling Green to see the final minute of overtime.
I was glad I did.
After UAH withstood what I thought for sure was a game-winning attack by BGSU, the Chargers caught the Falcons in transition for one final rush that ended with sophomore defenseman Frank Misuraca scoring on BGSU goaltender Tomas Sholl with 3.4 seconds left in overtime.
The sports fan in me took over at that point, and I let out a quick joyous shout, scaring my dog.
While I found it entertaining when the Detroit Lions went winless in 2008, the start of UAH’s first season in the WCHA has been a bit heart wrenching.
The program went through so much just to get into the WCHA, but going winless in its first season in the league would have been seen as a major setback.
Instead, the program now has something to build on and a glimmer of hope heading into the holidays.
Based on the support I’ve seen on Twitter, it seems I wasn’t the only one to let out a little cheer for UAH on Saturday night.
Understandably, BGSU fans probably weren’t thrilled the win came at the expense of their team, which has now lost four of its last five games. They get a pass for not feeling good about UAH’s win right now.
Two intermissions are enough in college hockey
I had the chance to sit next to WCHA Supervisor of Officials Greg Shepherd early this season in the press box when Northern Michigan hosted Michigan Tech, and it was a great experience.
While the fans voiced their frustration over the Wildcats not shooting the puck on the power play, Shepherd had a reaction for every missed call by his referees or linesmen.
At one point in the game, there was a long pause in the action while his crew had one long conversation with NMU coach Walt Kyle, and another with Tech’s Mel Pearson. At that moment in the game, Shepherd was right along with the fans, asking the guys in stripes to cut the conversation and drop the puck already.
That moment has come to mind the past two weekends while WCHA officials sorted out scrums involving NMU.
The first came during the second period on Nov. 30 in Marquette with the Wildcats hosting Ferris State. NMU’s Reed Seckel made a high open-ice hit that the Bulldogs’ Andy Huff took exception to. Huff hit Seckel from behind after the whistle and the two went at it, taking each other to the ground.
Seckel and Huff both received five minute majors for fighting while Seckel received two additional minors for roughing from WCHA referees. From the time Seckel and Ruff were put in the penalty box — they were later escorted off the ice — to the time the puck was dropped and play resumed, eight minutes had passed.
That was nothing compared to Saturday’s 11-minute delay while the WCHA’s Chris Perrault and Brad Shepherd sorted out 11 penalties by five players stemming from a third-period scrum in front of the Northern net.
For NMU, Stephan Vigier received a pair of minors for roughing and Wade Epp got a minor for roughing and major for facemasking. For MSU, Matt Leiter got two minors for instigating and one for roughing, while Zach Palmquist and Brett Stern each got double minors for roughing.
Later in the period, NMU was called for too many men on the ice when a player was let out of the penalty box early. After another delay to chat things over, the penalty was wiped out.
As a spectator and editor trying to sneak something in the Sunday paper before the presses rolled, I was pretty annoyed by the delays and I can’t imagine Greg Shepherd was too thrilled either.
The WCHA needs to do something to cut down on these delays. No one goes to hockey games to watch refs hold conferences by the glass and argue with coaches.
Eight and 11-minute delays are ridiculous, especially when an intermission lasts 15 minutes.
This season’s St. Cloud State team appears to be one that gets the job done on the road, no matter how hairy any given scenario might be for the Huskies.
Last Friday’s game at intrastate rival Minnesota-Duluth proved a perfect example.
Playing its first home game since Oct. 26, UMD bossed large parts of its series-opener with the Huskies. Duluth outshot SCSU 38-19 in the game, had two more power-play opportunities than the visitors, and the Bulldogs were even ahead 2-1 on the scoreboard more than halfway through the game.
The game got away from the hosts, though, as St. Cloud scored three unanswered goals and Huskies goaltender Ryan Faragher ended up with 36 saves in what ended up as a 4-2 win for the Huskies, heavily outplayed though they were.
The following night, SCSU enjoyed almost complete control. In Saturday’s rematch, the Huskies scored the first three goals of the game and eventually chased UMD starting goaltender Aaron Crandall in a 5-1 win over the Bulldogs.
St. Cloud bumped its road winning streak to eight with its victory Saturday, thus marking the first time the Huskies had won eight straight away from home since the 2001-02 season.
UND finally finding consistency
If North Dakota’s last few games have been good indicators, UND might finally be getting its 2o13-14 season back on track.
Coming off an underwhelming home series against St. Lawrence in which UND played poorly in a 5-2 series-opening loss Nov. 29 before winning 3-2 in the rematch, UND proved itself further last weekend at Western Michigan in picking up two more 3-2 victories.
To get the ball rolling on UND’s first sweep of this season, UND first had to grind out a win against a Broncos team that was above .500 at home going into last weekend. Friday’s game wasn’t pretty for either side, but UND outworked its hosts and got a pair of goals from freshman Luke Johnson and one from senior Derek Rodwell en route to the win.
Saturday’s performance from UND wasn’t any more stylish than what it put out the night before. Maybe even less so, considering the visitors only put up seven shots on goal in the series’s final 40 minutes, but with Western unable to create enough scoring chances at the other end of the ice, UND again came up a 3-2 winner and, perhaps even better, got back to .500 on the season at 7-7-2 overall and 5-5-0-0 in the NCHC.
Blais’ goalie experimentation pays off
As I’ve written before this season and as we’ve all known down the years, Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais likes to tinker with his goaltending corps and see what works in certain scenarios.
You might not find a better example of this than what happened Saturday night in UNO’s game at Colorado College.
Despite watching his Mavericks underwhelm Friday in a 4-2 loss to the Tigers, Blais gave junior goaltender Ryan Massa the nod once again Saturday. That didn’t work out so well, though, as Blais pulled Massa after Saturday’s first period for giving up two goals on the eight shots Massa faced in the frame.
In came freshman netminder Kirk Thompson, and his introduction helped provide the spark the Mavericks needed. UNO got back into a game after initially falling into a 2-0 hole, and Thompson made 17 saves in 45 minutes of action while the visitors salvaged what ended up for NCAA purposes as a 3-3 tie.
