New Hampshire is 4-1-0 to start the 2023-24 season (photo: Callie Cyr).
Wins over a trio of ranked opponents — including the preseason No. 1 team in the country — have put New Hampshire in the national spotlight as the college hockey season enters its second month.
But what really exemplifies the Wildcats’ success, in the eyes of sixth-year coach Mike Souza, was a play that occurred in the final seconds of Thursday’s 4-1 win over Northeastern.
With the team up three goals, UNH senior forward Harrison Blaisdell went low to block a blazing one-timer off the stick of Northeastern’s Braden Doyle from high in the slot.
Blaisdell didn’t have to put himself in the path of the puck, which drilled him right in the gut — a UNH win was all but assured at that point. But the tenaciousness on display by was characteristic of the grittiness that now has the Wildcats in the USCHO.com men’s Division I poll for the first time in almost six years.
“We talk all the time, no matter the score, no matter the situation, you play the game the right way,” Souza said. “That was a huge play by Harrison. The bench went crazy, and I thought that’s a good sign.”
The Wildcats find themselves at No. 15 in the latest USCHO.com Division I men’s poll after wins vs. Boston University (then No. 1) and Northeastern (then 17) and a split vs. then-No. 4 and defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey). It’s the first national ranking for UNH in more than five years. The Wildcats now enjoy a 4-1-0 record, their best start to a season since winning five straight to begin the 2017-18 campaign
Perhaps more importantly, Souza said his team — which was 11-21-3 last season and picked to finish 10th out of 11 schools in this year’s Hockey East preseason coaches’ poll — enters every matchup believing it can win.
“Believability has a lot to do with it,” Souza said. “Confidence in yourself as an individual — it spreads to the group.”
Currently the Wildcats are led in scoring by freshman Ryan Conmy (1-6-7), sophomore Cy LeClerc (3-3-6) and junior Liam Devlin (2-4-6). Sophomore goalie Tyler Muszelik has posted a 2-1 record with a 3.92 goals-against average and .864 save percentage. Junior Jacob Hellsten backstopped the games vs. Northeastern and Dartmouth, allowing a goal apiece in each game with a .951 save percentage.
While players and coaches often say they don’t pay attention to rankings or predictions, but to be picked next to last by the coaches definitely stung for UNH and has been a source of motivation.
“We talk about that a lot,” said Devlin, a forward. “Going into this season, (we) didn’t get much respect in the rankings. Every game, we’re just going to try to prove ourselves, keep climbing up those rankings, earn as many points as possible, try to show the rest of the league that we’re here to play this year.”
A scheduling quirk that had UNH playing in the first two all-Hockey East matchups of the season had, as of last Thursday night, a full six points ahead of the rest of the league. While Souza has no delusions about the Wildcats’ standing — like a runner starting on the outside lane of the 200-meter dash knows he isn’t really ahead — it’s also not lost on him the importance of league points, no matter the point of the season in which they come.
“The points are all vital, right?” Souza said. “We want to get as many as we can. (Getting) six of six is a good way to start.”
#13 Utica University Women’s hockey defeat #6 Adrian College 2-1 in overtime to win the Inaugural Utica University Women’s Hockey Kickoff Tournament. (Photo by Scott Kinville – CNYHockeyReport)
We finally got back into the swings of things this past weekend in the D-III Women’s East hockey world, and we got all we could’ve asked for. We saw a tournament featuring three-ranked teams with an upset victory, as well as some spectacular individual performances. We still had many teams on the backburner and won’t begin play until this upcoming weekend, but here’s your recap from a stellar first week out East.
Utica Wins the Utica University Kickoff Tournament
The Utica Pioneers finished last season with a program-best record of 22-3-3, but it seemed like they were missing one thing on their resume, a key ranked win… Last season in their ranked matchups, they fell to #4 Elmira 3-2, #13 Nazareth 2-1, 3-2, and added a pair of ties, one vs #7 Hamilton 2-2, & Nazareth 2-2. They built up an impressive overall record, but failed in the pairwise department due to these signature games and we could only ask, would this be the year they make that leap to the next level?
Well, they did just that. Utica defeated two teams featured in last year’s NCAA tournament in Suffolk University & #6 Adrian College. In game one, Utica led in shots 35-25 and dominated most of the game. Carly Stefanini notched a hat trick and added on an assist as well, while Erica Sloan tallied a trio of assists in the victory. Senior goaltender Angela Hawthorne made 23 saves.
In the championship game vs Adrian, the stat sheet would lead you to believe Adrian won this game by a few goals, but the story here was goaltending. If you saw a team lead in shots 45-15, you’d probably assume the team with exactly triple the shots of the other team won. However, this wasn’t the case. Hawthorne would go on to make 44 saves and keep her team in it on many occasions making save-after-save-after-save.
Utica University Senior Goaltender #32 Angela Hawthorne (Photo by Jeff Pexton – Perfect Game Imaging)
The Pioneers opened the scoring midway through the 1st period at the 10:13 mark, Hailey Modlin gave her team the 1-0 lead, which would hold up until the earlier half of the 3rd period when Adrian’s Jocelin Hudanish scored unassisted at the 7:05 mark. Then finally, an entire 12 seconds into overtime, Utica’s Carolyn Whitney sniped a top-shelf goal in front of the home Nexus Center crowd to give Utica a signature win that they couldn’t seem to get in past years.
Head Coach Dave Clausen, the only head coach the program has ever had, entering his 22nd season at the helm, had to say this about his team winning two massive games, one against a nationally top ranked opponent:
“I know our team looked forward to this event since it appeared on our schedule. We had a great year last year, only one loss in regulation. Not getting the chance to show the rest of the country how good we were at the end of the year last year has created a lot of drive with our returning players. It was great to start the year with some big wins against ranked opponents. However, the goal is to win games in March. I think our team knows what they’re capable of. We still have a long way to go, but we’re hoping to play a couple more weeks of hockey this year than we did last year.”
Coach Clausen also added some words about his goaltender Angela Hawthorne’s performance: “Angela’s been an outstanding player on our team since arriving here in Utica. We know we were fortunate in the recruiting process to end up with her. She’s a hard worker and seems to rise to the occasion whenever we need her. Her work ethic is second to none.”
Utica University Nexus Center (Photo via www.nexusutica.com)
I then asked Coach Clausen one last thing and that was being able to host a tournament in the new Utica University Nexus Center: “As far as getting teams to come and play, it was great to attract top teams from the NCHA, CCC and NEHC. To start the season with some great competition really helps get us focused and forces us to learn about ourselves. The Utica University Nexus Center is really the best facility in the country, so getting teams to come play here was rather easy.”
Endicott’s back on track
The Endicott Gulls finished last season with a solid record of 17-8-1 but fell to Suffolk 2-1 in the CCC championship game, knocking them out of NCAA tournament contention. Last year they failed to pick up a ranked win throughout the season but had some ties to build off. Well, this past weekend they shutout #10 Norwich 1-0 & added another 4-0 shutout victory vs Univ. Southern Maine.
Endicott starts the season 2-0, picking up a pair of shutout wins (1-0 & 4-0) over #10 Norwich and Univ. Southern Maine. (Photo via @EndicottWIH on X (Twitter)).
A win vs Norwich is a good sign for the Gulls as it’s only expected that Norwich will get better as the weeks go on, losing star player Ann-Frédérique Guay to Maine (NCAA D1) and other seniors was only going to make it difficult to adjust this season. The lone-winning goal was scored early at the 15:14 mark of the 1st period by Endicott’s Maggie Lynch, assisted by Tara Henshaw. Norwich led in shots a slim 26-21, goaltender Casey Moritz gets credited with the shutout victory, while star goaltender Leocadia Clark is credited with the loss, however her play was clearly good enough to give her team a great chance to win the game.
Wisconsin freshman forward William Whitelaw celebrates scoring a goal with his teammates (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Ed: What a fun season this has been already, Paula!
Probably the biggest story so far has been Wisconsin. I know just about everyone around college hockey has had high expectations for Wisconsin under its first-year head coach Mike Hastings. I came into this season thinking, “Just give Mike a couple of seasons behind the Badgers bench and he’ll have them back in the mix.”
Boy, was I wrong. And I’m not alone.
Wisconsin sits at No. 5 in this week’s USCHO Division I men’s ice hockey poll, up from No. 14 the previous week when the Badgers re-entered the top 20 for the first time in two years.
I did not predict a weekend road sweep at then-No. 1 Minnesota, but two wins at Mariucci have the Badgers at 7-1.
I watched Thursday’s game and thought afterwards, “Wow, watch out for the Gophers tomorrow.” And then the Badgers did it again.
What is the magic formula, the special sauce, the secret recipe here – or is it several items from the Hastings cookbook?
Paula: There’s no question that Hastings and his staff are bringing something unique to Wisconsin and the Badgers are clearly cooking, but I think we have to step out and look at a bigger picture. There’s so much that Hastings does well – has always done well – that it doesn’t surprise me that the Badgers are finding a lot of early season success.
One of the things that Hastings does particularly well is credit the team he’s working with – and that’s an additional ingredient here that can’t be overlooked.
Early on, Hastings himself said that the Badgers’ cupboard isn’t bare – I like that he’s kitchen-minded too – and that he signed on with a program that already has significant talent.
Wisconsin’s top two scorers from last season, Cruz Lucius and Mathieu De St. Phalle, return and are again leading the team. And goaltender Kyle McClellan, who played just 12 games last season, has shown a significant improvement in his game with an eighth-best GAA nationally (1.62) and a solid .933 save percentage.
Hastings used the portal well, too, bringing sophomore forwards Simon Tassy and Christian Fitzgerald from Mankato. Tassy played 15 games last season because of an injury, but he already has three goals through eight games, two on the power play. Fitzgerald had 16 goals last season for the Mavericks, and he has a goal and six assists through the first eight games.
