Hockey East announced today that UConn sophomore forward Samu Salminen has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 14:22 of the first period on Feb. 2 against Providence.
On the play, Salminen received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct.
Salminen is ineligible to play Feb. 3 against the Friars and is able to return to the Huskies’ lineup on Feb. 9 against Massachusetts.
Additionally, UMass Lowell senior defenseman Ben Meehan has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 4:24 of the third period on Feb. 2 against Boston College.
Meehan was assessed a five-minute major for direct contact to the head and a game misconduct on the play.
Meehan is ineligible to play Feb. 9 against Vermont and is able to return to the River Hawks’ lineup on Feb. 10 against the Catamounts.
MADISON — It seems Wisconsin might have had an inkling that their series against St. Cloud State this weekend would be tight. KK Harvey said she practiced three-on-three situations, playing with Lacey Eden and Britta Curl. Those reps came in handy Saturday afternoon as Harvey took a puck from Eden at the half line and streaked up the far boards, past her defender before cutting in on net and beating Jojo Chobak short-side high to give No. 2 Wisconsin the 2-1 win over the 10th-ranked Huskies.
St. Cloud State put pressure on the Badgers from the first puck drop. They were dominating the home team in the faceoff circle over the first half of the period, at one point holding a 14-3 advantage. St. Cloud State coach Brian Idalski said he wasn’t aware of the numbers, but that Emma Gentry has been outstanding for his team in that regard in recent weeks.
“Wisconsin is a very good possession team and to let them have it off of every faceoff, it makes the game that much harder,” he said.
The Huskies took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission thanks to a funny bounce and deflection. Laura Zimmermann appeared to hit teammate Taylor Lind’s stick, causing the puck to go out in front and off the skate of UW forward Marianne Picard and in. From there, the game resembled a track meet with quick trips up and down the ice from both teams. Wisconsin outshot SCSU 12-7 in the frame, but couldn’t seem to muster too much dangerous or make a connection through the traffic the Huskies created in front of the net.
The Badgers outshot St. Cloud 18-9 in the second, but Chobak continued to be stalwart. She was helped by a defense that kept Wisconsin to the perimeter. After a long zone possession where they kept cycling the puck, Casey O’Brien hit Vivian Jungels across the ice. Jungels’ shot from distance found less traffic on the opposite side. Chobak made the initial save but the puck was loose in the crease and Maddi Wheeler poked it in to make it a 1-1 game.
Wheeler said she never felt frustration during the game or felt like they were playing from behind. She said if they weren’t getting opportunities, it might have been different, but she said the feeling on the bench was that the game-winning goal would come.
“I know last weekend we were really playing from behind, but I thought we had control this game. Obviously there’s things that we need to work on, but they’re a good team. Credit to them – they’re hard, they’re physical and they’re hard to play against,” said Wheeler.
The loss was the fourth in a row for St. Cloud and Idalski struggled after the game with how to keep his team motivated and giving their all week after week when they are executing their game plan and playing at their best, but coming out on the losing end against opponents like Ohio State and Wisconsin, who have exponentially more resources. It feels impossible and it’s difficult to feel like all the work is worth it, he said, clearly frustrated.
“We just have to work so hard to even be in the ballpark with the way that athletics are right now across the board. To not be able to get over the hump and know that you’re giving everything you have. That sucks. I’m just disappointed with the outcome because our kids are working hard and deserve a better fate here last couple of weekends,” said Idalski.
“I don’t think anyone can understand the emotional toll that takes going through for games like that,” he said.
“How do you keep your group still engaged in doing the work they have to do without getting the reward? That is super hard.”
The two teams close out their regular season series on Sunday at 4 PM central in Madison.
Lake Superior State has announced the passing of former NCAA national champion goaltender Blaine Lacher, who died earlier this week in Medicine Hat, Alb., at the age of 53.
Cause of death was not immediately released.
Lacher was a member of LSSU’s 1994 national championship team, named to the 1994 NCAA all-tournament team.
During the 1993-94 season, Lacher set the NCAA shutout streak record at 375 minutes and one second, a record that still stands to this day.
In 73 games with the Lakers from 1991 to 1994, Lacher amassed 49 wins, 1,535 saves and a career goals-against average (GAA) of 2.45. In the 1993-94 season, he recorded six shutouts and boasted a GAA of 1.98 that stood as the program record until it was broken by Mareks Mittens in 2021.
After his time at LSSU, Lacher went on to play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins where he posted a 19-11-2 record with a 2.41 GAA, .902 save percentage and four shutouts during the 1994-95 regular season as a rookie.
Hunter McDonald celebrates his goal Friday night in Northeastern’s upset win over No. 6 Maine (photo: Jim Pierce).
Trevor Janicke and Cole Knuble posted goals three minutes apart late in the third period to lift Notre Dame to a 4-1 win over No. 8 Michigan State Friday night at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind.
Ryan Siedem and Drew Bavaro also scored for the Irish and Justin Janicke chipped in two assists. Knuble and Trevor Janicke also had assists for multi-point games.
With three players recording three points, Northeastern took a 6-3 victory over Maine at Boston’s Matthews Arena.
Vinny Borgesi, Alex Campbell and Justin Hryckowian all had a goal and two assists for the Huskies.
Jack Williams and Dylan Hryckowian each posted a goal and an assist and Hunter McDonald also scored in the win. Cam Lund added a pair of helpers for Northeastern.
For Maine, Victor Ostman made 26 saves in goal as Cole Hanson scored two goals and Josh Nadeau added a goal and an assist.
No. 1 Boston College 6, UMass Lowell 1
Boston College rolled to a 6-1 win at the Tsongas Center over UMass Lowell on Friday night in Lowell, Mass.
Cutter Gauthier scored twice to lead the Eagles, while Gabe Perreault went for a goal and two assists, Eamon Powell and Ryan Leonard a goal plus a helper, and Jack Malone chipped in a goal.
The Eagles top line of Gauthier-Gasseau-Jellvik produces BC's fifth goal of the night.
Filip Fornåå Svensson scored UMass Lowell’s only goal and Henry Welsch made 23 saves in net.
Jacob Fowler finished with 21 saves for the Eagles. Jan Korec made his collegiate debut in net after Gauthier’s second of the night gave BC a 5-1 lead. He stopped five shots in 6:45 of play.
No. 2 Boston University 6, No. 18 New Hampshire 3
Jack Hughes and Nick Zabaneh each tallied two goals to help lead Boston University to a 6-3 win at New Hampshire on Friday night at Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H.
Hughes added an assist to match his career high with three points. Jack Harvey assisted on both of Hughes’ goals for his first multi-point game as a Terrier while Macklin Celebrini collected a goal and an assist. Shane Lachance also lit the lamp, one of 11 different Terriers to produce a point.
In goal for BU, Mathieu Caron turned aside 22 shots.
For the Wildcats, Robert Cronin, Kristaps Skrastins and Liam Devlin scored and Jakob Hellsten made 19 saves in goal.
No. 9 Minnesota 2. No. 4 Wisconsin 1 (OT)
Just over one minute into overtime, Brody Lamb scored for the Gophers, handing Wisconsin its first overtime loss of the season in a 2-1 final Friday night at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Oliver Moore scored for Minnesota and Owen Lindmark tallied for Wisconsin in regulation.
Justen Close made 40 saves in goal for the Gophers, while Kyle McClellan finished with 27 for the Badgers.
No. 2 North Dakota 5, Miami 4 (OT)
Jackson Blake scored 1:24 into overtime to complete a two-goal comeback and seal a 5-4 victory for North Dakota over Miami on Friday night from Steve Cady Arena in Oxford, Ohio.
UND trailed by a pair of goals entering the final 20 minutes for only the third time all season but third-period goals by Logan Britt and Riese Gaber brought the game level before Blake won it.
Blake and Gaber each had two assists, while Jake Livanavage scored and Jackson Kunz recorded a goal and an assist. Cameron Berg chipped in two assists and Ludvig Persson made 23 saves in goal.
