Home Blog Page 98

MIAC Men’s Hockey Preview: Auggies, Saints among top teams

By
-
Augsburg won the MIAC tournament last season and went on to play in the NCAA tourney. (Photo provided by Augsburg Athletics)

The MIAC is one of the more interesting leagues in D-III hockey. The usual contenders always seem to thrive but you never know who might emerge as a surprise team. And the battle for conference tournament spots? That always seems to be tight right up through the last weekend of the season.

A year ago, St. Scholastica won the regular-season crown but it was Augsburg that claimed the tourney title and automatic bid to the playoffs as the only team from the MIAC to make the NCAA tournament.

What is in store for this season? Only time will tell. Here’s a quick look at the season ahead.

Augsburg

A new era begins at Augsburg as Garrett Hendrickson takes over as the head coach of the Auggies, who won the conference tournament a season ago and played in the NCAA tourney.

Hendrickson is just the sixth head coach in the modern history of the program after serving as a full-time assistant the last two seasons. He’s no stranger to the MIAC having played college hockey at Concordia.

The Auggies were 16-10-2 a year ago, finishing 10-5-1 in the MIAC and are coming off their sixth conference title and eighth NCAA tourney appearance in program history.

Erik Palmqvist is the top returning scoring threat after tallying 11 goals nine assists a year ago. Daniel Chladek also returns for the Auggies, who racked eight goals and 10 assists, while Fritz Belisle came through with five goals and 13 assists.

The Auggies also welcome back one of the top goalies in D-III hockey in Samuel Vyletelka, who racked up 498 saves a year ago and won 12 games. He fashioned a 2.15 goals against average. 

Augsburg always seems to have a team poised to contend and this year should be no different.

St. Scholastica

It was a memorable year for the Saints, who put together one of their best seasons in program history, advancing to the MIAC tourney final for the first time. 

Don’t be surprised if they are playing for a championship again this year.

After all, a total of 20 players are back, including six all-conference picks. 

Among them are Arkhip Ledenkov and Filimon Ledenkov, two of the best offensive threats in the conference. Arkhip is the reigning offensive player of the year in the MIAC while goalie Jack Bostedt is the reigning defensive player of the year. The Ledenkov brothers and Bostedt were All-Americans last season as well.

Nathan Adrian, Alec Severson and Casen Richels are back as well for a Saints team that was 17-7-3 overall and 13-1-2 in the conference.

Arkhip led the attack with 21 goals and 27 assists while Filimon tallied 13 goals and 29 assists. Richels finished third in points with 19 goals and 21 assists and Adrian was a force as well on offense, scoring 16 goals and dishing out 17 assists.

Newcomers Hunter Hanson, Isaac Suppin, Elowan Orme-Lynch, Matteo Orme-Lynch and Emmett Wurst all could make an immediate impact as well for the Saints.

The Saints gained valuable experience last season and are poised to contend once again.

Saint John’s

The Johnnies are always in the mix for a MIAC title. They finished 13-10-2 overall last season and 9-5-2 in the conference, appearing in the MIAC tourney for the fifth consecutive year.

A lot of key players are back, including Lewis Crosby, who scored seven goals and dished out 15 assists. He led the team in power play points (13) and is a two-time All-MIAC pick.

Max Borst scored nine goals last year and heads into this season as a team captain while Bailey Huber is back in goal after starting 19 games last season. He won 11 and made 457 saves.

Other key players back are defensemen Mason Campbell and Jack Olsen. Campbell scored six goals and is coming off a year where he was on the USCHO All-Rookie team. Olsen finished with three goals and is a team captain as well this season.

Matt DeRosa (3 goals, 7 assists), Jackson Sabo (4 goals, 8 assists) and Spender Rudrud (1 goal, 9 assists) will also be key contributors.

The Johnnies have also brought on several key newcomers, including seven that played in the NAHL, along with UW-Eau Claire transfer Conner Couet.

Concordia

The Cobbers went 12-12-2 last season, fashioning a 9-6-1 mark in the MIAC, and they are hoping to be among the to teams again this season. It shouldn’t be a problem.

Concordia, after all, returns its top seven players in terms of points, including Joe Harguideguy, who led the team with 12 goals and 11 assists. His goal total was the best on the team.

Cole O’Connell (7 goals, 14 assists), Liam Haslam (3 goals, team-best 17 assists), Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe (8 goals, 10 assists), Mason Plante (7 goals, 10 assists), Caden Triggs (9 goals, 7 assists) and Hanson O’Leary (9 goals, 5 assists) will all once again be key contributors as well for a team that should have one of the top offenses in the conference.

Goalie Matt Fitzgerald returns as well. He started 15 games and won eight games while making 299 saves.

St. Olaf

The Oles return 90 percent of their scoring and that experience bodes well for the Oles as they take aim winning a championship and playing in the NCAA tournament like they did in 2022. A year ago, St. Olaf made it to the semifinals of the MIAC tourney.

Troy Bowditch leads the way for a team that has 24 players back. The all-conference pick tallied 10 goals and 17 assists for an Oles team that finished 14-11-2 overall and 7-8-1 in the MIAC.

Connor Kalthoff was an All-MIAC pick as well, scoring six goals and dishing out 10 assists. Jonathan Panisa (8 goals and 8 assists) is also a key contributor while Thomas Lalonde brings experience in goa after saving more than 90 percent of the shots he faced. 

Keep an eye on newcomer Joey Kennelly as well. He played for the Renfrew Wolves of the CCHL.

Bethel

Better days could very well be ahead for the Royals, who were 10-14-1 last season, including a 5-10-1 mark in the MIAC.

Among the 22 players back for Bethel are three of the top five point scorers. Justin Kelley leads the way after transferring in from St. Thomas last season. He tallied eight goals and nine assists in his first year with the program.

Dane Stoyanoff is also back after coming through with a goal and 12 assists, the most on the team, and Austin Ryman made a solid impression in goal, starting 16 games and recording two shutouts. He sported a 2.36 goals against average.

The leading goal scorer for the Royals is also back in Tyler Braccini, who scored 10 times last season to go along with six assists.

Several newcomers could make an impact for the Royals. Tyler Kostelecky transfers in from Long Island University and Joe Westlund and Luke Anderson both played in the NAHL.

That experience, coupled with the fact that Bethel ranked third in the nation in penalty kill (91.8 percent), should put the Royals in the mix for a conference tournament spot.

Saint Mary’s

It was a cool offseason for the program as the team spent nine days in Italy, playing a couple of games against teams from Switzerland.

Now the Cardinals are hoping for a turnaround season after going 11-13-1 overall and 7-9 in the MIAC last year.

A total of 25 players are back, including the top two point scorers in Landon Poellinger and Kellen Theraldson. Poellinger scored five goals to go along with 11 assists while Theraldson tallied three goals and 12 assists.

Warner Young also returns after scoring six goals and dishing out eight assists last season. Jack Campion came through with four goals and eight assists. Callahan Nauss punched in six goals last year.

The big thing the Cardinals are counting on is leadership. There are 12 seniors on the roster and expectations will be high.

Hamline

The Pipers finished 13-11-1 overall but just 6-10 in the MIAC and look to improve on that mark with 17 returnees. The roster also features 12 newcomers.

Leading the way is Bailey Sommers, who punched in six goals and also dished out 10 assists. Ryan Brandt tallied four goals and 10 assists and Jordon Halverson was a key scorer as well, tallying four goals and seven assists.

Filling the void left by the graduated Kevin Lake will be key to a strong year. Lake was an all-conference pick last season who made more than 1,400 saves in his career with the Pipers.