Given that Hastings has never had a losing season in his long career as a head coach, I’d say it’s a combination of things – whatever methods he and his staff have for success plus his ability to gain the confidence of the Badgers’ team and help develop the talent that’s already there.
Whatever it is, it’s impressive.
I absolutely did not expect the Badgers to sweep the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. There were more than a few things that I didn’t expect this past weekend, including how unpredictable the outcome among top 10 teams continues to be.
You’re right: this is fun. It may give coaches heart attacks, but I’m loving it.
While it’s early, it’s a pattern that we’ve seen for the first month of the season. Do you think this is something that we’ll be lucky enough to experience for at least a little while this season?
Ed: After all the seasons I’ve been around college hockey, I’ve learned that every season has its surprises. So I expect there will be a lot of unexpected turns to enjoy.
On the east coast, Boston College has taken the mantle as No. 1 in the USCHO poll this week, a spot that its Battle of Commonwealth Avenue arch rivals Boston University started with during the preseason. The Eagles are not unblemished on the season, with a loss on a late power play goal to Denver on Oct. 21, but they have taken down Quinnipiac and won the pair of games against Michigan State last weekend.
Probably no team has a better freshman class – though DU and the aforementioned BU might argue – so the performance of the underclassmen that coach Greg Brown has gotten thus far isn’t a surprise or unexpected. Led by rookie and fourth overall NHL draft pick Will Smith, the top six BC scorers are all freshmen or sophomores. (And I’ll bet some suffering Sharks fans wish Smith was already in San Jose.)
Meanwhile in net, freshman Jacob Fowler has been solid with a .919 save percentage and 2.15 goals-against average. He capped off the weekend allowing just one goal on 44 shots against the Spartans on Saturday.
Hockey East is not going to be easy for any team, and we may see some twists and turns along the way. I think you can make a case for every team in that conference being better. With Maine and New Hampshire entering the USCHO poll this week, that means – at least in the minds of voters – that more than half of that conference is in the top 20 in the country.
The other team in the east that has caught my attention is Cornell. It’s frustrating to fans – and I know for certain it’s frustrating to more than a few of the Ivy League coaches – that Cornell, Harvard, and the other Ivies get started later. I know it has only been one weekend, but do you think that Cornell could be in the Frozen Four mix for the first time in two decades?
Paula: Well, I’ve shaken the Magic 8 Ball a couple of times, Ed, and the response is consistently, “Ask Again Later.”
It’s way too early to say who is going to be in that specific mix come March, especially with so much volatility among top 10 teams – and really solid play deep into the poll field. This week top 10 teams that played against opponents ranked No. 10 or lower – including opponents not ranked at all – went 7-3-4. That’s a lot of unpredictability, even for this early in the season.
Cornell has a big freshman class, so that may be a factor, and the Big Red play a rigorous schedule in the early going, with games against Quinnipiac and Boston University in the first half. Then facing Massachusetts and potentially facing Arizona State in the Adirondack Winter Invitational, Cornell has a road series against the Sun Devils.
Ian Shane had a phenomenal opening weekend against Duluth, and that may be a good omen. That first-half schedule will certainly season the young Big Red team, so let me repeat — ask again later.
Speaking of Arizona State, the Sun Devils are looking good early in the season and they’re not the only independent team that looks tough. Both Alaska teams are very competitive this season, and just look at Augustana. After not registering a goal in their opening weekend against Wisconsin, the Vikings have gone 3-0-1, with that tie against Denver and their latest win over a hot Colorado College.
It’s good to see more independent teams joining Arizona State in making some noise.
Ed: Although Arizona State ended up with an overtime loss and a tie at future NCHC foe Miami, I think the Sun Devils have an excellent shot at the NCAA tournament in their swan song as independents (Magic 8 Ball notwithstanding). And I agree about the other independents you mentioned.
Adam Johnson skated for UMD from 2015 to 2017 (photo: Minnesota Duluth Athletics).
I’m sorry to steer the rest of our discussion to a somber topic, but tragic news broke on Sunday about the freak on-ice accident that happened to Adam Johnson, a former star at Minnesota Duluth. Johnson led the Bulldogs in scoring as a sophomore and scored the overtime winning goal against BU in 2017 to send UMD to the Frozen Four. He also had a stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that team paid a stirring and heartfelt tribute to him before their game Monday night.
As most are aware by now, after colliding with one of Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers teammates, a player from the Sheffield Steelers, Matt Petgrave sliced Johnson’s throat with his left skate in a fast-moving and improbable way. Johnson died from the injury.
I watched the video several times, including in slow motion, and I find it appalling that there are people in the media (and “media”) who are stridently demanding murder or manslaughter charges in this case.
Local police Monday said they were continuing their investigation.
I used the word improbable above; the timing and physical movements that would have to be involved to deliberately slice Johnson’s neck are nearly impossible outside of Hollywood CGI. (And maybe that’s where talk show wags and social media loudmouths learned physics and biomechanics.)
But this horrible situation also brings up the question about whether neck guards should be required, or at least encouraged. Reports on Monday were that several NHL and AHL players were considering trying them out in the wake of Johnson’s death and the English Ice Hockey Association will make them mandatory as of December 31.
USA Hockey recommends neck laceration protectors for all players, but does not require them. Nor does the NCAA.
While such injuries are rare, they still do happen.
I’m not going out on limb to say that we both love the sport and that we both want player safety to be of first importance. Even before a requirement to wear them happens, if it does, I think we’ll see more of them worn.
Paula: Yes, safety should come first. I am glad to see players opting for neck guards.
Ed, I’m so glad you said something about the calls for criminal charges against Petgrave. The loud voices – some of which are undoubtedly rooted in racism, as Petgrave is black – add even more heartache to an already unthinkable situation. I do not understand people who traffic in such misery. I can’t imagine what Petgrave will be living with for the rest of his life. My heart goes out to him, as it does to everyone in the arena.
I will always remember Johnson for that goal against BU.
I am so sorry for his family and all who loved him, for the entire hockey family that he built along the way, for the fans whose lives he touched. It’s a tragedy, in the truest sense of the word.
Bobby Rodrigue is moving up from the Keene State ACHA team to the NCAA Division III team (photo: Paxton Blanchard/Keene State Athletics).
Keene State has announced the appointment of Bobby Rodrigue as the inaugural coach of the men’s hockey team.
“I’m so excited to get started with scheduling games, recruiting our first student-athletes and building our program, and getting the word out there that Keene State men’s ice hockey is open for business,” said Rodrigue in a news release. “We’re going to build a program that will make the entire community very proud. My goal is for the ice hockey expansion to become synonymous with the extraordinary success that our athletic department and college have enjoyed.”
Since 2006, Rodrigue has served as the head coach for the Owls’ club program, seeing it from its infancy to a regional power in the ACHA.
The Owls won NECHA championships in 2016, 2020, and 2023, and made ACHA national tournament appearances in 2016, 2017, and 2019. The Owls were also selected for the 2020 version of the tournament before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It gives me gives me great pleasure to announce Bobby Rodrigue as the Head Men’s ice hockey coach at Keene State College. Bobby’s dedication to bring hockey to this campus and community as a varsity sport has been a dream that he has made reality,” said Keene State athletic director Marty Testo. His network of connections with USA Hockey, collegiate hockey in the northeast and throughout our region will allow him to hit the ground running and build a program focused on academic and athletic success. I am very excited for the future of our men’s ice hockey program under the direction of Coach Rodrigue.”
In 2017, Rodrigue was a national finalist for the ACHA Coach of the Year award, and in 2016, received the Bob O’Conner District Coaching Education Award.
A Keene State graduate with a degree in management, Rodrigue received the Outstanding Service Award from the KSC Alumni Association in 2016, and the KSC Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2000.
Rodrigue currently serves as the operations manager and hockey director for Keene ICE, the facility that the Owls will use as they begin competition in 2024-25. He has also been the player development administrator for the New England District of USA Hockey, as well as a select camp team leader and mentor coach developer for USA Hockey, and the coach-in-chief for the New Hampshire Amateur Hockey Association.
“I want to thank President Treadwell, Marty Testo and the search committee for the trust they have placed in me,” Rodrigue said. “To be named the first coach of the men’s varsity hockey team is a tremendous honor for me. I certainly wouldn’t be able to take on this challenge without the support of other coaches and friends who have mentored me during my coaching journey. I also wanted to give credit to the many great players I’ve been fortunate to coach through our club team over the last 17 years. This is all about them and their efforts.”
Venla Hovi has previous coaching experience with the PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters (photo: Metropolitan Riveters).
Harvard has announced the hiring of Venla Hovi, who will join the women’s hockey team as an assistant coach.
Hovi, a two-time Olympic medalist with Finland, brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience at both the professional and collegiate levels with her in this new role.
“We are very excited to add Venla to our staff. She brings experience from the highest levels, playing in three Olympic Games and coaching most recently in the professional ranks,” said Harvard head coach Laura Bellamy in a statement. “Venla’s ability to communicate clearly with her players and develop them as individuals will serve us well. The Harvard community is comprised of people from all over the world and we are proud that our coaching staff is a reflection of that. Her familiarity with high performance environments will help us as we strive for a return to national prominence in women’s ice hockey.”
Most recently, Hovi served as the head coach of the Metropolitan Riveters in the PHF during the 2022-23 season. She led the team to 11 wins in her first season at the helm, the most for the group since the 2017-18 season.
A noted trailblazer in the professional hockey space, Hovi famously became the first woman to join the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets in a coaching capacity after she was hired as a development coach by the organization before the 2019-20 season. In her first full-time coaching role, she worked with players from the youth level all the way up to the Jets and its AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on skill development and technique.