The NCHC has overtime shootouts, though, of course, and it was then that Blais rolled the dice once more with his goaltending. Thompson’s night ended when the five-minute overtime period did, and back came Massa for the shootout.
The gamble worked. Massa stopped three of four shots in the shootout, and UNO forwards Ryan Walters and Josh Archibald scored in the first and fourth rounds, respectively, to give UNO two points from the three originally on offer coming into the game.
No. 3 Michiganwon at Ohio State 5-4 on Monday, lost to U.S. Under-18 Team 5-4 on Thursday (exhibition). Record: 10-2-1. Next: vs. Ferris State, Dec. 11.
The aptly named ‘trap’ game reared up this week, further clouding the normal thought procedures that characterize the top 10. The ECAC-East provided a few surprising finishes, while the NESCAC and NCHA also delivered their share of interesting twists. Heading into the break, only Plattsburgh (9-0-1) remains unbeaten following previously unbeaten St. Scholastica’s most recent defeat.
Unheralded Bisons trip Valiants
No. 10 Manhattanville ran into a buzz saw of sorts in the opening game of a home-and-home set with ECAC-East foe Nichols (2-6-0 overall). Friday night at the Terry Connors Rink, Nichols received a pair of goals from Grace Murphy. The second, a power-play tally, arrived with a scant 12 seconds remaining in regulation, propelling the Bisons to a 4-3 triumph. The Valiants’ loss halted a three-game win streak. Nichols improved to 2-3-0 in conference and 2-6-0 overall. Manhattanville was stung by a power play that was rendered a non-factor in an 0-12 performance. The Valiants outshot the Bisons, 53-30. Saturday afternoon, the Valiants, bolstered by junior forward Alla Traun’s sixth score of the year, hung on for a 1-0 win over the Bisons.
Mules struggle against unranked Seahawks, Huskies
Three weeks ago, Colby tagged highly ranked Bowdoin with a pair of one-goal losses. Since then, the Mules have gone 0-2-1 in their last three outings. Colby managed a 3-3 tie with visiting Salve Regina on Friday, and fell to Southern Maine on the road the following afternoon. Sophomore Megan Fortier had a pair of power-play goals in the third period. The loss to the Huskies continues to be a bright spot for Colby, but the penalty killing unit has slipped to 67.9 percent. In conference play, the Mules are being outshot by a touch over 14 shots per game.
Massachusetts-Boston joins upset weekend
Southern Maine had troubles of its own in Friday’s 3-0 loss to Massachusetts-Boston. Beacons’ goalie Casey Schaejbe earned her first career shutout in the upset. Mass.-Boston opened to the tune of a 1-6-1 record in the early going, but has since tacked up quality wins over the aforementioned Colby and Southern Maine, and a 0-0 tie with Trinity on the road on Saturday.
Saints’ string snapped
St. Scholastica was back at scoring goals at an above-average rate in the opener of its weekend series, with Adrian taking a 7-3 win in the process. The offensive fireworks did not carry over however, as the Bulldogs came back nicely the following afternoon, knocking home a pair of late third-period goals to nab a 3-2 win over the Saints, who came into the week at No. 8. The Adrian triumph snapped a 10-game unbeaten string for the Saints. The clubs posted an interesting array of statistics over the two games. The Saints registered five power-play goals in the opening game, including three straight in the first period in wrangling the momentum from the visitors. In all, the two foes combined for 32 penalties for 97 minutes over the two games. In the opener, the Bulldogs overcame a 2-1 deficit in the third period with goals by Kelsey Kusch and freshman forward Sarah Shureb. Shureb’s game winner, a power-play goal, came with 19 seconds remaining in regulation.
Previously ranked St. Norbert splits
Jenna Brown’s third period goal was the tipping point in Concordia’s (Wisc.) 2-1 victory over St. Norbert on Saturday. The win salvaged a split with the Green Knights and kept the Falcons a point ahead of fifth place St. Norbert in the NCHA standings.
McCloskey out at New Hampshire
Brian McCloskey became the second coach in Hockey East to be removed during the current season. New Hampshire ended McCloskey’s employment on Dec. 5 in response to an incident with one of his players on the team’s bench during the team’s game versus Ohio State on Nov. 30. He was midway through his 12th season in charge of the Wildcats, having led them to 252 wins, six straight Hockey East regular season titles from 2004-09, league tournament crowns in the last four of those years, and five NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-10, including reaching the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2008.
For the immediate future, the Wildcats will be directed by associate head coach Jamie Wood and assistant Stephanie Jones. After falling to Harvard, 5-0, on Friday, the team got its first win of the post-McCloskey era on Sunday, defeating Dartmouth, 2-1. After Lindsey Allen gave the Big Green a first-period lead, Jessica Hitchcock and Hannah Armstrong scored in the second and third periods, respectively. Ashley Wilkes recorded 24 saves to get the win.
PairWise stalemate
In a series that promised to have huge implications come March when selections are made for the national tournament, No. 4 North Dakota and No. 6 Clarkson split 2-1 decisions. UND sandwiched goals from Josefine Jakobsen and Lisa Marvin in the odd periods around a Shelby Nisbet tally in the middle stanza. Shelby Amsley-Benzie’s 26 saves ensured that two goals would be enough.
The host Golden Knights struck back on Saturday, when Jamie Lee Rattray put them ahead to stay just 26 seconds into the game. Her second goal on a power play late in the second frame proved to be needed insurance as Amy Menke put UND on the board with 13:05 left. Erica Howe closed the door the rest of the way, finishing with 25 stops.
Another top-10 deadlock
No. 5 Harvard and No. 6 Boston College were also unable to decide anything in a single-game tilt, skating to a 1-1 tie. It looked like the Eagles would be unable to solve Emerance Maschmeyer, and Miye D’Oench’s early goal would prove decisive. However, Katie King Crowley went to her bag of tricks early, and just after the Crimson rang their second pipe of the third period, she sent out an extra attacker earlier than usual, and 25 seconds later, Emily Pfalzer beat Maschmeyer with 87 seconds remaining in regulation. Nobody scored in overtime, although each team came close. Maschmeyer finished with 51 saves and Corinne Boyles handled 35 chances at the other end.