For the RedHawks, Ryan Sullivan and Albin Nilsson each recorded a goal and an assist and John Waldron and Thomas Daskas also scored.
Bruno Bruveris collected 24 stops for Miami.
No. 5 Denver 3, No. 15 Western Michigan 2
Shai Buium notched a goal and an assist to guide Denver to a 3-2 win over Western Michigan Friday night at Magness Arena in Denver.
Alex Weiermair and Jared Wright also scored for the Pioneers, who got 39 saves from goalie Matt Davis.
Marek Hejduk scored for the Crimson and Aku Koskenvuo turned in a 37-save performance in goal.
No. 10 Providence 5, UConn 0
Philip Svedebäck kicked aside all 22 shots sent his way as Providence blanked UConn 5-0 Friday night from the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn.
Luke Krys, Riley Duran, Hudson Malinoski, Matt Hubbarde and Craig Needham all scored for the Friars. Tanner Adams picked up two assists on the night.
Arsenii Sergeev made 30 saves in goal for the Huskies.
Minnesota State 4, St. Thomas 3 (OT)
In a CCHA first-place battle Friday night, Kaden Bohlsen won it for the Mavericks, scoring 3:09 into overtime for a 4-3 victory from the St. Thomas Ice Arena in St. Paul, Minn.
Curry has had much to celebrate in their current 7-game win streak but is looking for more in a race to their first CCC title (Photo by Curry Athletics)
Most remember that last year’s D-III Frozen Four was hosted by the CCC’s Endicott and also included the University of New England among the finalists. What people may not remember is that Curry, also out of the CCC, was also an NCAA tournament team that defeated Bowdoin in the first round before losing to eventual national champion Hobart in the quarterfinals. Just a couple of weeks ago the Colonels sat in fourth place in the conference standings but a current “7-game heater” finds head coach Peter Roundy’s team atop the CCC with just five games remaining in the regular season. Things are tight amongst last year’s NCAA incumbents and when you throw in a very solid Salve Regina team (this week’s opponent for Curry), winning the conference may be the perfect setup for more March hockey.
“We got off to a shaky start,” said Roundy. “We had some impactful losses that included two All-Americans and our leading scorer. Add in season ending injuries to a couple more key offensive pieces and we needed some guys to step up and I think we are seeing that now with our recent success. Shane [Soderwall] has come in and stabilized the goaltending situation for us while our mostly first-year defensive group has matured and shown that experience as sophomores this year. The first line is where we have seen a lot of momentum and production that has helped lead the way for our younger forwards as a group. We brought in a couple of forwards at the semester break to help us with our depth and the group is playing well and the results have been there since coming back in the New Year.”
Sophomore Gage Dill (8G – 12A – 20 Pts; +14) has built on his very successful freshman campaign playing along side junior Eelis Laaksonen (10G – 9A – 19 Pts; +10) and senior Tao Ishizuka (7G – 11A – 18 Pts; +12). The line has contributed significantly to the Colonels’ goal production and makes things difficult for the opposition each game.
“Gage is certainly not an unknown commodity at this point in his career here,” stated Roundy. “He has built off his experience and taken another step in his development playing with Eelis and Tao. Tao has had the kind of year that we always thought he could have because he is finally healthy this season. If you can think of an injury, Tao probably had it at some point in his time here. He is healthy and contributing a lot on the line he is with as well as the power play and special teams. We aren’t afraid of putting these guys out in any situation.”
With Curry’s upward movement in the CCC standings, the focus now shifts to continuing to play their game and positioning themselves for the conference tournament and maybe something more beyond the CCC title.
“We can’t ignore where we are in the standings nor the Pairwise rankings at this point,” noted Roundy. “We need to talk about what all the hard work has presented to us with this recent streak and how the focus has to be the same for this weekend against Salve Regina and then the remaining conference schedule as it comes time to play Wentworth, Western New England, and Suffolk to close out the regular season. We have the tiebreaker with Endicott which is a good thing if it comes to that. We control our destiny by playing our game against the remaining opponents including a dangerous Salve team this weekend. There is still a lot of hockey to be played but right now our focus is on continuing to earn wins with the remaining league games to be played in February.”
This weekend’s home-and-home series begins at Salve Regina on Friday night and is followed by a return home to face the Seahawks again in their only regular season meetings.
“The games at this point of the season are all important,” said Roundy. “There is just one point separating Endicott, us and Salve and UNE is only a couple more points behind so a good weekend keeps you in the mix while a bad weekend could drop a team all the way to fourth place. There is a lot to play for with home-ice advantage and having teams coming to our rink for big games. I thought we handled the pressure of last week’s matchup with UNE very well and hope to see that experience carry over this week against the Seahawks.”
The Adrian Bulldogs face off against St. Norbert this weekend. (Photo provided by Adrian Athletics)
Forget about March for a moment. February is roaring in like a lion as we have two premier matchups on tap out west in NCAA Division III hockey.
In the MIAC, St. Scholastica battles Bethel while Adrian takes on St. Norbert in a rivalry series in the NCHA. In both matchups, a lot is riding on them from a conference standpoint as first place is on the line.
Check out the picks for those games and more.
Friday and Saturday
No. 10 St. Scholastica (14-4-1, 7-2-1) vs. Bethel (13-5-3, 7-3-2)
For the first weekend of February, it doesn’t get much better than a matchup featuring the top two teams in the MIAC.
The Royals are currently atop the standings, holding a two-point lead on the Saints, and we could see a lot of offense in this one. Bethel has scored 61 goals this season while the Saints lead the league in goals scored (74). Carsen Richels of St. Scholastica has tallied 12 goals on the year while Tyler Kostelecky is right behind him with 10 goals. It’s safe to say the goaltenders are going to be busy. This might come down to which team has the puck last on both nights. St. Scholastica, 5-4; Bethel, 6-5
Augsburg (10-8-1, 7-3) at Concordia (10-7-2, 5-4-1)
The Auggies have won three of four and are very much alive and well in the hunt for a MIAC championship, sitting in third place but only three points out of first. The Cobbers are fourth and five points out of the third spot.
To say the least, it’s a big weekend for both teams. Concordia features three players with eight or more goals in Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe (10), Hunter Olson (8) and Mason Plante (8). But they’ll be tasked with facing a top netminder in Samuel Vyletelka. who has stopped 92.4 percent of the shots he’s faced. Concordia, 4-3; Augsburg, 3-2
Saturday
Saint Mary’s (7-11-2, 5-5-1) at Saint John’s (8-10-4)
These two teams played Thursday and the Cardinals prevailed 5-3 despite being outshot 44-24.
The difference was special teams as the Johnnies came up short on all four of its opportunities. The Cardinals had a big second period against the Johnnies, scoring three times, and avoiding that will be key for Saint John’s as it aims to bounce back. Home ice could make a difference here as the Cardinals are just 1-9 on the road. Saint John’s, 3-2
NCHA
Friday and Saturday
No. 2 Adrian (16-4-1, 13-1) at St. Norbert (15-5, 12-2)
This is one of the best rivalries in hockey, and as usual, the stakes are high. Adrian sits atop the standings with 38 points while St. Norbert is third with 33. It should be fun to watch. Of the top 10 goal scorers in the conference, five are from either Adrian or St. Norbert. Liam Fraser and Adam Stacho lead the way with 12 goals apiece for the Green Knights. Zachary Heintz headlines the Bulldogs’ offense with 11 goals. Adrian has won seven in a row. St. Norbert has won its last five. Adrian, 5-4; St. Norbert, 4-3
MSOE (11-8-2, 5-8-1) at Aurora (11-9-1, 10-4)
The Spartans have already clinched a playoff berth for the NCHA tournament but are hoping to get a home series as well. MSOE is still in the hunt for a conference tournament berth and can take a big step forward in that regard with a big weekend against Aurora, which has two of the top goal scorers in the league in Jackson Kirk (11) and Chase Broda (10). Aurora, 4-2; MSOE, 3-2
Lawrence (6-14-1, 4-9-1) at No. 9 Trine (17-4, 12-2)
Trine has won three in a row and wants to make sure it takes care of business here before closing out the regular season against Adrian next week. Lawrence is fighting for a playoff spot. The Thunder have the advantage on paper in this series, having scored 84 goals compared to just 58 by the Vikings. Look for a Trine sweep to set the stage for next week. Trine, 5-2 and 4-2
The Falcons and Blugolds are two of the better defensive teams in the WIAC and don’t be surprised the action on that end of the ice decide things here. Dean Buchholz and Dysen Skinner have both played quality minutes and both have save percentages better than 91 percent. UW-Eau Claire has Max Gutjahr in goal. He’s helped the Blugolds rattle off five consecutive wins, with the team recording three shutouts and allowing only three goals in that stretch. UW-Eau Claire, 3-1 and 2-0
It didn’t go well for the Blue Devils the last time they faced the Yellowjackets as they lost 4-1.