In addition to her role with the Jets, Hovi took on an assistant coach role at the University of Manitoba in 2018-19. She helped lead the Bisons to a third-place finish in the USports women’s hockey championship in 2018-19, while securing a combined 34 wins in her two seasons on staff in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Hovi’s first head coaching role began in 2020, when she took over as the leader of the Okanagan Hockey Academy U17 program. She served in this role for two seasons before departing for the PHF.
One of the most decorated players in Finnish women’s ice hockey history, Hovi was a three-time Olympian for Finland. Led by Hovi, Finland secured two bronze medals in the 2010 and 2018 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Pyeongchang, respectively. Hovi skated in over 200 international competitions with Finland before her retirement from the game in 2019.
Her illustrious 15-year playing career stretched from 2004 to 2019 and featured stops with multiple Finnish professional clubs before a stint at Manitoba from 2015 to 2018. During the 2017-18 season with the Bisons, Hovi helped lead the team to the USports championship, securing the Golden Path Trophy for the first time in program history. The forward was named the 2017-18 Bison Sports Female Athlete of the Year for her efforts in the championship run.
Her success did not stop there, as she took her talents to the Canadian professional ranks in 2018-19. In just one season with the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL, Hovi helped the group win its second Clarkson Cup in franchise history. Hovi also became the first player from Finland to win the trophy.
Hovi holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and applied linguistics from the University of Vaasa and a post-graduate degree in English as a second language (ESL) from Manitoba.
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger discuss the results of the weekend and the news of the week in college hockey on the October 30, 2023 edition of USCHO Weekend Review:
• Boston College, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Cornell all had strong weekends, while there were a couple of bumps in the road for Northeastern and Arizona State
• Two teams that didn’t exist two seasons ago are above .500: Augustana and Alaska-Anchorage
• Harvard wins longest-ever NCAA shootout over Dartmouth 1-0 in 18 rounds
• The tragic death of former Minnesota Duluth star Adam Johnson
Oskar Jellvik helped Boston College to a sweep last week over Michigan State (photo: Brody Hannon).
With 36 first-place votes, Boston College moves up two spots to sit No. 1 in this week’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
Denver remains No. 2 and garnered five first-place votes this week, while North Dakota earned a first-place vote and moves up one to No. 3, Michigan is up two to No. 4, and Wisconsin is up nine spots to No. 5, getting five first-place votes in this week’s rankings.
Former No. 1 Minnesota is down to No. 6, Providence holds firm at No. 7, with two first-place votes, Quinnipiac falls three spots to No. 8, Boston University stays No. 9, and Cornell moves up two slots to No. 10, taking the last first-place vote.
Western Michigan falls from No. 10 to No. 11, and Michigan State also falls out of the top 10, going from No. 8 to No. 12.
New Hampshire enters the rankings this week at No. 15 and Maine, also unranked last week, is No. 20.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 16 other teams received votes this week.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.
Westfield State captured the WMI tournament to open the season with goaltender Kevin Chandler earning MVP honors (Photo by Westfield State Athletics)
In a weekend where four of the top five in the national poll lose a game, I would say we are off to another tremendous start for D-III hockey in the 2023-24 campaign. Hobart, Adrian, Endicott, and the University of New England all lost on the opening weekend and to other ranked teams so it is clear the season will have a lot of roller coaster rides with many unranked squads showing they should be considered after just a couple of games. Lots to cover on Week 1 including a bunch of overtime thrillers and three tournaments where hardware was awarded. Here is a recap of the weekend’s action in the East:
CCC
Salve Regina played in the Buffalo State Tournament and skated away with the championship with wins over Arcadia and the home Bengals to claim the title. On Friday night the Seahawks scored six goals to down Arcadia 6-1 with Matthew Faucett pacing the offense with a goal and two assists. On Saturday night, Salve Regina broke open a 1-1 tie with a five-goal second period led by Seth Benson’s hat trick on the way to an easy 7-2 win. Faucett again chipped in with a goal and an assist and Johnny Mulera added a goal and two assists in the title game.
After dropping a 6-2 decision to Albertus Magnus on Friday night, Suffolk bounced back with a 7-5 win over Salem State on Saturday. Joe O’Brien scored one goal and added three assists while Devin Lowe chipped in with a goal and two assists in the Rams 7-5 win over the Vikings. Kannon Flageolle stopped 35 of 40 shots to earn the victory for the Rams.
Independents
Albertus Magnus opened their season with a 6-2 win over Suffolk on Friday night. The power play was dominant for the Falcons as they converted four times with the man advantage, including two times from Zane Kindrachuk in the victory. Kindrachuk also added a pair of assists for a four-point night while Logan Bateman stopped 30 of 32 shots to earn the season opening win. On Saturday, it was Zeth Kindrachuk’s turn to lead the offense with a hat trick. Zane also added a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over Johnson & Wales.
MASCAC
The Plymouth State Panthers opened their season with a re-match against the team that knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last spring as the University of New England returned to Plymouth. The Panthers jumped out to a two-goal lead on goals from Payton Schaly and Donte DiPonio but Ryan Kuzmich halved the lead for the Nor’easters in the second period. Will Redick proved to be the offensive star for PSU as he converted a pair of power play goals in the second period to extend the lead before finishing his natural hat trick in the third period to pace a 5-1 win. Kalle Andersson stopped 30 of 31 shots to backstop the Panthers in goal.
Westfield State took part in the Western Massachusetts Invitational and skated away with the championship following wins over Post and Western New England. On Friday night, Cooper Board’s overtime winning goal advanced the Owls to the championship game in a dramatic 3-2 win over the Eagles. Kevin Chandler, who came on in relief of Valtteri Valtonen in goal stopped 36 of 38 shots to pick up the win. On Saturday night, the title game saw WNE jump out to a 2-0 lead but those were the only goals Chandler would surrender. The Owls scored six unanswered including four goals in the second period to cruise to a 6-2 win. Chandler finished the game with 33 saves and earned the WMI Tournament MVP.
NE-10
Assumption won the Worcester City Cup with wins over Nichols and Anna Maria. On Friday, Assumption needed Ryan Decker’s tying goal in the second period and Ronny Paragallo’s third period tally to down the Bison 3-2. In Saturday’s “Woo Cup” championship game, Assumption took advantage of four power play goals to eke out a 5-4 win over the AmCats. Patrick McKiernan scored two goals while Jake Lavoie added a goal and two assists in the win. Shane Sullivan was selected as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
St. Michael’s opened their season with a two-game series on the road against Manhattanville and the Purple Knights delivered a pair of wins against the tough UCHC opponent. After spotting the home team a 2-0 lead on Friday night, David Ciancio scored a shorthanded goal with just 17 seconds remaining in the period to give the Purple Knights some momentum. TJ Beaver tied the score in the final two minutes of the third period before Jack Macdonald scored the overtime winner in the 3-2 win. Ryland Dukes assisted on each of the SMC goals. On Saturday, the visitors scored three power play goals in the first period and held on for a 6-4 win to seep the weekend series. Zach Taylor scored one goal and added three assists while Quinn McCarthy added a pair goals. Marshall Murphy stopped 37 of 41 shots in the win.
Southern New Hampshire opened the season with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Framingham State on Saturday night. The rams took a 1-0 lead on Brady Rossbach’s third period goal only to see Ryan Pomposelli answer for the Penmen late in the period. With less than a minute remaining in overtime, SNHU’s Brendan Lynch netted the game winning goal.
NEHC
Norwich hosted No. 3 ranked Endicott on Saturday night and a three-point night from Clark Kerner helped the Cadets ease to a 4-1 win over the Gulls. Kerner assisted on Zach Ophoven’s opening goal and then added two assists on power play goals that broke open a 1-1 tie. Adam Shuchart iced the game with an empty-net goal and freshman Sami Molu earned the win in goal making 24 saves.
Elmira opened their campaign with a pair of challenging non-conference games and skated away with an impressive pair of wins. On Friday night, the Soaring Eagles visited Nazareth with both teams exchanging goals in a hard-fought contest through the first forty minutes of action. Elmira’s Nicholas Domitrovic broke the deadlock just past the halfway mark of the third period and Kyle Curtin made the one-goal stand up for a 3-2 road win. On Saturday night Elmira hosted Oswego who was fresh off their win over No. 1 ranked Hobart and skated away with a comfortable 7-3 win over the Lakers. Four first period goals set the tone for Elmira with Janis Vizbelis scoring a pair of goals and Domitrovic adding one goal and an assist in the win.
Hobart bounced back from Friday’s overtime loss at Oswego with a resounding 7-0 win over Potsdam. Luke Aquaro scored two goals and added an assist while Chris Duclair scored twice for the Statesmen. Mavrick Goyer made 14 saves to earn the shutout.
SUNYAC
Plattsburgh opened the season with a pair of wins over St. Anselm and Castleton. On Friday, six different goal scorers and three power play goals help lead the Cardinals to a solid 6-1 win over the Hawks. On Saturday, the Spartans played the Cardinals tough with Andrew Stefura’s goal tying the game at 3-3 after two periods of play. In the third period the Cardinal power play took over, scoring three times to earn the 6-3 win. Joshua Belgrave scored one goal and added two assists while Adam Tretowicz and Tio D’Addario added a goal and an assist each. Goaltender Eli Shiller made 17 saves in the win while adding an assist on D’Addario’s third period power play goal.
Two goals in each of the first two periods helped Geneseo cruise to a 4-1 win on the road against Neumann on Friday night. On Saturday, the Knights hosted Nazareth in a very exciting game that needed OT to decide. The visitors took one-goal leads twice only to see the Knights respond with Luke Panchisin’s power play goal leveling the score at 2-2 early in the third period. The game went to overtime where Geneseo’s Stefan Mikakos scored with an assist from Tyson Gilmour just over a minute into the extra session for the win. Goaltender Adam Harris stopped 43 of 45 shots for the win.
