D-II/III East Men’s Hockey Weekend Wrap-up – January 22, 2024

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January 22, 2024

Goaltender Damon Beaver established a new career shutout record at Hobart with his 12th in a 5-0 win over Babson on Friday night. The shutout was also No.10 for the Statesmen this season establishing a new single season record (Photo by Hobart Athletics)

Another great weekend of hockey that continued to produce some big upsets where four ranked teams (Geneseo, Norwich, Trinity, and Salve Regina) in the east lost, playoff caliber hockey in several conferences where the races continue to tighten and a host of overtime games that produced a few sudden victory moments. Here is this week’s wrap-up of the rink action in the East:

CCC

The big series over the weekend was the Salve Regina v. University of New England home-and-home series that produced playoff caliber hockey on both nights. On Friday night, the Nor’easter fans had to wait quite awhile for the annual Teddy Bear toss as Seahawks goaltender Cayden Bailey kept the home team at bay until Dominic Murphy broke the ice in the second period for a 1-0 UNE lead. UNE kept up the pressure but a power play goal from Garrett Szeremley midway through the third period leveled the score at 1-1 and that was all the scoring that would happen through the remainder of regulation and overtime. Salve Regina took the shootout win with Bailey standing tall in goal recording 45 saves on 46 shots. On Saturday, the host Seahawks took one-goal leads three times only to see the Nor’easters battle back each time to tie the score at 3-3 to end regulation. In overtime, Kevin O’Keefe scored his second goal of the game and the game-winner to give UNE a big road win, 4-3. Th Nor’easters again held a marked advantage in shots, 55-25 with Bailey keeping Salve Regina in the game with 51 saves.

Endicott moved into a tie for first place in points with a weekend sweep of Nichols. After cruising to a 5-1 win on Friday against the Bison led by one goal and two assists from Michael Casey, the Gulls had a battle on Saturday. Endicott got on the board with just three seconds remaining in the first period off the stick of Kevin Craig for a 1-0 lead. Nichols answered in the second period and took the lead early in the third on a power play goal by Kaiden Scott. In the final two minutes of regulation time, Primo Self tied the game at 2-2 and Jackson Sterrett won the game in overtime for the visiting Gulls, 3-2.

Curry closed to within four points of first place with a weekend sweep over Western New England. Goals from Tao Ishizuka, JP Moreira, and Manny Cabral in the opening eight minutes of the first period were all the offense goaltender Shane Soderwall would need in the Colonel net as Curry skated away with a 3-2 win on Friday. On Saturday, Curry kicked the offense into high gear with Eelis Laaksonen scoring a pair of goals and George Vonakis adding three assists in a 6-0 shutout win over the Golden Bears. Soderwall made 22 saves to earn the shutout and help extend the Colonels win streak to five games.

Independents

Canton produced a three-win week with a pair of victories in a home-and-home series with Wilkes and a big win over Potsdam to close out the weekend. On Wednesday, the visiting Kangaroos used Evan Pringle’s third period goal to take a 3-2 lead and held off the Colonels over the final eight minutes to take a big road win. Back at home on Friday, the Roos found themselves deadlocked at 2-2 in the final minute of regulation when Scott Cremen scored for a 3-2 lead and Nic Herringer iced the game with his tally with seven seconds remaining on the clock in a 4-2 win and sweep of Wilkes. Trey Miller made 48 saves, including 23 in the third period to earn the win in goal. On Saturday, Canton kept the momentum going with a comfortable 5-0 win over Potsdam. Pringle picked up a goal and two assists while Nic Herringer added two goals and Cremen chipped in with two assists for the Kangaroos.

Anna Maria hosted Rivier on Friday night and the game was tied at 1-1 entering the third period. Three AmCat goals, including two from Guillaume Coulombe, provided the margin of victory in a 4-1 win over the Raiders. On Saturday, non-conference foe Amherst stole the playbook from Anna Maria by taking advantage of three third period goals to break open a 3-2 game and skate off with a 6-2 win over the AmCats. Ben Ritter scored two goals for the Mammoths while Zachary Murray scored a goal and added two assists.

MASCAC

Massachusetts-Dartmouth continued their winning hockey with a 7-4 win over Salem State on Thursday extending their win streak to six games. A four goal third period that included a pair of goals from Alex Walker erased a 4-3 deficit on the way to the win over the Vikings. Plymouth State also continued their winning ways on Thursday with a 7-2 win over Framingham State. Three goals in the second period and four in the third period helped the first place Panthers ease past the Rams and setup Saturday’s matchup with second place UMD on Saturday. On Saturday, both teams were generating chances with PSU outshooting the Corsairs by a 43-38 margin. Six different Panthers scored goals and Kalle Andersson stopped all 38 shots he faced in a 6-0 shutout win to keep PSU unbeaten in MASCAC play.

Fitchburg State ended a three-game losing streak with a pair of conference wins over Worcester State and Westfield State. On Thursday, Alexandre Bauvais and Hunter Dunn scored two goals each to pace a 6-1 win over the Lancers. On Saturday, the Falcons kept the offense going with Bauvais picking up a three-point game with a goal and two assists while Michael Imala added two goals and an assist in a 6-2 road win over the Owls.