In the Harvard win over UNH, Maschmeyer got the night off and rookie Brianna Liang remained perfect as a collegian by stopping all 29 shots. Hillary Crowe’s two goals and an assist fueled the offense.
Hensley heroics
The country’s busiest goaltender, Lindenwood’s Nicole Hensley, made 46 saves at Syracuse on Friday to steal a 2-1 game for the Lions. Katie Erickson’s power-play goal with six seconds remaining decided the outcome. Syracuse was able to get three pucks by Hensley out of another 47 shots on Saturday, and it added an empty-net goal for a 4-1 triumph. Margot Scharfe and Nicole Ferrara each had a goal and a helper for the Orange. For the season, Hensley’s 638 saves are 150 more than the next goalie in that category, Minnesota State’s Danielle Butters.
More naughty than nice
If Santa Claus has been watching, then Ohio State wound up on the wrong list heading into Christmas. The Buckeyes showed No. 1 Minnesota just why they are on record pace for penalty minutes with 376 minutes and an average of 20.9 per game, including 29 minutes in their final contest of 2013. That style of play has dropped Ohio State to the WCHA’s cellar halfway through the league slate.
The Gophers took home 9-2 and 5-1 wins from Columbus. Rachael Bona’s first career hat trick highlighted Saturday’s victory, in which Maryanne Menefee and Dani Cameranesi also had multi-goal games. On Sunday, Sarah Davis and defenseman Milica McMillen found the net twice apiece; Bona and McMillen had six-point weekends.
Bulldogs barrage
The start of the Yale at Princeton game was delayed by two and a half hours when the scoreboard became stuck on the ice. Once the problem was resolved and the game started, freshman Phoebe Staenz kept the scoreboard moving. She bagged four goals and Jaimie Leonoff made 38 saves as Yale upended Providence, 5-1. Four goals in a game by a Bulldog was last accomplished by Lisa Meyers versus Boston College on Feb. 4, 2001.
Winless no more
The last team without a win ended that frustration on Friday when Maine dropped Brown, 2-1. Katy Massey and Brianne Kilgour scored in the opening frame and freshman Mariah Fujimagari turned aside 20 shots to earn her first win as a Black Bear. Saturday, Brown jumped out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Janice Yang, Jennifer Nedow, and Catherine LeBoeuf. That ended Fujimagari’s day; Meghann Treacy came on in relief and shut Brown down the rest of the way. The Bears were giving two goalies a chance to get their first action in net in place of usual stalwart Aubree Moore. Freshman Monica Elvin handled all 23 shots cleanly, but when sophomore Micaela Ross entered just after the game’s halfway point, Maine rallied. Brittany Huneke, Audra Richards, and Kelly McDonald all scored, the last two coming in the final five minutes. Overtime ended with a 3-3 tie.
How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 2 Wisconsin swept a matchup of backup goalies over Bemidji State. With Badger Alex Rigsby out with a lower-body injury and BSU’s Brittni Mowat ill, Wisconsin won, 7-2 and 5-0. Ann-Renée Desbiens took over for Rigsby and earned both wins, including the shutout. Madison Packer netted a hat trick and Katy Josephs a pair of goals in the opener. Packer had a goal and two assists to spur Sunday’s win.
No. 3 Cornell spotted Syracuse a pair of early goals and stormed back with the game’s final five tallies to win, 5-2. Defenseman Cassandra Poudrier did the most damage with two goals, and Paula Voorheis made 39 saves to claim her first win for the Big Red.
Shiann Darkangelo scored twice and Kelly Babstock added three points in No. 8 Quinnipiac’s 4-2 defeat of Union. Kathryn Tomaselli had both goals for the Dutchwomen. Darkangelo, Nicole Brown, and Morgan Fritz-Ward all had two-point games the next day in the Bobcats 3-1 win over Rensselaer.
Sarah Lefort, Louise Warren, and No. 9 Boston University all enjoyed huge weeks. Lefort had a hat trick and a helper in a 5-2 win over Northeastern on Tuesday. Warren scored the other two goals and assisted twice. Lefort had two more goals with an assist in a wild 6-5 contest with Minnesota-Duluth. Warren had a goal and a helper, as did Samantha Sutherland and Rebecca Russo. Lara Stalder had three helpers for the Bulldogs. The Terriers completed the sweep by a 4-2 score on Saturday. Lefort (2-2-4) and Warren (2-1-3) were the offensive heroes once more, and Victoria Hanson’s 33 saves gained her the win. For the week, Lefort finished with an impressive seven goals and four assists, with Warren not far off with five goals and four assists.
It wasn’t easy, but No. 10 Robert Morris swept RIT on home ice, 2-1 and 4-2. Brittany Howard and Thea Imbrogno contributed a goal and an assist to the opener. Maeve Garvey scored twice in the second game, as the Colonials answered immediately to wipe away two one-goal deficits. Jessica Dodds was in net for both contests and upped her personal mark to 13-0-1 in her first campaign.
Knocking on the door
Mercyhurst indicated that it wants back into the rankings, trouncing Penn State, 7-0 and 8-0. Christine Bestland had a hat trick with an assist, Kaleigh Chippy a pair of tallies, and Emily Janiga added four assists in the first game as Amanda Makela denied all 35 shots. Chippy scored two more, Shelby Bram added a helper to her two goals, and Christie Cicero assisted three times in support of Julia DiTondo’s shutout.
Three (OK, four, but they’re short) Things from Atlantic Hockey play this weekend:
Rebound
On Friday, Canisius led host Army 3-2 after two periods before blowing the game open with five goals in the third to win, 8-2. The Griffs chased Black Knight goaltender Rob Tadazak with their sixth goal, the first career tally for rookie Shane Conacher (yes, relation).
It’s always interesting to see how a team responds to a blowout loss. Would Army coach Brian Riley make wholesale changes? How would the Black Knights react, especially if they fell behind early?
Riley elected to go back to Tadazak, and he and sophomore Shane Hearn led the Black Knights to a rebound 2-0 win on Saturday.
Hearn got Army a lead it wouldn’t surrender midway through the second period, and added an insurance goal with 58 seconds left to seal the deal. Tadazak stopped all 15 shots he faced for the shutout. Those 15 shots were a season low for the Golden Griffins. Army surrendered 35 to Canisius the night before.
