No. 6 North Dakota (16-6-2)
01/19/2024 – No. 6 North Dakota 5 at No. 13 St. Cloud State 3
01/20/2024 – No. 6 North Dakota 3 at No. 13 St. Cloud State 3 (OT)
No. 7 Michigan State (16-5-3)
01/19/2024 – No. 15 Michigan 7 at No. 7 Michigan State 1
01/20/2024 – No. 7 Michigan State 7 at No. 15 Michigan 5
No. 8 Maine (16-4-2)
01/19/2024 – UMass Lowell 3 at No. 8 Maine 5
01/20/2024 – UMass Lowell 2 at No. 8 Maine 7
No. 13 St. Cloud State (11-7-4)
01/19/2024 – No. 6 North Dakota 5 at No. 13 St. Cloud State 3
01/20/2024 – No. 6 North Dakota 3 at No. 13 St. Cloud State 3 (OT)
No. 20 RIT (15-8-1)
01/16/2024 – Canisius 3 at No. 20 RIT 2 (OT)
01/19/2024 – No. 20 RIT 6 at Robert Morris 3
01/20/2024 – No. 20 RIT 7 at Robert Morris 1
Alaska Anchorage’s Connor Marritt and Providence’s Tanner Adams battle for position and look for a play Saturday night during the Seawolves’ 4-0 shutout over the Friars (photo: Providence Athletics).
Jared Whale made 26 saves to lead Alaska Anchorage to a 4-0 shutout win over No. 9 Providence Saturday at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I.
The shutout was the second of Whale’s career and the first time that the Friars have been shut out this season. The win was the third this season by the Seawolves over a ranked opponent and the first win over Providence in program history.
“I really liked our approach tonight,” said UAA coach Matt Shasby. “Everyone came with the energy it takes to win against an opponent of this quality. Happy with the overall performance.”
Jared Whale and the Seawolves shut out the Friars for the first time this season.
Alex Gomez scored at 12:38 of the second period and William Gilson extended the UAA lead to 2-0 less than one minute later.
Maximilion Helgeson scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season at 17:05 of the second period before Adam Tisdale scored the final goal of the contest at 15:33 of the third period.
Alaska Anchorage had nine different players record a point.
Providence goaltender Philip Svedebäck finished with 17 saves.
Dalton Bancroft scored two goals, including the game-winning marker 3:11 into overtime, to lift Cornell to a 3-2 victory over Quinnipiac before a sold-out crowd of 4,361 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night in Ithaca, N.Y.
Ondrej Psenicka joined Bancroft in registering a multi-point night as he logged a goal and an assist.
Cornell takes the lead right back❗️
Shortly after Quinnipiac tied the game at one, Ondrej Psenicka tipped one in for a power-play goal, putting the Big Red in front 2-1. #YellCornell🐻 pic.twitter.com/8JynKKuxlN
Ian Shane continued his strong play between the pipes, stopping 22 shots in the victory.
Zach Tupker and Alex Power found the back of the net for the Bobcats, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since losing a pair of overtime contests against New Hampshire (Oct. 21) and Maine (Oct. 28).
Vinny Duplessis turned aside 14 shots in the setback for the Bobcats.
No. 6 North Dakota 3, No. 13 St. Cloud State 3 (SCSU wins shootout)
North Dakota rallied from a pair of third-period deficits and played to a 3-3 overtime tie against St. Cloud State on Saturday night from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Huskies earned the second point in the NCHC standings with a 2-1 shootout victory to bring both teams to a tie atop the league standings with 26 points.
North Dakota entered the third period trailing for only the fifth time all season, but once again overcame the pair of deficits on goals from Jake Livanavage and Cameron Berg.
— St. Cloud State Men's Hockey (@SCSUHuskies_MH) January 21, 2024
Ludvig Persson finished with 32 saves in goals for UND while SCSU goaltender Dominic Basse made 24 saves.
Jackson Blake also scored for the Fighting Hawks and Jayden Perron assisted on the two goals in the third period.
For SCSU, Kyler Kupka, Grant Ahcan and Veeti Miettinen posted goals.
No. 1 Boston University 5, Vermont 2
Five different players scored as Boston University defeated Vermont 5-2 on Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.
BU completed a weekend sweep of Vermont by outscoring the Catamounts 10-3 over the two games. The Terriers have now won seven straight games and have not trailed over the last 319:05 of play dating back to Dec. 2.
Devin Kaplan tallied one goal and one assist while Tom Willander and Jeremy Wilmer recorded two assists apiece. Lane Hutson, Jack Hughes, Sam Stevens and Macklin Celebrini also lit the lamp and Mathieu Caron made 24 saves between the pipes.
Ryan Miotto and Zach Dubinsky netted goals for the Catamounts and Gabe Carriere made 23 saves in goal.
No. 7 Michigan State 7, No. 15 Michigan 5
Down 3-1 midway through the second period, Michigan State scored the next six goals and beat Michigan 7-5 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Nicolas Müller scored twice with two assists for MSU, while Joey Larson, Gavin O’Connell and Artyom Levshunov each had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Davidson added a goal with two assists in the win. Issac Howard chipped in a goal as well for the Spartans.
Another hustle play by Davidson after the defender falls – Nicolas Muller finishes off his second of the night. 6-4 Spartans. pic.twitter.com/IzK57ZkQKD
For the Wolverines, Rutger McGroarty and TJ Hughes each had two goals and two assists and Dylan Duke netted the other goal. Garrett Schifsky tacked on a pair of helpers.
In goal, Trey Augustine made 43 saves for Michigan State and Jake Barczewski finished with 23 stops for Michigan.
No. 5 Denver 6, No. 19 Omaha 2
Denver scored four times in the second period for the second consecutive game and defeated Omaha 6-2 on Saturday night at Baxter Arena to sweep the weekend series in Omaha, Neb.
Zeev Buium tied a career best with four points on a goal and three assists, and Massimo Rizzo contributed three assists. Shai Buium and Connor Caponi both scored and added a helper, while Jack Devine, Carter King and Sam Harris also scored.
Cale Ashcroft posted a pair of assists and Matt Davis made 17 saves.
Omaha opened the scoring midway through the first period on a power-play marker from Tanner Ludtke, but DU evened the score prior to the first intermission on a man-advantage goal of its own from Devine. That began a run of five consecutive tallies as both Buiums, Harris and Caponi scored in the middle frame.
Jack Randl ended DU’s five-goal run late in the second to make it a 5-2 game after 40 minutes.
Mavericks goalie Simon Latkoczy stopped 29 shots.
No. 8 Maine 7, UMass Lowell 2
Behind a hat trick from Harrison Scott, Maine earned a 7-2 win over UMass Lowell on Saturday night in front of a sold-out Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine.
For the second night in a row, Maine responded to an early 1-0 UMass Lowell lead after Nick Rhéaume scored 1:48 into the game with a short-handed goal as Ben Poisson sent the game to the first intermission tied 1-1. The teams traded goals to open the second period, with Maine getting one from Donavan Villeneuve-Houle and Owen Cole striking for UMass Lowell.
Scott then blew the game open, scoring two goals in 23 seconds, before Brandon Holt pushed Maine’s lead out to 5-2 by the end of the middle frame. Scott completed his hat trick with a power-play tally midway through the third before Sully Scholle capped the scoring with his fifth of the season.
Albin Boija made 18 saves for the Black Bears and Luke Pavicich and Edvard Nordlund combined to stop 25 for the River Hawks.
Air Force 7, Army West Point 6
In a wild game at Tate Rink in West Point, N.Y., Air Force earned a series sweep of the Black Knights with a 7-6 victory Saturday night.
The win marks the first time Air Force has ever beaten Army four times in the regular season in the 46-year history of the series. The win is also the 500th career win for coach Frank Serratore. He is the 16th coach in the history of NCAA Division I hockey and just the fourth active coach to reach the milestone.
Clayton Cosentino had two goals and an assist for the Falcons, while Chris Hedden added four assists, Holt Oliphant two goals, and Luke Rowe three assists.
Will Staring registered a goal and an assist, and Brendan Gibbons and Austin Schwartz each potted goals as Will Gavin notched two assists.
Guy Blessing finished with 31 saves in net.
For Army, Joey Baez and Ricky Lyle tallied a goal and two assists apiece, and Mac Gadowsky, Michael Sacco and Max Itagaki chipped in a goal and an assist each. Andrew Garby also scored.