NE-10

Assumption hosted St. Anselm for two games and came away with a split with the Hawks. On Friday night, Hunter Brackett’s hat trick that featured an even-strength goal, a shorthanded goal and a power play goal helped the hawks take a 5-2 win over the first place Greyhounds. On Saturday, Leo Piandes and Ronny Paragallo each scored one goal and added an assist to help Assumption earn a split of the weekend series with a 4-1 win. Clement Labillois stopped 33 of 34 shots in goal to earn the win.

Franklin Pierce swept a weekend series with St. Michael’s with 2-0 and 4-2 wins. On Friday, Cody Rumsey provided all the scoring and goaltender Jeremy Connor stopped all 45 shots he faced in the Raven goal for the 2-0 shutout win. On Saturday, the Ravens came back from a 2-1 deficit with three third period goals to earn a 4-2 win. Matt Horan opened and closed the scoring for the Ravens while Rumsey assisted on a pair of goals in the final period. Connor was again solid in net stopping 37 of 39 Purple Knight attempts.

Southern New Hampshire also picked up a weekend sweep of games in their series with Post. On Friday, a late second period goal by Brendan Lynch on the power play was the only goal of the contest as Zach Richards and Collin Berke were both outstanding in net for their respective teams. Berke finished with 39 saves to earn the 1-0 shutout win for the Penmen while Richards stopped 30 of 31 in a losing effort for the Eagles. On Saturday, Matt Amante scored two goals and assisted on three others as the Penmen skated away with a comfortable 6-1 win to earn the sweep over Post.

NEHC

Hobart took care of two games on home ice with wins over Babson and Southern Maine to stay atop the conference standings. On Friday night, Damon Beaver earned the shutout win making 25 saves which established a new career shutout record at Hobart for the sophomore netminder. Hobart’s tenth shutout of the season also established a new single season mark as the Statesmen downed the Beavers 5-0 with help from a pair of goals by Tristan Fasig. On Saturday, Hobart faced a determined Southern Maine squad fresh off a 4-4 overtime tie with Elmira and routed the Huskies 9-1. Ignat Belov scored a pair of goals while Jonah Alexander had a four-point game with a goal and three assists.

Skidmore extended their win streak to five games with a sweep of their home-and-home series with travel partner VSU-Castleton. On Friday night, the Thoroughbreds used goals from Danny Magnuson, Ryan Waltman, Jaden York, and Cooper Rice to skate off with a 4-1 road win. On Saturday, special teams’ goals were in abundance with five included in the 5-3 Skidmore win. Jack Strauss scored a pair of goals, including one shorthanded while Magnuson and Rice added power play goals in the third period. Andrew Stefura scored twice on the man advantage for the Spartans in the loss.

Norwich had a week of shutouts in three games that netted them only one win. On Tuesday against in-state rival Middlebury, goaltender Jake Horoho stopped 21 Cadet shots to earn a 3-0 shutout win over the Cadets. On Friday, Norwich netminder Bryce Walcarius stopped all 17 shots by Johnson & Wales as the Cadets returned to conference play with a 4-0 shutout win over the Wildcats. On Saturday, Beacon Sam Best stopped all 33 shots by Norwich and Jakob Teply scored late in the third period to help Massachusetts-Boston upset the Cadets, 1-0 in NEHC action.

After tying Southern Maine on Friday, Elmira rebounded with a solid 4-1 win over Babson on Saturday. The Beavers took a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by Matt Cormier but the Soaring Eagles would score four unanswered goals from Jared Smith, Ryan Reifler, Jordan Gonzalez and Amedeo Mastrangeli to cruise to a 4-1 win. Kyle Curtin stopped 30 of 31 shots in the win.

NESCAC

Trinity was ready for a very hot Tufts team on Friday night as the Bantams saw Devon Tongue score late in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and Casey Rhodes added an insurance goal into the empty-net for a 3-1 win over the Jumbos. On Saturday, the game was again tight against Connecticut College as Tongue’s first period goal was over-matched by Camel tallies from Seth Stadheim and Jack Luca in the second period. Sean Dynan made the 2-1 score stand for a Camel upset win making 16 of his 25 saves for the game in the final period to knock the Bantams from the ranks of the unbeaten in NESCAC play.

Hamilton enjoyed a very successful weekend with a conference win over travel partner Amherst before upsetting No. 2 Geneseo on Saturday night. Against the Mammoth, Alex Danis scored a hat trick in the first two periods for the Continentals who raced to a 7-3 lead after 40 minutes of play. The Mammoth would not go quietly as three third period goals, including Ben Kuzma’s second of the game closed the score to 7-6 but that was as close as Amherst would get in an exciting, goal-filled game. On Saturday, the Continentals kept their momentum against Geneseo with Danis contributing a goal to Hamilton’s 3-2 lead after the first period over the Knights. A power play goal early in the second period from Luke Panchisin tied the game at 3-3 but Max Wutzke scored what proved to be the game-winner midway through the game for a 4-3 lead and win. Jack Grant stopped 41 of 44 shots to earn the victory including 30 saves in the final two periods.

Middlebury continued their solid play in front of their hot netminder Jake Horoho earning a win over Colby and an overtime tie with Bowdoin. On Friday night, the opportunistic Panthers scored four goals on eleven shots in the first two periods and Horoho made 28 saves in a 4-1 win over the Camels. On Saturday, the Panthers took a 2-1 lead into the third period against the Polar Bears but Andy Stoneman scored in the final minute of regulation time to tie the score at 2-2. The game ended in an overtime tie with Alex Kozic making 26 saves for Bowdoin while Horoho stopped 17 of 19 shots for Middlebury.