Cortland took a pair of wins over UCHC teams by 10-2 and 5-2 scores to open their season. On Friday, the Red Dragons got the offense going with Nate Berke scoring two goals and adding three assists for five points while Colby Seitz added two goals and two assists in the 10-2 win over Lebanon Valley. On Saturday, John Kuhl got Cortand rolling with two early goals and Berke chipped in with two assists in the 5-2 win over Wilkes.
Oswego opened their season with a come from behind 3-2 overtime win over the defending national champions, Hobart. Tyler Fleck scored both the game-tying and overtime winning goals for the Lakers who held Hobart to just 24 shots for the game.
UCHC
The Utica vs. Adrian matchup this weekend featured two teams with a lot of new pieces on both rosters. Based on the teams’ reputations for excellence and offense, Friday night’s game turned into a goaltending duel between Adrian’s Dershahn Stewart (41 saves) and Ethan Roberts (37 saves) who came in for Bryan Landesberger early in the contest that finished as a 0-0 overtime tie. On Saturday night the teams took advantage of some extra-man hockey to produce three power play goals and a 2-2 tie after regulation play. In overtime, freshman Griffen Barr blasted the game winner past Stewart for a 3-2 Pioneer win.
Stevenson opened the season with a two-game series against Canton and skated away with 5-0 and 2-1 wins over the Kangaroos. Rhett Evjen led the offense with two goals in Friday nights shutout win while John Musella did all the scoring needed with two goals in the second period that stood up in a 2-1 win.
Alvernia took a win and a tie from their two-game series with Rivier to open the season. On Friday, Alvernia spotted the raiders a 3-1 lead before Matthew Davies scored a natural hat trick to lead the visitors to a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory. On Saturday, Alvernia again had to rally back from a 2-0 deficit with Sean Kenny’s goal, assisted by Davies securing a 2-2 overtime tie.
Three Biscuits
Matthew Davies – Alvernia – scored a natural hat trick to rally the visitors to a 4-3 win over Rivier on Friday night.
Nate Berke – Cortland – recorded a five-point game in the Red Dragons’ 10-2 win over LVC on Friday night.
Tyler Fleck – Oswego – scored the game-tying and overtime winning goal for the Lakers who handed Hobart their first overtime loss in more than a season on Friday night.
Bonus Biscuit
Kevin Chandler – Westfield State – came off the bench in relief of Valtteri Valtonen and backstopped two Owl victories in route to the WMI Tournament championship where he was named MVP. Chandler stopped 69 of 73 shots in the two games.
Week one was epic with lots of one-goal games, several upsets and early season tournament action that gave teams some early momentum and hardware to remind them of the work needed to earn the trophy. Conference play on deck for November.
The Badgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from Kirsten Simms, but St. Thomas was not going to go away lightly. Nicole Vallario scored with 67 seconds left in the frame and then Ellah Hause added a power play goal with nine seconds on the clock to make it 2-2 at the first intermission. Katie Kotlowski scored on the power play in the second to give Wisconsin a 3-2 lead, but Abby Promersberger responded 31 seconds later to even things up 3-3. The Badgers took advantage of extra skater opportunities as Anna Wilgren and Britta Curl each scored on the power play to pull Wisconsin out to 5-3 and earn them the win. In the second game, Lacey Eden scored on the power play in the first to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead. In the closing seconds of the middle frame, Curl scored to extend the lead to 2-0 and her goal-scoring streak to nine games, tying the school record for longest goal streak set by Meghan Duggan in the 2010-11 season. Casey O’Brien’s breakaway goal in the third made it 3-0 and Wisconsin left with the weekend sweep.
(4) Minnesota at (2) Ohio State
Friday’s game was a back and forth affair that required overtime to find a winner. Hannah Bilka put in a rebound 24 seconds into the game to give the home team a 1-0 advantage. Abbey Murphy tied the game late in the period to make it 1-1, but the Buckeyes took the lead to intermission thanks to a shot from Sofie Lundin. The second period was scoreless as the teams looked for an advantage. In the third, Ella Huber made it 2-2. Jennifer Gardiner flipped the script from OSU’s first goal and she put in a puck originally shot by Bilka to give Ohio State a 3-2 lead. Murphy scored her second of the game on a beautiful wrap around to tie it 3-3 and force overtime. Gardiner was the hero of overtime when she took a quick feed in transition and beat Skylar Vetter to give the Buckeyes the 4-3 win. Saturday’s game looked like it might be firmly in control for the Gophers after Ella Huber scored on the power play and Josefin Bouveng doubled the lead with a steal and goal at the midpoint of the first. But Ohio State came roaring back, scoring three unanswered in the course of five minutes before the midpoint of the second. Jocelyn Amos’ two goals bookended a tally from Gardiner. Nelli Laitinen scored from the blue line on the power play early in the third to tie it up at three, but Sloane Matthews found the back of the net with 10 seconds to go in the second to give OSU the 4-3 lead at the second intermission. Laitinen scored her second power play goal early in the third to tie it 4-4. Emma Peschel scored the Buckeyes’ first player advantage goal to make it 5-4 and then Stephanie Markowski gave them a little breathing room right after, making it 6-4. Peyton Hemp pulled one back for Minnesota, but Amanda Thiele made four saves in the final minute to help secure the 6-5 win and weekend sweep for Ohio State.
(3) Colgate at RPI
RPI seemed to have an answer for everything Colgate did on Friday, responding every time the Raiders took a lead, though it took them a little while to get rolling. Colgate was up 1-0 after one thanks to Sydney Morrow and extended their lead to 2-0 midway through the second on a goal from Neena Brick. The Engineers responded immediately as Aylah Cioffi lit the lamp, which kicked her team in gear. They dominated puck possession and shot to close out the second and Maddy Papineau’s goal sent the teams to the second break tied 2-2. Kaia Malachino scored the first of her career to give Colgate a 3-2 lead, but Morgann Skoda scored less than two minutes later to tie it again. Dara Greig redirected a shot on the power play midway through the third and Colgate was able to hold off RPI once and for all to escape with a 4-3 win.
(3) Colgate at Union
The Raiders rebounded on Saturday with a decisive 4-0 win. Danielle Serdachny led the squad with an assist on each goal while Kaitlyn O’Donohoe lit the lamp twice to lead Colgate in the win.
(5) Quinnipiac at (6) Clarkson
Two of the ECAC’s biggest rivals skated to a scoreless first period on Friday as they tried to feel each other out. Laurence Frenette scored in the second to give the Golden Knights the 1-0 lead. Shelby Laidlaw picked a great time to light the lamp for her first time at Clarkson just two minutes into the third. Jaden Bogden neutralized a late penalty on her team by scoring shorthanded to extend the Golden Knights’ lead to 3-0 with fewer than five minutes to play. Quinnipiac’s Maya Labad ruined the shutout, but Clarkson handed the Bobcats their first loss of the season.
(5) Quinnipiac at (10) St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence announced their candidacy for the ECAC title this weekend with a pair of big wins. Emma-Sofie Nordström had a career-high 38 saves and the Saints were efficient on offense, scoring four goals on 24 shots to earn an upset win over the Bobcats. QU held a 15-4 shot advantage in the first frame, but the teams went into the first intermission tied 1-1. Sarah Marchand put SLU up early and Sadie Peart equalized late in the frame. A fast and furious second period ended with no additional goals. In the third, St. Lawrence took advantage on special teams as Quinnipiac struggled to stay out of the box. Kristina Bahl and Anna Segedi each scored on the power play to break the game open. Sarah Marchand’s empty-netter secured the 4-1 win.
(14) Princeton at (6) Clarkson
In a battle of defensive wills, Clarkson eked out a power play goal thanks to Nicole Gosling and that would prove to be enough to give them a win 1-0 over Princeton.
Harvard at (7) Yale
The Bulldogs outshot the Crimson 16-2 in the first, but the teams remained scoreless heading into the intermission. In the second, Sylvia Bojarski was in the right place at the back post to give Yale the 1-0 lead. With under five to play in the game, Emma DeCorby’s shot from distance deflected in to double the lead to 2-0. Harvard was able to pull one back during a 5:00 major thanks to Gwynn Lapp, but the Bulldogs killed the clock and took a 2-1 win.
Dartmouth at (7) Yale
Senior Elle Hartje recorded her 90th career assist on a first period goal to move her into the number one spot in program history – it was one of five points she recorded Saturday, with a goal and four assists, to lead Yale to a 6-0 win. Carina DiAntonio also had four assists and Stephanie Stainton added two goals and an assist in the win.
(8) Minnesota Duluth at Bemidji State
Taylor Nelson scored in the opening minutes of the first to give Bemidji State a 1-0 lead and that would hold for more than 50 minutes thanks in part to 42 saves by Abbie Thompson and 28 blocks by the Beavers’ defense. It took shuffling some lines and their approach for UMD to break through as Clara Van Wieren and former Beaver Reece Hunt scored three minutes apart late in the third to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 win. Minnesota Duluth came back on Saturday and put together an impressive game to earn their program’s 400th WCHA victory with a 6-0 win. Van Wieren had two goals and Mannon McMahon had a goal and two assists to lead UMD in the win.
(9) Cornell at Union
Maddie Leaney put the Garnet Chargers up 1-0 with about five to play in the first, but Cornell was able to quickly respond. Katie Chan scored on the power play a minute later and Avi Adam snuck a goal in just before the buzzer to give the Big Red a 2-1 lead at the end of the first. Union got into trouble with penalties in the second and Lily Delianedis and Adam made them pay with goals 90 seconds apart to push the lead to 4-1. Stephanie Bourque’s goal late in the second cut the lead to 4-2, but Union was unable to mount a comeback and Cornell took the win.