Between the pipes, Gavin Abric and Evan Szary combined on a 28-save effort.
Colgate posted a 2-1 upset over third-ranked Quinnipiac Friday night on home ice (photo: Colgate Athletics).
Reid Irwin’s power-play goal at 5:14 of the third period stood as the game winner and Colgate held on the rest of the way to pick up a 2-1 win over No. 3 Quinnipiac Friday night at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton, N.Y.
“It was a great team win, and it was awesome watching the guys that were on the ice for the last two minutes sacrificing their bodies,” Irwin said. “We’re not done here. We want to beat Princeton (Saturday) and keep the momentum going.”
Irwin assisted on Alex DiPaolo’s goal 10:29 into the second period before Alex Power tied the game for the Bobcats at 15:36 of the second period.
Kienan Draper, TJ Hughes and Nick Moldenhauer also scored for Michigan with Frank Nazar and Tyler Duke putting up two assists apiece.
In goal, Jake Barczewski made 22 saves.
For the Spartans, Nicolas Muller broke Barczewski’s shutout bid at 12:40 of the third period.
Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine stopped 28 shots.
Minnesota Duluth 6, No. 11 Western Michigan 3
Minnesota Duluth scored four goals in the third period and went on to defeat Western Michigan 6-3 at Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich., Friday night.
Anthony Menghini potted two goals for the Bulldogs, while Blake Biondi and Kyler Kleven each had a goal with a helper.
Smith and Kleven! Breaking free! Soaring! Flying! 🪽
Ben Steeves and Braden Fischer also scored for UMD and Jack Smith added two assists.
In goal, Matthew Thiessen made 37 saves.
Matteo Costantini recorded a goal and an assist for WMU, Zak Galambos and Carter Berger also scored, and Sam Colangelo rang up a pair of assists.
Cameron Rowe finished with 23 saves for the Broncos.
No. 1 Boston University 5, Vermont 1
Lane Hutson matched his career high with four assists and Macklin Celebrini collected two goals to help lead Boston University to a 5-1 win over Vermont Friday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.
Luke Tuch, Quinn Hutson and Dylan Peterson also lit the lamp and Ryan Greene recorded two assists.
The Hutson brothers then connected for our third PPG of the night, with Quinn cashing in for his ninth goal of the season.
Thomas Sinclair netted UVM’s lone goal and Gabe Carriere made 31 saves for the Catamounts.
No. 2 Boston College 6, Merrimack 4
Boston College overcame a two-goal deficit in a 6-4 win over Merrimack at Lawler Arena on Friday night.
Trailing 2-0 after one, BC roared back on a hat trick from Cutter Gauthier and single goals from Andre Gasseau, Will Smith and Ryan Leonard. Smith and Gaseau had assists for multi-point games and Gabe Perreault, Aidan Hreschuk and Lukas Gustafsson posted two assists each.
Ethan Bono, Ivan Zivlak, Mark Hillier and Matt Copponi scored for the Warriors, with Hillier and Copponi adding assists for multi-point games.
Jacob Fowler finished with 31 saves for the Eagles, while Zachary Borgiel made 35 stops for Merrimack.
No. 5 Denver 6, No. 19 Omaha 3
Denver’s top line combined for four goals and 11 points on Friday night in a 6-3 victory over Omaha at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb.
Jack Devine recorded a career-high five points on two goals and three assists while linemates Massimo Rizzo and McKade Webster both contributed three points with a marker and two helpers apiece.
Massimo Rizzo with his 10th goal of the season and Jack Devine with another assist.
Devine now has a career-high 5 points and matches a personal best with three helper. Bobby Brink on Feb. 4, 2022 vs. St. Cloud was the last Pioneer to have 5 points in a game. pic.twitter.com/zep5qshxap
Aidan Thompson and Boston Buckberger also scored for DU
Denver goaltender Matt Davis stopped 19 shots.
Jesse Lansdell, Zach Urdahl (penalty shot) and Ty Mueller scored for the Mavericks.
Simon Latkoczy started in goal for UNO and stopped 19 shots before Seth Eisele played the third and made 16 saves.
Augustana 5, No. 16 Arizona State 4
Owen Bohn’s goal with 31.5 seconds left in the third period snapped a 4-4 tie and lifted Augustana to a 5-4 win Friday night at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz.
It was the first win in Augustana history over a ranked team.
Chase Brand had two goals for Augustana, Arnaud Vachon a goal and two assists, and Will Howard a goal to back Zack Rose’s 34 saves in goal.
For the Sun Devils, Tim Lovell, Matthew Kopperud, Benji Eckerle and Ryan Alexander scored. TJ Semptimphelter started in goal and made three saves in 30:02 before giving way to Gibson Homer, who stopped seven shots the rest of the game.
No. 6 North Dakota 5, No. 13 St. Cloud State 3
North Dakota took over first place in the NCHC standings with a 5-3 win over St. Cloud State Friday night at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
Ludvig Persson made 34 saves for the win in goal, while Jackson Blake had two goals and an assist and Cameron Berg a goal with a helper for the Fighting Hawks.
Carsen Richels is playing with confidence and helping the Saints succeed. (Photo Credit: Derek Montgomery)
Carsen Richels wasn’t sure what he was going to do from a hockey standpoint after leaving New Hampshire, where he had played the first two seasons of his collegiate hockey career.
Returning to his home state of Minnesota made sense.
“I definitely wanted to be close to home and in a more comfortable setting,” Richels said.
He found a place where he could do just that, signing on with St. Scholastica, one of the nation’s top 15 teams in the USCHO.com poll.
This is his second season with the No. 8 Saints (12-3, 5-1) and he’s currently leading the MIAC in goals (11) and is among the assist leaders as well, racking up eight, tied for the seventh-most in the league.
He has it made. He’s thriving on the ice and his family gets to see him play more often.
“It’s pretty nice,” Richels said. “My parents are super big fans but didn’t get to come out too much when I was at UNH. They haven’t missed a game this year. It’s nice to be familiar with where I am at and it’s helped me be more confident in my game.”
Confidence was something that seemed to elude the talented forward in the 35 games he played in while at New Hampshire during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns.
“It was something I lost when I went out East. It affected my play. But I’ve found it again. It’s showing on the ice,” Richels said.
It didn’t take long for it to show through at St. Scholastica as he earned All-MIAC honors last season, scoring 19 goals and dishing out 21 assists for a Saints team that had a season to remember, winning the regular-season MIAC title and nearly making the NCAA tournament.
“Confidence is the biggest thing for anyone playing any sport,” Richels said. “If you are confident you perform better. You trust and believe in yourself. My confidence continues to grow.”
Richels played other sports growing up, like football and lacrosse, but hockey was always his main sport.
“I always wanted to play college hockey since middle school,” Richels said.
He set the stage for that opportunity while in high school, shining at Blaine, first as the team’s rookie of the year and then as a captain his senior year. A three-time all-conference pick, Richels was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 2020.
While he was once uncertain on how things would go after his time at New Hampshire, he’s glad he stuck with the game he has always loved.
“For me, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after UNH, but the friendships and the team aspect keep me going,” Richels said. “You get to go through everything with them, whether it’s the tough workouts or games.”
The great thing for Richels is he is on a team stacked with talent.
Arkhip and Filimon Ledenkov are two of the nation’s best offensive threats. Filimon has tallied 18 assists, the most in the MIAC, to go along with six goals.
Arkhip has racked up seven goals and 10 assists while Nathan Adrian (five goals, 11 assists), Tristan Shewchuk (six goals, seven assists) and Jacob Seitz (seven goals, four assists) all have double-digit point totals. Brodie Girod (six goals, two assists) isn’t too far behind.
“We’re confident when we go to the rink we are going to do well,” Richels said. “We have four lines that have all played well and it’s nice going into a game knowing that no matter who is on the ice, they are going to do their job.”
And being a ranked team means there is no room to take your foot off the gas pedal.
“We realize we are going to get everyone’s best shot. You can’t take a night off. We have to take each game and play the full 60 (minutes),” Richels said.
As Richels continues on with his senior season at St. Scholastica, he’s focused on doing his part.
“I’m happy with how I’m playing and trying to help the team win any way I can,” Richels said.
New Hampshire plays a home-and-home series this weekend with UConn (photo: Mari Murby).
On Friday night, Connecticut will host New Hampshire at the still-feels-like-new Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn.