“I am sure there are some people that would not come back to Tadazak tonight,” Riley said after the game. “But he is a competitor, and he gave us a chance to win tonight and I was happy to see him bounce back the way he did.”
Milestones
Usually it’s near the end of a season that you see players achieve career records or milestones, but a pair of achievements happened this past weekend:
Canisius senior Kyle Gibbons scored his 49th and 50th career goals on Saturday, becoming the third player in program history to get to the half-century mark. He’s now tied with Jason Weeks (50 goals from 2006 to 2010) and trails only Cory Conacher (62 goals from 2007 to 2011).
Bentley’s Brett Gensler moved into the top position for career points in Bentley’s Division I era with three assists in Friday’s 4-1 win over Robert Morris, moving past Dain Prewitt (’09). Gensler added a goal in Saturday’s 7-2 win and now is at 129 points and counting. The all-time record for career points at Bentley is still held by coach Ryan Soderquist, who recorded 173 back in the Falcons’ Division II days.
A heap of helpers
Bentley defenseman Steve Weinstein, who set the school career mark for points by a defenseman on Nov. 30, added to his total with a goal and four assists last weekend. The junior already has 19 assists this season. He’s tied for second nationally, trailing only St. Lawrence’s Greg Carey (23 assists).
Weinstein has had at least one assist in his last eight contests, averaging two a game over that span. His goal on Saturday was his first of the season.
Who’s hot
As we approach Holiday break, who’s the hottest team in Atlantic Hockey?
Canisius was riding a four-game winning streak before being shut out at Army on Saturday. Rochester Institute of Technology has won five in a row, the Tigers’ longest in two years. Mercyhurst has won six of its last seven contests, scoring 34 goals over that stretch.
But I’m going with Bentley. The Falcons are undefeated in their last six contests and have played arguably a tougher schedule over that stretch.
Bentley faces a tough challenge on Saturday, traveling to Boston University for its final game before Christmas.
Parenteau played in 13 of Minnesota’s first 14 games this season, registering one assist and a plus-13 rating. He has been a regular in the Gophers’ lineup since his sophomore year.
After two different rounds of voting and over 800 ballots submitted, fans have selected NCHC Frozen Faceoff for the name of the conference’s championship weekend. The inaugural event will take place March 21-22, 2014, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
St. Lawrence’s Greg Carey had 21 points in 10 games in November (photo: Bradley K. Olson).
St. Lawrence’s Greg Carey and Quinnipiac’s Sam Anas were honored as the national player and rookie of the month, respectively, for November by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
Carey led the nation in scoring last month with 21 points in 10 games, posting nine goals and 12 assists.
It’s the second time the senior forward from Hamilton, Ontario, has been named the national player of the month. He also earned the nod in February 2013.
Anas led all rookies with 16 points in November, posting six goals and 10 assists.
The Potomac, Md., native helped Quinnipiac to a 7-1-2 record last month.
The winners were chosen from nominees by each of the six Division I leagues. The other player of the month nominees were forwards Alex Grieve of Bentley, Andrew Copp of Michigan, Johnny Gaudreau of Boston College and Shane Berschbach of Western Michigan; and goaltender CJ Motte of Ferris State.
The other rookie nominees were forwards Todd Skirving of Rochester Institute of Technology, Hudson Fasching of Minnesota, Ryan Fitzgerald of Boston College, Jake Guentzel of Nebraska-Omaha and Kyle Schempp of Ferris State.
Will Brockport be celebrating this weekend? (photo: Dan Hickling).
Let’s get ‘er goin,’ gang!
What does our panel of Division III men’s experts see happening this weekend?
ECAC East – Tim Costello
Last week’s picks finished at 3-1-1 (.700), which brings this season total to a very good 13-4-3 (.725).
There is just one more weekend for most teams before the semester break and conference games and points still mean a lot in December.
Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Dec. 6
Castleton @ St. Michael’s
The Spartans certainly shouldn’t get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with their other Vermont rival, Norwich. Still looking for consistency and this trip to Winooski may be just what Steve Moffatt’s team needs to get some positive momentum going for the weekend. Castleton 4-2.
St. Anselm @ New England College
This travel partner game always seems to close out the first half for these teams in conference play. While the Pilgrims are off to the better start, anything can happen between these two teams and usually does. Home team won’t let two points get away in this one. New England College 4-3.
Skidmore @ Norwich
The first loss of the season to Wisconsin-Superior, and by shutout no less, is enough motivation to get the offense cranked up against Skidmore. This game could easily go over to the home team, but Matic Martinsek has quietly been very good for Norwich and he is the difference-maker in this one. Norwich 4-3. Saturday, Dec. 7
Massachusetts-Boston @ Southern Maine
The Beacons, under coach Peter Belisle, have never won at Southern Maine during his tenure at UMB. Last weekend’s PAL Cup championship showed some positive signs for the Beacons and back-to-back weekend sweeps would carry some strong positive reinforcement about effort and results to close out the first half. Massachusetts-Boston 5-3.
Babson @ University of New England
The Beavers have been on a roll other than last weekend’s hiccup at Williams. No worries as Babson quickly refocuses in conference play and continues to lead the way at the top of the standings. Just too much of everything for the game Nor’easters. Babson 4-1.
Points in December means as much as any other time so no reason to take any opponent lightly – drop the puck!
ECAC Northeast – Nathan Fournier
Friday, Dec. 6
Salve Regina at Neumann
Salve starts the meat of its nonconference schedule at Neumann. This should be a wide-open game with both teams knowing how to put the puck into the net. Salve wants to make some noise out of conference and a win over Neumann would help their cause. I think the Seahawks pick themselves up from two losses this past weekend with a 7-4 win.
Canton at Western New England
The Golden Bears will be well-rested having nine days off after their win over Manahattanville on Nov. 26. They get a Kangaroos’ team that has been struggling. I don’t see Western New England having much issue and I see them winning 6-1. Saturday, Dec. 7
Canton at Becker
Becker is coming off back-to-back losses over the weekend and they look to enter the semester break on a high note. This game could serve as a momentum booster heading into the second half. Their offense has been struggling along. The defense also has been struggling with a 6-0 loss to Assumption. I have them winning, though, 6-3.