But with three wins in its last four games, UW-Stout has some confidence, especially after splitting with UW-Stevens Point last week. UW-Superior isn’t having as much lately and is winless in its last five games. It hasn’t scored more than a goal in any of those games. But you have to think UW-Superior gets at least one at home this weekend. UW-Stout, 3-1; UW-Superior, 3-2
No. 8 UW-Stevens Point at Northland (1-20, 0-11)
One of the near wins Northland had this season was against UW-Stevens Point. The Lumberjacks lost that game 4-3 on Nov. 18 and are stuck in the grip of a 20-game losing streak.
The Pointers have dropped two of three but are still the team to beat in the WIAC. Their offense is as balanced as any in the league and it will be tough for Northland to slow this team down. UW-Stevens Point has scored 75 goals. The Lumberjacks have given up 102. UW-Stevens Point, 5-2 and 6-1
Michigan State players celebrate a goal during the Spartans’ 3-2 win over Minnesota Jan. 26 on home ice (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
After last week, when just about every game was a pick ’em, the books are finding some games where you’re seeing lines that have some better-than-average value.
We’ll get to that shortly, but first I want to look at two games that lines are yet to have been set and that’s Monday’s Beanpot semifinals in Boston.
There is a chance that DraftKings and other legal sports books won’t touch either game. Realistically, most of the handle (or the amount bet on the game) would come from bettors in Massachusetts and, despite these games being considered a “tournament” they don’t qualify as postseason, thus legal sports books aren’t allowed to publish these lines in Massachusetts.
That said, let’s imagine that the lines will be available somewhere. What types of value would it take to wager on these games?
In the opener between defending champion Northeastern and Harvard, the Huskies should be a significant favorite. Harvard enters this weekend 4-12-3 overall and despite three of those five wins coming in the weeks leading into this weekend, a nine-game losing streak midseason stands out for the Crimson. Northeastern, meanwhile, is playing its best hockey having swept Merrimack and knocked off Boston University in overtime on Tuesday.
Expect a line somewhere around -195 for Northeastern and +135 for Harvard. The over/under should be around 6. So if you find Northeastern for -175 or better, that’s great value. Similarly, if Harvard is +170 or higher, that’s value.
In the nightcap, Boston College and Boston University will square off for the third time in less than two weeks, which makes this game a little easier to handicap.
Coming off of two BC wins, expect the Eagles to be a favorite, but they shouldn’t be laying too much. Both games last weekend were essentially one-game wins for the Eagles. So a line somewhere around -140 balanced by BU likely being even money (+100) makes a lot of sense. Last Friday game featured five goals total and Saturday’s seven goals. So expect the over/under to be exactly six.
What type of bet makes sense here? Anywhere you can find an over/under of 5.5 or less, take the over. And if you find BU for any type of significant plus money (+120 or higher), you’d be getting value especially given the fact it is tough to beat the same team three times in a season.
Here’s a look at some other lines for Friday:
Michigan State (-140) at Notre Dame (+100); over/under 6
We get it bookmakers: Michigan State lost to Minnesota and Michigan recently. And maybe Sparty was a little lucky not to be swept in those series. But the reality is Michigan State found ways to win games in which they trailed. They already swept Notre Dame at home this season, 5-2 and 2-1. So while we’d avoid the over/under, -140 is great value for Michigan State.
Providence at Connecticut; over/under 5
This is the second time in recent weeks where Providence is involved in a game listed with a goal total of 5. The last time we said it was a must bet against Boston College. And it took a 4-goal third by BC for a 5-0 win to get a push on that bet. Still, we love anytime an o/u is 5 as the national average says this game should go over.
Western Michigan at Denver; over/under 7.5
In the “let’s look for the polar opposite” category, the bookmakers are still posting massive goal totals on games featuring Denver. The Pioneers are still a great offense but also scored just two goals in each game against North Dakota last weekend. Throw those games out, we get it. But Western hasn’t exactly been exploding offensively. Likely these totals are based entirely on the last series these two teams played, which featured 21 total goals (7-3, 6-5 OT). Still, the over here seems like a pretty scary bet should these offenses not wake up.
Adam Fantilli celebrates his 27th goal of the season in Michigan’s 11-1 win over Colgate in the Allentown Regional semifinal game on March 24, 2023 (Photo: Michigan Photography).
A watch list of 33 first-year NCAA men’s hockey players was announced Thursday by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
One of these talented rookies will likely receive the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year as voted by the nation’s assistant coaches.
At season’s end, a ballot consisting of each Division I conference’s Rookie of the Year will be presented to the assistant coaches and they will vote, one vote per school, to identify the winner.
This year’s national rookie of the year will be announced during April’s Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
The 2023 winner was Michigan forward Adam Fantilli.
HCA Tim Taylor Award Rookie of the Year Watch List
Atlantic Hockey
Mac Gadowsky, D, Army West Point, (19 GP, 3-15-18)
Matteo Giampa, F (26 GP, 16-11-27)
Nils Wallstrom, G, AIC (23 GP, 13-9-1, 2.51, .906)
Big Ten
Aiden Fink, F, Penn State (26 GP, 15-17-32)
Quinn Finley, F, Wisconsin (22 GP, 9-5-14)
Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (27 GP, 7-19-26)
Oliver Moore, F, Minnesota (26 GP, 6-19-26)
Danny Nelson, F, Notre Dame (22 GP, 7-12-19)
Joe Palodichuk, D, Wisconsin (26 GP, 2-12-14)
Sam Rinzel, D, Minnesota (25 GP, 1-22-23)
Garrett Schifsky, F, Michigan (24 GP, 11-11-22)
CCHA
Luigi Benincasa, F, Ferris State (24 GP, 4-14-18)
Isaac Gordon, F, Michigan Tech (27 GP, 13-10-23)
Evan Murr, D, Minnesota State (26 GP, 5-14-19)
Chase Pietila, D, Michigan Tech (27 GP, 0-16-16)
ECAC Hockey
Andon Cerbone, F, Quinnipiac (25 GP, 6-11-17)
Mason Marcellus, F, Quinnipiac F (25 GP, 11-9-20)
Ben Robertson, D, Cornell (19 GP, 3-12-15)
Max Scott, F, Brown (20 GP, 7-11-18)
Jack Stark, G, Yale (14 GP, 6-6-0, 2.32, .920)
Lawton Zacher, G, Brown (16 GP, 6-7-1, 2.51, .915)
Hockey East
Macklin Celebrini, F, Boston University (22 GP, 18-17-35)
Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (23 GP, 18-4-1, 2.25, .924)
Ryan Leonard, F, Boston College (23 GP, 13-16-29)
Bradly Nadeau, F, Maine (22 GP, 14-17-31)
Josh Nadeau, F, Maine (22 GP, 12-20-32)
Gabe Perreault, F, Boston College (23 GP, 9-27-36)
Will Smith, F, Boston College (23 GP, 14-20-34)
NCHC
Zeev Buium, D, Denver (24 GP, 7-26-33)
Alex Bump, F, Western Michigan (24 GP, 6-12-18)
Jake Livanavage, D, North Dakota (26 GP, 2-15-17)
Tanner Ludtke, F, Omaha, (24 GP, 7-11-18)
Miko Matikka, Denver, F (25 GP, 14-7-21)
Tessa Janecke compiled 47 points in 38 games in 2022-23 for the Penn State women’s hockey team (photo: Penn State Athletics).