The money line on the game is pretty straight forward: Host UConn is a -160 favorite and the road dogs UNH are -124 on the money line.
But the over/under is where we find something rather strange. It is a season low on DraftKings for any game – 5. It is so low, that when the line dropped on Wednesday morning, you originally could only bet under 5 total goals; the over had a lock symbol on the button.
Since that time, DraftKings added the over as an option, but the line is -130. In other words, to win $100, you’d have to risk $130, not something you see every day on an over/under line.
When we look at team statistics for both New Hampshire and UConn, these numbers become even more perplexing. UNH boasts a top 20 offense averaging 3.17 goals per game. There is a drop off to UConn which is 46th in the nation with 2.67 GPG.
On the other side, both defenses are top 20, but barely. UNH is ranking 18th allowing 2.61 goals against per game while UConn sneaks into the top 20 on the number with 2.67 goals per game.
So why is this the lowest rated over/under of the season on a betting website? We’re not sure.
Look at some more data. The last five scores between these two clubs were 6-1, 3-2 (OT), 4-1, 6-1 and 3-2. Not a single game in that stretch goes under five goals, though three would push. In fact, the last time these two clubs combined for less than five combined goals was Jan. 2021, during the strange COVID season, when the combined for a pair of 2-1 outcomes. Those are games I am willing to throw out.
So what do we make of all this? Personally, I see this as a line that is simply off and even at -130, the over warrants a wager here. Maybe the game stays under, but statistics and history certainly don’t support that notion.
Other games around the country:
Michigan (+114) at Michigan State (-145); over/under 7
It’s been a while since this classic rivalry has posted a line with Michigan as an underdog, but that’s how this season has played out. The Wolverines are a bubble NCAA team right now, while Sparty continues to role. The one caveat is that this is a rivalry game, where we often believe you can throw out record. If ever there is a time for an “upset” – and we use those quotation marks intentionally – this could be in for visiting Michigan.
North Dakota (-125) at St. Cloud State (-105); over/under 6
Two NCHC heavyweights battle in St. Cloud for first place in the league standings and plenty of PairWise muscle. The over/under here grabs our eye, though, as it is shaded (-125) towards under six goals. Three of the four regular season games between these two teams went over 6 goals. A playoff game finished 3-2 in overtime, but we throw out playoff games as teams tend to buckle down defenses more in the postseason. Thus the -105 line on over 6 goals looks attractive in this one.
Episode 9: Under-18 gold for Team USA, a massive road sweep for Ohio State
Nicole Haase (@NicoleHaase) checks in from Switzerland, where the United States won the Under-18 Women’s World Championship gold medal. Nicole and Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) also discuss a major statement by No. 1 Ohio State at Minnesota and look ahead to some of this week’s games.
Make sure you like and subscribe to The PodKaz on your favorite streaming network to get access to new episodes as soon as they post.
Tiernan Shoudy nets the game-winning goal in Dec. 2022 as Michigan State edged Michigan 2-1 (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
A year can make a big difference in college hockey.
Some things change. Some things change a lot more.
In the Big Ten, the perception that things have changed dramatically is both accurate and deceiving.
A year ago this week – more or less – Minnesota was in the process of running away with the conference. The Golden Gophers were in first place with 34 points, 10 ahead of the three teams in second place: Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State. Michigan was in sixth place with five wins and 15 points.
A year later, the Wolverines are again 19 points out of first place with seven weeks remaining in the regular season, but fifth-place Michigan is chasing first-place Michigan State.
And the Spartans and Wolverines play a home-and-home series this weekend.
“These guys are ready to go,” said Michigan coach Brandon Naurato, talking with Michigan radio play-by-play announcer Al Randall during this week’s “Inside Michigan Hockey Radio Show.”
“It’s an exciting week. It’s good to get into the Big Ten in general. We’ve got some ground to make up.”
In addition to chasing Michigan State, the Wolverines are also well behind Wisconsin, as are most B1G teams. The Badgers are a point behind the Spartans.
Naurato said that it’s good to have Michigan State and Wisconsin so prominent in conference play.
“These teams have turned their programs around and it just makes the Big Ten deeper and I think it’s good for everybody,” Naurato said.
The Wolverines and Spartans are meeting after sweeps fed by huge offensive output. The Spartans beat the Nittany Lions 5-0 and 7-3, and Michigan erupted against Stonehill, winning 12-4 and 7-1.
Naurato noted that the Spartans and Wolverines play a similar style of hockey.
“They’re really good off the rush, they transition quick, they’re really good on the forecheck,” said Naurato.
Heading into the weekend, the Wolverines have the No. 2 overall offense in the nation scoring 4.55 goals per game. The Spartans are fourth (4.32). Each team is exciting on the power play as well. Michigan leads the nation (.358) and Michigan State is fourth (.281).
Overall, the Wolverines and Spartans have similar defensive numbers as well, but those stats provide little to brag about. Michigan State’s 28th-best defense has allowed 2.86 goals per game on average, while Michigan is tied for 29th with Colorado College and Northeastern (2.90).
One key difference between the teams may be how each team plays in front of its starting goaltender. Michigan State’s Trey Augustine’s overall goals-against average (2.81) and save percentage (.919) are similar to those of Michigan starter Jake Barczewski (2.80 GAA, .908 SV%). Augustine’s win percentage, though, is third-best nationally (.778) while Barczewski’s (.559) is 28th.
Augustine had both wins against Penn State and made 31 saves in the shutout, his first game with the Spartans since winning a gold medal in the IIHF World Juniors with Team USA.
Naurato said the key to beating Augustine was getting pucks to the net and create traffic.
“If we do what we do in front of the net, we should be in a good spot,” said Naurato.
Augustine had originally committed to Michigan but changed his mind in Sept. 2022, just before the start of Adam Nightingale’s first season behind the Michigan State bench.
“We’re fortunate,” said Nightingale. “Trey could have went anywhere he wanted. The fact that he picked us and the timing of when he picked our team, we hadn’t played a game yet. I’ve got a ton of respect for him, especially in the goaltending position, for believing in what was going to go on here.”
Nightingale has known Augustine for years, predating the goalie’s relationship with the U.S. National Team Development Team, when Augustine was a 15-year-old who would practice with the program. He’s always been poised and calm, said Nightingale.
“I just think he fits in so great with what Michigan State’s about,” said Nightingale. “He’s a humble guy, he’s a hard-working guy, he’s a team guy. He doesn’t want extra attention. That poise – that has a huge impact on our team.”
These will be the first meetings this season between Michigan and Michigan State this season. Last year, the Wolverines went 3-1-0 against the Spartans, all three games decided by a goal except for Michigan’s 4-2 win in Munn Ice Arena Feb. 10, which was a one-goal game with an empty-netter.
“I think it’ll be tight games,” said Nightingale. “If you look at the games last year, all four of them were really tight games, good hockey games. Obviously, they’ve got a ton of talent on their team and they’re very dangerous on the power play.”
This rivalry goes back to 1922, when Michigan State lost its first-ever hockey game to the Wolverines. According to Michigan State’s record keeping – which differs slightly from Michigan’s – the teams have met 342 times, with Michigan owning a 179-139-24 record against the Spartans.
The Wolverines hold a 16-4-0 record over the Spartans in their last 20 meetings, dating back to Feb. 8, 2019.
“For it to be a rivalry, we’ve got to do our part,” said Nightingale. “I understand that, but that’s in the past, too. We don’t spend any time focusing on the past or the future. It’s on the now.”
Nightingale said that Michigan State’s road wins over Penn State were good for the team’s overall confidence, but that there are “still areas to improve and grow as a group.” Turning their attention inward rather than fixating on an opponent – even a rival as significant as Michigan – is something that Nightingale and his staff preach weekly.
“It’s such a great rivalry, one I feel fortunate to be a part of and I know our guys do, too,” said Nightingale. “We respect our opponent and we respect everyone we play, but we’re going to keep the focus on ourselves and make sure we’re playing our best this weekend.”
Geneseo has had a lot to celebrate by taking advantage of their scoring by committee approach (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)
A look at the national rankings finds a number of New York-based teams among the very best in the nation and logjammed in the top 10. While a lot of focus and discussion has included teams like Hobart, Elmira, Plattsburgh, Utica and even Skidmore, a very strong Geneseo has sort of flown under the radar despite being atop the SUNYAC standings, ranked tied for No. 2, and sporting a 14-2-0 record this season to date. In their final season as a SUNYAC member, Geneseo would love to go out as champions and appear to have the pedigree in a tough conference to make a deep run in March hockey.