Suffolk at Franklin Piece
The Rams are coming off a tough weekend in Maine losing to Colby and Bowdoin. They will need to crack down on taking undisciplined penalties that haunted them in their game against Colby on Sunday. They go on the road once again to face a struggling Franklin Pierce squad. It will be a tough, hard-fought game and I think Suffolk comes out on top 4-2. A win on the road is needed for the Rams.
Stonehill at Johnson and Wales
The Wildcats are coming off a split from last weekend and have a Stonehill team that knows how to win on the road coming in. Stonehill has been putting puck into the net a lot lately, but Johnson and Wales has been stingy on defense. It will be a tight game with Johnson and Wales winning 4-3.
Salve Regina at Utica
The Seahawks will be going into hostile territory on the second night of a back-to-back. It will be good experience for the Seahawks as they continue to build their program. They will need their best effort on the season to steal a win. I think the Pioneers will be to tough to handle for Salve Regina as Utica rolls 7-2.
Southern New Hampshire at Western New England
This should be a very good matchup. The Penmen have played very well on the road this season, but are coming off two losses last weekend and will be hungry. Despite their recent struggles, they still have a strong power play and a good penalty kill. I think Southern New Hampshire wins a 5-4 goalfest. Tuesday, Dec. 10
Wentworth at Stonehill
The Leopards have been struggling to find the back of the net and Stonehill isn’t a team you want to face when you get goals. With two games remaining before they head to break, two points are almost a must. I think they have a potential to steal a game and I think they will in a 3-2 victory. Wednesday, Dec. 11
Franklin Pierce at Nichols
The Bison wrap up the first half with Franklin Pierce. On paper, Nichols has the advantage, but it’s certainly a trap game. Alex Larson has also played in every game but one through the first nine contests. You could see him getting the night off and have Patrick Salkind rebound from his only start of the season against Suffolk. I think Franklin Pierce gives Nichols a scare, but the Bison hold on for a 4-2 win.
ECAC West – Dan Hickling
Saturday, Dec. 7
Salve Regina (6-3-0) @ No. 11 Utica (7-2-1) – Utica 4, Salve 3
Still smarting from last week’s ambush by Morrisville, the Pioneers will take it out on another nonconference foe. Sunday, Dec. 8
Hobart (2-2-4) @ New England College (6-2-0) – Hobart 4, NEC 2
Are, as Bill Parcells used to say, you are what your record says you are? The Statesmen have a chance to prove they are better than just a two-win team.
MASCAC – Nathan Fournier
Saturday, Dec. 7
Fitchburg State at Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Both teams are coming off two losses over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Corsairs have been playing teams tough so far, but aren’t getting the desired results. Fitchburg State has been floating around .500 in conference, but hasn’t found a way to win on the road. I believe UMass-Dartmouth will find a way to hold onto a lead in a 3-2 victory.
Westfield State at Plymouth State
The Owls of Westfield State have played better in conference than out of conference. They also have been putting pucks in the net a lot more in MASCAC play, scoring a goal more per game. Plymouth State has been playing better defensively in conference. It will be a battle, but Plymouth State will take care of business on the road.
Worcester State at Salem State
Both teams have struggled on the man-advantage so far this season, but both have good penalty kills. Worcester State is still looking for that first MASCAC win of the season, while Salem State has played well at home. I believe the Vikings bring more to the table all-around and will skate away with a 5-2 victory. Wednesday, Dec. 11
Framingham State at Assumption
Framingham State ends the first half of the year in a nonconference game. They have played some decent hockey so far this season and look to carry the momentum into the break. The Rams will need to look to work on their special teams. Assumption, on the other hand, has struggled this year, but is a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Framingham wins this one in a 5-3 game.
Westfield State at Stonehill
This has the potential to be an offensive showdown. With it being an out-of-conference game, Westfield will want to get a win on the board outside of MASCAC. It will be good heading into the break for the Owls. This will be Stonehill’s third MASCAC opponent of the season. Westfield pulls it out in a 6-5 contest.
MIAC/WIAC – Brian Lester
I’m not sure if I’m a genius or just lucky.
I guess we could say it’s a little bit of both because heading into this week’s picks, I am 25-2 on the year. If I keep that run of success up, I’m planning a trip to Vegas to cash in on my luck, although by mentioning how well I’ve started, I probably just cursed myself for the rest of the season.
Conference play is in full swing for both MIAC teams and WIAC teams. So without further delay, here are my picks for the weekend games. WIAC Friday, Dec. 6
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
It’s the biggest matchup of the weekend as the two nationally-ranked opponents square off in an early-season showdown. Stevens Point is one of the hottest teams in the nation at the moment, winning eight consecutive games to start the year. The Blugolds, the defending national champions, are 5-2, losing twice to St. Norbert. The Pointers have been explosive, ringing up 50 goals, and opponents have scored only 11. Eau Claire does have the luxury of playing at home, but I’m not sure if it will be able to cool off Stevens Point. This game should go down to the wire. Stevens Point 2-1.
Wisconsin-Superior at Wisconsin-River Falls
Superior is coming off a huge win over nationally-ranked Norwich in New York and momentum seems to be on its side. The Yellow Jackets have been balanced offensively and it has two goalies more than capable of getting the job done in Drew Strandberg and Dayn Belfour. If the Yellow Jackets can play well on defense, they will be in good shape against the Falcons. River Falls is coming off two consecutive wins and this is an opportunity to for the Falcons to make an early statement. River Falls needs Scott Lewan to be strong in goal. He has made 99 saves on the year. While this one could go either way, the edge goes to Superior, 4-2. Saturday, Dec. 7
Wisconsin-Stout at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stout is going to have a hard time winning this game, especially on the road. It has dropped five consecutive games and is 0-3 on the road this season. The Blue Devils, who have scored 21 goals on the year, don’t have the offensive firepower to hang with the Pointers. Stevens Point 5-1.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire at Wisconsin-Superior
This should be a bounce-back game for the Blugolds. I don’t expect a win to come easy, though, and both teams will challenge each other from start to finish. But I can’t see Eau Claire losing two in the same weekend. The edge goes to the defending champs. Eau Claire, 3-2.