Gustavus

It was not an easy year for the Gusties, who won only once in conference play, finishing 3-19-3 overall and 1-13-2 in the MIAC.

But better days could be ahead as Gustavus returns its top six players. Nate Stone leads the way after scoring six goals and dishing out six assists a year ago.

Kyle Heffron (4 goals, 8 assists), Jac Triemert (5 goals,3 assists), Stanislav Danaev (4 goals, 4 assists), Jack Kubitz (1 goal, 7 assists) and Joey Gibmerlin (8 assists) are all expected to play key roles as well for the Gusties.

Nothing ever comes easy in the MIAC, but the Gusties at least have some experience that should lead to a much improved season.

 

Life at the top is difficult, plus our first buy or sell: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 3

By and
-

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 23, 2023 edition of USCHO Weekend Review:

• Life at the top is difficult, as several top teams see splits on the weekend

• Eight more teams are undefeated (not counting the Ivies)

• Our first edition this season of Buy or Sell (or Hold)

Subscribe to this college hockey podcast on Apple podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Find our college hockey podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

Minnesota stays atop USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, gets 42 first-place votes in Oct. 23 rankings

By
-
Minnesota goalie Justen Close makes one of his 25 saves during the Gophers’ 4-0 shutout at North Dakota last Friday night (photo: Russell Hons).

After splitting with North Dakota last weekend, Minnesota remains No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, garnering 42 first-place votes.

Denver remains No. 2, getting six first-place votes, while Boston College stays third with one first-place vote.

North Dakota moves up one to No. 4 and Quinnipiac drops one spot to sit fifth this week.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Oct. 23, 2023

Michigan rises one to No. 6, Providence jumps up three to No. 7, and also earned a first-place vote, while Michigan State remains eighth, Boston University falls three spots to sit ninth, and Western Michigan falls one to No. 10.

Three new teams that were not ranked last week enter the rankings this week as Wisconsin comes in at No. 14, UMass at No. 19, and Omaha at No. 20.

In addition to the top 20 teams, 15 others 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.

Hockey East suspends Holy Cross’ Saarela one game for hitting from behind penalty Oct. 21 against Boston College

By
-
SAARELA

Hockey East announced Monday that Holy Cross senior forward Bryn Saarela has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 17:29 of the second period on Oct. 21 at Boston College.

On the play, Saarela was given a major penalty for hitting from behind and a game misconduct.

Saarela is ineligible to play Oct. 27 at Northeastern and is able to return to the Crusaders’ lineup on Oct. 28 against the Huskies.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap October 23, 2023

By
-

Bemidji State at (1) Wisconsin

BSU goalie Abbie Thompson surpassed her previous career high in saves (33) before the second intermission, keeping the top-ranked Badgers off the scoreboard. In the third, Wisconsin poured it on with 30 shots on goal. Casey O’Brien opened the scoring :50 into the third period. Katie Kotlowski, Britta Curl and Cassie Hall all also scored in the final frame to make it a 4-0 Badger win. On Saturday, Curl scored in the first minute, but Bemidji State got the goal back with about five to go in the first thanks to Hailey Armstrong. But Maddi Wheeler put UW back ahead for good a few minutes later to send the teams to the locker rooms with Wisconsin up 2-1. Wheeler scored again early in the second and then Kirsten Simms scored twice to make it 5-1. Cassie Hall, Kelly Gorbatenko and Vivian Jungels also lit the lamp, giving the Badgers an 8-1 win and the weekend sweep. 

(2) Ohio State at St. Thomas 

The first game of the series started out close, with Hannah Bilka scoring first for Ohio State. Cara Sajevic responded for the Tommies just a few minutes later to tie the game 1-1. But the Buckeyes took over from there, reeling off three goals in fewer than three minutes at the midpoint of the first to put OSU up 4-1 and they did not look back. Emma Peschel’s second-period goal extended it to 5-1 before Sajevic got her second of the game to make it 5-2. Bilka’s goal late in the third secured the 6-2 win for Ohio State. Kenzie Hauswirth’s goal two minutes into the game was the only tally until a very busy seventh minute of the second period in which OSU’s Olivia Mobley and Jenn Gardiner and then St. Thomas’ Allie Monrean scored all in a matter of 53 seconds to make it a 3-1 game. Once again, the Buckeyes pulled away, this time with two goals from Kiara Zanon and one each from Kelsy King and Cayla Barnes to give Ohio State the 7-1 win and sweep.

(13) St. Cloud State at (4) Minnesota

It took until the final minute of this game to decide a winner. Minnesota took a 1-0 lead at the midpoint of the second thanks to a goal from rookie Ava Lindsay, who lifted the puck over the glove of SCSU goalie Jojo Chobak. The Gophers extended their lead with an empty-net shorthand tally from Taylor Stewart to go up 2-0. The Huskies clawed one back with an extra attacker with seconds left on the clock, but ran out of time to complete the comeback as the Gophers took a 2-1 win. 

(5) Yale at (14) Princeton

It took half a period for Yale to find their stride in the opening game of their season as Anna Bargman scored to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. Elle Hartje doubled the lead midway through the second and Bargman added an empty-netter to secure a 3-0 win for Yale. 

(5) Yale at (6) Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac pressured Yale early and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the game, putting the Bulldogs at a deficit they were not able to come back from. Emerson Jarvis scored 1:20 into the game and then Kahlen Lamarche picked up a puck in the neutral zone and carried it in herself to score her first as a Bobcat just 28 seconds later. Maya Labad added a power play goal off a rebound and Sadie Peart got a pass from Lamarche in transition that she buried to make it 4-0. Yale started to climb back in the second, with a pretty wrister from Carina DiAntonio and then a deflection off a shot by Jordan Ray cut the lead to 4-2 at the second intermission. Stephanie Stainton scored her first collegiate goal to make it a one goal game, but the Bulldogs could not find an equalizer. Just three seconds after they pulled Pia Dukaric, Quinnipiac scored on the empty net. Forty seconds later, the Bobcats did it again, finding the net just nine seconds after Dukaric departed it to give Quinnipiac the 6-3 win. 

Brown at (6) Quinnipiac

Despite being outshot 44-18 in the game, Brown held the Bobcats scoreless into the third frame. Nina Steingauf was able to put away a deflection from a Julia Nearis shot to get on the board and that would prove to be the game winner, as Quinnipiac eked out a 1-0 victory.

(7) Clarkson at Robert Morris

The Golden Knights attempted 40 shots in the first, but went into the first intermission up just 1-0 thanks to a goal from Anne Cherkowski four minutes in. Robert Morris tied the game early in the second with a goal from Alaina Giampietro. Two minutes later, Darcie Lappan scored what would prove to be the game-winner and from there Clarkson began to pull away. Cherkowski scored a second goal, Keira Hurry added a power play tally and Lappan scored a shorthanded empty netter to secure the 5-1 win. In the second game, it was all about special teams as Brooke McQuigge scored on the player advantage in the first and Alexie Guay doubled the lead on a power play in the third. The Colonials pulled within one when they pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and Giampietro lit the lamp, but could not complete the comeback as Clarkson took the 2-1 win and sweep.

(8) Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State

Mary Kate O’Brien put UMD up 1-0 after the first period on Friday, but Mankato’s Jamie Nelson scored on the power play in the second to even the teams at one. Reece Hunt’s solo effort midway through the third put the Bulldogs up 2-1 and Hanna Baskin’s goal in the final minutes ensured the 3-1 victory. On Saturday, Gabby Krause got credit for a power play goal that deflected off her leg and into the net to put Minnesota Duluth 1-0. Charlotte Akervik tied the game for the Mavericks in the second, but it didn’t last long. O’Brien’s shot from the slot put UMD up 2-1 just 90 seconds later. Jenna Lawry picked an MSU pocket and quickly put the shot on net to make it 3-1 Bulldogs. Krause batted home a rebound a few minutes later to put the game out of reach at 4-1 and give UMD a sweep.