SUNYAC

While Geneseo took care of business with an 8-2 win over Brockport on Friday night to re-open SUNYAC play, Oswego picked up a pair of wins to move into a tie with the Knights atop the conference standings. On Friday, Cal Schell made 26 saves to earn the shutout and five different Lakers scored goals in a 5-0 win over Fredonia. On Saturday, AJ Ryan scored a pair of goals in a 5-1 win over Buffalo State. Shane Bull chipped in with a goal and an assist while Schell stopped 30 of 31 shots in the win.

Plattsburgh returned to SUNYAC action with a home game against Morrisville and after ceding Robert Haak’s opening goal for the Mustangs, the Cardinal offense took off with five first period goals. Adam Tretowicz’s first of the night tied the score at 1-1 before Joshua Belgrave and Tretowicz gave the Cardinals a two-goal lead with tallies just 30 seconds apart. Later in the period Tio D’Addario and Luk Jirousek scored goals just eleven seconds apart for a 5-1 lead and the Cardinals cruised to an 8-2 win.

In a game that saw all the scoring in the opening 20 minutes of play, Cortland and Fredonia skated to a 2-2 overtime tie on Saturday night. Logan Dyck stopped 40 of 42 shots to preserve the tie for the Blue Devils who rallied from an early 2-0 deficit. The Red Dragons made up their postponed date with Buffalo State on Sunday afternoon in a seesaw affair where both teams battled back from deficits throughout the contest. Tyler Penree scored to give the Bengals a 1-0 lead just 20 seconds into the game and the teams exchanged goals into the final minute where Cameron Knowlton gave Cortland a 3-2 lead after one period of play. Cortland’s Sutton Donegan extended the lead to 4-2 in the second period but Buffalo state responded with a pair of goals in first three minutes of the third period to knot the game at 4-4. Devlin O’Kane once again gave the Red Dragons a one-goal lead at 5-4 and Cortland held on for the win with goaltender Jack Riedell making 23 saves in the win.

UCHC

Stevenson extended their win streak to four games with a weekend sweep of Chatham. Friday night saw Stevenson take a 1-0 lead into the third period and stretch that advantage early in the final period on a goal by Eric Olson. The Cougars scored twice to tie the game at 2-2 before Malcom Palmer netted the game-winning goal on the power play midway through the period for a 3-2 win. On Saturday, the Mustangs held a decisive advantage in shots, 49-31 for the game but the game was scoreless through more than two and a half periods of action due to exceptional goaltending from Chatham’s Louis Finnegan and Stevenson’s Ty Outen. Rhett Evjen’s late goal and Frank Vitucci’s empty-netter provided all the scoring in a 2-0 Stevenson win.

With Friday’s game against Alvernia re-scheduled to Tuesday, January 23, Arcadia played a thrilling one-goal game at home against the Golden Wolves on Saturday. Alvernia took three one-goal leads only to see the Knights rally back before taking a 4-3 lead that the visitors answered back in the third period. With the score tied at 4-4, Donnie Feldman scored his third goal of the game for the first ever hat trick in program history to give the Knights a 5-4 lead and win over Alvernia. Mike Kocsis also contributed heavily with two goals and two assists in the Arcadia win.

Weather was a factor across the region as Utica saw its Friday night contest with Lebanon Valley moved to Sunday. On Saturday, the Pioneers took a 3-1 lead early in the third period only to see Cade Helmer cut the deficit to one goal for the Flying Dutchmen. Power play goals from Khristian Acosta and Matt Wood, his second goal of the game helped to seal the 5-2 win for the Pioneers. With the early start on Sunday, Andrew Della Rovere wasted not time in getting the Pioneers off and running just 17 seconds after the opening face-off for a 1-0 lead. The lead quickly turned to 3-0 after one period and 4-0 with Brian Scoville’s goal just over a minute and a half into the second period. Nicolas Haviar put the icing on the cake scoring a natural hat trick to close out a 7-1 win and weekend sweep of LVC.

Three Biscuits

James Tepper – Colby – scored a hat trick and added an assist in a 9-1 win over Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday night.

Damon Beaver – Hobart – stopped all 25 shots he faced in the Statesmen goal picking up a 5-0 shutout win over Babson on Friday. The shutout set a new season team record for Hobart (10) and was beaver’s 12^th in is career also setting a new mark at Hobart.

Alex Dameski – Geneseo – scored a hat trick to lead the Geneseo Knights in an 8-2 win over Brockport on Friday night.

Bonus Biscuits

Alex Danis – Hamilton – scored a hat trick in the opening forty minutes of play in the Continentals 7-6 win over Amherst.

Sam Best – Massachusetts-Boston – stopped all 33 shots he faced in a 1-0 upset win over Norwich on Saturday. The shutout was Best’s seventh as a Beacon breaking the school record.

Donnie Feldman – Arcadia – scored a hat trick to lead Arcadia to a 5-4 win over Alvernia. Feldman’s hat trick was the first in program’s history.

There is literally zero margin for error in any matchup in conference or out as teams are gearing up for the stretch run. Upsets and overtime thrillers are abundant and are seemingly the norm as we move the schedule into late January. Lots of big conference games amongst key contenders on tap in the next few weeks so stay tuned – it is going to be a great ride to the finish!