(9) Cornell at RPI
The Engineers gave their ranked opponents all they could handle this weekend and Cornell had to fight off a late charge to escape with a win. Katie Chan scored in the second to give the Big Red the 1-0 lead. Izzy Daniels added a short handed goal to push the lead to 2-0. But RPI would not go down without a fight. They outshot the Big Red in the final frame and Marah Wagner cut the lead to 2-1 with a few minutes left in the game, but ran out of time and Cornell took the 2-1 win.
(14) Princeton at (10) St. Lawrence
Kennedy Wilson showed off speed just 27 seconds into this one to give St. Lawrence a 1-0 lead. Abby Hustler scored twice on the power play in a matter of three minutes late in the first to give the Saints a 3-0 lead. Julia Gosling extended it to 4-0 early in the second before Jane Kuehl broke up the shutout for Princeton to make it 4-1. Mae Batherson’s power play goal later in the frame ended any momentum the Tigers might have gathered. Gosling and Marchand extended the lead in the third. Sarah Fillier put a late power play goal on the board, but St. Lawrence walked away with the 7-2 win.
(11) St. Cloud State at Minnesota State
Sanni Ahola allowed her first goal of the season just 44 seconds into the first game of this series, but the Huskies rallied behind her and scored three unanswered to give SCSU the 3-1 win. Kennedy Bobyck’s goal opened the scoring and gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. Grace Wolfe and Emma Gentry each scored later in the opening frame to give the Huskies the 2-1 lead. Taylor Lind’s power play goal early in the third made it 3-1 and St. Cloud held the lead until the end. Mankato came back stronger in the second game, putting 26 shots on net and forcing SCSU to make 23 blocks but it was the Huskies who came out on top thanks to goals from Dayle Ross and Wolfe that gave them a 2-0 win and weekend sweep.
New Hampshire at (12) Vermont The opening game of this series was high-scoring and New Hampshire’s Charli Kettyle started it six minutes into the game to put the Wildcats up 1-0. Rose-Marie Brochu tied it for Vermont seconds before the end of the first to send the teams to the locker room tied 1-1. In the opening minute of the second, Jada Christian went bar down to put UNH up 2-1. Natálie Mlýnková scored a short hander not long after with a wrister to beat Sedona Blair and tied the game at 2. Only 66 seconds later, Kira Joudikis scored on the power play to give New Hampshire the lead once more. Mlýnková picked off the puck in the neutral zone, deked and went forehand backhand to tie the game 3-3 a few minutes later. Vermont came out for the third period with a vengeance and scored twice in the first two minutes to finally take the lead and put the game out of reach. Alaina Tanski’s roof shot proved to be the eventual game-winner and Mlýnková scored a hat trick to extend the lead to 5-3. Hailey Burns’ power play goal midway through the frame made it 6-3 and helped close out the game for the Catamounts. In game two, the teams played more than 45 minutes of scoreless hockey before Mlýnková took advantage of a UNH turnover to put Vermont up 1-0. Annie Berry tied the game for the Wildcats with a shot in the slot. It took overtime to find a winner as Evelyne Blais-Savoie picked up a rebound in the faceoff circle and put it back on net to earn the Catamounts a 2-1 win.
(13) Northeastern vs. Holy Cross
The Huskies outshot the Crusaders 21-4 in the first period and 40-26 overall, but Madison Beck blanked Northeastern for her first career shutout. Alexis Perry scored in overtime (where Holy Cross had a 3-1 shot advantage) and gave the Crusaders their second-ever win over Northeastern. In the second game, senior Lily Yovetich scored her first career goal to put Northeastern up 1-0 with about three minutes left in the first. But Holy Cross quickly responded as Perry scored her second of the weekend with a power play tally with 90 seconds left until intermission. Peyton Anderson regained the lead for Northeastern early in the second, but once again the Holy Crusaders quickly replied to tie the game again as Lane Lewis made it 2-2. Anderson scored her second of the game late in the third to put Northeastern up 3-2 and then earned her first career hat trick with an empty-netter to give the Huskies the 4-2 win.
(15) Penn State at Syracuse
The teams played to a scoreless draw in the first period, but Penn State came out firing in the second as Julie Gough and Lee Stecker put the Nittany Lions up 2-0. In the third, Alexandria Weiss cut the lead in half, but Kendall Butze’s shorthander pushed PSU back out to a two-goal lead. Darci Johal scored a power play goal in the final minute to cut the lead to 3-2, but Butze was able to hit the empty net five seconds later to secure the 4-2 win for Penn State. Gough scored in the waning seconds of the first period on Sunday to give PSU a 1-0 lead. In the second, Sarah Thompson responded in the first few minutes to tie the game 1-1. From there, the Nittany Lions began to pull away. Mya Vaslet’s goal in the second made it 2-1. In the third, Maddy Christian, Karley Garcia and Tessa Janecke extended the lead to 5-1. Rachel Teslak got one back for Syracuse, but Stella Retrum’s goal in the closing minute ensured a 6-2 win for Penn State. The victory was coach Jeff Kampersal’s 100th at Penn State.
Cornell opened its 2023-24 season sweeping Minnesota Duluth (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. B1G statement from Badgers
Big Ten opponents, meet Mike Hastings. Wisconsin’s new bench boss has coached at 3M Arena at Mariucci plenty of times, both as a friend (he was a Minnesota assistant in the 2008-09 season) and foe (he coached Minnesota’s instate rivals Minnesota State for 10 years and had a 3-5 record at Mariucci). But coaching behind the bench, in his first Big Ten series, against Minnesota archrivals Wisconsin? He’d never done that before this weekend, but he made it look easy, as the Badgers waltzed into Minneapolis and danced out with a series sweep of the top-ranked Gophers.
In Thursday night’s game, the Gophers scored 15 seconds in but from there it was essentially all Wisconsin. Mathieu De St. Phalle and Cruz Lucius each scored twice as Wisconsin won 5-2.
Friday night’s game was more back-and-forth. Wisconsin led 3-2 going into the third, but the Gophers’ Jimmy Clark tied it up less than two minutes in. However, Minnesota State transfer Simon Tassy delivered the dagger for the Badgers, scoring his second goal of the night with under three minutes to go to give Wisconsin a 3-2 victory.
The Badgers are now 7-1 overall–the program’s best start since the 2000-01 season–and will host Michigan in another Big Ten series next weekend. Minnesota, meanwhile, will have to regroup to host Minnesota Duluth in nonconference action.
2. Augustana turning heads already with tie at Denver, win at CC
Following their weekend road trip to Colorado this weekend, Augustana hockey posted this message on their X account: “You know? This hockey thing might work out.”
After the weekend they just had, the Vikings have every reason to be optimistic about the future of the program: In just its first year of existence, the Vikings went to Colorado and took five points from a pair of traditional college hockey powerhouses.
On Friday night, Augustana rallied from a 3-0 first-period deficit and came back to tie No. 2 Denver 5-5 thanks to Chase Brand’s extra-attacker goal with 20 seconds left in regulation; they skated to a scoreless overtime period and eventually won the exhibition shootout too.
On Saturday night, the Vikings jumped out to an early lead on Colorado College and held on in the third period for a 4-3 win, handing the Tigers their first loss of the season. The Vikings, who are now 3-2-1 after getting swept by Wisconsin in the first weekend of the season, haven’t lost since.
They travel to a struggling Michigan Tech next weekend hoping to keep up that unbeaten streak.
3. BC sweeps MSU
With Minnesota getting swept by Wisconsin and Denver failing to beat Augustana, it’s probable that Boston College will be the No. 1 team in the country this week.
And with good reason.
The No. 3-ranked Eagles swept No. 8 Michigan State in Chestnut Hill. On Thursday, BC’s Oskar Jellvik scored twice–including one shorthanded–and Will Smith added a goal and two assists to give the Eagles a 6-4 win. On Friday, Jack Malone and Cutter Gauthier each scored twice, and Mike Posma added another in BC’s 5-1 win. Freshman goalie Jacob Fowler made 64 saves, including 43 on Friday.
4. Maine upsets Quinnipiac
After a dark week in Maine, the Black Bears hockey team managed to offer at least a small ray of sunshine on Friday night.
Brandon Chabrier scored 3:50 into overtime on Friday night to lift the Bears to a 2-1 victory over the defending national champions, No. 5 Quinnipiac. Victor Ostman made 17 saves for the Black Bears in the win.
Maine couldn’t keep the momentum going in Saturday’s game, however. Although David Breazeale opened the scoring midway through the first, the Bobcats scored four unanswered goals by CJ McGee, Travis Treloar, Mason Marcellus and Sam Lipkin to earn the split with a 4-1 win.
5. Cornell opens with a sweep
The way Cornell handled Minnesota Duluth over the weekend, you’d never guess the Big Red were the ones just getting the season started and the Bulldogs were already five games into theirs.
But the No. 12-ranked Big Red looked impressive in sweeping the No. 11-ranked Bulldogs, beating them 4-1 on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday to kick their season off. Cornell scored three power-play goals on the weekend, including a pair of goals each from Kyle Penney and Gabriel Seger.
Cornell (2-0-0) held UMD (3-2-2) to just 26 shots on goal the entire weekend.
6. Harvard ties Dartmouth in opener
The other Ivies who finally started playing this weekend had mixed results.
No. 17 Harvard kicked off its season with a 1-1 tie against Dartmouth–followed by a marathon shootout for the extra conference point. Casey Severo scored for Harvard in the second period and Braiden Dorfman tied it for the Big Green midway through the third, but the Crimson got the extra point when Jack Bar finally scored in the 18th round of the shootout. Both goaltenders, Harvard’s Derek Mullahy and Dartmouth’s Cooper Black, stopped 25 shots.
Yale and Brown also opened their seasons this weekend, playing one another at Brown’s Meehan Auditorium on Friday night. The Bulldogs won 3-2 in overtime behind Rhys Bentham’s game-winning goal. Brown then turned around and defeated Stonehill 7-2 on Sunday afternoon. Princeton, the only team in the country so far who has yet to play a regular-season game, will open its season next Friday at Harvard.