“I don’t think we are flying under the radar,” noted head coach Chris Schultz. “Recently we have been where we are on a consistent basis but looking at this team before the season, I really didn’t know what this team was going to be like. We have changed our game a lot with this group and are playing a grittier game. We want to be tougher to play against and have focused on being less east/west and more north/south with a lot of our scoring by committee so far.”
The statistics bear out coach Schultz’s comments as the Knights do not have a 20-point scorer on the roster. While a highly skilled Peter Morgan (6G – 12A – 18 Pts) leads the team in scoring, he is amongst a group of players who have contributed across the roster this season and his assist total is indicative of his buy-in to the new system and style of play.
“Peter is a high-end player and an excellent scorer at this level with his speed game and shot,” stated Schultz. “He didn’t have to buy into this system, but he has and honestly he is getting his chances and has been a little snake-bitten in terms of goals but some of his shots are turning into rebound goals and while they are not the prettiest, they all count on the scoreboard.”
Even the power play which has been clicking at better than 35% is different this year in several ways that lend curiosity to the Knights success with the man advantage. Despite the prolific success rate, the Knights utilize very limited time practicing with their two power play units and it seems to be working just fine.
“I have always believed in practicing power play and special teams every day,” said Schultz. “When Mitch Stephens came to us from Cornell, we both discussed the practice routine over the summer since we both believed in the daily need for man-up work. But this year our usual 10-man, two group units is now a 12-man group that we have rolled out in the game, and they have been successful. Our penalty kill does get more practice time against the scout team acting as the opposition, but our power play has seen little practice time and right now if it isn’t broke, we aren’t going to change it up.”
The Knights have also been blessed with strength and depth in the crease including junior Adam Harris and freshman Jacob Torgner. Both goaltenders have been solid with Torgner (1.14 GAA; 962 SP;7-0-0; 2 SO) posting some impressive numbers in his first collegiate season.
“We recruited “Torgs” and really liked the fact he had a good stick,” said Schultz. “He is like a third defenseman back there and really facilitates our breakout, we haven’t really had anyone since Devin MacDonald that adds the skill and dimension to our team, and it has been a big part of our game on the back end enabling some clean transitions from defense to offense.”
With just nine games remaining on their schedule, the Knights came back from the break having played just the one game with Canton (4-1 win) before finishing the balance of the SUNYAC schedule in their final go-around.
“We played 15 games in the first half,” noted Schultz. “That is a lot of hockey games played to start the season. I like that we got some extra rest before the stretch run and our guys came back ready to go. We have Brockport on Friday and travel to Hamilton for our last non-conference game on the schedule on Saturday. It’s going to be two games against good opponents to get us back to the routine and league points are going to matter a lot. We could lose two games and finish fourth with as tight as the standings are with Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Cortland. We have the Lakers and Cardinals at home in the second half but travel to Cortland which is always a tough place to play. Brockport is up on Friday, and we will worry about the other games when they are next. We are in a good position but need to continue improving on our gritty style for success into March.”
Niagara goalie Jarrett Fiske was recently named to the Mike Richter Award watch list for 2024 honors (photo: Robert Hayes).
The 2023-24 season has been one of streaks for Niagara.
Going into last week’s game against Rochester Institute of Technology, Jason Lammers’ team had a single win in its previous seven games. Just before that, Niagara had won four of five.
Lammers is hoping that a 3-1 win over then-No. 18 RIT is the start of something positive.
“Despite not getting the results we were looking for, I really liked our team, the way we were playing (in those games),” said Lammers.
“Miami (4-1 win, 3-0 loss) and Denver (5-2, 6-1 losses) challenged us in different ways. Denver especially made us spin up our game to be ready for their speed. That helped us against RIT.”
The Purple Eagles got goals from Luke Mylymok, Jay Ahearn, and Carter Randklev and a 40-save performance from goaltender Jarrett Fiske in the win over the Tigers.
“RIT’s a really good team,” said Lammers. “Jarrett was awesome in net, and we got some very timely goals. We were able to keep (RIT) to the outside and limit second chances.”
Fiske was part of a bit of a goaltender shuffle in Atlantic Hockey this season, with former Purple Eagle and Pittsburgh native Chad Veltri transferring to Robert Morris, former Scared Heart goalie Luke Lush moving to RIT, and Fiske transferring from American International.
“We were saddened but at the same time understand that Chad wanted to finish his career closer to home,” said Lammers of Veltri’s departure. “We saw that Jarrett was in the (transfer) portal and knew he was a great goalie.
“He’s been a fantastic addition to our team, both as a player and a person. He’s an unbelievable kid, one of our hardest workers. Our confidence in him is always very high.”
Next up for Niagara is a home-and-home series with Canisius, the next chapter in the multi-sport rivalry between the schools that goes back decades. Beginning in 2007, the rivalry became known as the “Battle of the Bridge” named after the Grand Island Bridge that lies between the schools on I-90.
Other than Air Force-Army West Point (who also play each other this weekend), this is the most intense rivalry in Atlantic Hockey.
“It’s real”, said Lammers. “It adds a level of excitement for the players and fans. We embrace it.”
But Lammers says that his team’s preparation remains the same.
“It doesn’t change,” he said. “We’re consistent in how we prepare. Our goal is to get better every day individually and collectively. We continue to grow our bond with each other and our willingness to sacrifice the ‘me’ for ‘we.’ In every game, there are races to be won and we want to win those races.”
Lammers is also hopeful that his team has turned the corner in terms of injuries, which have required players to step up into new roles.
“A goal for the second half of the season is staying healthy and getting some players back,” he said. “We’ve had some guys stepping up in different roles. One man’s injury is another man’s opportunity, and this will pay dividends in the long run.”
The Purple Eagles currently sit in ninth place, but only a six-point sweep away from a tie for fourth. Canisius is five points ahead, fresh off a 3-2 overtime win at RIT on Tuesday.
“It should be a great weekend,” said Lammers. “We’re amped up and ready to go.”
UW-Superior will face off against UW-Eau Claire this weekend. (Photo provided by UW-Superior Athletics)
As we reach the middle of the month here in Division III hockey we have come to learn that no pick is ever a lock. Any given night seems to be the theme and that probably won’t change this weekend.
We are into full on conference play now and things really get interesting. So let’s dive into some of the matchups on the slate.
No. 8 St. Scholastica (12-3, 5-1) vs. St. Olaf (7-8-1, 3-4-1)
Tied for first, the Saints have yet to get through a weekend in January without a loss. But they are still a very good team and this will be a key home and home test that begins with the Saints playing on their own ice. The Oles are just five points behind and can gain some ground.
St. Scholastica has scored the most goals (60) but St. Olaf isn’t too far behind, tallying 51.
Keep an eye on two playmakers. Filimon Ledenkov, the assist leader in D-III, averaging 1.20 per game. He has 18 on the year for the Saints. Connor Kalthoff has tallied nine for the Oles. St. Scholastica, 5-3; St. Olaf, 4-3
Bethel (11-4-2, 5-2-1) ) vs. Concordia (8-6-1, 3-3)
It’s been quite a year for the Royals, who are tied for first. The Cobbers have been up and down but can never be counted out.
Two of the top goal scorers in the MIAC will be on the ice for this one. Tyler Kostelecky ranks second, scoring nine for the Royals, while Mason Plante is third in the league with eight on the year for the Cobbers. Both teams have played well early on in 2024, with Bethel winning two of three and Concordia winning two of its first four. Bethel, 4-2; Concordia 5-4
Saint John’s (6-8-3, 3-5) vs. Hamline (6-8-1, 2-4)
The Johnnies have shown they can be a tough team to play on any given night. The Pipers have some added confidence after an upset of UW-Eau Claire.
Saint John’s is unbeaten in 2024, going 3-0-1 in its last four and is averaging nearly three goals per game (2.75). The Johnnies are also No. 1 in penalty kill in the conference and fifth in the nation in that department (89.7 percent).
The Pipers have a little momentum coming into the weekend after winning two in a row, including a win over nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire. This series starts Thursday and wraps up Friday. Saint John’s, 3-1 and 3-2
UW-Stevens Point (12-3-1, 6-1) at UW-River Falls (11-6, 3-4)
One of the nation’s best teams in UW-Stevens Point hits the road to play a UW-River Falls team that never makes things easy on anyone.