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap January 22, 2024

By Nicole Haase

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January 22, 2024

(7) Minnesota Duluth at (1) Ohio State

Nadine Muzerall became the winningest head coach in Ohio State program history with the Buckeyes’ 3-0 win on Friday. OSU outshot UMD 38-14 as they scored once per period to earn the win with goals from Kelsey King, Joy Dunne and Kenzie Hauswirth. The Bulldogs pushed back at the top ranked team on Saturday and held them scoreless for more than 55 minutes. It was Hannah Bilka’s power play goal that not only served as the game-winner, but ended Minnesota Duluth’s streak of 33 straight penalties killed. Ohio State took the 1-0 win and weekend – and season – sweep.

(2) Wisconsin at Minnesota State

The Badgers survived a scare on Friday, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 win. Jamie Nelson’s short-hander had the Mavericks up 1-0 after the first and then Taylor Otremba extended the lead in the opening minutes of the second. But the Badger offense proved why the team is ranked No. 2 as Cassie Hall, Kelly Gorbatenko and Kirsten Simms each scored to push the Badgers past MSU. On Saturday, Mankato once again kept it close in the early periods before Wisconsin used a late push to put the game out of reach. Seven different Badgers found the back of the net in the win – Vivian Jungels, Casey O’Brien, Cassie Hall, Britta Curl, Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and Maddi Wheeler. UW had a quick 2-0 lead just 2:13 into the game, but Sydney Langseth replied immediately to cut the lead to 2-1. In the second, the scoring came quick again to push the lead to 3-1, but Kamryn Van Batavia scored late in the second to make it 3-2. The game blew open in the third as the Badgers cruised to a 7-2 win and weekend sweep.

(3) Clarkson at (14) Yale

Dominique Petrie put Clarkson up 1-0 in the first. Gracie Gilkyson’s goal in the second tied the game for Yale. But the Golden Knights pushed late in the third to keep Yale from going ahead. Anne Cherkowski made it 2-1 and then Petrie’s empty-netter pushed it to 3-1. Jenna Goodwin’s insurance goal gave Clarkson a 4-1 win.

(3) Clarkson at Brown

Sena Catterall’s goal in the first was the lone tally and gave Clarkson a 1-0 lead. But Brown found their rhythm and pushed back in the second. Indi McDadi tied things for the Bears and Ava DeCoste gave them the lead with fewer than four minutes to play. But Anne Cherkowski scored an unassisted goal before the end of the frame to tie the teams 2-2 heading into the third. Nicole Gosling scored the eventual game-winner on the power play and Catterall added an empty-netter to secure the 4-2 win for Clarkson.

(4) Colgate at (6) Quinnipiac

The Raiders handed Quinnipiac their first home loss as they cruised to a 5-0 win in which 13 different players recorded a point. Emma Palumbo had it 1-0 at the first break. In the second, Kalty Kaltounková pulled off a gorgeous move that finished with a shot five-hole to make it 2-0 and then Dara Greig wove her way through some defenders before firing top shelf to give Colgate a 3-0 lead at the second break. Elyssa Biederman’s power play goal to start the third extended the lead and Danielle Serdachny scored just after a penalty expired to end any thoughts of a Bobcat comeback and secure the win.

(4) Colgate at (12) Princeton

Sydney Bard’s four points (1g, 3a) pushed her over 100 in her career as she led Colgate to a 6-0 win. Dara Greig’s power play goal opened the scoring early and Sydney Morrow doubled it in the second. The Raiders broke the game open in the third as Emma Pais scored 76 seconds into the third and added a second goal shorthanded less than two minutes later. Bard scored on the power play and then Kas Betinol scored to secure the 6-0 win.

(5) Minnesota at Bemidji State

Josefin Bouveng and Allie Franco scored about a minute apart late in the first and that’s all the Gophers would need to take the win Friday night as they walked away with a 2-0 victory. On Saturday, Khloe Lund redirected a shot into the net to give Bemidji State a 1-0 lead that lasted until late in the second, when Emma Kreisz’s power play goal finally evened things up for Minnesota. Ava Lindsey scored on the player advantage early in the 3rd to put the Gophers ahead 2-1 and Bouveng added an insurance goal to give Minnesota a 3-1 win and weekend sweep.

(8) Cornell at (6) Quinnipiac

Izzy Daniel put away a rebound after multiple looks on net for Cornell to give them a 1-0 lead early, but Maya Labad’s power play goal later in the frame sent them to the locker rooms tied 1-1. The teams came out flying in the second and while Cornell could not score on the power play, Rory Guilday capitalized right after one expired to put the Big Red up 2-1. McKenna Van Gelder took advantage of a delayed penalty situation to extend the Cornell lead to 3-1. Having pulled their goalie for an extra skater, Quinnipiac scored twice in less than a minute to tie the game, with Nina Steingauf and Alexa Haskin each lighting the lamp. The game looked destined for extra time, but Gabbie Rud called game with 50 seconds on the clock when she stole the puck and found the back of the net to give Cornell the 4-3 win.