A watch list of 24 first-year NCAA women’s hockey players was announced Thursday by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
One of these talented rookies will likely be voted national rookie of the year by the nation’s assistant coaches. At season’s end, a ballot consisting of each Division I conference’s rookie of the year will be presented to the assistant coaches and they will vote, one vote per school, to identify the winner.
This year’s national rookie of the Year will be announced during the Frozen Four in Durham, N.H., in March.
The 2023 winner was Penn State forward Tessa Janecke.
2023-24 Women’s Rookie of the Year Award Watch List
College Hockey America
Alaina Giampietro, F, Robert Morris (26 GP, 11-9-20)
Sofia Nuutinen, F, Mercyhurst (26 GP, 9-15-24)
Stella Retrum, F, Penn State (28 GP, 11-10-21)
Ben Barr is currently in his third season behind the Maine bench (photo: Anthony DelMonaco).
Maine announced on Wednesday that men’s hockey head coach Ben Barr has agreed to a contract extension.
The new agreement will retroactively run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2028 and will replace Barr’s current contract. Barr will earn a salary of $425,000 in 2024-2025 with an annual increase of $15,000 through 2028. The contract extension includes additional compensation for the assistant coaches.
“UMaine is truly grateful for coach Ben Barr’s commitment to rebuilding the men’s ice hockey program,” Maine president Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a statement. “He has successfully recruited a team of both talented and academically-driven students. I am confident that our exciting 2023-24 season is attributed to the men’s ice hockey staff and the student athletes’ commitment to excellence on and off the ice. The success we are seeing in Black Bear men’s ice hockey brings great benefits to our entire university.”
Now in his third season at Maine, Barr has steadily returned the Black Bears’ hockey program to among the nation’s elite. In October, Maine earned a national ranking for the first time in over three years and has gone on to sustain that success by earning a ranking for 12 consecutive weeks for the first time since 2010-11. Maine’s current streak of 10 consecutive weeks of being ranked in the top 10 is the Black Bears’ longest stretch since the 2006-07 season.
The Black Bears are currently ranked fifth in the nation, the highest ranking for the program since Nov. 2010, and have the most wins over a ranked opponent in a season since 2011-12.
“Our staff feels fortunate to be at the University of Maine at this current moment,” said Barr. “With the commitment from the school and the generosity of the Alfond Foundation, we feel Black Bear hockey can sustain success for years to come. Our staff and my family are humbled to be trusted with this program for the foreseeable future, and we will do everything in our power to keep improving every day. I would like to thank my wife, Tara, for being everything for our family. To President Ferrini Mundy and Chancellor Malloy, thank you for sharing our vision for Black Bear hockey. Thank you to Jude Killy for his friendship and commitment to excellence in Maine athletics, and thank you Seth Woodcock for his relentless support of his alma mater.”
Under Barr, the Black Bears have seen steady year-by-year improvement in on-ice production, with their scoring margin growing in each of his first three seasons. They have produced positive results unseen within the hockey program in over 10 seasons.
As of Jan. 26, the Black Bears rank in the top 10 nationally in both goals scored per game (3.8) and goals allowed per game (2.4). This marks the first time Maine is averaging over 3.5 goals per game since 2002-03.
At 16-4-2 this season Maine has reached 16 wins in the first 22 games of the year for the first time since 2003-04. The Black Bears are currently 8-3-1 in conference play, reaching eight wins in the first 12 conference games, also for the first time since 2003-04.
Off the ice, the program recorded its highest fall grade point average ever last year with a 3.71. In each of Barr’s first two seasons, at least 22 student-athletes earned a spot on the Hockey East all-academic team. Maine led Hockey East with six Hockey East all-academic all-star team members in 2021-22 and tied for the most members in the 2022-23 season with four. Additionally, there have been 27 AHCA academic All-Americans over the last two seasons.
“Ben and his staff have done an exceptional job of building our men’s ice hockey program into a national contender again,” said Maine director of athletics Jude Killy. “There is an energy around this group that is palpable and points toward our historical place in the upper echelon of college hockey. This extension, coupled with the upcoming major facility renovations to Alfond Arena and the Shawn Walsh Training Center, are galvanizing us for what we hope to be a period of sustained success on the ice and in the classroom. We are excited for the future and believe there are no limits to what can be accomplished under Ben’s leadership.”
Barr arrived in Orono with 15 years of assistant coaching experience at Division I institutions, with prior stops at UMass, Providence, Union, Western Michigan and Rensselaer.
While at UMass, Barr played a key role in developing a championship-level program. During his stint with the Minutemen, Barr guided UMass to a Hockey East regular season and tournament title, back-to-back NCAA title game appearances and a national Championship in 2021. In 2019 under head coach Greg Carvel, the UMass staff was named the Spencer Penrose NCAA staff of the year.
Barr began his coaching career at his alma mater, Rensselaer, where he spent the 2004-05 and 2007-08 seasons as a volunteer assistant coach. Barr joined Union in Sept. 2008 as a full-time assistant coach. In his three seasons at Union, he played a key role in developing Union into a national champion. In his final year on staff, the Dutchmen captured their first-ever ECAC regular-season championship and earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament in school history. At the time, Barr and the Union staff were named the 2011 Spencer Penrose NCAA staff of the year.
After three years at Union, Barr was hired as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Providence. In his first year on staff, the Friars reached the Hockey East semifinals for the first time in 11 years. In his final year on staff, Providence advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round in its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001. Following his departure, the Friars went on to win the 2015 NCAA national championship.
In June 2014, Barr accepted a role as the associate head coach at Western Michigan, where he would stay for two seasons. At Western Michigan, he again served as recruiting coordinator and assisted head coach Andy Murray in developing a championship culture. The team entered into a top-10 program and reached the NCAA tournament the year after Barr’s departure.
Wisconsin swept then-No. 1 Minnesota back on Oct. 26-27 in Minneapolis (photo: Tom Lynn).
“We need Badger hockey to be good. You do in college hockey, but more importantly, we need Gopher hockey to be better.”
That sums up Bob Motzko’s mindset as Minnesota travels to Wisconsin to face the Badgers, a team that swept the Golden Gophers in Minnesota at the end of October. Sharing his take on things with Minnesota’s play-by-play guy Wally Shaver, Motzko had much sincere praise for Mike Hastings and his Badgers, especially on the defensive end in the game.
Motzko singled out Kyle McClellan, whose 1.92 goals-against average and .930 save percentage are among the best in college hockey.
“They struggled in goal the last years and this kid’s numbers are outstanding and their defensive numbers are outstanding,” said Motzko. “They’ve got good hockey players over there.”
The Wisconsin defense is tops in the nation, allowing 1.88 goals on average per game. The Badgers split a road series against Michigan last weekend, with their 5-1 Friday loss snapping a 10-game win streak. In the two games, Wisconsin gave up an uncharacteristic 10 goals, following Friday’s loss with a 6-5 overtime win.
After that, said Motzko, “You can best be assured that their week in practice is going to reset on defense.”
Motzko also had a prediction for this series: “And you’re going to see a tight weekend, a very tight weekend.”
Hastings sees similarities in the “ability level” between the Wolverines – the second-best offensive team in the nation (4.71) – and the Gophers, who average slightly more goals per game (3.69) than do the Badgers (3.58). Both teams, said Hastings, “play with pace and make plays, and they’re always looking to make them.”