Syracuse at (9) Cornell

Katie Chan and Avi Adam each scored twice while Izzy Daniel, Rory Guilday, and Kaitlin Jockims each lit the lamp once to lead Cornell to a 7-0 win. Gabbie Rud also had four assists in the game for the Big Red. 

(9) Cornell at Mercyhurst

In the first game, Cornell got on the board first as Georgia Schiff deflected in a puck from Ashley Messier to make it 1-0. It looked like that’s how the teams would go to the locker rooms, but Mercyhurst struck just before intermission, scoring twice in three seconds in the final minute of the first. Sydney Pedersen’s unassisted goal tied the game and Sofia Nuutinen came back right off the ensuing faceoff to put the Lakers up 2-1. The score carried into third when Izzy Daniel knotted the game 2-2 just 24 seconds into the frame. Midway through the third, Sara Boucher scored on a breakaway during a 4-on-4 to put Mercyhurst up 3-2. The Big Red pulled their goalie for an extra skater, which paid off when Daniel scored her second of the game to force overtime. Daniel received a penalty shot with two seconds left in the extra frame, but her shot hit the pipe and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. On Saturday, the Lakers once again scored first, this time when Thea Johansson put home a third-chance opportunity. Daniel tied it up early in the second with a shot from the slot. It looked like overtime might be necessary to decide game two, but Kaitlin Jockims made it 2-1 with five minutes to go and Daniel added an empty-netter to secure the 3-1 win.

(13) St. Cloud State vs (10) Northeastern – Ice Breaker

Junior defender Grace Wolfe tallied six of St. Cloud’s 18 blocks and Sanni Ahola recorded her fourth straight shutout to open the year as SCSU defeated their Husky counterparts at Northeastern. The game was scoreless into the third, where St. Cloud killed off a 5-on-3 while allowing just one shot while down two skaters and used that momentum to take the lead. Katie Kaufman scored with an incredible individual effort where she carried the puck behind the net before turning and perfectly placing her shot from a narrow angle to make it 1-0. Klára Hymlárová added an empty-net goal to secure the 2-0 win. 

(10) Northeastern vs. Sacred Heart

Taze Thompson scored twice to open the game for Northeastern and Skylar Irving snuck a goal home with seconds left in the first to give the Huskies a 3-0 at the first break. Ella Blackmore made it 4-0 in the second. Sacred Heart ruined the shutout with a goal from Nicole Bessinger in the third, but Northeastern took the 4-1 win. Irving factored in all four Husky goals, adding three assists. Katy Knoll also had three helpers for Northeastern. 

(13) St. Cloud State vs. Lindenwood

Junior defender Devyn Millwater scored her first collegiate goal just 11 seconds into this game to put SCSU up 1-0. CC Bowlby added a shorthander to make it 2-0 and then Klára Hymlárová tallied a hat trick and the Huskies took a 5-0 win and the Ice Breaker Championship.

RIT at (11) St. Lawrence

On Thursday, St. Lawrence jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a rebound goal from Suyeon Eom and a snipe from Abby Hustler. RIT pushed back in the second and third, as the Saints failed to put the game out of reach. Nicole Ness scored midway through the final frame to cut the lead to 2-1, but penalty trouble late kept them from pulling their goalie and making a final push as St. Lawrence escaped with the 2-1 win. 

(12) Vermont at Merrimack

Krista Parkkonen scored her first career goal with a slap shot on the power play to put Vermont up 1-0 early on Friday. A period later, Evelyne Blais-Savoie went coast to coast and clanged a shot off the post and into the net to make it 2-0 Catamounts. The final few minutes of the second her busy, as Merrimack began to push back. Natalie Nemes scored on an odd skater rush to cut the lead in half and less than a minute later Allison Reeb received a pass off the faceoff to tie the game 2-2. With 60 seconds until intermission, Sara Levesque picked the top corner to put Vermont up 3-2. Blais-Savoie scored on the empty net to secure a 4-2 win for UVM. In the second game of the series, the teams played a back and forth, but scoreless first period. From there, it was a game of taking advantage of opportunities. In the second, Mary Edmonds scored on a third-chance opportunity for the Warriors to give them their first lead of the weekend. Celine Tedenby picked up a rebound a few minutes later to give Merrimack the 2-0 advantage. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Vermont kicked into gear from there. Rose-Marie Brochu scored her first career goal by cleaning up a rebound with a shot to the top shelf to make it 2-1 heading to the second intermission. Lily Humphrey collected her own rebound and carried to the opposite faceoff circle before wristing the puck home to tie the game 2-2. Natalie Mlynkova intercepted a pass to create a 2-on-1 where she gave Vermont the 3-2 lead. Kaylee Lewis scored her first career goal with a shot from the slot to ensure the 4-2 Catamount win and weekend sweep.  

Brown at (14) Princeton

Rookie goalie Uma Corniea earned her second shutout in just her third career start to lead Princeton to a 3-0 win on Saturday. The Tigers outshot the Brown Bears 37-17. Emerson O’Leary continued her hot start, tallying the first goal of the night. Sarah Fillier doubled the lead in the second and ensured the win with an empty-netter. 

Monday 10: Top six ranked teams all lose over weekend, Big Ten starts conference play, half-dozen OT games Saturday night

By
-
Minnesota Duluth senior goaltender Zach Stejskal secured his first collegiate shutout with 23 saves against Bemidji State last Friday night (photo: Terry Cartie Norton).

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

1. Hiccups in the top 6

Each of the top six teams in the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll lost a game this past weekend.

No. 1 Minnesota split with No. 5 North Dakota in Grand Forks, with the Gophers winning 4-0 Friday and the Fighting Hawks taking Saturday’s game 2-1.

Jake Livanavage had the game winner for North Dakota 59 seconds into the third period Saturday.

On a trip east for the Pioneers, No. 10 Providence beat No. 2 Denver, 4-3. Denver then beat No. 3 Boston College, 4-3.

No. 4 Quinnipiac split on the road against New Hampshire, winning 5-2 before a 5-4 OT loss.

2. The Big Ten begins

After crushing No. 13 Ohio State 7-1 in the opening game of Big Ten conference play, No. 7 Michigan took one point from the visiting Buckeyes the following night, as OSU came from behind to tie Michigan Saturday.

The Buckeyes earned the extra shootout point as well.

That’s junior goaltender Logan Terness with the post-shootout arm pump. Terness made 30 saves in the tie.

3. Apparently, it takes 10 goals to sweep

The only two teams in the top 10 to sweep the weekend were No. 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Western Michigan, and each put up 10 goals against their opponents.

The Spartans beat the visiting Canisius Golden Griffins, 6-4 and 4-3. Daniel Russell had a hat trick for Michigan State in the Thursday night game, the first of the sophomore’s career.

Western Michigan took two 5-2 games from Bowling Green in a home-and-home series. Sam Colangelo picked up a hat trick of his own with an empty-netter in the third period of Saturday’s home win.

4. AIC takes down No. 12 Penn State

American International split on the road against Penn State, winning 6-4 Saturday after dropping the first game 3-2. Eight different Yellow Jackets scored in series.

Alexandros Aslanidis made 36 saves for AIC in the win, the first of the season for the Yellow Jackets.

5. Give a minute to Massachusetts

With three straight wins over ranked opponents, unranked Massachusetts is now 5-1-0 to the start of the season.