(8) Cornell at (12) Princeton

Cornell was six-for-six on the penalty kill while scoring short-handed to take a win on Friday. Karel Prefontaine opened the scoring before Gabbie Rud scored the short-hander to give the Big Red a 2-0 lead heading into the intermission. In the second, Rory Guilday extended the lead, but then Princeton started to push back. Sarah Paul and Sarah Fillier each lit the lamp to make it 3-2 at the midpoint of the game. Piper Grober made it 4-2 a few minutes later, but Jane Kuehl’s short-hander for the Tigers brought it right back to a one-goal lead at 4-3 at the end of the second. Princeton could not find the equalizer in the final frame and Izzy Daniel’s empty-netter secured the 5-3 victory for Cornell.

St. Thomas at (9) St. Cloud State

In the first game, Klára Hymlárová scored short-handed to put SCSU up 1-0. Katie Kaufman’s power play doubled the St. Cloud lead in the second. Keara Parker had her own extra attacker goal to cut the lead to 2-1, but Alice Sauriol scored later in the third to ensure the Huskies’ 3-1 win. On Saturday, the Tommies earned their first regulation win over a top-10 opponent in the DI era when four third-period goals carried them to a 5-1 win. Taylor Lind’s first-period goal had St. Cloud State on top 1-0. Then the Tommies took over. Abby Promersberger tied the game in the second. Rylee Bartz gave St. Thomas a 2-1 lead. St. Cloud pulled the goalie early to try and tie the game, but Lauren Stenslie scored twice on the empty net and Mary Zavoral scored once to put the game out of reach and give the Tommies a massive win.

(10) St. Lawrence at Brown

Abby Hustler’s three assists in the game put her over the century mark for her Saints career. Brown outshot SLU in the first, but St. Lawrence took a 1-0 lead into intermission thanks to a goal by Anna Segedi. The Saints began to pull away in the second and Kennedy Wilson doubled their lead. In the third, Rachel Bjorgen scored a short-hander and Aly McLeod scored to secure the 4-0 win for SLU.

(10) St. Lawrence at (14) Yale

This was a back and forth affair in the first as Anna Segedi put St. Lawrence up 1-0 on the team’s first shot of the game. But Yale pushed back as first Stephanie Stainton and then Vita Poniatovskaia each found the back of the net to give the Elis a 2-1 lead. The Saints took advantage of a turnover as Aly McLeod fed Abby Hustler at the back door to make it 2-2 before the end of the first. The two would hook up again to give SLU a 3-2 lead in the second on a beautiful give and go that Hustler buried. Julia Gosling’s empty-netter ensured the St. Lawrence win – their fifth in a row – and weekend sweep of games.

Maine at (11) Connecticut

Jada Habisch and Riley Grimley each notched a goal and an assist to lead UConn in their 3-1 win over Maine on Friday. Brianna Ware opened up the scoring 2:39 in to put the Huskies up 1-0. Habisch doubled the lead later in the first. The Black Bears pulled one back on a goal from Raegan Wurm to send the teams to the locker rooms with Connecticut up 2-1. Grimley’s goal came with about five left in regulation to close out the win.

New Hampshire at (11) Connecticut

The Huskies won their fifth straight game with a 4-0 victory over New Hampshire on Sunday. Kathryn Stockdale, Coryn Tormala, Ainsley Svetek and Megan Woodward each scored for UConn in the win.

Merrimack at (13) Boston College

Hockey East was big on fast starts this weekend. Maria Lindberg put Merrimack on the board first, less than three minutes in, but BC quickly responded with a goal from Jordan Molly to make it 1-1. Allison Reeb’s power play goal a few minutes later gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead that they took into the first break. Kate Ham’s goal 17 seconds into the second tied the game 2-2. The Eagles broke open the game with three quick goals in the first six minutes of the final frame as Molly, Pellerin and Arnone each lit the lamp to make it 5-2 Boston College. Ashlyn Kroes pulled one back for Merrimack to make it 5-3 midway through the third, but Pellerin’s breakaway 30 seconds later pushed it to 6-3 for BC. Ally Qualley scored once more for the Warriors, but they could not complete the comeback and Boston College took a 6-4 win.

New Hampshire at (15) Northeastern

Peyton Anderson scored :15 into the game and Allie Lalonde added a goal of her own just 36 seconds later to put Northeastern up 2-0 before a minute had even elapsed in this game. New Hampshire clawed one back six minutes later, but that would be all the scoring – the teams went on to play another 43 minutes without a goal and the Huskies took the 2-1 win.

Monday 10: BU, BC win big, setting up No. 1 vs. No. 2 weekend series, CCHA contenders Minnesota State, Bowling Green split, Air Force’s Serratore gets win No. 500

By John Doyle

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January 22, 2024

Minnesota State and Bowling Green played to a split over the weekend (photo: Bowling Green Athletics).

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.

1. No. 1 BU keeps rolling

Boston University did nothing to convince voters it shouldn’t retain the No. 1 spot in the USCHO.com men’s D-I poll with a resounding sweep at Vermont over the weekend. Five different Terriers scored in a 5-2 win on Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse, which followed a 5-1 win one night earlier.

“We’ve talked about Hockey East being tough to sweep in,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “I thought Vermont played hard. We went out there trying to get six points, and we did.”

The Terriers have now won seven straight games and haven’t trailed over the last five-plus hours (319 minutes and five seconds to be exact) of game play dating back to the beginning of December.

BU has not lost at Vermont since 2016.