The Pointers haven’t had the easiest time on the road, going just 4-3, but they are feeling good about themselves as a team, putting together a six-game unbeaten streak, with five of those games resulting in a win.
For the Falcons, it’s a chance to make a statement against a title contender. They have won their last two and own a 7-4 record at home. It won’t be a surprise if they pull off an upset on at least one night, or at the very least, get a tie out of one of the nights. UW-Stevens Point, 4-1; UW-River Falls, 3-2
No. 14 UW-Eau Claire (10-6-1, 4-3) at UW-Superior (10-7, 5-2)
A really interesting matchup here between two teams who are going to have a shot to contend for a conference tournament championship and automatic bid to the NCAA tourney.
UW-Eau Claire knocked off St. Scholastica last week and that is certainly an added confidence boost for this team. It’s been an interesting start to 2024 for the Blugolds, who are 2-2 and have either scored five goals or allowed five goals in three of their four games in the new year.
The Yellowjackets didn’t score in the last meeting against the Blugolds on Dec. 8 and have been shutout four times this season. They’ll need a fast start on both nights to have a shot at knocking off the Blugolds. UW-Eau Claire, 4-3; UW-Superior, 2-1
Aurora (8-8-1, 7-3) at No. 12 Trine (14-3, 9-1)
Both teams are playing for a lot this weekend. The Thunder are one point out of first while the Spartans are currently fourth in the standings.
Trine is one of three teams in the NCHA that has scored 60 or more goals on the year, tallying 63, and Tyler Blanchard leads the way with seven of those goals for a Trine team that is 6-1 at home.
Aurora has a pretty good goal scorer of its own in Jackson Kirk, who has scored nine this season. The Spartans won’t make anything easy in this series and could very well salvage at least a split. Trine, 5-4; Aurora, 4-3
Concordia (7-10, 5-5) at St. Norbert (10-5, 8-2)
The Falcons head to one of the toughest places to play in D-III hockey and feeling good about where they stand as a team, having won three of their last four, including a sweep of Lake Forest last week.
Concordia is fifth in the standings while St. Norbert is third and has also won three of its last four games.
The Green Knights will be tough to beat, especially at home, as they feature two of the top goal scorers in the league. Liam Fraser tops the league with 10 goals and Adam Stacho has nine. If the Falcons can slow the attack down, they’ll have a shot here. St. Norbert, 5-2 and 4-1
Lake Forest (6-11, 3-7) at Adrian (12-4-1, 9-1)
The Bulldogs are right where they want to be at the moment, holding down first place in the NCHA standings. Of course, they still have work to do as the season is far from over. On paper this is a matchup Adrian should have no problem taking care of business in.
The Bulldogs have three of the top 10 goal scorers in the conference, with Zachary Heintz, Mathew Rehding and Ryan Pitoscia all scoring eight so far. The Foresters will have a tall order trying to keep the Adrian offense in check. Adrian, 5-1 and 6-2
MSOE (8-7-2, 2-7-1 at Marian (7-10, 3-7)
The Raiders need a bounce-back weekend after being swept by Trine. The Sabres are two points behind in the standings and could really help their cause with a good weekend.
One difference to look at here is goals allowed. Marian has given up 63 on the season. MSOE has allowed just 38. But the Sabres have scored 58 goals this season and MSOE has 47. This series has the makings of a split. MSOE, 4-3; Marian, 3-2
The 2024 NCAA Convention ended last Saturday, capping a busy week of progress and celebration.
The Division III Management Council and Presidents Council approved expanding the men’s hockey championship bracket from 12 to 13 teams, starting with the upcoming 2024 tournament.
The NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee recommended the addition of another team to the tournament at its June 2023 meeting. It cited the NCAA’s 1:6.5 ratio for determining the number of teams that make the tournament and said that with 86 teams competing nationally, an additional spot was warranted.
“Adding more championship bids will have a very positive impact on student-athletes across Division III men’s ice hockey,” the committee wrote in support of the proposal. “Increasing the opportunity to make it to the championship could potentially help grow the sport across the country.”
The committee estimated the financial impact of adding another team at $15,000. The change means that there will be five first-round games in the 2024 tournament instead of four. First-round games are scheduled for March 9, with quarterfinals on March 16. The championship concludes at Trinity’s Koeppel Community Sports Center in Hartford, Conn., on March 21 and 23.
In addition, the councils approved a two-year pause in an extra assessment on top of annual NCAA dues for Division III members. The pause will reduce the annual Division III dues from $2,000 to $900 for institutions and from $900 to $450 for conference offices for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Northeastern freshman forward Dylan Hryckowian has been a bright spot for the Huskies this season (photo: Jim Pierce).
Northeastern’s 3-1 win over Vermont last Saturday night at Matthews Arena was only its second of the season over a Hockey East opponent.
But third-year coach Jerry Keefe thinks his team’s conference record does not reflect how well it has been playing recently.
“If you look at our last 10 games, we’ve played better hockey,” said Keefe shortly after the Huskies beat the Catamounts to salvage a split of a weekend series and lift Northeastern’s record to 7-11-2 overall (2-10-0 Hockey East).
The numbers bolster Keefe’s belief. Since a 4-0 loss at New Hampshire on Nov. 18 — the Huskies’ seventh straight to open the Hockey East season — Keefe’s crew is 5-4-2, including a 5-3 win at Boston College, then ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com D-I men’s poll.
The stretch also included a 3-3 home tie vs. then-No. 3 and defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) and a 4-3 overtime loss at then-No 2 (and current No. 1) Boston University.
It’s been a rough go for Northeastern, which was picked fourth in the Hockey East preseason coach’s poll. The Huskies turned in a winning season in 2022-23 (17-13-5 overall record), during which they were consistently ranked nationally.
“We’re trying to find our swagger again,” said Dylan Hryckowian, who netted the game winner vs. Vermont on Saturday. “We’re playing some good hockey, though, over these past few weeks. We’re just confident and we just have to stick with what we know, and that’s just working and sticking to our game plan.”
Keefe had high praise for the rookie Hryckowian.
“He started picking up some points, and all of a sudden, pucks are starting to go in for his linemates,” Keefe said. “He’s been good for us all year. He’s been one of our better forwards all year. He’s been consistently good. It’s good to see him getting on the scoresheet more. He can be a difference maker and we need him to be.”
Hryckowian is one of a number of solid performers this season for the Huskies. Sophomore forward Jack Williams (10-12-22) and senior forward Alex Campbell (11-10-21) lead the team in scoring, while freshman Cameron Whitehead has provided consistency at goalie, starting 19 of the Huskies’ 20 games.
Whitehead sports a 2.80 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Keefe said Whitehead is resilient enough to overcome a tough night — after giving up three third-period goals in just over a minute in a 5-4 loss against UVM on Friday, Whitehead turned in a 31-save performance the next night for the win.
“(He) knows we have a lot of confidence in him, simple as that,” Keefe said. “We go right back to him because we’re confident in his ability. That wasn’t even really a question in my mind.”
It would be an understatement to say Whitehead has big skates to fill after the departure of standout Devon Levi, the reigning Hockey East player of the year, a two-time Mike Richter Award winner as the nation’s best goalie and twice a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award.
At the end of the college hockey season, Levi joined Buffalo of the NHL for its late-season playoff push and took the internet by storm with a timeout routine that was already well known to Northeastern fans. As meditative practice, Levi famously closes his eyes near the center of the defensive zone and kneels, blocking out the noise — both literal and figurative — around him.
Whitehead has a similar routine during timeouts, evoking memories of Levi for the Husky faithful. But as the rookie goalie pointed out, he isn’t necessarily mimicking his predecessor.
“I definitely knew of it, but my goalie coach in Lincoln (USHL), we kind of went through some stuff to see what works for me,” Whitehead said. “Obviously, I didn’t try to copy him. I try to make it my own.
“I’m just kind of working on my breathing, trying to be present in the moment,” he continued. “Games are pretty hectic, a lot of things are going on. The best you try to stay in the moment, the more success you’ll have.”
St. Thomas head coach Rico Blasi joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk about this season’s Tommies, developing a program during the new transfer portal era, cultivating values, a new facility under construction, the CCHA, and more.