NCHA – Katie Carito
So far, picking only conference games had bode well for me as right now, I’m 9-2-0. With a weekend full of conference series ahead, I’m sure that will change. This weekend should serve as a good shake-up in the standings.
St. Norbert versus Lawrence
St. Norbert (9-1-0, 6-0-0) suffered their first loss of the season over the weekend in a nonconference game again St. Scholastica. On Nov. 27, the Green Knights beat Wisconsin-Eau Claire 8-2. Lawrence (2-5-1, 2-4-0) has yet to get on a roll this season, having a win, tie and loss in their last three games. I think St. Norbert will bounce back from their loss and take the sweep in the home-and-home series. St. Norbert 4-1, 3-1
Adrian at Marian
Adrian (9-0-0, 6-0-0) remains the lone perfect team to date in the conference. They were 2:40 away from a loss in Sunday’s game against non-conference Nazareth, but Michael Hoy’s power-play goal forced overtime and Dustin Hebebrand notched the game-winning goal to keep the Bulldogs’ streak alive. Marian (4-7-0, 3-3-0) is coming into the weekend on a three-game losing streak, most recently dropping two close games (4-3, 3-2) at the NCHA/MIAC Thanksgiving Showdown. I have a feeling the Bulldogs are going to enter 2014 without a loss. Adrian 5-2, 3-2
Lake Forest at St. Scholastica
The Foresters (5-4-0, 4-2-0) lost two games against nonconference St. Mary’s with matching 2-1 scores both nights. Lake Forest sits at fourth in the standings with eight points, right behind St. Scholastica, who is currently third with 10 points. The Saints (6-1-2, 4-0-2) played a nonconference game and downed St. Norbert 4-2. They have only suffered one loss this season, to Wisconsin-Superior. I think these teams will split the weekend. Lake Forest 2-1, St. Scholastica 3-2
Concordia (Wis.) at Finlandia
Finlandia (0-8-0, 0-6-0) remains winless on the season, most recently getting swept by Lake Forest on Nov. 22-23. Concordia (3-4-3, 2-2-2) snapped a four-game losing streak on Nov. 29 with a 5-5 tie against nonconference Bethel, before winning 4-2 the next night. I like the way Concordia’s young team has been performing. Concordia 2-1, 5-3
Milwaukee School of Engineering at Northland
I’m not sure how to explain MSOE’s season so far, but the runner-up for the 2012-13 MCHA regular-season title has yet to win a game this season. The Raiders (0-8-0, 0-6-0) dropped two games against Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-River Falls two weekends ago. Northland (1-8-0, 1-5-0) most recently lost a nonconference series against Augsburg. I’m going with a split for these teams. Northland 3-2, MSOE 2-1
NESCAC – Tim Costello
I think I might be getting the hang of this prediction thing as I had a really good week at 4-0-1 (.900), which brings the season total to 12-1-2 (.867).
Here are the picks on what is the final weekend of play this year for most teams: Friday, Dec. 6
Middlebury @ Amherst
A battle for first place and the big question may be who starts in goal for the Panthers following last weekend’s loss to Plattsburgh in the Primelink final. No question who is between the pipes for Amherst and Dave Cunningham makes enough saves for the win at home. Amherst 4-3.
Williams @ Hamilton
The Ephs can play with anyone, as evidenced by last week’s quality win against previously-unbeaten Babson. Bill Kangas’ team won’t be looking ahead to their rival game at Amherst on Saturday and take care of business, albeit in a close one. Williams 3-2. Saturday, Dec. 7
Tufts @ Bowdoin
The Polar Bears got the offense on track in the past week and Tufts is a welcome conference foe despite the Jumbos’ win on the road at Castleton. Too much offense and speed for Tufts to keep up at “The Sid.” Bowdoin 5-2.
Hobart @ Wesleyan
The Cardinals have proven they can score, but Hobart plays things very tight and this one probably sees an empty-net goal as the ultimate decider in a close contest. Hobart 3-1.
Trinity @ Manhattanville
The Bantams are back on the road and looking to rebound after a tough 2-0 loss against Stonehill this week. Back to basics for Matt Greason’s team and it all works out against a traditionally tough ECAC West opponent. Trinity 3-1.
Finals for the semester are certainly upon the players but not before some critical games this weekend – drop the puck!
SUNYAC – Dan Hickling
Friday, Dec. 6
Brockport (2-7-1, 1-3-0) @ Fredonia (2-5-1, 2-2-1) – Fredonia 4, Brockport 1
Both teams are trying to figure themselves out before the break. The guess here is that Fredonia will learn a few more things about itself. Saturday, Dec. 7
Potsdam (2-6-0, 0-5-0) @ Cortland (3-4-3, 3-3-1) – Cortland 5, Potsdam 3
At this stage of the season, the Red Dragons are closer to joining the middle of the SUNYAC pack than Potsdam is.
On the season:
Dan: 69-31-8 (.676)
Chris: 70-30-8 (.685)
This Week’s Picks
Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7: Canisius at Army Dan: Army’s defense really struggled through the last month or so. In going 2-8 in November, they gave up 47 goals. The two wins they picked up were against Sacred Heart and AIC. While both of those teams are improved, there’s still a Grand Canyon-like chasm between the top and the bottom. Canisius sweeps. Chris: These are my favorite kinds of weekends in Atlantic Hockey, with all 12 teams squaring off in six two-game series. First up is Army, one of those teams that will beat you unless you come to play. The odds are you’re not going to outwork the Black Knights, but if you can come close, teams with depth like Canisius can prevail. Canisius sweeps.
Robert Morris at Bentley Dan:No AHA team is hotter right now than the Bentley Falcons. They’re starting to pick up steam, and with several players chasing down program history, there’s a lot at stake. They’re also 4-4-2 lifetime against the former CHA squad. But RMU needs wins badly or risk having to make up some serious ground against their western foes later in the year. I’m calling it a split. Bentley wins on Friday. RMU wins on Saturday. Chris: Dan knows more about Bentley than I do, but I think he’s hedging his bets here. I’m going all-in. Bentley sweeps.