7. Beavers lead CCHA early
It promises to be a wide-open, down-to-the-wire season in the CCHA, but the first weekend of conference play saw Bemidji State take control early with a home sweep of St. Thomas.
The Beavers won 3-2 and 2-0, with Lleyton Roed scoring three goals on the weekend for Bemidji State. He’s got six goals in six games so far. The Beavers’ Gavin Enright also helped BSU seal the wins. He entered Friday’s game at the start of the third period after starter Mattias Sholl went down with a lower body injury at the end of the second period. Enright allowed one goal in the period but made some solid saves down the stretch to preserve the 3-2 victory.
On Saturday, the senior made 29 saves for his first career shutout. In the other league series played last week, Ferris State and Northern Michigan split in Marquette. NMU’s Tanner
8. New Hampshire still going strong
One of the biggest surprises has been the strong start of New Hampshire.
The Wildcats have already defeated Boston University and Quinnipiac this season, and last week they continued their winning ways, beating No. 17 Northeastern 4-1 on Thursday and then toppling instate rivals Dartmouth 3-1 on Saturday night. improving to 4-1 (and 2-0 in Hockey East). That’s their best start since 2017-18.
Goaltender Jakob Hellsten started both games for UNH and made 39 saves in both games.
9. Seawolves like it in splitsville
Alaska Anchorage has yet to be swept this season.
Maybe that’s not impressive on its face, but just look at the Seawolves’ schedule: home against UMass Lowell, at Lake Superior State, home to Air Force and now at Penn State for a Thursday-Friday series–even more challenging coming from Alaska.
In Thursday’s game, Jared Whale’s 52 saves kept the Seawolves in the contest all night and they lost just 2-1.
Friday was a totally different story. In a game with 11 total goals–including six in the first period alone–the Seawolves won 6-5 behind three-point nights from Adam Tisdale (two goals and an assist) and Aiden Westin (a goal and two assists). The Seawolves return home this weekend for a big Governor’s Cup series against the Alaska Nanooks.
10. RIT on top after sweep
After suffering their first loss two weeks ago against Sacred Heart, RIT returned to the top of the Atlantic Hockey season this weekend after sweeping Holy Cross with a pair of 3-2 victories.
On Friday, the Tigers led 1-0 going into the third but a pair of Crusaders goals–a power-play one from Jack Ricketts and a shorty from John Gelatt–put Holy Cross up 2-1 with 10 minutes to go. But Simon Isabelle tied things up with just over five minutes to go in regulation and then Tanner Andrew buried the game-winner on a counterattack in 3-on-3 overtime.
On Saturday, Holy Cross scored 30 seconds into the game, but RIT rallied to score three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead going into the third. Jack Stockfish made it a one-goal game seven minutes into the third period, but the Tigers, led by Tommy Scarfone’s 40-save evening, held on for a 3-2 win.
MSOE earned a big win over nationally ranked Babson in its opener. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MSOE Athletics)
Oh what a start to the season it was for the MSOE Raiders.
They faced off against 15th-ranked team in the nation in Babson at home and dominated in a 4-1 win.
Carson Jones scored the first goal of the night off a power play in the opening period but the Raiders went into the final period tied at 1-1.
It was in the final five minutes that everything changed in terms of momentum, with the Raiders scoring three goals in that stretch to seal the deal.
Charlie Skinner scored the go-ahead goal before Jacob Bosse punched in a goal for a 3-1 advantage. Jackson Hughes scored the final goal, punching it into an empty net.
Colin Beilke had a hand in two goals, dishing out a pair of assists and Austin Schwab made 28 saves.
The Raiders capped the weekend with a 6-3 win over Saint Mary’s behind two goals from Jones and Bosse while Nick Stofcheck started in goal and raked up 24 saves.
Foresters top ranked team
After Connor Scahill recorded the first hat trick of the season in the NCHA to lead Lake Forest to an 8-0 win over Saint Mary’s on Friday, the Foresters toppled No. 15 Babson Saturday by a 4-0 score.
Dylan Kruss made 34 saves while Chase Freiermuth, Collin Bella, Vabrizio Mazzarelli, Hayden Riva all scored goals as Lake Forest remains unbeaten and unscored upon through two games.
Blugolds make a statement
In a matchup featuring USCHO.com Top 15 teams Saturday, UW-Eau Claire prevailed, edging Augsburg 5-4 in overtime.
The Blugolds, ranked 14th, trailed the No. 13 Auggies 4-3 going into the final period. Quinn Green delivered a clutch goal with six seconds to play in regulation to force OT.
Tyler Love came through with the game winner off a tip out from Ryan Green to give UW-Eau Claire the thrilling victory.
Matt Gutjahr stopped 12 shots in goal.
UW-Eau Claire led 2-0 a little over two minutes into the opening period thanks to goals from Jack Johnston and Leo Bacallao. Blaine Warnert and Luke Mountain tied the game with two goals late in the first.
Belisle Fritz and Cade Stibbe extended the Augsburg lead to 4-2 at the 14:11 mark of the second before Aaron Swanson cut the deficit to one with under two minutes left in the period.
Cobbers knock off Aurora
Concordia passed its first big test of the season as the Cobbers defeated No. 9 Aurora 4-1 Friday night.
Hunter Bjorge got things going for Concordia as he scored off a shot from just inside the blue line to give the Cobbers an early lead. He had one goal all of last season and has now already matched that total.
With the game tied at the 13:52 mark of the first, Concordia took over the rest of the way, taking the lead for good on a goal from Jack Westlund three minutes after the Spartans tied the game. It was Westlund’s first game back since an injury in January.
Hanson O’Leary put the Cobbers up 3-1 midway through the second and Caden Triggs finished off the scoring early in the third.
Concordia got 20 saves from Matt Fitzgerald, who picked up the 10th win of his collegiate career.
Concordia and Aurora played to a 2-2 tie in the series finale Saturday.
Bethel defeated St. Norbert for the first time in more than 30 years this weekend. (Photo provided by Bethel Athletics)
It feels like 1989 again
Bethel punctuated its unbeaten weekend with a 2-1 win over St. Norbert, picking up their first win over the Green Knights since 1989.
St. Norbert received votes in the preseason national poll but the Royals were unfazed, snapping a 12-game losing streak to the Green Knights that dates back more than 30 years.
Dane Stoyanoff assisted on one goal and scored the game winner. Sam Wilhite scored the other goal for the Royals.
Austin Ryman made big plays in goal, including a key save with 14 seconds to play to help seal the deal. It was one of his 30 saves.
The Green Knights had opened the season with a 4-3 win over St. Olaf thanks to Logan Dombrowsky’s game winner.
Adrian has mixed results against Pioneers
Adrian didn’t get a win in its trip out to Utica for a game featuring the No. Bulldogs and No. 6 Pioneers.
Adrian and Utica played to a scoreless tie in the opener Friday thanks to Dershahn Stewart making 41 saves for the Bulldogs.
On Saturday, Adrian tied the game with Utica at 2-2 in the second period but couldn’t steal the momentum as it lost 3-2. Riley Murphy and Connor May both scored goals for Adrian.
Dubuque makes debut
The Spartans played their first two games in program history over the weekend, losing 3-2 to Gustavus Friday before playing to a 2-2 tie Saturday.
In Saturday’s finale, the Spartans trailed 2-0 before battling back. Thomas Gazich scored he first goal and Ethan Lang tied the game. Both goals were scored in the second period.
Goalie Dakota Meyer faced 27 shots in the game.
Great start for Falcons
UW-River Falls came through with a shutout win over Saint John’s Saturday, winning 2-0.
Dysen Skinner played a key role in the win, stopping 33 shots, while Jonny Meiers scored the first goal of the game in his debut as a college hockey player. Noah Roofe added the final goal while the Falcons stopped four power-play opportunities by the Johnnies.
Lumberjacks get a win
Northland started the 2023-24 season strong Friday with a 3-2 OT win against Lawrence.
The Lumberjacks got the win when Zach Ross scored 50 seconds into the extra session.
Evan Ilkos scored the first goal of the night, tying the game at 1-1 and Ben Stewart put Northland up 2-1.
The victory is the first for Shane Buckley, a former Northland player who took over as the head coach this season.
Lawrence bounced back Saturday with a 5-3 win as five different Vikings scored. Brendan Vettraino, Jack Michels, Ethan Beaumont, Oliver DeCroock and Cory Checco all scored for the Vikings.
No. 2 Denver (4-1-1)
10/27/2023 – Augustana 5 at No. 2 Denver 5 (OT)
10/28/2023 – Air Force 0 at No. 2 Denver 4
No. 3 Boston College (5-1-0)
10/26/2023 – No. 8 Michigan State 4 at No. 3 Boston College 6
10/27/2023 – No. 8 Michigan State 1 at No. 3 Boston College 5
No. 4 North Dakota (4-1-1)
10/27/2023 – RV Minnesota State 2 at No. 4 North Dakota 6
10/28/2023 – RV Minnesota State 2 at No. 4 North Dakota 2 (OT)
No. 5 Quinnipiac (4-3-0)
10/27/2023 – RV Maine 2 at No. 5 Quinnipiac 1 (OT)
10/28/2023 – RV Maine 1 at No. 5 Quinnipiac 4
No. 8 Michigan State (5-3-0)
10/26/2023 – No. 8 Michigan State 4 at No. 3 Boston College 6
10/27/2023 – No. 8 Michigan State 1 at No. 3 Boston College 5
No. 9 Boston University (3-2-1)
10/27/2023 – No. 19 Massachusetts 2 at No. 9 Boston University 5
10/28/2023 – No. 9 Boston University 3 at No. 19 Massachusetts 3 (OT)
No. 18 Northeastern (2-2-0)
10/26/2023 – No. 18 Northeastern 1 at RV New Hampshire 4
10/28/2023 – RV Merrimack 4 at No. 18 Northeastern 1
No. 19 Massachusetts (4-2-1)
10/27/2023 – No. 19 Massachusetts 2 at No. 9 Boston University 5
10/28/2023 – No. 9 Boston University 3 at No. 19 Massachusetts 3 (OT)
No. 20 Omaha (2-1-1)
10/27/2023 – No. 16 Ohio State 2 at No. 20 Omaha 2 (OT)
10/28/2023 – No. 16 Ohio State 4 at No. 20 Omaha 0
Adam Johnson skated for UMD from 2015 to 2017 (photo: Minnesota Duluth Athletics).