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
Omaha’s Ty Mueller looks for a play around North Dakota’s Garrett Pyke last weekend in Grand Forks, N.D. (photo: Russell Hons).
Fresh off earning a road split against sixth-ranked North Dakota, Omaha this week re-entered the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll at No. 19.
But for as competitive as the Mavericks were in Grand Forks, being ranked isn’t just about what you did over the previous week.
This UNO team is as battle-tested as most anyone in the country, in part because 12 of the Mavericks’ 20 games this season have either ended in a tie or were decided by a single goal.
More to the point, UNO is 4-1 in overtime this season. The latest such victory came Friday, when the Mavericks erased three deficits before Jack Randl scored the winning goal 34 seconds into the extra period. UND dropped its fourth consecutive overtime game, excluding the Fighting Hawks’ 4-3 defeat Dec. 30 against the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
UNO wasn’t exactly off the pace Saturday, either. The Mavericks fell 3-1, but coach Mike Gabinet felt unlucky bounces went against his team on North Dakota’s first two goals before former Maverick Cameron Berg scored a late empty-netter.
“Just the way Friday’s game unfolded was pretty impressive in terms of resiliency by the group,” Gabinet said. “The belief was there from the guys, and they kept doing the work.
“We really played well, and North Dakota’s a good hockey team with a lot of good players, but even Saturday it would’ve been nice to take the game to overtime again, and the guys played a solid game.”
Friday’s game was already UNO’s third one in 2024 to reach overtime. On Jan. 5, a Griffin Ludtke goal with 18.2 seconds left in the extra period gave the Mavericks a 5-4 win over UMass-Lowell in the semifinals of the Desert Hockey Classic. The following day, UNO lost 2-1 to 16th-ranked host school Arizona State.
UNO looks increasingly comfortable in those types of games, and Gabinet believes that starts in practice. At least once a week, the Mavericks work to see what might come in handy should another overtime arise.
“It’s sneaky conditioning sometimes, doing 3-on-3 and putting guys in those situations,” Gabinet said. “It’s nice to do at the end of a practice at times, where rather than just skating, you can get some conditioning and test guys getting caught out for a bit of an extended shift.
“I like it from that aspect, and you get to discuss what you’d like to see, whether it’s (line) changes, breakouts, faceoffs, offensive-zone things or stuff for maybe later when either they’re a little more tired, or you’re a little more tired. There are so many different unique situations in terms of numerical advantages, and you don’t always have time to build that into your practice, but it’s important to make sure you spend some time on those.”
Gabinet might want the rest of UNO’s season to be a little less stressful, but for the best of reasons, that’s unlikely. It’s all NCHC play from here on until the NCAA tournament, should the Mavericks get there, and starting with this weekend’s home set against No. 5 Denver, there will be plenty of opportunities for UNO to build on what it has already done.
“I thought we’ve played four really good games since the break,” Gabinet said. “Three of those have been overtime games, but I think we’re doing a lot of good things, and with this group, we just want to build the belief in themselves that they can do it, and they’re doing a great job.
“That’s really important, making sure players believe and keep doing the necessary things. We didn’t get the overtime win at ASU, and we didn’t get the win last Saturday, but we’re doing a lot of good things out there. When we look at video, we can show examples of things we’re doing right and what we can get better at, but that feeds the belief that we’re right on the cusp.”
Minnesota Duluth’s Gabbie Hughes was the 2023 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award (photo: Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation).
The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation has announced 18 nominees for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The award, which is celebrating its 29th season, is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
The following are this year’s nominees:
Sam Anzai, Gr. F, Wisconsin-River Falls
Ryan Bischel, Gr. G, Notre Dame
Kenzie Hauswirth, Gr. F, Ohio State
Ryan Herpy, * Gr. D, Albertus Magnus
Hank Kempf, Jr. D, Cornell
Jayden Lee, Gr. D, Quinnipiac
Kyle Looft, Gr. D, Bemidji State
Dylan Lugris, Jr. F, Penn State
Joe Molenaar, Sr. F, St. Cloud State
Kate Monihan, Sr. D, Princeton
Jack Quinn, Sr. F, Long Island
Danielle Serdachny, Gr. F, Colgate
Hannah Squires, So. D, Stonehill
Nick Strom, Jr. D, Rensselaer
Nolan Sullivan, Gr. F, Omaha
Raice Szott, * Sr. D, Merrimack
Sarah Thompson, * Sr. F, Syracuse
Arnaud Vachon, Gr. F, Augustana
* Repeat nominee
Finalists for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced in February. The 2024 recipient will be announced on April 12 during the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four weekend in St. Paul, Minn.
Minnesota Duluth’s Gabbie Hughes was honored as the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award recipient last year in Tampa, Fla.
The King’s College Monarchs have had a lot to celebrate in springing some big upsets as the road team recently and now look to capture home wins this weekend (Photo by Michael Vesci)
The trend lately has been bonus hockey, upsets and games that generally have the look and feel of playoff games as teams battle for conference points and position in the standings. Still some fun non-conference action mid-week going on but for most the action is focused on conference play and building momentum over the remainder of the regular season. I need to build some consistency as well with my picks as I followed up a stellar week with a so-so 7-4-1 (.625) record that now brings the season record to 83-41-8 (.659) which is on the yo-yo spectrum. There are some great battles on tap to enjoy this week. Here is my “bakers dozen” of picks across the region this week:
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Canton v. Wilkes
The Colonels got their game back on track last weekend but should not take a non-conference game against the Kangaroos lightly. A big second period breaks the game open for a nice win on home ice– Wilkes, 4-2
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Massachusetts-Dartmouth v. Salem State
The Corsairs have been on a nice roll in elevating to second place in the conference and want to continue the winning trend against a pesky Vikings squad. Special teams are the difference as the winning trend for the visitors continues – UMD, 5-2
Plymouth State v. Framingham State
The Panthers are a team on a mission so they will not lose focus against a Rams squad that can play the upset card especially on home ice. Too tough to stop Redick Tait and Stuckless among the many talents in green and white – PSU, 6-3
Friday, January 19, 2024
(15) Salve Regina v. (9) University of New England
This is the first of the two-game series between key contenders in the CCC. Despite the offensive abilities on both sides, the battle between Cayden Bailey and Billy Girard IV may decide this game that looks and feels like a conference playoff game – Salve Regina, 3-1
Babson v. (1) Hobart
The Beavers face a Statesmen squad that thrives on home ice. This one is low scoring with the home team eking it out in front of the “Cooler Crazies.” It takes more than one goal to beat the team in orange and white – Hobart, 3-1
Tufts v. (10) Trinity
The Jumbos want to send a message that they are contenders in the NESCAC this year and there is no better way than to take down the unbeaten Bantams on home ice. I think this game is a tie but if it is decided in OT then it is the home team that takes the win – Trinity, 4-3
Rivier v. Anna Maria
The Raiders and AmCats will play a fast and fun game and probably with the highest goal total for the weekend. Both teams take advantage of special teams, but it is the home team that gets the last power play goal to win it – AMC, 5-4
St. Michael’s v. Franklin Pierce
The Purple Knights got back to winning in dramatic fashion with a pair of OT wins over Post last weekend. If it worked twice why not three times. Brennan McFarland for the OT trifecta in a hard-fought win for the visitors – St. Michael’s, 3-2
(2) Geneseo v. Brockport
The Knights have sort of flown under the radar this season despite their lofty ranking and get back to business in the SUNYAC with a comfortable win over Brockport to stay atop the conference standings – Geneseo, 5-2
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Castleton v. (13) Skidmore
The battle of the travel partners favors the Thoroughbreds and their playing on the big sheet at home. Tate Brandon is tough to beat as the Spartans learn in a loss that sees a late surge by the home team – Skidmore, 4-1
Alvernia v. Arcadia
The Golden Wolves want to stay near the top of the standings in the UCHC and a nice road win would go a long way in helping them do that. Logan vande Meerakker sets the town for Alvernia and probably scores the decisive goal in a close contest – Alvernia, 3-2
Neumann v. Albertus Magnus
The Falcons can score goals and will pressure the Black Knights in all three zones. A couple of special teams’ goals are decisive here and do not be surprised if they are of the shorthanded variety – Albertus Magnus, 5-3
Nazareth v. King’s
The Monarchs showed they can pull the upset as the visiting team and now return home looking to keep their solid game going against the Golden Flyers. One-goal game is decided with some bonus hockey – King’s, 4-3
Who knows what surprises will happen this week, but rest assured there will be a few for sure! – “Drop the Puck!”