Air Force at Holy Cross Dan: My hockey expert future wife said it best when she said, “Holy Cross beat BC? Nobody will take them lightly ever again.” Cue up Air Force, stinging from their first conference weekend loss. And really, how can we not take Air Force at least on Pearl Harbor Day? Air Force sweeps. Chris: As Air Force coach Frank Serratore says, it usually comes down to goaltending and special teams. Both teams have experienced guys in the pipes that can win a game on their own. But I’m going with Torf over Ginn this weekend. Air Force sweeps.
Sacred Heart at Mercyhurst Dan: I hope Rick Gotkin plays Bachman-Turner Overdrive the entire way to Connecticut because this weekend has to be about “Takin’ Care of Business” for the Lakers. But I say that with a caveat – would anyone be shocked if Sacred Heart took a point?Mercyhurst sweeps. Chris: I usually pick before Dan, so this is fun to follow him this week. The Lakers have won four in a row against the Pioneers and I think it’s going to be the” Same Old Song” and Four Tops, errr, four points for the Lakers. Mercyhrust sweeps.
American International at Rochester Institute of Technology Dan: AIC is positively reeling. They’ve lost five in a row, including a game against Army and Tuesday night’s 6-1 beating by UMass-Lowell. In addition, bad defense is rearing its ugly head. The losing streak in shots allowed – outshot 38-18 (UConn); outshot 40-24 (Army); outshot 50-29 (Mercyhurst); outshot 53-26 (Mercyhurst); outshot 44-21 (UML). RIT sweeps. Chris: Right now you have two teams moving in the opposite direction, with the Tigers on a three-game winning streak and the Yellow Jackets coming in in a downward spiral. But they’ve beaten Holy Cross and Bentley this year, and if one of their goalies find his groove, fortunes can reverse quickly. Still, I think the Tigers have something to prove at home, where they are 0-1 in league play this season. RIT sweeps.
Niagara at Connecticut Dan: Besides the RMU-Bentley series, this presents the juiciest opportunity for a split. Connecticut is 1-3-1 since November 12th, but they’ve lost to a white-hot Bentley team, a Boston University team getting back their mojo, and Canisius. I think they can take a win in this series, at home, against a Niagara team ranked 53rd nationally in goals allowed. UConn wins on Friday. Niagara on Saturday. Chris: I think both teams are better than their record indicates. This one’s a tossup for me, but I’m going with the Purple Eagles to pick up their first road wins of the season in a pair of close games. Niagara sweeps.
St. Scholastica sophomore forward Dylan Nowakowski has been a consistent offensive performer this season for the Saints. (photo: CSS Athletics).
Last season, St. Scholastica had a rocky start to say the least, going 4-9-0 in the first half.
The Saints then exploded to a 9-5-1 second half. Their season ended with a loss to St. Norbert in the NCHA semifinals.
So far this season, St. Scholastica has been able to take that second-half momentum and catapult it to a successful beginning of the season. The Saints are off to a 6-1-2 overall start, while holding a 4-0-2 conference record.
“I think last season was a motivator for us,” said Saints’ coach Mark Wick earlier this season. “We had a good stretch in the end with a lot of big games that left a bitter taste in our mouth. Our team can be in that top mix. There were a lot of positives out of last season.”
The Saints suffered their sole loss this season in a hard-fought 3-2 game against old conference foe Wisconsin-Superior.
This past weekend, the Saints downed St. Norbert 4-2, handing the Green Knights their first loss of the season. The win marked the first time Wick has beaten the top-ranked team of the nation.
Senior forward Chad Golanowski scored two goals as he scored the first goal of the game and also added a shorthanded goal in the second period.
After scoring four unanswered goals, it looked like St. Norbert was back in the game, scoring two of their own goals, but the Saints held on to their lead.
Three of the top five scorers in the conference are St. Scholastica forwards. Senior Brandon Nowakowski (6-5-11) leads the pack, followed by his younger brother, sophomore Dylan Nowakowski (5-5-10). Rounding out the group of skilled scorers is senior Paul Marcoux (3-6-9).
Brandon is tied for first in the conference in power-play scoring, having four goals and one assist with the man-advantage. The Saints’ power-play has shined, going 9-for-22 (40.9%) in conference play. They have the second best power play in the nation.
The Saints have two series left in 2013. This upcoming weekend, they will host Lake Forest, a team that is two points behind St. Scholastica in the standings and will look solidify their spot in the top half of the NCHA.
The team will close out the year with nonconference games against St. John’s and St. Thomas. As the Saints look forward to the rest of the season, they’ll draw from their past success to drive them through.
Around the League
Freshman forward Blake Roubos had a five-point night in Lawrence’s 6-6 tie against Gustavus Adolphus on Friday night. Roubos scored two goals, including the game-tying goal. The goals, along with three assists contributed to Roubos’ seven-game point streak that was halted on Saturday night. Roubos’ efforts gained him the NCHA offensive player of the week honors.
NCHA defensive player of the week went to Concordia (Wis.) senior defenseman Brandon Bayer, who had four assists on the weekend series against Bethel. Bayer had two assists in Friday’s 5-5 tie. He then added an assist on a power-play goal and another on the game-winner as the Falcons downed Bethel 4-2 on Saturday.
Lawrence and Marian did not fare well in the NCHA/MIAC Thanksgiving Showdown. Lawrence went to the aforementioned 6-6 tie against Gustavus Adolphus before dropping a 5-1 loss to St. Olaf. Marian suffered a 4-3 loss in Friday’s game against St. Olaf before a 3-2 loss against Gustavus Adolphus.
Adrian is the lone team left in the conference who has not lost this season, toting a 9-0-0 overall record. The Bulldogs hosted nonconference opponents last weekend as they downed Fredonia 7-2 before a 2-1 overtime win against Nazareth to hold onto their streak. Seven different skaters scored in the win over Fredonia.
St. Norbert, St. Scholastica and Adrian remained unbeaten within the conference. The Green Knights and Bulldogs are tied for the top spot in the conference with 12 points each. St. Scholastica is sitting in second with 10 points.