The Minutemen swept No. 19 Minnesota State on the road, following Friday’s 6-3 win with a 1-0 blanking Saturday.

Aydar Suniev’s game-winning goal Saturday was his second career marker. The first was the opening goal in Friday’s game.

Freshman goalie Michael Hrabal made 60 saves in the series, including 32 in his first career shutout Saturday.

6. Extra hockey, especially on Saturday night

Seven games went to overtime on the weekend, with six OT games played Saturday night.

Friday night, Lindenwood and St. Thomas tied 4-4.

Saturday saw two ties in Atlantic Hockey and one in the Big Ten, plus three nonconference OT games with winners.

In Minnesota Duluth’s 5-4 road win over Bemidji State, the Beavers overcame a two-goal deficit with late in the third when Lleyton Roed scored at 13:04 and Adam Flamming tied it at 17:54.

When overtime play began, the Bulldogs needed just 27 seconds to win the game.

Cole Spicer had the game-winner in the three-on-three OT, unassisted. It was Spicer’s third goal of the season. The sophomore had three goals in 32 games last year.

7. A shoutout to a couple of seriously overworked goalies

Through five games, Robert Morris’s Chad Veltri has made 174 saves. That’s an average of nearly 35 per game, including 46 in Saturday’s tie against Holy Cross.

Veltri’s 1-2-2 record belies his skill. Through five games, he’s posting a .946 save percentage and 1.94 GAA.

Another netminder playing solidly with little fanfare is Lindenwood’s Trent Burnham (1-3-2, .927 SV%, 2.91 GAA).

In the Lions’ 4-4 tie with St. Thomas Friday, Burnham stopped an astonishing 59 shots on goal. He had 35 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Tommies Saturday.

8. A rookie on a roll

Through four games, Northern Michigan’s Tanner Latsch leads all D-I players with seven goals. The freshman from Muskegon, Mich. had a hat trick in his collegiate debut in the Wildcats’ 5-5 tie with Minnesota-Duluth Oct. 13 and added two more goals the following night.

Latsch had a goal in each of NMU’s two losses to Arizona State this past weekend. Six of Latsch’s seven goals have come on the power play.

9. This looks familiar

With a record of 23-7-3, the NCHC has the best win percentage (.742) in early season interconference action. The Big Ten (23-9-1, .712) is a close second, with Hockey East (26-12-1, .679) in third.

10. This looks familiar, too

The seven current teams not affiliated with any conference have a combined .386 win percentage. Among the independents, Arizona State is off to an impressive 4-0 start, following up a sweep of Merrimack with two wins over Northern Michigan, 3-2 Friday and 5-1 Saturday.

Eleven different Sun Devils accounted for the 11 total goals against the Wildcats in the series. TJ Semptimphelter made 39 stops in two games. Semptimphelter has impressive numbers (1.24 GAA, .952 SV%) through four games this season.

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

By
-
Arizona State players celebrate a goal over the weekend against Northern Michigan (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Oct. 16 fared in games over the weekend of Oct. 20-21.

No. 1 Minnesota (3-1-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 1 Minnesota 4 at No. 5 North Dakota 0
10/21/2023 – No. 1 Minnesota 1 at No. 5 North Dakota 2

No. 2 Denver (3-1-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 2 Denver 3 at No. 10 Providence 4
10/21/2023 – No. 2 Denver 4 at No. 3 Boston College 3

No. 3 Boston College (3-1-0)
10/20/2023 – Rensselaer 1 at No. 3 Boston College 6
10/21/2023 – No. 2 Denver 4 at No. 3 Boston College 3

No. 4 Quinnipiac (3-2-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 4 Quinnipiac 5 at RV New Hampshire 2
10/21/2023 – No. 4 Quinnipiac 4 at RV New Hampshire 5 (OT)

No. 5 North Dakota (3-1-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 1 Minnesota 4 at No. 5 North Dakota 0
10/21/2023 – No. 1 Minnesota 1 at No. 5 North Dakota 2

No. 6 Boston University (2-2-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 6 Boston University 1 at RV Notre Dame 4
10/21/2023 – No. 6 Boston University 8 at RV Notre Dame 2

No. 7 Michigan (3-2-1)
10/20/2023 – No. 13 Ohio State 1 at No. 7 Michigan 7
10/21/2023 – No. 13 Ohio State 2 at No. 7 Michigan 2 (OT)

No. 8 Michigan State (5-1-0)
10/19/2023 – Canisius 3 at No. 8 Michigan State 6
10/20/2023 – Canisius 3 at No. 8 Michigan State 4

No. 9 Western Michigan (3-0-1)
10/20/2023 – No. 9 Western Michigan 5 at Bowling Green 2
10/21/2023 – Bowling Green 2 at No. 9 Western Michigan 5

No. 10 Providence (4-1-0)
10/20/2023 – No. 2 Denver 3 at No. 10 Providence 4
10/21/2023 – Rensselaer 2 at No. 10 Providence 4

No. 11 Cornell (0-0-0)
10/21/2023 – U.S. NTDP* 4 at No. 11 Cornell 5

No. 12 Penn State (4-1-0)
10/20/2023 – AIC 2 at No. 12 Penn State 3
10/21/2023 – AIC 6 at No. 12 Penn State 4

No. 13 Ohio State (2-1-2)
10/20/2023 – No. 13 Ohio State 1 at No. 7 Michigan 7
10/21/2023 – No. 13 Ohio State 2 at No. 7 Michigan 2 (OT)

No. 14 Minnesota Duluth (3-0-2)
10/20/2023 – Bemidji State 0 at No. 14 Minnesota Duluth 4
10/21/2023 – No. 14 Minnesota Duluth 5 at Bemidji State 4 (OT)

No. 15 Harvard (0-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 16 Northeastern (2-0-0)
Did not play.

No. 17 Michigan Tech (0-3-2)
10/20/2023 – RV Wisconsin 4 at No. 17 Michigan Tech 2
10/21/2023 – RV Wisconsin 5 at No. 17 Michigan Tech 2

No. 18 Arizona State (4-0-0)
10/20/2023 – RV Northern Michigan 2 at No. 18 Arizona State 3
10/21/2023 – RV Northern Michigan 1 at No. 18 Arizona State 5

No. 19 Minnesota State (2-2-0)
10/20/2023 – RV Massachusetts 6 at No. 19 Minnesota State 3
10/21/2023 – RV Massachusetts 1 at No. 19 Minnesota State 0

No. 20 St. Cloud State (2-4-0)
10/20/2023 – RV Alaska 1 at No. 20 St. Cloud State 4
10/21/2023 – RV Alaska 5 at No. 20 St. Cloud State 2

RV = Received votes
* = Not eligible for poll

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: No. 5 North Dakota downs No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Denver defeats No. 3 Boston College, UNH drops No. 4 Quinnipiac in OT, AIC bests No. 12 Penn State

By
-
Jake Livanavage’s first NCAA goal stood as the game winner as North Dakota defeated Minnesota Saturday night on home ice (photo: Russell Hons).

North Dakota notched a pair of goals from its freshmen to collect a 2-1 victory over top-ranked Minnesota and salvage a series split on Saturday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

After failing to crack the scoreboard last night, UND finally broke through early in the second period on a Jayden Perron deflection off a Garrett Pyke shot that found its way past goaltender Justen Close to give the Fighting Hawks a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the stanza.

Then just 59 seconds into the third period, Jake Livanavage fired a puck from an awkward angle into the crease that found its way into the net to increase the advantage to 2-0 and give Livanavage his first career goal.