Aaron Trotter has been sharp in the St. Thomas net this season (photo: Nick Wosika).
If you told someone who fell asleep in 2012, Rip Van Winkle style, then woke up in 2024 that the St. Thomas men’s hockey team was in first place in mid-January, they probably wouldn’t be surprised.
After all, the Tommies were routinely league champions of the MIAC in their Division III days.
However, they might be slightly more shocked if you told them that the Tommies are now a Division I program and are still two years from being NCAA tournament eligible, and the league they were leading was the CCHA.
The Tommies rose to the top of the league table this week, when they swept Michigan Tech for the first time in program history and leapfrogged idle Bemidji State to take first place.
So, if you are Rip Van Winkle and are somehow reading this column, well… surprise! It’s only been two and a half years, but St. Thomas has built itself into a solid Division I program capable of competing for a MacNaughton Cup and sweeping a perennial CCHA title competitor in Michigan Tech.
This isn’t shocking to Rico Blasi. When asked this week if he was “surprised” to see the Tommies atop the standings at this point, St. Thomas’ coach said no.
“‘Surprise’ is probably not the right word. I know the work that we’ve put in, and I know the work the guys put in over the summer, the things that they did in preparation of the season. But that’s probably true for every team in the country,” Blasi said. “This is what we do, we want to be playing meaningful games in the months of January and February. Hopefully you’re in the position to be playing for something. We’ve put ourselves in that spot.
“Obviously, we’re happy about it, but it also means the guys are buying into the culture and the process by which we do things.”
Serious college hockey fans have already seen the Tommies evolve, as have rival coaches.
Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny, whose team takes on the Wildcats in a two-game series this weekend in Marquette, said the Tommies are playing the kind of hockey he wants his team to get back to.
“You watch St. Thomas now, they’re playing with confidence, they’re fast, they’re physical, and they’re playing a very good brand of hockey,” he said in his weekly media conference this week.
Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawhan went one step further. The Tommies received one first-place vote in the CCHA’s annual preseason coaches poll, which was conducted way back in September. Shawhan later revealed he was the coach who voted for the Tommies.
Unfortunately for Shawhawn’s team this weekend, the Tommies might have been a little too good in showing why his prediction was warranted. St. Thomas won 4-3 win on Thursday night thanks in part to a late power play goal by Mason Poolman, then rallied to win 3-1 in Saturday thanks to some heroic goaltending from both Jake Sibell and Aaron Trotter. Sibell made 27 saves but had to leave the game after a collision with just under minutes to go in the third; Trotter finished out the rest of the contest to help St. Thomas earn the sweep.
So the Tommies have, in sweeping the Huskies, gotten one step closer to fulfilling Shawhan’s prediction. Granted, it’s still early, and the current standings bear this out. St. Thomas has 27 league points while the second-place Beavers have 25. Both of those teams, though, have played 14 games. Third-place Lake Superior State, with 24 points, has played 15. Fourth-place Minnesota State (23 points) and fifth-place Tech (19) have both played 12.
Because of how tight things are, any time you can get any points is a positive. But beating Michigan Tech at home for the first time – and taking six points in the process – is even better.
“I thought it was a good weekend for our team,” Blasi said of sweeping the Huskies. “Obviously, getting a sweep in our league and in college hockey is the hardest thing to do, so any time you can come away on the weekend with a sweep, you’ve got to feel pretty good about yourself.”
Saint Mary’s Women’s Hockey (Photo via Saint Mary’s Athletics, CardinalSID).
Conference playoffs are almost here, approaching faster than you may think, but also, this thing called Pairwise, it’s now becoming more accurate. By accurate, I mean accurate in terms of showing us the projected field for potential at-large bids or auto-bid seedings and so forth, by no means do I mean it’s an accurate representation of the best teams in D-III women’s hockey, nor men’s for that matter. Let’s get into your week 12 west recap, highlighting the featured games of the past week!
MIAC
#15 Saint Mary’s vs St. Olaf (SMU 5-2 & 5-2)
Saint Mary’s, the big surprise of the MIAC under 1st year Head Coach Chad Davis, the former Adrian & RIT (NCAA D1) women’s head coach, has his Cardinals rolling thus far to start the season.
Saint Mary’s entered the weekend with a solid 8-4 record, three of their losses were at the hands of #1 UW-River Falls (3-1) & #2 Gustavus (3-1 & 3-0), their other loss was Hamline, who’s currently 12-3-0 and on fire.
SMU faced St. Olaf in a home-and-home, Olaf, coming off a program record year, entered the weekend 6-7-0, not ideal, currently fighting for a MIAC playoff spot as they’re hard to come by.
In game one, SMU outshot Olaf 34-17 and penalties were nearly even, 4 for 8 on Olaf & 3 for 6 on SMU. This game featured goals in each period, Olaf scoring first.
Just before the midway mark of the 1st period (9:35), Olaf’s Sophie McBane put the Ole’s up 1-0, which held up for around four and a half minutes as SMU capitalized on the powerplay, Celia Midtbo at 14:01 of the opening period tied it up for the Cardinals.
We’d reach the 2nd period tied, until at 6:23 and 8:28 we saw some action, SMU’s Allie Urlaub (6:23) and then Olaf scored on a power play to even it back at two a piece, Julia Larson (8:28). Reese Heitzman then gave SMU the lead heading into the 3rd period as she scored late in the 2nd at 18:59.
Game one was then wrapped up by a pair of Saint Mary’s goals in the 3rd, Teagan Phillips & Sophia Paduano (10:16 & 14:45). SMU takes it 5-2.
Game two more briefly, involved the same final score, 5-2 Saint Mary’s, and involved St. Olaf scoring the opening goal, Solvei Berg-Messerole opened it up late in the 1st at 18:30, which gave the Ole’s the 1-0 lead entering the 2nd period, but that period was all Cardinals.
Teagan Phillips scored a quick 1:42 into the period, then Sophia Paduano scored shortly after on the powerplay (2:30), and Reese Heitzman capped it off, scoring late in the 2nd at 18:19 to give Saint Mary’s the 3-1 lead headed into the 3rd, which ended up holding up as the GWG (game-winning-goal).
Augsburg vs Bethel (Augsburg 1-0 & 2-1 (OT))
Augsburg, who’s had a rocky season to start, but has picked it up as of late, leaves this weekend with a strong 10-4-0 record after getting the two-slim wins over Bethel.
Augsburg Women’s Hockey (Photo via Cyndi Nightengale)
Game one was relatively quiet, very defensive, the lone goal came from the Auggie’s at 16:20 of the 1st period, Ella Olson scored the lone goal of the game, helping her Auggies in the 1-0 win. Shots were 26-12 favoring Augsburg.
Game two had slightly more action to it, an overtime period. The Auggies got on the board first, like game one, scoring earlier at 6:42 in the opening period, it was Kennedy Stein giving her Auggies the 1-0 lead, which held up until early in the final period.
The Royals of Bethel would score on the powerplay at 5:39 of the 3rd, it was Bethel’s Lindsey Muntifering tying the game and eventually forcing overtime.
In overtime, Augsburg won it as Tenley Stewart scored just over the midway point at 2:37 to give the Auggies the weekend-sweep over a tough Bethel Royals squad.
NCHA
St. Norbert vs Aurora (St. Norbert 5-0 & 2-2 tie)
Like last year when these two were set to face off in the Harris Cup semifinals in Adrian, MI, the game had to get pushed back a day due to the Arrington Ice losing power due to a major snowstorm roaming the Midwest. Well, this year in the regular season, the major snowstorms forced the game to be moved to Sunday, which ended in a tie.
In game one, Norbert goaltender Brynn Waisman pitched a 21-save shutout victory for her Green Knights.
The scoring began late in the 1st when Briar Charchenko scored with less than four minutes to go in the opening period (16:07), which was the lone 1st period goal.
Norbert would add two more in the 2nd, Natalie Hogan, powerplay, (8:56) & Morgan Olson (18:26), sending Norbert to the final period up 3-0. They would then add two more in the 3rd to cap off the 5-0 shutout victory, it was Jo Mahlum & Natalie Hogan scoring two minutes apart to take game one convincingly in this NCHA battle.