In his weekly press conference, Hastings said that the Badgers learned some lessons last week that they can apply against the Gophers.
“One thing I thought Michigan did a really good job of was getting inside us, our defensive zone, their offensive zone,” said Hastings. “Yeah, it’s a point of emphasis for us this week, our rush defense and our ability to make sure that we’re trying to with a little bit bigger rink protecting the most important ice, which is inside those dots.”
The Badgers announced their presence in the 2023-24 season with authority when they swept the then-No. 1 Golden Gophers in Mariucci Arena to open Big Ten play Oct. 26-27. Hastings, who spent a year as an assistant coach at Minnesota in 2008-09, said before that initial series he’d learned long ago how much the rivalry between these teams meant from the Golden Gophers’ perspective.
“When I was hired at Minnesota,” said Hastings, “I was told that there was only one thing that couldn’t happen, and we couldn’t get beat by the Badgers.”
This week, Hastings is still keenly aware of the importance of this series, both in terms of Big Ten play and local pride.
“It’s no disrespect to any other team that we play on the schedule, because if you’re not ready in this league, you’re going to get your lunch handed to you repeatedly and so you have to be on point,” said Hastings, “but one of the first things that was mentioned in the weight room on Monday morning at 7:30 was that it was Gopher Week. And that wasn’t delivered from the coaches. That’s the players.”
Dating back to the first time these teams met in 1922, the Gophers have a 183-103-24 lead all-time over the Badgers. Minnesota went 3-1-0 last season against Wisconsin, but the Badgers have won the last three meetings.
This is the first time that the teams will meet in Wisconsin as top-10 opponents since 2006. The significance of this rivalry’s return to relevance isn’t lost on Hastings.
“This is college hockey at its best,” said Hastings. “You know, you see the BC-BU [series] play out the way that it played out last weekend. They didn’t hand a trophy to BC, but it still was entertaining hockey, and it was a great opportunity for both those programs to look each other in the eye and go after it.
“It’s no different this weekend when Minnesota comes into our program. I think those rivalries throughout college hockey – and North Dakota playing Denver – I think you’ve had some of the most storied programs in all college hockey competing against each other trying to fly their flag a little higher than the other. It’s going to be no different this weekend.”
In third place, Minnesota trails Wisconsin by six points in the Big Ten standings, and both teams are chasing Michigan State, who leads the Badgers by five points and the Gophers by 11. Minnesota had a chance to gain some ground on the road against the Spartans last weekend, but just like the Badgers, the Gophers split the weekend.
The 3-2 Friday loss was a tough repeat of a pattern that the Gophers have attempted to break all season – letting a game get away in the third period. Trailing 2-0, Michigan State scored three goals in the third period, with Daniel Russell’s game-winning marker coming at 19:56.
“That loss on Friday, that stung because we played so well for two periods and then we let them back in the game,” said Motzko. “It was us.
“But our guys rebounded Saturday. We played really good, for five of the six periods, we played outstanding hockey.”
Motzko said that he hopes that the Gophers learned from the series against the Spartans.
“I like where we’re at,” he said. “I like what we’re doing. I wish these young kids wouldn’t make a few mistakes once in a while, but they do, but we’ve got a pretty good hockey team. We’re awful fun and we keep going.”
He also said that the series against Wisconsin gives Minnesota a chance to measure its growth this season.
“I’m anxious for us to continue to play right now and we’re playing these top teams right now, and that’s great for us,” said Motzko. “And we’re a top team. We’re right there. I just think it sets up for a great weekend.”
The Badgers are the only team to have swept the Gophers so far this season. Michigan State is the only team that’s swept Wisconsin. It’s this very tight dynamic at the top that may dictate how the regular season plays out. Motzko’s team is in a pretty good position in the PairWise Rankings.
“All we concentrate on [is that] we play everybody in our conference four times, and you want to win your series with each team,” said Motzko. “That’s all you really want to do, is win your series. The only series we’re down in is with Wisconsin. When you take care of your series, you’re going to be in the right spot in the standings. We’re okay, but we’ve got a lot of big games coming up.”
Hastings said that he’s seen growth and maturity from the Badgers since the last time they played the Gophers, but prevailing against Minnesota at home this weekend will take something more.
“You have to do it with depth, and you have to be able to defend,” said Hastings. “We still need to rely upon the depth that has been developed, the young guys playing not like young guys and our old guys drawing from the experiences that they’ve had in situations like this when you’re playing Minnesota. All that’s in a different place than it was earlier this year.”
This is Wisconsin’s first home Big Ten series since a sweep of Penn State Dec. 8-9.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to try to defend our home ice,” said Hastings. “It’s been a while since we’ve been here, so it’s a very important weekend – and not only because of who we’re playing, but when we’re playing in the season.”
Holy Cross players celebrate a goal earlier this season (photo: Eliza Phillips Photography).
Last season, its second under coach Bill Riga, Holy Cross built towards a strong finish that ultimately led to an appearance in the Atlantic Hockey championship game where the Crusaders fell to Canisius, one win away from the NCAA tournament.
This season, the Crusaders wouldn’t be sneaking up on anyone, opening 4-0-1 before hitting a bit of a skid, and then recovering.
Holy Cross is currently in third place and is riding a three-game winning streak heading into a key home series with Air Force.
The Crusaders are doing it with strong goaltending and veteran leadership.
Eight Atlantic Hockey goalies are on the Richter Award watch list, tied with the NCHC for the most from any conference. Two of them are Crusaders: senior Jason Grande and junior Thomas Gale.
The duo is first and third in the league in goals-against average (Grande at 2.15 and Gale at 2.27), and second and third in save percentage (Grande at .924 and Gale at .921).
Grande was injured on December 30 against Quinnipiac but looks to possibly return this weekend.
“He’s good to go,” said Riga. “He dressed for a game last weekend. He was injured earlier this season, a different injury and Gale stepped up then and again recently.
“Going down the stretch, it’s great to have two.”
The Crusaders’ top seven scorers are juniors and seniors, led by senior Jack Ricketts (16 goals, 12 assists) and junior Liam McLinskey (10 goals, 20 assists).
Ricketts was second-team all-conference last season and is having an even better year in 2023-24.
“(Ricketts) was an unknown, coming in during COVID,” said Riga. “We’ve been trying to help him find an identity as a skater and a scorer and things really started to take hold last year. He’s been a great captain for us.”
Liam McLinskey, a transfer from Quinnipiac where Riga was an assistant for 13 years, came into his own in the postseason last year, racking up nine goals in seven games.
“At Quinnipiac, there weren’t a lot of (playing) spots,” said Riga. “Liam just needed a chance to play. He’s really blossomed. He’s played a different role for us this year, more of a playmaker, but he can score as well. Instead of 20 goals and 10 assists (last year), he’s got 10 goals and 20 assists.”
Riga also pointed to junior defenseman Matt Shatsky as a difference maker, with a goal and 18 assists.
“He’s a playmaker,” said Riga. (Last weekend) against Mercyhurst he made a beautiful 150-foot pass to McLinskey for a breakaway goal.”
While the veterans have led the way, rookies have made contributions as well, especially forwards Jack Stockfish (13 points) and Ty Gagno (10 points).
“They were injured and we didn’t have them for a few weeks and it was noticeable,” said Riga. “We’re a better team with them in the lineup.”
The Crusaders have just five games left in the regular season, hosting Air Force this weekend and then seeing action just three times over the final three weekends.
Nazareth goaltender McKinley Hoff. (Photo via Nazareth Athletics)
We’re creeping in on conference tournament time and play has never been better in terms of parity and overall competitive skill level within the top teams. We had a busy weekend as usual out east, here’s your notable events from the eastern front!
The UCHC runs through Rochester, New York
Nazareth, the 3rd-youngest team in women’s D-III (stat via elite prospects) with an average age of 19.70 and Utica, the oldest team, with an average age of 21.37, now you may think it’s only a little less than two years, but at the college level, that’s massive. It’s especially massive on the women’s side because they aren’t entering school as a 21-year-old freshman (this is the case most of the time on the men’s side, not always, but most).