2. BC rebounds with sweep vs. Merrimack

Falling behind by two goals in the first period at Merrimack on Friday night, it would have been natural to suspect the No. 2 team in the USCHO.com poll, Boston College, was looking ahead to next week’s huge showdown with No. 1 BU. But the Eagles put that notion to rest starting with the second period, as BC rallied from a 2-0 hole for a 6-4 win on the Warriors’ home ice. Two days later at the Silvio O. Conte Forum, BC earned an emphatic 6-2 win to improve to 16-4-1 overall.

“If they were, Merrimack sure took that out of us in the first period Friday night,” said BC coach Greg Brown, responding to a reporter’s inquiry on whether or not the Eagles were looking past the Warriors. “I don’t think they were doing that. We know in Hockey East, every weekend is a battle. I think it was more to Merrimack’s credit than us thinking about anyone else.”

BC scored six goals or more in back-to-back games for the first time since February 2020.

3. Cornell upends NCAA champs

No. 3 Quinnipiac may be the defending national champion, but they still have a hard time cracking the code of beating ECAC rival Cornell. The 14-th ranked Big Red were a 3-2 overtime winner in the 51st all-time meeting between the two schools.

Big Red sophomore Dalton Bancroft scored two goals, including the game-winner 3:11 into overtime to lift Cornell on Saturday night. Cornell’s lineup featured nine freshmen.

“It was just a good college hockey game,” Cornell coach Mike Shafer said. “Nine freshmen in the lineup tonight? Crazy, for a coach, when you look around and see that many young guys out there against such a good hockey team. It just makes you wonder sometimes, like, man, we could be in trouble here, and then, oh my god, they’re pretty good.”

The Big Red have dominated on home ice against Quinnipiac, winning each of the last four games and seven of the last eight (7-0-1). Cornell is also unbeaten in 11 of its previous 15 against the Bobcats.

It was the second defeat of the weekend for the Bobcats, having lost 2-1 at Colgate the night prior.

4. No. 5 Denver sweeps No. 19 Omaha

Fifth-ranked Denver stretched its unbeaten streak to seven games with a pair of wins at No. 19 Omaha in a key NCHC series. Denver put up wins of 6-3 and 6-2.

“Guys did a great job, special teams was better, 5-on-5 was good,” said Denver coach David Carle on Saturday night. “Loved our start to the game. I thought we were really skating, and we executed on our chances again in the second period.”

Freshman defenseman Zeev Buium had four points on one goal and three assists on Saturday, while junior forward Massimo Rizzo added three assists. The Pioneers scored four goals in the second period of each game.

5. Alaska Anchorage stuns Providence

A 4,444-mile journey (give or take a few) didn’t faze Alaska Anchorage, as the Seawolves earned a split vs. No. 9 Providence over the weekend, which included a 4-0 shutout win on Saturday night.

Jared Whale made 26 saves to earn the shutout, the second of his career and the first time that the Friars have been shut out this season.

“I really liked our approach tonight,” said Seawolves coach Matt Shasby. “Everyone came with the energy it takes to win against an opponent of this quality. Happy with the overall performance.”

Nine different players recorded points for Alaska, an NCAA independent.

6. Michigan, Michigan State split B1G series

There was a streaking epidemic in B1G over the weekend and it didn’t involve anyone making a spectacle of themselves. On Friday night, No. 15 Michigan scored the game’s first six goals and defeated No. 7 Michigan State 7-1 Friday night at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.

Rutger McGroarty had a goal and three assists and Dylan Duke added a pair of goals for the Wolverines.

On Saturday, Sparty did the streaking, with six straight goals to rebound from a 3-goal deficit to beat Michigan 7-5 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor.

Nicolas Müller scored twice with two assists for Michigan State, while Joey Larson, Gavin O’Connell and Artyom Levshunov each had a goal and an assist.

7. CCHA contenders split

Bowling Green, currently battling for third place in the CCHA, earned a split with league-leading Minnesota State over the weekend, winning 4-3 on Friday night before stumbling to a 4-1 loss the next night. Both games were at the Falcons’ home rink.

“We felt like we had a really good opportunity to get six points (and) I say really good opportunity meaning that if we played hard (Saturday), it was something that could happen,” Bowling Green coach Ty Eigner said. “Unfortunately, we did not play as hard as we did (Friday) night and Minnesota State did. We knew they would come back and play well, and we know the kind of team they have and program they have.”

8. Air Force sweeps Army as Serratore gets 500th ‘W’

Air Force earned a series sweep of Army with a wild 7-6 victory Saturday night at West Point, N.Y.

The win marked the first time Air Force has taken four regular-season games from Army in the 46-year history of the series. The win was also the 500th career win for coach Frank Serratore, who became the 16th coach in the history of NCAA D-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.

9. Maine dominates UMass Lowell

Maine, No. 8 in the USCHO poll and No. 5 in the PairWise, rewarded fans who sold out Alfond Arena two nights in a row with a pair wins vs. UMass Lowell. The Black Bears were winners by scores of 5-3 and 7-2.

Harrison Scott recorded a hat trick in the second game, each of which saw Maine battle back from an early 1-0 deficit. Scott blew open a 2-2 game in the second period Saturday night with a pair of goals 23 seconds apart. 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 goal midway through the third.

10. UNH, UConn win on each other’s home ice

No. 17 New Hampshire handed Connecticut a 5-0 thumping on Friday night at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn., only for the Huskies to return the favor — albeit in a tighter contest — with a 2-1 win at the Whittemore Center Sunday in Durham, N.H.