Minnesota clawed back into the contest with a deflection goal of its own by Jaxon Nelson at the 8:04 mark of the third, but UND did not let the Golden Gophers get any closer and closed out the 2-1 victory.

Ludvig Persson was strong between the pipes once again for the hosts, finishing with 21 saves on 22 shots.

Close made 32 saves for the Gophers.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Oct. 16, 2023

No. 2 Denver 4, No. 3 Boston College 3

Denver scored three third-period goals to defeat Boston College 4-3 on Saturday night at Kelley Rink at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Carter King scored the game-winning goal with 2:02 remaining in regulation during a scramble in front of the goal, netting the Pioneers’ second power-play marker of the period. Tristan Broz tallied with the man advantage earlier in the frame.

The Pioneers trailed 2-1 entering the final period but outscored the Eagles 3-1 in the period. Connor Caponi began DU’s run at 4:33 before BC briefly retook the lead on a Will Smith goal.

Massimo Rizzo also scored in the contest, evening the outing at 1-1 at 6:12 of the second frame. Jack Devine had two assists for his fourth consecutive multi-point game.

Denver goaltender Matt Davis made 24 saves in the victory.

Smith had two goals, Oskar Jellvik also scored, and netminder Jacob Fowler made 24 saves.

New Hampshire 5, No. 4 Quinnipiac 4 (OT)

Cy Leclerc’s second goal of the game at 3:51 of overtime gave the Wildcats a thrilling 5-4 win over Quinnipiac at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H.

Colton Huard, who also had two assists in the game, had tied the game 4-4 for UNH with a power-play goal at 3:01 of the third period.

Morgan Winters and Marty Lavins also scored and Robert Cronin and Ryan Conmy chipped in two assists each.

In goal, Tyler Muszelik made 35 saves for the win.

Vinny Duplessis and Matej Marinov combined to stop 26 shots for the Bobcats.

No. 6 Boston University 8, Notre Dame 2

Boston University scored five times in the first period en route to an 8-2 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday night at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind.

Eleven different Terriers recorded a point, with eight of those players tallying multiple points. Luke Tuch led BU with three points, all in the opening frame, as he scored a goal and assisted on two others. Shane Lachance scored the first two goals of his collegiate career while Macklin Celebrini also lit the lamp twice. Aiden Celebrini also scored his first goal as a Terrier and assisted on another.

Dylan Peterson recorded a goal and an assist, while Quinn Hutson lit the lamp, and Devin Kaplan, Sam Stevens and Jeremy Wilmer added two assists apiece.

BU goalie Mathieu Caron made 28 saves in the win.

Ryan Siedem and Tyler Carpenter scored for the Irish and Ryan Bischel and Jack Williams combined on a 42-save effort in goal.

No. 13 Ohio State 2, No. 7 Michigan 2 (Ohio State wins shootout)

Ohio State came from behind to tie Michigan 2-2 Saturday at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Buckeyes opened the scoring in the first on a Patrick Guzzo goal and held the lead until two Wolverine power-play goals in the third from Gavin Brindley and TJ Hughes put UM ahead, but Ryan Gordon tied the game with just under five minutes remaining.

Ohio State then won the shootout, 2-1 in five rounds, to pick up the extra point in the Big Ten standings.

Logan Terness made 42 stops for OSU, while Jake Barczewski finished with 35 saves for Michigan.

No. 9 Western Michigan 5, Bowling Green 2

Sam Colangelo’s hat trick lifted the Broncos over the Falcons 5-2 Saturday night at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Colangelo also contributed an assist for a four-point game.

Chad Hillebrand rang up four assists and Matteo Costantini added a goal and two helpers for the Broncos.

Ethan Phillips also scored for WMU and Cameron Rowe took the win in goal making 14 saves.

For Bowling Green, Spencer Kersten and Gustav Stjernberg scored goals. Cole Moore stopped 42 shots in a losing effort.

No. 10 Providence 4, RPI 2

Providence rallied to a win on Saturday at Schneider Arena, topping Rensselaer with a 4-2 final score on home ice in Providence, R.I.

The Friars crawled back after an early 2-0 deficit, paced by a pair of short-handed goals by senior captain Chase Yoder.

Hudson Malinoski and Craig Neddham. also with an assist, added goals for the Friars.

Ryan Brushett and Danny Ciccarello scored for the Engineers.

Providence goalie Philip Svedebäck finished with 16 saves for the victory.

Carson Cherepak made 38 saves for RPI.

AIC 6, No. 12 Penn State 4

Penn State erased a three-goal deficit, but couldn’t complete the comeback as AIC scored two late goals to secure the 6-4 victory in non-conference action at Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday night in University Park, Pa.

Matt Rickard started the scoring for AIC just 2:54 into the game before Simon Mack tied it for Penn State at 6:30 of the opening frame.

The Yellow Jackets regained the lead late in the first period pushing it to 3-1 with a pair of goals less than three minutes apart from Julius Janhonen and Austen Long. AIC pushed the lead to 4-1 midway through the second period on a goal by Alexander Malinowski.

The Nittany Lions cut into the deficit as Chase McLane, Danny Dzhaniyev, and Reese Laubach scored to make it a 4-4 score late in the third period.

The Yellow Jackets fought back and Casey McDonald delivered on an odd-man rush for the 5-4 edge at 17:47 and then an empty netter from Brian Kramer sealed the deal.

Alexandros Aslanidis made 36 saves in the victory for AIC.

Liam Souliere allowed four goals on 15 shots over the opening 32:55 before being lifted for sophomore Noah Grannan, who stopped seven of the eight shots he faced the rest of the way to take the loss.

Air Force 4, Alaska Anchorage 3 (OT)

The Falcons’ Austin Schwartz went coast to coast for the short-handed overtime game winner to beat Alaska Anchorage 4-3 Saturday night at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex in Anchorage, Alaska.

Air Force trailed 3-0 in the second period but came all the way back to force overtime by scoring on the power play, short-handed and even strength.

“We all just witnessed magic tonight,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “Give Alaska Anchorage credit, they were clearly the better team for the first two periods. Thankfully for us, Guy Blessing was the best player on the ice. It is hard to turn a game around and we had absolutely nothing going when we were down 3-1 and killing a major, but we found a way to get it done. When Schwartz got his legs moving, their defenseman just couldn’t keep up. What great substance our guys scored to come all the way and get a split up here.”

Just 38 seconds into the game, the Seawolves scored as Porter Schachle set up Ben Almquist for a 1-0 lead.

UAA then scored two goals in less than four minutes for a 3-0 lead in the second as Almquist scored his second of the game and Maximillion Helgeson redirected a point shot by Gunnan Vandamme.

The Falcons got on the board late in the second period on the power play. Clayton Cosentino gained the zone and dropped the puck for Will Gavin, who slid the puck to the center point to Chris Hedden, who gave it back to Gavin in the right circle for a one-timer and Gavin’s second goal of the season.

Air Force’s penalty kill not only got the job done but scored a short-handed goal. Mason McCormick forced a turnover deep in the Seawolves end and scored from Chris Hedden at 1:40 of the third period to cut the deficit to 3-2. Air Force tied the game with 12:01 remaining on Luke Rowe’s first goal of the season. Lucas Coon, playing his first game in nearly a year after recovering from injuries, collected the assist by getting the puck to Hedden. Hedden set up Rowe for a one-timer from the top of the left circle to tie the game.

Blessing made 25 saves for the Falcons. Jared Whale made 18 for the Seawolves.

Minnesota agrees to two-year contract extension with women’s hockey coach Frost, who signs through 2025-26 season

By
-
Brad Frost has led the Minnesota women’s hockey team to four national championships in his tenure (photo: Brad Rempel).