Adam Johnson, a two-year Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey letterman and alternate captain, passed away Oct. 28 at the age of 29.
Johnson was injured in a game in the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League, getting inadvertently hit in the neck by a skate blade.
“We are deeply devastated to learn last evening of the passing of Adam Johnson,” said the UMD men’s hockey staff in a statement. “Adam was loved and admired by his teammates, coaches, and staff. As talented as he was on the ice, he was even a better person. Adam remained connected to the program, and for our time with him we are eternally grateful. Adam, we love you, we will miss you.”
A native of Hibbing, Minn., Johnson enjoyed a breakout season for UMD in 2016-17, ranking second among all Bulldogs in goals (18), points (37) and shots (133) — all career bests — while scoring a team-high seven times on the power play. The most notable of those advantage scores came in overtime in UMD’s 3-2 triumph over Boston University for the NCAA West Regional title.
Johnson helped lead UMD to its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship in March of 2017 by pacing the team with five points (one goal and four assists) and was crucial in the Bulldogs’ NCAA runner-up finish later that month to Denver in Chicago.
For his career, Johnson skated in 81 of 82 games after joining the Bulldog program in 2015-16 and had 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists). He was also a two-time NCHC all-academic team selection.
After he signed a two-year contract with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 to forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility, Johnson played 13 games with the Penguins between 2018 and 2020 and recorded a goal and three assists for four career points.
Most recently, Johnson was playing in his seventh season of professional hockey and first with Nottingham in the EIHL after having played in Germany last season.
Minnesota State goalie Alex Tracy fashioned a 37-save outing Saturday night for the Mavericks (photo: Russell Hons).
After losing 6-2 Friday night, Minnesota State came back Saturday night to tie No. 4 North Dakota 2-2 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
The Mavericks then won the shootout after nothing was solved in overtime.
Sam Morton and Will Hillman scored for the Mavericks, while Riese Gaber and Hunter Johannes tallied for the Fighting Hawks, with Johannes’ goal tied it at 8:29 of the third period.
Sam Morton nets his second of the weekend to give @MinnStMHockey a 2-1 lead after one period!
In goal, Alex Tracy made 37 saves for Minnesota State and Ludvig Persson stopped 23 shots for North Dakota.
“It was a great response,” Minnesota State coach Luke Strand commented on Tracy’s performance. “No one was more disappointed on Friday than him and his ability to come back and be focused right from the start was really important. It’s a credit to the type of person and goalie that he is.”
Freshman goalie Freddie Halyk made 24 saves to lead Denver to a 4-0 win over Air Force Saturday night at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo.
Denver took the early lead when Boston Buckberger’s shot was headed wide of the net and Massimo Rizzo redirected it into the net for a 1-0 lead at 11 minutes of the first period.
Late in the second period, a bad bounce went against the Falcons as Cale Ashcroft took a shot from below the goal line that caromed off the back of goalie Guy Blessing and into the net at 18:31 of the second.
The Pioneers clung to the two-goal lead until late in the third period. Rizzo took a puck coast-to-coast, made a move around Blessing and scored while diving across the crease with 5:44 left. The Falcons pulled BLessing with 2:57 remaining, but Carter King scored into the empty net.
Blessing made 23 saves for the Falcons.
No. 5 Quinnipiac 4, Maine 1
Quinnipiac bounced back on Saturday night, knocking off Maine 4-1 at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.
Maine opened the scoring at the 12:47 mark of the period on a goal by David Breazeale, but the Bobcats answered 70 seconds later off the stick of CJ McGee.
The Bobcats added a pair in the second to seal the victory, with Travis Treloar scoring on a breakaway before Mason Marcellus added a wraparound goal with 1:07 left in the second to double the advantage before Sam Lipkin’s empty-netter late iced it.
Vinny Duplessis made the start for the home team, stopping 25 shots on the evening.
Victor Ostman turned aside 26 shots for the Black Bears.
No. 6 Michigan 10, Lindenwood 1
TJ Hughes went for two goals and three assists as the Wolverines swept Lindenwood with a 10-1 win Saturday night at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Gavin Brindley added two goals and two assists, and Rutger McGroarty and Mark Estapa each scored a pair of goals to back Jake Barczewski’s 27 saves in goal.
Seamus Casey chipped in a goal and two assists, and Jackson Hallum picked up a goal plus a helper.
Frank Nazar collected three assists, and Nick Moldenhauer, Dylan Duke, and Marshall Warren tacked on two assists each.
For Lindenwood, David Gagnon scored and Trent Burnham and Matthew Syverson combined to make 42 saves between the pipes.
Augustana 4, Colorado College 3
Augustana scored four goals by the 12:59 mark of the second period and held on the rest of the way to down Colorado College at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ryan Naumovski, Ben Troumbly, and Luke Mobley all had a goal and an assist for the Vikings, and Uula Ruikka also scored.
First collegiate goal from Ben Troumbly gives @AugieMHockey a 3-1 lead at CC!
Providence and Vermont played to a 2-2 tie Saturday night at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I., before the Catamounts won the shootout.
The Friars opened the scoring on the power play just 5:01 into the game as Nick Poisson fired a shot from the left circle past Gabe Carriere.
The Catamounts responded just 1:07 later as Simon Jellus finished off a rebound from a Xavier Henry point shot to tie the game at 1-1.
Connor Kelley gave Providence the lead at 12:53 of the third period, burying a wrist shot past Carriere, before UVM countered again just 43 seconds later on Timofei Spitserov’s goal off a rebound off the end boards.
The Friars killed off a Vermont power play in overtime and had the final 45 seconds with the man-advantage but couldn’t convert.
Jellus scored the lone shootout goal to give the Catamounts the extra point.
Philip Svedebäck made 33 saves for the Friars, while Gabe Carriere stopped 32 saves for the Catamounts.
No. 12 Cornell 3, No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 0
Gabriel Seger registered his first career multi-goal game, and Ben Robertson had two assists, guiding Cornell to a 3-0 shutout of Minnesota Duluth before another over-capacity crowd of 4,316 at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday night.
Ian Shane recorded his ninth career shutout, turning aside all 17 shots he faced from the Bulldogs.
🚨And just like that the Big Red lead 2-0! Gabe Seger nets the second Big Red goal off the helpers from Hank Kempf and Nick DeSantis. 14:19 left in period 2.#YellCornellpic.twitter.com/K1afMQ4p0J
No. 9 Boston University 3, No. 19 Massachusetts 3 (BU wins shootout)
Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period, including the game-tying goal with 2:10 remaining in regulation, to help Boston University rally for a 3-3 tie at UMass on Saturday night at Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.
After BU and UMass were unable to break the deadlock in overtime, Quinn Hutson scored the lone shootout goal to help BU secure the extra point in the Hockey East standings.
Mathieu Caron made a season-high 38 saves across regulation and overtime before coming up with two clutch stops in the shootout to give the Terriers five of six points from the Minutemen this weekend.
Devin Kaplan scored for BU and Luke Tuch had two assists.
Chad Demers is in his first season as an assistant coach at Augustana (photo: Augustana Athletics).
Augustana assistant coach Chad Demers will step away from the Vikings bench for several weeks while recovering from brain surgery.
Demers was diagnosed with grade IV glioblastoma in 2018 and has undergone various treatments over the past five-plus years.
A recent scan showed a recurrence of a cancerous tumor requiring surgery early next week.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Demers and his family as he continues his fight,” Augustana head coach Garrett Raboin said. “His perspective and approach to every day are nothing short of incredible and he continues to serve as an inspiration to us all.
“We can’t wait for him to return to his Augustana hockey family soon.”
Michael Hedden, the most prolific goal scorer in the history of Neumann men’s hockey, is coming home to coach the team he once led to an NCAA championship.
He is the seventh head coach in the team’s 26-year history and will also serve as an assistant athletic director for Neumann.
Hedden is a 2009 graduate of the university and served as an alternate captain on the team that won the Division III national title in 2009. He was inducted into the Neumann University Hall of Fame in 2017.
“I’m very excited and honored to be back at my alma mater,” said Hedden in a statement. “Neumann has played a tremendous role in my life and paved the path in my professional career. I’m excited to be back as a Knight and help lead the program back to a national level.”
Over his career as a Knight, he was awarded ECAC West all-conference team honors all four seasons. Scoring 96 goals in his career, Hedden still holds the school record by a wide margin. The player in second place has 61. He sits in second for games played (108), sixth all-time in assists (67) and is second on the career list in points (163).
“I am very excited to welcome Mike Hedden back to our community as our assistant AD and head men’s ice hockey coach,” said Chuck Sack, director of Neumann athletics and recreation. “Mike’s success as a student-athlete at Neumann University and throughout his professional career have prepared him to lead our men’s ice hockey team well. Coach Hedden possesses a passion and enthusiasm for leading and learning that I know he is excited to share with the team and community. And his knowledge, skills and abilities will help contribute to our vision for building an ice hockey rink on campus.”