The teams made up for Friday’s lack of suspense on Sunday. UNH’s Kristaps Skrastins cut UConn’s lead to 2-1 with just over six minutes to play in the third period. With the Wildcats’ goalie pulled in favor of an extra skater, UConn fended off a furious UNH attack for more than two minutes, twice hitting the post in search of an empty-net insurance goal. Huskies goalie Arsenii Sergeev had 43 saves in the nail-biter.

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Jan. 19-21

By USCHO Staff

-

January 21, 2024

Colorado College swept Miami on home ice over the weekend (photo: Colorado College Athletics).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Jan. 15 fared in games over the weekend of Jan. 19-21.

No. 1 Boston University (16-4-1)
01/19/2024 – No. 1 Boston University 5 at Vermont 1
01/20/2024 – No. 1 Boston University 5 at Vermont 2

No. 2 Boston College (16-4-1)
01/19/2024 – No. 2 Boston College 6 at RV Merrimack 4
01/21/2024 – RV Merrimack 2 at No. 2 Boston College 6

No. 3 Quinnipiac (15-6-2)
01/19/2024 – No. 3 Quinnipiac 1 at Colgate 2
01/20/2024 – No. 3 Quinnipiac 2 at No. 14 Cornell 3 (OT)

No. 4 Wisconsin (19-4-1)
Did not play.

No. 5 Denver (17-5-2)
01/19/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 19 Omaha 3
01/20/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 19 Omaha 2

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. 9 Providence (12-7-2)
01/19/2024 – Alaska Anchorage 0 at No. 9 Providence 2
01/20/2024 – Alaska Anchorage 4 at No. 9 Providence 0

No. 10 Minnesota (14-6-4)
01/19/2024 – Ohio State 2 at No. 10 Minnesota 5
01/20/2024 – Ohio State 3 at No. 10 Minnesota 6

No. 11 Western Michigan (15-6-1)
01/19/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 6 at No. 11 Western Michigan 3
01/20/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 2 at No. 11 Western Michigan 5

No. 12 Massachusetts (13-6-3)
01/20/2024 – No. 12 Massachusetts 2 at RV Northeastern 1

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. 14 Cornell (10-4-3)
01/19/2024 – Princeton 2 at No. 14 Cornell 6
01/20/2024 – No. 3 Quinnipiac 2 at No. 14 Cornell 3 (OT)

No. 15 Michigan (11-8-3)
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. 16 Arizona State (17-6-5)
01/19/2024 – Augustana 5 at No. 16 Arizona State 4
01/20/2024 – Augustana 2 at No. 16 Arizona State 3

No. 17 New Hampshire (12-7-1)
01/19/2024 – No. 17 New Hampshire 5 at RV Connecticut 0
01/21/2024 – RV Connecticut 2 at No. 17 New Hampshire 1

No. 18 Colorado College (13-8-1)
01/19/2024 – Miami 1 at No. 18 Colorado College 2
01/20/2024 – Miami 2 at No. 18 Colorado College 4

No. 19 Omaha (11-9-2)
01/19/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 19 Omaha 3
01/20/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 19 Omaha 2

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

RV = Received votes

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: Alaska Anchorage blanks No. 9 Providence, Cornell edges No. 3 Quinnipiac in OT, No. 1 BU sweeps Vermont, No. 6 North Dakota ties No. 13 St. Cloud State, No. 7 Michigan State earns split with No. 15 Michigan

By USCHO Staff

-

January 20, 2024

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.

Goals – Gomez, Gilson, Helgeson and Tisdale pic.twitter.com/F0zZpFgB66

— UAA Hockey (@UAAHockey) January 21, 2024

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.

SCOREBOARD | POLL | PAIRWISE

Cornell 3, No. 3 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)

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

— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) January 21, 2024

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.

Miettinen ➡️ Miettinen

Go ahead score 💪#GoHuskies | #HuskyHockey 🏒 pic.twitter.com/iBbGPtPLV6

— 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.

just macklin being macklin

Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/wPKIRUKLHV @hockey_east | @espn pic.twitter.com/e5HyHOiHn1

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) January 21, 2024

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

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 21, 2024

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.

The Buium brothers are taking over. pic.twitter.com/TVOm6Kjg05

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) January 21, 2024

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.

That's 3️⃣ for 2️⃣2️⃣ tonight!

💻: https://t.co/hikwb78BY5 pic.twitter.com/uSYlMUWGEt

— Maine Men’s Ice Hockey (@MaineIceHockey) January 21, 2024

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.

5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ and counting

Congratulations Coach! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ALnuPtq2xf

— Air Force Hockey (@AF_HKY) January 20, 2024

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.

FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Colgate upsets No. 3 Quinnipiac, No. 15 Michigan dominates No. 7 Michigan State, Minnesota Duluth downs No. 11 Western Michigan, No. 1 BU beats Vermont, No. 2 BC upends Merrimack

By USCHO Staff

-

January 19, 2024

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.

REIDER RIPPER!

📺 https://t.co/d3wQaD891U | @ESPN #GoGate pic.twitter.com/KdtxJ765Un

— Colgate Men's Hockey (@ColgateMIH) January 20, 2024

Carter Gylander finished with 35 saves in goal for Colgate, while Matej Marinov made 25 stops for Quinnipiac.