Minnesota has agreed to a two-year contract extension with Gophers women’s hockey head coach Brad Frost that will keep him with the team through the 2025-26 season.

Frost is in his 17th season at the helm and holds a record of 477-99-39 since taking the reins of the program. After joining the program in 2001 as an assistant coach and later serving as the interim head coach during the 2007-08 season, Frost was named the program’s second head coach on April 16, 2008.

“I am thrilled to continue on as the head coach of Gopher women’s hockey,” Frost said in a statement. “I am grateful to (director of athletics) Mark Coyle and the rest of the athletics administration for believing in what we have been doing at the University of Minnesota. I have loved coaching here and working with amazing student athletes, both past and present. We will continue to compete for championships while also creating champions for life.

“Brad is a tremendous coach and ambassador for the game,” added Coyle. “He understands and embraces the expectations that come with being the head coach at Minnesota, which is to contend for and win conference and national championships. I look forward to the program’s continued success, both on and off the ice, under Brad’s leadership.”

Frost’s accolades include four national titles, 10 NCAA Frozen Four appearances, seven WCHA regular-season titles, and five WCHA Final Faceoff championships. The Bethel graduate has been named AHCA coach of the year twice and WCHA coach of the year four times.

During his tenure, the Gophers have posted eight seasons with 30 or more wins and hold the NCAA’s first-ever perfect season (41-0) in 2013.

Under his guidance, Frost has coached 16 Gophers to a combined 28 All-American honors. He has seen 14 Gophers represent their countries as Olympians and 15 named top-10 Patty Kazmaier Award finalists, including Taylor Heise, who won the award in 2022 and Amanda Kessel, who won the award in 2013.

The Gophers’ success has continued in the classroom under Frost. In his tenure, Minnesota has accumulated 208 WCHA all-academic team awards, 97 WCHA scholar athlete honors, and three WCHA outstanding student-athlete of the year award recipients. The Gophers have recorded a 3.0 or higher grade-point average each season Frost has been head coach.

FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Top-ranked Minnesota blanks No. 5 North Dakota, No. 10 Providence edges No. 2 Denver, Notre Dame upsets No. 6 Boston University, No. 3 Boston College cruises past RPI, No. 4 Quinnipiac beats New Hampshire

By
-
Danny Nelson’s goal capped a four-goal comeback Friday night as Notre Dame upset No. 6 BU on home ice (photo: Notre Dame Athletics).

In a top-5 matchup Friday night, top-ranked Minnesota used a 25-save shutout from goaltender Justen Close to take a 4-0 win over No. 5 North Dakota at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

Oliver Moore, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Brody Lamb all had a goal and an assist for the Gophers, while Bryce Brodzonski added a goal in the win.

For the Fighting Hawks, Ludvig Persson finished with 28 saves.

The two teams rematch Saturday night at 6:07 p.m. CDT back in Grand Forks.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Oct. 16, 2023

No. 10 Providence 4, No. 2 Denver 3

Providence won a thriller on Friday at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I., downing Denver with a 4-3 final.

The Friars’ penalty kill was crucial, killing eight of nine Denver power plays en route to the victory.

Tanner Adams’ power-play goal at 14:52 stood as the game-winning tally. Adams also added two assists in the game.

Hudson Malinoski, Jaroslav Chmelar, also with an assist, and Riley Duran also found the back of the net for Providence.

Friars goalie Philip Svedebäck turned aside 21 shots for the win.

The victory marked the second victory over a top-five opponent for the Friars this season, who earlier defeated then-No. 5 Michigan in the season opener on Oct. 7.

Jack Devine and Massimo Rizzo each posted a goal and an assist for DU, while Shai Buium opened the scoring with a power-play goal 6:19 into the first period.

Matt Davis made 14 stops in the Pioneers cage.

No. 3 Boston College 6, Rensselaer 1

Cutter Gauthier scored twice in the first seven and a half minutes and the Eagles never looked back in a 6-1 nonconference victory over Rensselaer Friday night at Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Eagles improved to 3-0-0 heading into a Saturday night showdown with No. 2 Denver at 7 p.m. EDT from Kelley Rink. The game marked the first meeting between the schools in eight seasons.

Gabe Perreault and Will Smith each recorded their first collegiate goals and each added an assist in the win. Oskar Jellvik and Connor Joyce also lit the lamp for the Eagles, who outshot RPI 32-22.

Jacob Fowler made 21 saves for BC.

Sutter Muzzatti scored for RPI and Jack Watson finished with 26 saves in goal.

No. 4 Quinnipiac 5, New Hampshire 2

Down 2-1 early in the second period, Quinnipiac scored four goals in the third period to take a 5-2 win over UNH at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H.

Collin Graf opened the scoring for QU at 11:41 of the first period before Stiven Sardarian and Ryan Conmy scored two minutes apart early in the second period for the Wildcats.

In the third period, Travis Treloar, Mason Marcellus, Jacob Quillan, and Davis Pennington put the game away for the Bobcats.

Quillan, Treloar, and Marcellus all had assists for two-point games, and Andon Cerbone tacked on a pair of helpers in the win.

Vinny Duplessis made 32 saves in the Quinnipiac net, while Tyler Muszelik had 21 stops for New Hampshire.

Notre Dame 4, No. 6 Boston University 1

BU’s Ryan Greene scored the first goal of the game, but Notre Dame scored the next four goals, including three in the opening period at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind.

The Terriers outshout the Fighting Irish 44-26, but reigning Big Ten goaltender of the year Ryan Bischel made 43 saves.

Drew Bavaro and Danny Nelson notched power-play goals, while Landon Slaggert and Justin Janicke also scored for Notre Dame.

Terriers goalie Mathieu Caron made 22 saves.

No. 7 Michigan 7, No. 13 Ohio State 1

The Wolverines scored six unanswered goals in the lopsided win over the Buckeyes at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Rutger McGroarty scored a goal and added an assist to extend his point streak to 13 games. while Josh Eernisse scored twice in the third period, one of eight Wolverines with multi-point games.

Seamus Casey posted a game-high plus-4 rating and added two assists to push his point streak to 10 games.

Gavin Brindley, Dylan Duke, and Kienan Draper went for a goal and an assist, Philippe Lapointe and Tyler Duke chipped in two assists apiece, and Jake Barczewski made 32 saves in goal.

Thomas Weis’ goal for Ohio State at 8:17 of the first period initially tied the game 1-1.

Logan Terness kicked out 28 shots between the pipes for the Buckeyes.

No. 8 Michigan State 4, Canisius 3

Nash Nienhuis and Artyom Levshunov each had a goal and an assist while Nicolas Müller had a three-assist effort as MSU recorded its fourth straight home win, a 4-3 decision over Canisius on Friday at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.

Daniel Russell and Reed Lebster also scored for the Spartans.

For Canisius, Matteo Giampa had two goals and an assist and Griffin Loughran added a goal plus a helper.

Michigan State freshman netminder Luca Di Pasquo made his first collegiate start, recording 30 saves in picking up his first victory. He played 40 minutes in relief last weekend at Air Force. Canisius’ Ethan Robertson made 43 saves in the loss.

No. 9 Western Michigan 5, Bowling Green 2

Western Michigan used three third-period goals to beat BGSU 5-2 Friday night at Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Down 2-1 midway through the second period, Luke Grainger, Joe Cassetti, Sam Colangelo, and Dylan Wendt scored the next four goals to get the win for the Broncos. Cassetti and Grainger added assists for two-point games.