Utica on paper should be able to take control of the UCHC this year, but they can’t get over the purple and gold hurdle that is the Nazareth Golden Flyers. Funnily enough, Nazareth is 0-5-0 in their non-conference schedule, but 13-0-1 in UCHC play.
This past weekend featured the showdown between the two, both games played in the Utica University Nexus Center, Nazareth took both, winning by a slim 3-2 & 2-1. Fun fact: Nazareth holds an all-time record of 12-1-1 vs Utica, but the last seven games have been decided by one or less goals (includes tie), four of those games going to overtime, one of them going to double-overtime (2023 UCHC title game). These two are arguably one of the best head-to-head matchups in women’s D-III, despite the lopsided record.
How it happened
Friday’s game was a low-scoring and low-shooting affair with Nazareth leading in shots a mere 24-19. Penalties were low, all occurring in the final period of play, two on the Pioneers, one on Nazareth.
Utica vs Nazareth (Photo by Scott Kinville – CNYHockeyReport.com)
Utica opened the scoring up at 8:40 in the 1st period, Erica Sloan. This would be answered by Nazareth’s Makenna Wiljanen with just under five minutes left in the period (15:33) to even the score 1-1 heading into the 2nd.
Nazareth tallied the lone goal of the 2nd, Sophia Nortz at 18:22, late in the period. Her teammate Ingrid Holstad sealed the deal with a powerplay game-winning-goal at 7:28 of the 3rd, giving the Golden Flyers the 3-1 lead. Utica would cut it in half with a late goal in the final minute of play (19:38) by Carolyn Whitney, but Nazareth wins game one.
Game two was like game one in the matter of it being close (shocker) and low scoring. Another similarity, the Pioneers took the lead first, Carolyn Whitney added her second goal of the weekend at 6:50 of the opening period. This held up until the 7:17 mark of the 2nd period when Nazareth’s Ella Cedrone tied it up.
The game-winner would be scored in the 3rd period during the final seven minutes (13:33), Meredith Boettcher netted the second and final goal for Nazareth, giving them the massive UCHC weekend-sweep.
Oswego on the rise
Oswego State, led by 4th year Head Coach Mark Digby are coming off a weekend in which they defeated their “rival” #4 Plattsburgh. They got another ranked victory this past weekend against the other red/white team in the SUNYAC, the Cortland Red Dragons.
Oswego, 9-9-1, may not seem like the high-caliber team they’re being made out to be with their record, but the record is very good considering the state of the program currently and who they’ve played on their schedule. They’ve had in my opinion a top-3 SOS (strength-of-schedule) (7th on USCHO SOS – RPI) and are a dangerous team come SUNYAC tournament time as they’ve beaten both top-teams as of the past few years in Plattsburgh & Cortland.
Oswego vs Cortland. (Photo via Oswego State Athletics)
Cortland took game one by the score of 4-1, but Oswego won game two 3-1. Oswego’s been able to get early leads this season especially against the common opponents of Plattsburgh and Cortland, in this one, they did just that, Rylee Preston scored just after the midway mark (13:38) of the opening period.
The Lakers would double the lead on the powerplay in the 2nd period, giving them a 2-0 lead entering the 3rd period, this goal was by Erika Parenti (12:25). In the 3rd, Cortland got one back, scoring on the powerplay was Kayla Persinger (10:02), cutting the Laker lead in half.
Sealing the deal an entire 54 seconds later (10:56), Rachel Corbett, who played against her sister Emma, an Adrian transfer, now on Utica a few weeks ago, scored to make it 3-1 which held up as the final score.
Hello Wesleyan
Wesleyan, coming off a weekend in which they beat the defending NESCAC and frozen-four hosts Amherst, left the weekend vs #7 Hamilton unscathed, tying 2-2 & winning 1-0 in OT.
Wesleyan vs Hamilton. (Photo by Daniel Gessel/Wesleyan)
As the NESCAC games seem to go, low scoring and defensive-battles, Wesleyan makes more noise, a common occurrence in this league where a team people think is out of contention goes and wins a stretch of games that make you reconsider everything you know about life itself.
As mentioned, game one ended in a 2-2 tie, but game two the Cardinals got the 1-0 shutout victory.
No goals were scored in regulation, we needed to wait until the 61st minute where Wesleyan’s Mairead Kennedy scored the winner a rapid 38-seconds into the 3v3 overtime period, giving her Cardinals the huge conference-victory. Goaltender Rei Halloran, who’s having a great year thus far, made 29 saves in her shutout performance.
Pittsburgh Penguins coach and BU alum Mike Sullivan, left, and former BU coach Jack Parker share a smile at the 71st annual Beanpot media luncheon on Monday in Boston (photo: John Doyle).
For Mike Sullivan, the men’s Beanpot is about more than just personal memories of past glory.
Not that he doesn’t have plenty of them. The former Boston University forward played in the annual tournament four times, reaching the championship round each time and winning it twice between 1987-90. Before that, the Marshfield, Mass., native made numerous trips to the old Boston Garden with his father and brothers to watch BU, Boston College, Northeastern and Harvard battle it out on the first and second Mondays in February.
Sullivan, who went on to an 11-year career at the top level of pro hockey and is now in his ninth season as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, said he hopes the Beanpot will serve as a source of inspiration to the younger generation of players, just like it did for him growing up in the 1970s and 80s.
“I think, maybe, the biggest significance is how inspirational it is to the hockey community,” Sullivan said. “And to the young players who are going to watch growing up in this area. And I was one of them.”
Sullivan spoke with USCHO.com on Monday at the Beanpot’s annual press event, where it was announced he will be this year’s inductee into the Beanpot Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Feb. 12 before the championship game.
A veteran of four teams during his NHL career, including one season (1997-98) with his hometown Bruins, Sullivan made the jump from college hockey to the NHL when such a move was more rare than it is today. Sullivan said college hockey has taken “giant steps” from that standpoint since his playing days.
“Hockey East, in particular, has been one of the better leagues in college hockey,” he said. “There have been a lot of players who have come through Hockey East that have obviously gone on to have a ton of success at the NHL level. So as a proud alum of Hockey East, that’s certainly something we take pride in.”
In all, 74 former Hockey East players adorned NHL rosters at the start of the season. Currently, forward Matt Nieto is the only BU alumnus on the Penguins’ roster, but he’s one of five former Hockey East players — forwards Ryan Shea of Northeastern, Bryan Rust of Notre Dame (part of Hockey East when Rust played, now B1G) and Noel Acciari of Providence and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel of UMass-Lowell are the others — who started the season on Pittsburgh’s roster.
With a shorter season and mid-season tournaments such as the Beanpot, Sullivan, who had 61 goals and 77 assists in four years with the Terriers, said college hockey brings a certain emotional intensity that’s hard to duplicate at the NHL level.
“By nature of that, the games take on more significance in the standings and otherwise” in college hockey, Sullivan said. “Guys are excited to play. I do think there’s a certain intensity that college players are able to sustain throughout the course of their season because they have the ability to recover. At the NHL level, you’re playing three nights a week, sometimes four nights a week.”
With his alma mater smarting after three straight losses (a sweep at the hands of archrival BC and an overtime loss at Northeastern on Tuesday), Sullivan said the best advice he would give to the Terriers on the precipice of the 71st Beanpot would be to stay focused on the moment at hand.
“They went through a tough experience, BU did, when they got swept by BC,” said Sullivan, who has twice won the Stanley Cup as the Penguins coach. “They have to figure out what they can take from that. How do they get better? How does that experience make them a wiser version of themselves? And then they have to be prepared to move by it and get ready for the one in front of them.”
Defending champ Northeastern will face Harvard (ECAC Hockey) in the Beanpot opener on Monday at TD Garden, followed by BC vs. BU. The consolation game and championship will be the following Monday. All games will air on NESN and ESPN+.