Both Arlan and I went 10-5-1 last week, as New Hampshire ruined my promising two-game lead on Arlan after Friday. Oh well. On the year, I am now 120-45-19, while Arlan is 127-38-19. Perhaps I should aim to gain a game or two a week.
Friday, Dec. 6
Union at Quinnipiac Candace: Union should play the Bobcats tough, but will fall short. Quinnipiac 3-1 Arlan: Union has been idle for so long that I’d forgotten all about the Dutchwomen. Quinnipiac 3-1
Rensselaer at Princeton Candace: I think I could flip a coin 10 times and have better odds that I’m right in this. Princeton 2-1 Arlan: Based on what I witnessed last weekend, the Engineers would be the smarter pick. Princeton 2-1
UNH at Harvard Candace: Harvard should win this, although it might be closer if the Crimson look ahead to Saturday’s big game against BC. Harvard 4-1 Arlan: The Wildcats haven’t won in this series since February of 2009. Harvard 3-1
Yale at Providence Candace: I think Yale has a legitimate shot at the ECAC tournament this year. Yale 3-2 Arlan: The Friars are on a season-best three-game winning streak. Yale 4-3
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 6-7
RIT at Robert Morris Candace: The Tigers did split with Mercyhurst a couple of weeks ago, but that was at home. Robert Morris 3-1, 2-1 Arlan: The Colonials are still looking for their first win over the Tigers. Robert Morris 2-1, 2-1
Minnesota State at St. Cloud State Candace: Can the Huskies score? Can the Mavericks? Minnesota State 2-1, 3-1 Arlan: Two teams that look like they would be better, but for some reason, they aren’t. St. Cloud State 2-1, Minnesota State 3-1
Bemidji State at Wisconsin Candace: A major test for a Badgers team without the best goalie in the game right now, but I think they will pull through. Wisconsin 3-1, 3-2 Arlan: Bemidji State usually puts up a pretty good fight in Madison, and the Badgers are without Alex Rigsby. Wisconsin 3-2, 3-1
Minnesota Duluth at Boston University Candace: The Terriers haven’t been particularly great out-of-conference this year, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Boston University 3-2, 4-2 Arlan: Did UMD empty the tank versus Wisconsin? Is BU tired after playing Northeastern? Will anyone win? Will anyone score? Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, 3-2
North Dakota at Clarkson Candace: Like Arlan, I think a split, and like Arlan, I have no idea which team wins which game. North Dakota 3-2, 3-1 Arlan: I’m convinced that this will be a split, but I’d have to flip a coin on the order. North Dakota 3-2, 2-1
Saturday, Dec. 7
Boston College at Harvard Candace: Arlan is right. Boston College 2-1 Arlan: I’m more confident that Candace will pick BC than in the game’s outcome. Harvard 2-1
Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8
Minnesota at Ohio State Candace: OSU finally won a pair, but it won’t help against the Gophers. Minnesota 4-1, 4-2 Arlan: Have the Buckeyes discovered something in New Hampshire? Will it matter this weekend? Minnesota 3-1, 3-2
Sunday, Dec. 8
Dartmouth at New Hampshire Candace: I’m not sure I’ve correctly picked a UNH game this season. Dartmouth 2-1 Arlan: Rumor has it that Candace enjoys picking UNH games. New Hamsphire 2-1
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Vermont at Dartmouth Candace: Given how many times the Catamounts have gone to OT this season, a tie wouldn’t surprise me. Dartmouth 3-2 Arlan: No matter the outcome of its games this week, Dartmouth will head into the Christmas break with its worst record of the NCAA era. Dartmouth 4-3
Shaun Walters is the lone junior on a Massachusetts-Dartmouth team looking to climb the MASCAC standings (photo: Hunter Carden).
Massachusetts-Dartmouth is taking positive steps in the Corsairs’ rebuild.
Last year’s MASCAC champions are sitting 2-6-1 overall, but the record doesn’t indicate how they have been playing.
“We have four losses with less than a minute left,” said UMass-Dartmouth coach John Rolli after the game against Bowdoin on Sunday. “We lost a game with 30 seconds left, we lost a game with seven seconds left, we lost a game in overtime and last night was a loss even though it was a 4-4 tie because we gave up the tying goal with 11 seconds left.”
Rolli, now in his 30th season at UMass-Dartmouth, knows these losses are a product of inexperience. On Sunday against Bowdoin, he only had three upperclassman in the 5-1 loss.
It was the first time all year the Corsairs were down after 20 minutes of play.
“For us, we played the game with two seniors and one junior,” Rolli said. “We had a lot of inexperience out there and we are trying to coach them to play college hockey.”
Some of the freshmen have been stepping up for the Corsairs, though.
“We have three freshman forwards that are really playing well for us,” Rolli added. “On our first line, Tanner Zacharewicz is a big right winger and then on the second line, left winger Yuriy Sokayev comes out of the New York Apple Core in the old Eastern Junior Hockey League and Tommy Braswell played prep hockey at Bridgeton Academy last year. They have been pleasant surprises for us.”
Zacharewicz has two goals and two assists this season, while Sokayev has two goals in eight games played and Braswell has two assists in six games.
Also contributing to the offense so far this season is Mark Restuccia, who has three goals and 11 assists in nine games this season.
Shaun Walters, the lone junior on the team, has eight goals and four assists in nine contests. As a sophomore, he had eight goals and a total of 19 points in 26 games.
Despite allowing five goals on Sunday, Rolli was impressed with freshman J.J. Solloway, who made his second career start in net, making 48 saves.
“Solloway did himself certainly well [Sunday],” Rolli stated. “I think he will be a very good goaltender for us down the road.”
For now, Rolli is taking it one game at a time.
“This a big step for us,” said Rolli. “I thought [Saturday] night at Colby, we battled them to a 4-4 tie was a positive for us. [Sunday], we ran out of gas in the third period, but that’s all credit to Bowdoin.”
Rolli hopes his team can work on game situations and protecting a lead and be able to comeback against stronger opponents in the future.
Our scheduled guests on the Dec. 10 episode of USCHO Live! are Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin, whose Lakers are atop the Atlantic Hockey standings, and Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey.
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