Wendt started the scoring with his first at 7:35 of the first period before Josh Nodler and Ryan O’Hara scored for the Falcons.

Cameron Rowe made 22 saves in net for WMU, while Cole Moore stopped 30 for BGSU.

No. 12 Penn State 3, AIC 2

Led by a pair of newcomers in their first game at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa., No. 12 Penn State scored a pair of third period goals to secure a 3-2 victory over AIC in nonconference action on Friday night.

After a scoreless first frame, Penn State opened the scoring as Ryan Kirwan blocked a shot in the defensive zone and skated in on an odd-man rush with Xander Lamppa, with the latter finding the former for a shortside snipe and the 1-0 lead at 2:50 of the second period.

A weird sequence followed as AIC’s Jordan Biro was tripped at the top of the crease and a centering pass from Dustin Manz hit Biro’s behind as he laid on his back and the puck trickled into the net for the 1-1 score at 4:27 of the second period. On the ensuing power play, Josh Barnes laced a one-timer from the slot for the 2-1 Yellow Jackets lead at the 5:38 mark.

The Nittany Lions evened the score early in the third period with a power-play tally of their own as Aiden Fink ripped a shot from the low slot off a pass from Christian Sarlo for the 2-2 score at the 3:19 mark of the stanza.

Penn State then took the lead with under five minutes remaining in regulation when Tanner Palocsik’s wrister from the point snuck through traffic and into the back of the net for the 3-2 edge at the 15:45 mark.

Liam Souliere stopped 10 shots for the win while his counterpart Nils Wallstrom made a career-high 42 saves in the defeat.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Bemidji State 0, (1) Wisconsin 4

By
-

MADISON — The defending national champions know that every team they play this season is going to give them their best possible game. Winless Bemidji State did that and more thanks to an outstanding performance from goalie Abbie Thompson.

She set a career high in saves with 33 against Lindenwood to start the season, but on Friday night in Madison she absolutely obliterated her own personal best, putting up 34 and a shutout through to frames and finishing the game with 60 saves. Her defense helped her out by adding 20 blocks. Thompson had appeared in just 10 games over her first two seasons before earning the starting role this season.

The Beavers held the Badgers off the board for forty minutes by playing their usual pesky, staunch defense. They clogged up the middle of the ice, got in front of pucks, poke checked, lifted sticks and just generally made it difficult for Wisconsin. But the home team was persistent, did not seem to get frustrated and came out firing in the final frame.

Casey O’Brien broke the stalemate just 50 seconds into the third, putting home a rebound off Kirsten Simms’ shot. Red shirt senior Katie Kotlowski scored the second goal of her career midway through the frame on a seeing eye shot from along the boards at the blue line that found the back of the net. Britta Curl’s tip in of a long pass from Anna Wilgren made it 3-0 and Kirsten Simms’ power play goal in the final minute secured a 4-0 win.

The teams close out the weekend on Saturday with a 2 pm central puck drop.

USCHO Edge: Can a team’s popularity, regardless of its performance, influence the betting lines?

By
-
Connor Kelley registered two assists and was a team-best plus-5 in Providence’s 7-1 victory over Stonehill in the Friars’ home opener last Friday night (photo: Lydia Vigneau).

We opened last week’s column talking about skewed lines.

Sports books simply don’t have the time and resources to pay attention to every single game in every single sport. And while I don’t know it for certain, one has to assume that artificial intelligence is being used to set some betting lines.

Sometimes fan bases themselves can influence lines. How so? Let me explain.

If a sports book takes too much action on one side of a matchup, they end up with too much liability. Ideally, a book would get 50% of the action on each team so it makes the 15% or so markup on the average bet. If that was the case in every game, books would be thrilled.

But, of course, that never happens. One team usually takes a little more of the action. In fact, for certain teams – I’ll use Notre Dame as an example – name recognition and popularity often results in more bettors taking the action.

When books know that one team might be bet more heavily just on name recognition alone, they will skew the line to the opponent to make said opponent more tempting. We’ll see that a couple of times this week, no more so than the first matchup below.

No. 6 Boston University (+165) at Notre Dame (-215); o/u 5.5

Anyone take a look at this line and simply scratch their head? It’s like the sports book is trying to get everyone to bet on Boston University.

A week ago, the Terriers were the number one team in the nation. Sure, they’re coming off a 6-4 road loss at New Hampshire, but Notre Dame lost 3-0 on the road at RIT last weekend.

So how do we justify this line? It’s like that when Notre Dame is available, they take a lot of early season money on name recognition. Especially in the modern-day gambling where more casual fans are making numerous bets in a night, it’s not unheard of for a fan to think, “Notre Dame, of yeah, they’re great. They’ll win,” without doing much research.

You may not get Boston University for plus money that often this year. And I’m not guaranteeing a Friday win for the Terriers. But there is a ton of value to bet BU right now.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

Massachusetts (-166) at No. 19 Minnesota State (+130); o/u 5.5

This is another line that is a bit of a head scratcher. Sure, UMass beat Michigan thanks to a six-goal third period last Saturday, but that frame was the only one the Minutemen won on the weekend against the Wolverines.

Minnesota State, on the other hand, is coming off a two-game sweep of St. Cloud State and has jumped into the top 20 in the USCHO.com poll this week.

Certainly a confusing line, but it does present the home underdog scenario that my colleague Dan Rubin loves so much.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

Ohio State (+140) at No. 7 Michigan (-180); o/u 6.5

This one seems like a line where we are back to reality a little more, so let’s maybe ignore the matchup itself and focus on the over/under. At 6.5, it’s the highest o/u we’ve had this season, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The Wolverines are averaging 8.25 total goals per game, having played in three straight games where the teams combine for 9 goals. Ohio State is a little tamer, averaging less than 6 goals combined in its three games.

When these two teams played a season ago, the totals were 9, 6, 6, 6 and 10. So the 6.5 over/under seems like a pretty good number, with enough historical data to favor the over in this matchup.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

No. 2 Denver (-200) at No. 10 Providence (+154); o/u 6

When these two teams played last season at Magness Arena, it was a two-game sweep for the host Pioneers. But while the Friday 4-1 win was comfortable, Saturday’s game took overtime, with Denver coming away victorious, 3-2.

In fact, the last 10 times these teams played, the series is quite even (4-3-3 in Denver’s favor), so there isn’t much separating these two teams.

Certainly Denver’s No. 2 ranking is difficult to ignore, but the home ice advantage makes Providence a solid value at +154.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

No. 1 Minnesota (-145) at No. 5 North Dakota (+114); o/u 6

One of college hockey’s greatest rivalries will renew in Grand Forks this weekend and both teams are currently ranked top 5 in the USCHO.com poll, making this a must-watch.

The action in this game might be difficult. Minnesota is correctly priced at -145, though there may be a little value for North Dakota at +114 given Minnesota’s early-season injury trouble.

Mentally, I felt like an over/under of 6 was low, but then looked at the last four games with totals of 5, 9, 6 and 5. It seems like the books even nailed this number.

For me, this is a wager to avoid. But that’s hard to tell these two passionate fanbases.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

Adrian embraces ‘target on us,’ tabbed top squad in NCHA men’s hockey preseason coaches poll

By
-
Adrian again claimed the Harris Cup playoff title in 2023 (photo: Adrian Athletics).

Defending champion Adrian has again been selected as the favorite in the 2023-24 NCHA men’s hockey preseason coaches poll.

“It means we have a target on us, which we usually do, whether we’re the preseason favorite or not,” Adrian coach Adam Krug said in a statement. “We’re accustomed to that, and our guys embrace it.”

The Bulldogs, winners of the last three regular-season titles, received 97 total points and seven first-place votes.