Harrison Scott scored four goals, including a hat trick, and added an assist for five points in helping the Maine to a two-win weekend over UMass Lowell Jan. 20-21 (photo: Anthony DelMonaco).
Let me begin with an error correction, one of which was careless on my part:
North Dakota is not the host team this year in the Sioux Falls, S.D. regional. The host is actually Omaha, which means the Fighting Hawks do not technically need to be placed in Sioux Falls (though it will be difficult to keep them out of that region, let’s be honest).
So let’s begin this week with a look at the 16 teams (Prior to Tuesday’s games):
1. Boston College*
2. North Dakota*
3. Boston University
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
6. Denver
7. Michigan State*
8. Quinnipiac*
9. Minnesota
10. Providence
11. Massachusetts
12. Michigan
13. St. Cloud State
14. Western Michigan
15. RIT*
16. Minnesota State*
(Asterisks * represents conference champions. RIT and Minnesota State are considered the AHA and CCHA representatives based on current winning percentages; St. Thomas is not eligible in the CCHA for a tournament berth.)
If we simply put the brackets together based on 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc., here is the bracket we arrive at:
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
2. North Dakota
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
3. Boston University
6. Denver
11. Massachusetts
14. Western Michigan
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
12. Michigan
13. St. Cloud State
Now let’s assign regionals, making sure the highest seed is as close to home as possible, and remembering that the host team (UMass) must be placed in its regional (Springfield, Mass.).
Believe it or not, this works out decently well.
Hockey East has three teams in the top four, so one much be placed west, and that team ideally is the lowest of the four No. 1 seeds, Maine.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. North Dakota
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
Springfield, Mass.
3. Boston University
6. Denver
11. Massachusetts (host)
14. Western Michigan
Maryland Heights, Mo.
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
12. Michigan
13. St. Cloud State
As we look at these brackets, there is one massive issue – the Wisconsin-Michigan matchup in the opening round. This can’t happen.
So we need a switch. you could move a team from the No. 3 seed band, but that would have to be moving Providence to Missouri. If you move someone from the No. 2 seed band, a quick swap of No. 6 Denver and No. 5 Wisconsin is more equitable. Thus we end up with:
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. North Dakota
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
Springfield, Mass.
3. Boston University
5. Wisconsin
11. Massachusetts (host)
14. Western Michigan
Maryland Heights, Mo.
4. Maine
6. Denver
12. Michigan
13. St. Cloud State
Let’s consider some of the NCAA’s requirements in terms of attendance. Providence, even without nearby (non-host) Providence, they should have a decent crowd with BC and Quinnipiac. Springfield has both host UMass and Boston University. Sioux Falls has nearby favorite North Dakota. Which leaves Maryland Heights. The reality is I don’t see a ton of teams that will help fill this region BUT the building also holds 2,500, so it shouldn’t feel too empty.
At this point, I like this bracket and can call it final (for now).
No teams moved in or out of the top 16 this week.
Teams by conference:
Hockey East – 5
Big Ten – 4
NCHC – 4
ECAC – 1
AHA – 1
CCHA – 1
NESN play-by-play broadcaster Tyler Murray joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about last weekend’s home-and-home series between Boston College and Boston University, their Beanpot rematch, Hockey East this season, and that conference’s playoff race.
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
Kaidan Mbereko is growing his game in his second season with Colorado College (photo: Ashley Huss).
Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko was named Monday as the NCHC goaltender of the week, and it’s never a surprise when the Tigers sophomore receives that recognition.
Sixty-one saves over two 2-1 overtime wins last weekend at then-No. 12 Western Michigan gave Mbereko the conference’s weekly goalie award for the fourth time this season. Also last weekend, the Aspen, Colo., native bumped his current winning streak to a career-long-tying five games.
And 14th-ranked CC’s wins last weekend were signature ones for several reasons. They came against higher-flying competition than what the Tigers had in the previous two weeks at Minnesota Duluth and home to Miami, and WMU’s Lawson Ice Arena is famously hard to play in, especially on account of its boisterous student section.
“It’s not easy in that environment, and their team is really well coached and they’re really good, but the two games went well, and I think that’s the closest thing we’re going to get, as of now, to playoff hockey,” Mbereko said. “It was good for our group to go through that, and I’m proud of our guys for coming out on top.”
Last weekend’s victories in Kalamazoo bumped Mbereko’s record on the season to 15-8-1, with a NCHC-best .915 save percentage. He also further proved that he relishes playing at Lawson. A three-time NCHC goaltender of the week last season who made the conference’s all-rookie team, he backstopped CC to a conference first-round playoff win there last season, then led the Tigers to a semifinal upset over archrival Denver.
Speaking of the Pioneers, Mbereko credits one of DU’s former standouts for his own development. Peter Mannino, a national champion on the Pioneers’ 2004-05 team, is CC’s associate head coach in his third year with the program.
“I’m fortunate to have Peter, because we go through every team we play, with their offensive tendencies, their line rushes, their offensive zone pressure and just some things you don’t usually pay attention to when it’s a team video,” Mbereko said. “Western’s a fast-transition team, too, and they get guys involved in the rush, so throughout the week, we prepared for that and had that in the back of our minds while drills were going on.
“Coach Mannino is great that way, helping to have a game plan going into the weekend. He’s honestly the best, and he makes everything so fun. I enjoy coming to the rink to go work with him, and he had a great career and knows what he’s talking about. He’s a mentor, but he also helps me become a better goalie and a better person.”
And much else has gone into that for someone who was already a formidable goaltender with United States national program and World Junior Championship experience.
“My mental side of the game, just how I approach games in general, is different,” Mbereko said. “Last year, I was a freshman and wasn’t expecting to play a lot, but as I got more games in, I learned to play back-to-backs and playing really tough teams on consecutive weekends.
“Having gone through that, my approach to each day is to not take anything for granted and take everything as an opportunity to grow. There’s always an opportunity to get better.”