St. Norbert Women’s Hockey. (Photo by Patrick Ferron)
Game two featured all but one goal scored in this game in the middle frame (2nd period). This time, Norbert had to come back to avoid the upset Spartan victory. Aurora went up 2-0 in the 2nd period, Peyton Elliott (3:21) & Erin Campbell (8:09).
St. Norbert would then answer, scoring a pair in the 3rd period (Courtnie Hogan, 13:41 & 7:02), and in overtime, neither team broke the deadlock, which resulted in SNC shootout victory, which earned them the extra conference standings point.
WIAC
UW-River Falls vs UW-Stevens Point (4-0 & 6-2)
UW-River Falls has remained perfect for another week, winning two games this past weekend vs UW-Stevens Point and then an earlier-week Tuesday game vs St. Scholastica 6-1.
River Falls is continuing to dominate, led by 5th year graduate senior star player Maddie McCollins who I believe should’ve won the Laura Hurd last year, is showing us now why she’s the best player in D-III Women’s hockey.
McCollins leads all of D-III with (stats via USCHO) 42 points in 17 games (21G & 21A), including her most recent games vs UWSP, registering seven (7) points in the pair of games (5G & 2A).
River Falls will likely be 21-0-0 entering their monumental game vs #2 Gustavus who they’ve impressively defeated twice already this season at home and on the road (2-0 & 3-2). These two always deliver a fun, close, and competitive game, be sure to tune in between the two best teams in D-III women’s hockey as of this season so far.
If River Falls defeats Gustavus again, they’ll likely be 23-0-0 entering their season finale with #12 UW-Eau Claire who would love to ruin the perfect season like they did a few years ago when UW-River Falls was 26-1 to end the regular season, losing their first matchup that season to the Blugolds 2-0.
Brown players celebrate a goal during the Bears’ win last Saturday over Dartmouth (photo: Emma C. Marion).
Brown coach Brendan Whittet understood the importance of what he saw at the start of the 2023-2024 season.
His Bears were trending younger after turning over their roster, and virtually everyone predicted a last-place finish for a team reliant on newcomers in all three phases. Nearly every metric pointed towards a reboot after the team came within a precious few games of hosting last year’s first round, but any step backwards from a top-heavy team built on its defense and goaltending meant a sustained growth period in a highly competitive conference.
Based on pure numbers, someone had to finish in last place, and the preseason prognostications saw Brown as the logical fit for that role.
Whittet was never one for those predictions to begin with, but it’s safe to say that he saw something significantly different from Brown’s first half. His team was still young and growing, but their competitive results revealed something greater about a roster close to turning a few heads. Production trended towards a top-heavy statistical output, but the ability to take points in games that featured the growth was immeasurable to a league that immediately looked more even than most seasons.
The Bears simply got closer and closer, and after nearly sweeping their trip to the Capital District two weeks ago, a six-point weekend over Ivy League rivals rocketed a resilient group into second place with an opportunity that’s been decades in the making in Providence.
“We have a young team, and with a young team, you’re going to have some ups and downs,” said Whittet. “You’re going to have some really good growth moments and follow it with some incredibly frustrating moments, but what I’ve seen is a group that works incredibly hard. We’re getting better each and every time we step on the ice, and again, you’re going to have those ups and downs, but it’s about getting them to understand the tenacity and work and energy that goes into each time you try to win a hockey game while understanding that your opponent’s trying to do the same.”
ECAC operates under the perception of an unofficial glass ceiling, but Brown’s ascension into the league’s top tier is largely because the Bears kept committing to their core values and beliefs. Their reliance on toughness and team length promoted certain players to individual recognition, but this year’s team learned it together after last year’s roster lost some of its upper-class leadership.
New stalwarts emerged, and the increased time on ice presented Whittet’s crew with a ladder through the early season results. The overtime loss to Yale that preceded the regulation win over Colgate aside, Brown found itself learning how to make incremental steps in trials forged by fire. The Princeton game, for example, saw the Bears drop points after a 2-0 lead in the second period after the Tigers scored three straight, including the overtime winner, but the Clarkson loss one week later saw Brown earn a point when Ryan St. Louis tied a 2-1 game in the 17 seconds after the Golden Knights scored to take their first lead.
Those types of games taught valuable lessons before the second half of the year, and the Bears applied a signature toughness in beating Union in overtime last weekend. Forced to rally from a 2-1 deficit in the second period after the Garnet Chargers scored a short-handed goal, Brown instead found itself scoring the equalizer in the last 30 seconds of regulation before gaining a second point on Ryan Shostak’s overtime winner.
“Some of it’s a learned process,” Whittet said. “And where it’s learned for the players, it’s also a learned process for our coaching staff to figure out who works well with each other and what philosophically you want to do in those situations. In my mind, a three-on-three is a skills competition, so from our perspective, we had to work on some of that [with the players]. It would have been nice to learn some of those lessons without losing those three overtime games at the start of the year, but we’ve worked on it in terms of our possessions and who should be out there together.
“We’re much more comfortable in situational hockey than we were in the first half.”
Finding players who can score in those situations is a challenge for every hockey team, but Brown is starting to develop players who can add flair to a lineup that occasionally puts players on the ice for 25 or 30 minutes. Its top scorers include Ryan St. Louis, the son of noted Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Martin St. Louis and a sophomore transfer from Northeastern that’s currently one of five players in the league with double-digit goals, and Max Scott, a freshman who is ranked next to sophomore Ryan Bottrill as two players with at least 10 assists. Freshman Alex Pineau is a defenseman credited with the game-tying goal in the Union game, and a defenseman who scored the tying goal against Union, and Tyler Kopff and Ethan Mistry are both members of a freshman class currently atop the Bears’ scoresheet.
That’s a top six composed solely of first year or second year players, to which the seventh-leading scorer on the team is finally an older player in senior Jordan Tonelli.
“If you look at the minutes after each game, we tend to play certain guys,” Whittet said, “but these guys are also developing because we’re so young. Look at the Dartmouth game and Alex Pineau played close to 35 minutes. St. Louis had 24 minutes and isn’t part of our penalty kill. Kopff had 23 minutes and Bottrill played 18 minutes. Tony Andreozzi [a junior] played 30 minutes. Those are go-to guys, but those guys can play those minutes and play at a high level. They aren’t playing minutes just to play minutes because they’re dialed in on those minutes.
“There’s something to be said for developing trust in situations, and I’m of the conviction that you win and lose with your best players. Some of these guys can play big minutes, but they’ve also earned the opportunity to play those big minutes because they developed that trust through the early part of the season.”
It has Brown positioned to spend its last month battling for something that hasn’t been seen in Providence for a full generation. The last Bears team to host a quarterfinal round series as a top-four team was a 2003-2004 team that beat Vermont on the last day of the regular season to clinch the No. 3 seed. It memorably featured Hobey Hat Trick finalist Yann Danis in goal but resembled plenty of what Whittet, who was an assistant coach at Dartmouth during those days, is fomenting in his lineup.
The three top forwards – Brent Robinson, Brian Ihnacek and Les Haggett – all essentially reached the 30-point level by doing different things, and the rest of the team found roles suitable to every player. Vince Macri and Scott Ford were big, physical defensemen who knew how to pound opposing players at every end of the ice while scoring goals on the power play, and both Chris Swon, Nick Ringstad and Mike Meech offered depth scoring at the forward position.
Whittet became the program’s head coach five years after that team finished third, but while he’s been able to recreate the fabric of Brown at several different postseason junctures, the results in the regular season forced the Bears to play on the road in the second round. As ECAC opened its floodgates to this year’s season-long parity, it became apparent that one good weekend could work wonders for a team willing to play with the resilience woven into the team’s culture.
“That’s the beauty of the league this year,” Whittet said. “There’s a lot of teams that look exactly the same. One good weekend when you’re good and one good weekend when you’re not so good can take you into second and send you right back down. It’s that type of year, and it makes for a highly competitive finish. Every game has this incredible importance, but the way we look at it, every game is a playoff game. We’ve played half of our season, and we can’t be satisfied with second place in the league [in January].
“We need to work on ourselves and get better and better, so at the end of the year, we’re exactly where we need to be because it’s exciting, in that regard, to be in a league where it’s this wide open.”
Episode 9: Under-18 gold for Team USA, a massive road sweep for Ohio State
The 2024 NCAA Convention ended last Saturday, capping a busy week of progress and celebration.