SCOREBOARD | POLL | PAIRWISE

No. 15 Michigan 7, No. 7 Michigan State 1

Michigan scored the game’s first six goals and defeated Michigan State 7-1 Friday night at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.

Rutger McGroarty had a goal and three assists, Dylan Duke two goals, and Seamus Casey a goal and an assist to pace the Wolverines’ attack.

Dylan Duke from Gavin Brindley and Rutger McGroarty, a power-play goal! It's 4-0 MICHIGAN! pic.twitter.com/gTx8Qdfbuo

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) January 20, 2024

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! 🪽

6-3 UMD | #WMUvsUMD | #BulldogCountry pic.twitter.com/arG6qoTzgW

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) January 20, 2024

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.

Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/d8OjYF4fkZ @hockey_east | @espn pic.twitter.com/AQXwQ6sT5A

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) January 20, 2024

In net, Mathieu Caron turned aside 26 shots.

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.

Second period encore… Gauthier puts BC on top before the break! pic.twitter.com/dxzwW0PlNV

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) January 20, 2024

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

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) January 20, 2024

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.

OWEN BOHN!!!!

AU 5, ASU 4 | 3rd 31.5#WeHoldThePen | #BuildingChampions pic.twitter.com/CrcyqSO96X

— Augustana Men's Hockey (@AugieMHockey) January 20, 2024

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.

Straight larceny! 🛑🧤

Persson flashes the leather for the #NCHCTopPlay to keep @UNDmhockey up 2 after 2#NCHChockey // #UNDproud https://t.co/n5kj6b2zyh pic.twitter.com/HbTnQ0XmKB

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) January 20, 2024

Garrett Pyke and Louis Jamernik V also found the back of the net for UND. Jake Livanavage and Owen McLaughlin registered two assists apiece.

Zach Okabe, Veeti Miettinen and Mason Salquist scored for the Huskies and Dylan Anhorn tacked on two assists.

St. Cloud State goalie Dominic Basse finished with 16 saves.

Richels back home, playing with confidence on ice for St. Scholastica

By Brian Lester

-

January 19, 2024

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.

USCHO Edge: Looking at one of the strangest over/under situations we’ve ever seen

By Jim Connelly

-

January 19, 2024

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.

Best bet: UNH/UConn over 5 goals (-130)

Michigan at Michigan State, North Dakota at St. Cloud State are close matchups this weekend: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 11

By Jim Connelly Dan Rubin and Ed Trefzger

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January 19, 2024

USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin and Ed Trefzger look at five key college games.

Games this week:

Michigan +114 @ Michigan State -145; over/under 7
Boston College -190 @ Merrimack +145; o/u 6
New Hampshire +124 @ Connecticut -160; o/u 5
Denver -200 @ Omaha +154; o/u 7
North Dakota -125 @ St. Cloud State -105; o/u 6

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

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Check out all of USCHO’s podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Spotlight, plus our entire podcast archive.

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Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 9 has Ohio State’s statement and a World Championship recap

By Nicole Haase

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January 18, 2024

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.

Find The PodKaz on:

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: ‘Exciting week’ to culminate with ‘such a great rivalry’ as Michigan, Michigan State play home-and-home series

By Paula C. Weston

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January 18, 2024

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.”

Knights rested up for final SUNYAC title run

By Tim Costello

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January 18, 2024

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.”

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Niagara hoping recent victory over RIT springboards Purple Eagles to more notches in win column

By Chris Lerch

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January 18, 2024

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.”

NCAA D-III West Hockey Weekend Picks

By Brian Lester

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January 18, 2024

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

NCAA approves addition of 13th team to Division III men’s hockey tournament, starting with 2024 event

By USCHO Staff

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January 18, 2024

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.

This Week in Hockey East: Despite facing struggles much of ’23-24 season, Northeastern making every attempt to ‘stay in the moment’

By John Doyle

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January 18, 2024

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 coach Blasi talks Tommies, developing a new D-I program: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 11

By Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger

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January 17, 2024

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

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Check out all of USCHO’s college hockey podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Edge, plus our entire podcast archive.

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This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha’s road split with powerhouse North Dakota ‘feeds the belief that we’re right on the cusp’

By Matthew Semisch

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January 17, 2024

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.”

Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation announces 18 nominees for 2024 award as college hockey’s finest citizen

By USCHO Staff

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January 17, 2024

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.

D-II/III East Men’s Hockey Game Picks – January 17, 2024

By Tim Costello

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January 17, 2024

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!”

Cornell 3, No. 3 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)

No. 6 North Dakota 3, No. 13 St. Cloud State 3 (SCSU wins shootout)

No. 1 Boston University 5, Vermont 2

No. 7 Michigan State 7, No. 15 Michigan 5

No. 5 Denver 6, No. 19 Omaha 2

No. 8 Maine 7, UMass Lowell 2

Air Force 7, Army West Point 6

No. 15 Michigan 7, No. 7 Michigan State 1

Minnesota Duluth 6, No. 11 Western Michigan 3

No. 1 Boston University 5, Vermont 1

No. 2 Boston College 6, Merrimack 4

No. 5 Denver 6, No. 19 Omaha 3

Augustana 5, No. 16 Arizona State 4

No. 6 North Dakota 5, No. 13 St. Cloud State 3

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