In a game that may mean more for national considerations, Norwich travels to Plattsburgh in a pivotal non-conference game (Photo by Nathaneal LePage)
Moving into February and for most conferences that means three weeks left in league action with the NEHC only having two weeks before the conference tournament begins. There is still a lot at stake in battles for playoff position and home-ice advantage so wins, points and tiebreakers are all part of the equation this time of year. I am still chasing the elusive 70% success rate and last week’s picks at 10-5-0 (.667) did not move the needle very much in that direction. Overall, I am 102-49-9 (.666) which is pretty good but not playoff-caliber ready, yet. Lots to play for even in the non-conference games where the ranked are looking to pad their resumes for national tournament consideration. Here are my picks this week in the East:
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
(12) Norwich v. (4) Plattsburgh
Is this a re-match of last year’s first round NCAA tournament game or the LayerEight Championship game where each team won a one-goal game. Last time around the Cardinals got it done and do so once again in a game that means a lot for national consideration – Plattsburgh, 2-1
Buffalo State v. Morrisville
The Mustangs took a big win from Cortland last week in a mid-week game but will face a determined opponent in the Bengals this week. Fast start for the visitors helps to earn a needed SUNYAC win and points – Buffalo State, 4-2
Thursday, February 1, 2024
(15) Plymouth State v. Westfield State
The Panthers are focused and driven and will not be looking past an Owls team that can surprise any team, especially on home ice. Hard to stop Redick, Tait & Company who have the firepower to score early and often – PSU, 5-3
Worcester State v. Framingham State
The Rams came out firing on all cylinders last week in a win over Fitchburg State and look to repeat their strong play on home ice against the Lancers. This one needs some bonus hockey to decide a winner.– Framingham State, 4-3
Friday, February 2, 2024
Curry v. Salve Regina
The Colonels have been on a roll and moved from fourth to first. They like the view from the top and will need to battle a strong Seahawk team for 60 minutes or more to earn the win, points and maintain their position in the standings – Curry, 3-1
Babson v. (11) Skidmore
The Thoroughbreds enter the second to last week of the NEHC regular season battling for second place and face a Babson team looking for consistency and results to close out the regular season amongst the top four places. Home ice and goaltending of Tate Brandon aids the home team – Skidmore, 3-1
Amherst v. Bowdoin
The young Polar Bears have been maturing at a rapid rate under coach Ben Guite. The Mammoth will not be an easy out and this contest probably sees special teams’ goals as decisive even in overtime – Bowdoin, 4-3
Post v. Fredonia
The Eagles travel to face the Blue Devils and Logan Dyck & Co. are not very hospitable hosts. Weird timing for a non-conference game but important for playing winning hockey where Fredonia wants to repeat high performance against SUNYAC teams down the stretch – Fredonia, 4-3
Canton v. Anna Maria
This two-game series between current independents should be a lot of fun to watch as both teams love to play fast and hard. Nic Herringer has seen a lot of time on recent scoresheets and is a difference maker here for the Kangaroos – Canton, 4-3
(6) Geneseo v. Cortland
The Knights have often struggled in the Red Dragon barn but need the win and the points in the very tight battle at the top of the SUNYAC standings. Goals will be few and not of the pretty variety but they all count, right? – Geneseo, 3-2
Saturday, February 3, 2024
(3) Utica v. King’s
The Pioneers are extremely focused on closing out the regular season while remaining unbeaten in UCHC play. Playing on the road helps the visitors keep their focus and continue their success with a comfortable win – Utica, 5-1
Neumann v. Stevenson
The newly crowned MAC champions definitely have their sights on more in the UCHC and with Liam McCanney upfront and Ty Outen in goal the Mustangs have little trouble at home against the Black Knights – Stevenson, 5-2
(1) Hobart v. Massachusetts-Boston
The Statesmen routed Elmira twice last weekend and seem to be hitting their stride in preparation for upcoming conference playoffs that are not far down the road. No distractions and no loss of focus as the winning continues – Hobart, 4-1
St. Anselm v. St. Michael’s
Both the Hawks and the Purple Knights are looking for some consistency in their game that can lead them to a few wins in a row in advance of the NE-10 tournament. Long-time rivals that bring out the best in each other help to showcase a lot of scoring with the visitors eking it out in the third period – St. Anselm, 5-4
Endicott v. Western New England
The Gulls are in the hunt for the top seed in the CCC tournament but cannot take any team remaining lightly. The Golden Bears would love to knock off Endicott and show that anything can happen in the balance of the regular season and beyond – Endicott, 4-2
It is February and this groundhog can guarantee at least six more weeks of great action on the ice. No shadows involved nor needed – “Drop the Puck!”
St. Thomas’ Jake Ratzlaff and Minnesota State’s Sam Morton battle for the puck during the teams’ two-game series Dec. 8-9 (photo: SPX Sports).
Treat anyone who presumes to say they know who will win the MacNaughton Cup this season with immediate suspicion.
Considering how the standings look right now — five teams are within four points of first place — it would be a fool’s errand to try and predict with any certainty who is going to take home the CCHA title.
Having said that, one series this weekend could be a big turning point in the league title race. St. Thomas and Minnesota State are currently tied at the top of the standings with 30 points apiece. As luck would have it, the Tommies and the Mavericks will be facing off in a home-and-home series.
St. Thomas coach Rico Blasi said although his team knows the situation, it’s not something they are addressing internally.
“It’s not something we actually really talk about,” he said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Part of our culture is to focus on the process. But yes, of course, everybody knows where the standings are, right? So credit to the guys in the locker room for believing in each other and having faith in each other and having faith in something bigger than ourselves, and the love that we have for each other in the locker room. That really is an important piece in what we do. When you have those two things, everybody’s in the same boat and on the same page. That’s what we look at. Obviously, some of the results have been there for us to be in this spot, so now we have to continue to focus on what we do.”
The Tommies (12-11-1, 10-6-0 CCHA) have been atop the league standings since late November, but the Mavericks (13-9-4, 9-5-2 CCHA) finally caught up to them last weekend thanks to a four-point weekend against Northern Michigan while the Tommies were idle.
For MSU coach Luke Strand, this matchup as one with implications for the MacNaughton Cup isn’t surprising.
“I think they’ve got an ability to break a game open with some of their skill. They’ve had very good goaltending and I don’t think they beat themselves,” the Mavericks’ first-year head coach said of the Tommies. “So head to head, we know it’s going to be tough. The metrics will say we’re pretty close in a lot of aspects. And now I think we’re both more familiar with each other this time around. That would maybe be the difference, we’ve kind of maybe cracked the egg now that we’ve both played each other already.”
Strand was right about the metrics being even. The Tommies and the Mavericks are both playing sound defense — each team has given up 35 goals in 16 league games. Offensively, the Mavericks have scored slightly more (55 goals to UST’s 44 in the league); but both have prolific scorers on their top lines. The Mavericks’ Sam Morton leads the CCHA with 19 goals and 29 points overall, but St. Thomas’ Lucas Whalin is not far behind with 10 goals and 23 points.
So, there’s not much separating the two squads at the moment. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the teams’ first meeting back in December, just before the holiday break, was a series split. The Mavericks beat the Tommies 3-1 in Friday’s game in Mankato before St. Thomas won the return trip to Mendota Heights, Minn., 2-1.
“They’re still the defending champions, so you’re going to have to go through them, whether it’s us or anybody else,” Blasi said of having to play the Mavericks with the possibility of the league title on the line. “They’ve got arguably the best line in the conference in terms of production in Morton and [Lucas Sowder], and [Mason Wheeler is] a tough-nosed defenseman, you better have your head up when you’re going against him. They have talent up and down the lineup.”
Morton especially has been a big-time player for the Mavericks. He’s recorded at least a point in eight of MSU’s last nine games. Considering the fact that the Colorado native missed almost the entirety of last season due to injury, his bounceback year is all the more impressive.
“He’s got lots of individual attributes, but he’s a team-first guy and a lot of success has ridden on the idea that he stays within our team structure and our team plan, and I think that’s given him as much success as anything,” Strand said. “It would be easy for him to go rogue and he hasn’t. The nice part for me as a coach is he’s not chasing points he’s, chasing playing the right way. That’s given him points. And I think a lot of his points really are very timely. They’re not extra at the end of the game, they’re the ones that can separate the game.”
Case in point: In last Friday’s game against Northern Michigan, with MSU down 2-1 in the third period, Morton’s hard work on the forecheck helped him dislodge a puck from back behind the Wildcat goal. Sowder pounced on the loose puck in the slot and buried the game-tying goal. The Mavericks lost the game in a shootout but the fact that they salvaged a point helped them pull even with the Tommies after beating the Wildcats the next night.
When MSU played against the Tommies in December, Morton scored in the win but was held off the scoresheet in the loss. While that’s a small sample size–and while the Mavericks certainly have the ability to win when he doesn’t score, such is their team depth–making sure Morton is involved in the offense certainly helps their chances.
Whatever happens, however, both coaches know the season is far from over. CCHA teams play a 24-game schedule, so both will have six more games to go once this weekend is over. Minnesota State’s remaining schedule includes series against all of the other four teams within striking distance of the MacNaughton Cup — after their series with St. Thomas, they are at fifth-place Michigan Tech, then return to Mankato to host third-place Lake Superior State before traveling to face fourth-place Bemidji State in the season finale.
Strand said he knows what’s ahead, but the focus this week has to be on the task at hand.
“We’re just trying to stay focused,” he said. “If you get ahead of yourself, you’re gonna find yourself behind, and if you don’t stay in the moment, you’re gonna have to try to make up ground somewhere else. And we just want to try to keep our head down and collect our points.”
Hockey East announced today that UConn sophomore forward Samu Salminen has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 14:22 of the first period on Feb. 2 against Providence.