2023-24 NCHA Men’s Hockey Coaches Preseason Poll
(First-place votes)
1. Adrian, 97 (7)
2. Aurora, 90 (3)
3. St. Norbert, 81
4. Trine, 67
5. MSOE, 58
6. Marian, 52
7. Lake Forest, 45
8. Concordia (Wis.), 25
9. Lawrence, 21
10. Dubuque, 14

Adrian named top team in NCHA women’s hockey preseason coaches poll, knows ‘large target on our backs’

By
-
Adrian brought home the Slaats Cup as NCHA tournament champion last season (photo: Adrian Athletics).

Adrian has been chosen as the top team in the 2023-24 NCHA women’s hockey preseason coaches poll.

“It’s an honor to be voted by the league’s coaches as the preseason favorite in the NCHA this season,” Adrian coach Shawn Skelly said in a statement. “After winning the league championship this past season, there is a large target on our backs, and we have to be ready for every team’s best game playing as the league favorite.”

The Bulldogs, winners of consecutive regular-season Kronschnabel Cup titles, received 78 points and seven first-place votes.

2023-24 NCHA Women’s Hockey Coaches Preseason Poll
(First-place votes)
1. Adrian, 78 (7)
2. St. Norbert, 69 (1)
3. Aurora, 64 (1)
4. Concordia (Wis.), 52
5. Lake Forest, 51
6. Trine, 34
7. Marian, 24
8. Lawrence, 22
9. Dubuque, 11

After winning 2023 men’s hockey D-III national title, Hobart takes top spot in NEHC preseason coaches poll

By
-
Hobart players celebrate a goal during the Statesmen’s run to the 2023 national title (photo: Kevin Colton).

The NEHC has released its annual men’s hockey preseason coaches poll, compiled based on rankings from the league’s 10 head coaches.

In a unanimous vote, Hobart took the top spot in the poll after being crowned the 2023 NCAA national champion.

NEHC Men’s Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes)
1. Hobart (10), 100 points
2. Norwich, 80 points
3. Babson, 77 points
4. Skidmore, 72 points
5. Elmira, 70 points
6. UMass Boston, 50 points
7. Vermont State Castleton, 34 points
8. New England College, 31 points
9. Southern Maine, 23 points
10. Johnson and Wales, 13 points

Norwich narrowly edges Elmira for No. 1 rank in NEHC women’s hockey preseason coaches poll

By
-
Norwich is the defending NEHC women’s playoff champion (photo: Jasmine Olson).

The NEHC has released its annual women’s hockey preseason coaches poll, compiled based on rankings from the league’s 10 head coaches.

Norwich took the top spot in the preseason poll after winning the 2023 NEHC championship and qualifying for the NCAA postseason.

NEHC Preseason Women’s Coaches Poll
(First-place votes)
1. Norwich (6), 96 points
2. Elmira (4), 94 points
3. William Smith, 71 points
4. Vermont State Castleton, 69 points
5. Southern Maine, 68 points
6. UMass Boston, 48 points
7. Johnson and Wales, 38 points
8. Plymouth State, 32 points
9. Salem State, 18 points
10. New England College, 16 points

Defending champion Plattsburgh pins down top spot in SUNYAC men’s preseason poll

By
-
The Plattsburgh men’s hockey team celebrates a goal during a game last season (photo: Gabe Dickens).

The SUNYAC has released its 2023-24 men’s hockey preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.

Plattsburgh, the 2023 SUNYAC champion, sits at the top of the poll.

2023-24 SUNYAC Men’s Hockey Preseason Poll
1. Plattsburgh
2. Oswego
3. Geneseo
4. Cortland
5. Buffalo State
6. Brockport
7. Fredonia
8. Morrisville
9. Potsdam

Inaugural SUNYAC women’s hockey preseason poll finds Plattsburgh ranked at top

By
-
Plattsburgh is a perennial D-III women’s hockey powerhouse (photo: Gabe Dickens).

Plattsburgh is No. 1 in the inaugural SUNYAC women’s hockey preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.

Buffalo State, Cortland, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam competed in the NEWHL since 2017 and Morrisville and Canton joined in 2019. The seven teams will compete for the first time under the SUNYAC banner this season.

2023-24 SUNYAC Women’s Hockey Preseason Poll
1. Plattsburgh
2. Cortland
3. Oswego
4. Canton
5. Potsdam
6. Morrisville
7. Buffalo State

Utica picks up nine first-place votes, sits atop UCHC men’s preseason coaches poll

By
-
Utica is the two-time defending UCHC playoff champion (photo: Maxwell LeBuis/YSM Media).

The UCHC has announced its 2023-24 men’s preseason coaches poll.

The poll is voted on by all 11 league coaches with two-time defending champion Utica selected as the top team in the conference at the start of the year for the sixth consecutive season.

2023-24 UCHC Men’s Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Utica – 99 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Nazareth – 88 points (2 first-place votes)
3. Stevenson – 83 points
4. Manhattanville – 64 points
5. Wilkes – 62 points
6. Alvernia – 54 points
7. Chatham – 52 points
8. Arcadia – 29 points
9. King’s – 27 points
10. Neumann – 25 points
11. Lebanon Valley – 22 points

Nazareth gets seven first-place votes, tabbed top team in UCHC women’s hockey preseason coaches poll

By
-
Nazareth claimed the 2023 UCHC women’s playoff championship (photo: Nazareth Athletics).

The UCHC has announced its 2023-24 women’s preseason coaches poll.

Toll is voted on by all 11 league coaches with two-time defending champion Nazareth selected as the top team in the conference at the start of the upcoming season.

2023-24 UCHC Women’s Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Nazareth – 97 points (7 first-place votes)
2. Utica – 94 points (4 first-place votes)
3. Manhattanville – 81 points
4. Arcadia – 65 points
5. Chatham – 61 points
6. Alvernia – 56 points
7. Lebanon Valley – 48 points
8. Wilkes – 40 points
9. Stevenson – 32 points
10. Neumann – 21 points
11. King’s – 10 points

1...979899...1,532Page 98 of 1,532

Latest Stories from around USCHO

NCAA Division I independent men’s hockey teams to compete for inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup in March 2026

USCHO Staff -

With Denver ‘home for me and my family,’ Carle inks multi-year contract extension to remain behind Pioneers’ bench

USCHO Staff -

Bowling Green assistant coach Paskaris leaves bench, named assistant athletics director for development with Falcons

USCHO Staff -

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Offseason interview – A visit with 2-time defending NCAA championship coach Joe Cranston of UW-River Falls

Nicole Haase -

After 42 years coaching Amherst men’s hockey team, Arena retires as ‘heart and soul’ of Mammoths program

USCHO Staff -

Western New England men’s hockey coach Young announces resignation after four seasons with Golden Bears

USCHO Staff -

SUNYAC tabs Fredonia’s Sudbrink as conference men’s hockey scholar-athlete of the year for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

‘A proud day’ as former Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey captain Brodt tabbed new head coach for St. Scholastica

USCHO Staff -

Denver sophomore blueliner, recent Wild signee Buium tabbed USCHO Player of the Year for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Western Michigan’s Ferschweiler leads Broncos to national championship, named unanimous USCHO Coach of the Year for 2024-25 campaign

USCHO Staff -

After 48-point freshman season with Boston University, Hutson adds to accolades with 2024-25 USCHO Rookie of the Year honor

USCHO Staff -

Wisconsin’s Simms, McNaughton, Minnesota’s Primerano take home final women’s hockey HCA monthly honors for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -
©1996-2025 USCHO.com – U.S. College Hockey Online