After graduating from Neumann, Hedden became a member of the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL and continued his playing career until 2020. He was a member of the 2014 AHL Calder Cup champions with the Texas Stars. Over his three seasons with Texas, Hedden played in 205 games, scored 55 goals, and handed out 69 assists for 124 points. During the 2014 Calder Cup run, he scored nine goals and finished with 19 points in 21 games.
He also represented Team Canada in the Spengler Cup in 2014. From 2014 to 2019, Hedden played overseas. In 2019, Hedden was a member of the EIHL playoff champion Cardiff Devils.
Hedden began his coaching career with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush (ECHL) in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, he was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.
Hockey East announced Saturday that Vermont graduate defenseman Jérémie Bucheler has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 19:57 of the second period on Oct. 27 at Providence.
On the play, Bucheler was assessed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing.
Bucheler is ineligible to play Oct. 28 at Providence and is able to return to the Catamounts’ lineup on Nov. 3 against UConn.
Goaltender Logan Bateman from Albertus Magnus returns to help the Falcons push beyond last year’s 17-win total (Photo by Morgan Violette)
For the four Independent teams in the east, the 2023-24 season will be the final one with that distinction as all four teams move to official conferences for the 2024-25 season among the many new league and conference alignments. Albertus Magnus will join the NEHC; Anna Maria and Rivier will be members of the MASCAC conference and Canton will be part of the SUNYAC for next year’s season.
Albertus Magnus
The Falcons are coming off a 17-win season and are certainly looking for more in just their third season as a D-III program. Once again coach Kyle Wallack can rely on the consistent and excellent goaltending of graduate student Logan Batemen along with key leadership from Cameron Weitzman and Ryan Herpy.
Anna Maria
Coach David McCauley’s squad went 10-13-2 last season but lost several one-goal games and gave every opponent all they could handle. A little more offense and a couple of puck bounces in their favor and the AmCats should produce a winning record this season. Cam Tobey and Derek Raposo anchor a aggressive and offensive minded defense and support a young offensive group that includes seven first-year players.
Canton
The Roos finished 12-13-0 last season and always give their fellow SUNYAC schools a difficult time as part of their Independent schedule. Last year’s team saw a lot of balanced scoring and coach Alex Boak will be looking for more of the same this season with the return of Evan Pringle, Nick Herringer and Trystan and Jordyn Mughal.
Rivier
Shaun Millerick takes over behind the bench and expects to build on last year’s 8-win season. Jon Tavella and Nicolas Paolucci led the offense last season and will bbe looking for others to contribute on the scoreboard while goaltender captain Luke Newell anchors the Raiders in goal.
Players to watch
Albertus Magnus: Logan Bateman – goaltender; Tim Manning – forward
Anna Maria: Cam Tobey – defense; Derek Raposo – defense
Canton: Evan Pringle – forward; Nick Herringer – forward
Rivier : Jon Tavella – forward; Luke Newell – goaltender
USCHO Predicted finish (by record)
Albertus Magnus
Anna Maria
Canton
Rivier
The season opens with Albertus Magnus visiting Suffolk; Canton hosting Stevenson; Rivier hosting Alvernia and Anna Maria playing in the Worcester City Cup tournament with Worcester State, Assumption and Nichols.
Maine players celebrate their OT win Friday night at Quinnipiac (photo: Maine Athletics).
A pair of goals from Simon Tassy pushed No. 14 Wisconsin past No. 1 Minnesota 3-2 Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn., to sweep the nation’s top team for the first time since 2014.
Though Wisconsin struck first, the Gophers battled back, tying the game twice throughout the evening, until a late third-period goal from Tassy gave the Badgers the lead for good.
Tassy had a standout performance, scoring a power-play goal and notching an assist in addition to his game-winning tally. Christian Fitzgerald also had a multi-point night with two assists.
Kyle McClellan continued to stand tall in net, stopping 29 shots for the win.
Wisconsin opened the scoring six minutes into the game with a power-play goal from Tassy. Cruz Lucius rushed the puck into the Gophers’ zone before finding Fitzgerald at the top of the right circle. Fitzgerald then skated toward the right side of the net and passed to Tassy on his left, who one-timed it into the back of the Minnesota net past Justen Close.
The Gophers tied the game three minutes into the middle frame when Aaron Huglen fired a shot past McClellan.
The Badgers reclaimed the lead again late in the second period. William Whitelaw found a cross-ice seam through the slot to Fitzgerald, who fired. The shot was stopped, but it rebounded back to Whitelaw who sniped it in to make it 2-1.
Early in the third period, the Gophers tied it up again with a goal by Jimmy Clark.
Minnesota continued to push, but Wisconsin stood strong defensively. The team’s hard work was rewarded when Tassy found the back of the net with less than three minutes remaining in the final frame to win the game for the Badgers.
Arnaud Vachon had a goal and an assist for Augustana, while Hayden Hennen, Owen Bohn, and Hunter Bischoff also scored. Simon Falk had two assists and Zack Rose made 30 saves in goal.
For Denver, Jack Devine went for a goal and two assists, Massimo Rizzo had a goal and an assist, and Rieger Lorenz, Boston Buckberger, and Kieran Cebrian added goals.
Matt Davis stopped 27 shots in goal.
No. 3 Boston College 5, No. 8 Michigan State 1
Cutter Gauthier and Jack Malone each scored a pair of goals to power Boston College past Michigan State 5-1 on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at Kelley Rink, sweeping the series in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
In addition to the multi-goal games from Gauthier and Malone, Mike Posma netted his first of the season to open the scoring. Gabe Perreault and Oskar Jellvik finished the night with two assists each, giving the Eagles four players with multi-point performances.
Jacob Fowler recorded a season-high 43 saves for the Eagles.
Karsen Dorwart scored for MSU, who got 29 saves from Trey Augustine.
No. 4 North Dakota 6, Minnesota State 2
North Dakota wasted no time on Friday night, striking for four goals in the opening 20 minutes en route to a 6-2 victory over Minnesota State in front of a sellout crowd at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
Jackson Blake potted two goals and added an assist while Owen McLaughlin (goal, two assists) and Garrett Pyke (three assists) also notched a trio of points to help UND score the team’s most goals against the Mavericks since an 8-4 win on Feb. 9, 2007.
The Black Bears opened the scoring as Donavan Villeneuve-Houle fought through traffic for a finish at the left post midway through the first period.
After the Bobcats equalized in the second period on a goal by Christophe Fillion, neither team found the back of the net in the third.
That set the stage for Chabrier’s winner.
In goal, Victor Ostman made 17 saves for the win.
Quinnipiac’s Matej Marinov stopped 27 in the loss.
No. 6 Michigan 9, Lindenwood 1
Jackson Hallum scored twice for his first-ever multi-goal game, while Seamus Casey extended his active point streak to 12 games with one goal and one assist, and Garrett Schifsky (three assists), Dylan Duke (goal, two assists), and TJ Hughes (goal, two assists) led the way with three points apiece as the Wolverines defeated the Lions 9-1 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Noah West turned aside 19 shots between the pipes to earn his first win of the year.
Caige Sterzer notched the lone goal for Lindenwood, and Trent Burnham and Matthew Syverson combined on a 36-save effort in goal.
No. 7 Providence 4, Vermont 1
Taige Harding and Luke Krys each scored their first goals of the season as the Friars downed Vermont 4-1 on home ice at Schneider Arena.
Jaroslav Chmelar and Chase Yoder also scored for the Friars.
Yoder stuffs home his third of the season to extend the lead to 4-1 on the power play! Engelbert forces the turnover to earn the assist. pic.twitter.com/6vgbuB733p
Simon Jellus scored the Vermont goal midway through the second period.
Philip Svedebäck made 13 saves in the Friars goal, while Gabe Carriere made 42 saves for the Catamounts.
No. 9 Boston University 5, No. 19 Massachusetts 2
Macklin Celebrini (goal, two assists), Lane Hutson (goal, two assists) and Jeremy Wilmer (three assists) tallied three points apiece to help lead Boston University to a 5-2 win over UMass on Friday night at Agganis Arena in Boston.
Ryan Greene had a goal plus a helper, while Luke Tuch and Dylan Peterson added goals for the Terriers.
Ryan Lautenbach posted a goal and an assist for the Minutemen, with his goal coming 46 seconds into the game, Lucas Mercuri chipped in two assists, and Taylor Makar scored.
Mathieu Caron made 18 saves for the win, while Michael Hrabal had 31 in defeat.
No. 12 Cornell 4, No. 11 Minnesota Duluth 1
Jack O’Leary, Ryan Walsh, and Dalton Bancroft, all with a goal and an assist, propelled Cornell to a 4-1 victory over Minnesota Duluth before an over-capacity crowd of 4,316 at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., on Friday evening.
Kyle Penney recorded the game-winning goal for the Big Red, who recorded its most goals in a season-opening game since registering a 5-1 victory over Alabama Huntsville almost six years to the day (Oct. 27, 2017).
Ben Steeves notched the UMD goal and Zach Stejskal finished with 25 saves in goal.
Ian Shane made 18 stops in the Cornell cage.
Miami 5, No. 13 Arizona State (OT)
Miami rallied from a three-goal deficit in the final 13 minutes of the third period to shock Arizona State 5-4 in overtime Friday night at the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio.
John Waldron scored the game-winning goal 21 seconds into the extra session and finished with three points (goal, two assists), while Matthew Barbolini added three assists to help the RedHawks win their fourth consecutive game.
Logan Neaton made 30 saves as Miami dropped the previously undefeated Sun Devils.
Ty Jackson had a goal and an assist for ASU, while Dylan Jackson and Charlie Schoen popped two assists apiece and goalie TJ Semptimphelter finished with 28 saves.
Tonight’s Atlantic Hockey game between Army West Point and American International scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., has been postponed.
No reason was given in a league-issued news release.
A rescheduled date for the contest is to be determined.
