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.
Every team has visions of celebrating goals on the way to a national championship like Hobart did last season (photo: Kevin Colton).
It’s almost over. The end of scrimmages and meaningless exhibition games that don’t count on any record or in any standings. This Friday starts the 2023-24 season – a season before the change in the D-III landscape changes dramatically with new conferences and most importantly, just a single at-large bid available for the national tournament. But that is in the future. For now, everyone is focused on playing games where the score and outcomes matter and the opening weekend has some high-quality matchups right out of the gate. It should be a lot of fun and as is always the case the early season prognostications may suffer a bit as the teams find their game on the ice. Here is the first of many weekly game picks with expectations for another fantastic season of D-III hockey in the east:
Friday, October 27, 2023
Elmira v. Nazareth
The Golden Flyers are very tough on home ice, but Elmira has a lot to prove after a sub-par season by Soaring Eagle standards last year. This one may require some bonus hockey as the visitors escape with a win – Elmira, 4-3
Salve Regina v. Arcadia
The Seahawks kick off their final season in the CCC with a non-conference game against Arcadia. The hosts are looking to show they will be contenders in the UCHC while Salve Regina wants to prove they are for real in the CCC.. Johnny Mulera provides the needed offense while Anthony Del Tufo shuts down the home team – Salve Regina, 4-1
(1) Hobart v. (11) Oswego
If there ever was a playoff game to open the season, this is it. Hobart is ready to open their title defense while Oswego wants to show they are worthy challengers in the SUNYAC and beyond. Expect this one to be fast and physical with great goaltending on both ends of the ice. Damon Beaver outduels Cal Schell for big opening night win on the road – Hobart, 3-2
(5) University of New England v. (12) Plymouth State
The Panthers can’t wait to host the team that ended their national championship dreams last spring. The Nor’easters have a very different roster but one constant in netminder Billy Girard IV who has stifled the high-powered PSU offense in the past. Might be a little déjà vu on Friday night – UNE, 2-1
(2) Adrian v. (6) Utica
Two powerhouses open this year’s campaign with very different and much younger rosters than last year. Coaches Krug and Heenan enjoy the battles right from the opening puck drop so expect this first of a two-game series to set a great pace with a lot of scoring chances both ways. Home team needs power play goal for the winner – Utica, 3-2
Plattsburgh v. St. Anselm
The Hawks host a veteran Plattsburgh team to open the season and the visitors are focused on just the game at hand to kick-off their season. The Cardinals are solid everywhere while St. Anselm looking to answer questions in goal and on the blueline. Fast start for the visitors leads to an easy win – Plattsburgh, 5-2
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Nazareth v. Geneseo
The Knights are very difficult to beat on home-ice, but Nazareth likes to make it hard for their opponents to move the puck. Something has to give, and the speed of Peter Morgan leads to goals that are just enough to get by the Golden Flyers– Geneseo, 3-2
(3) Endicott v. (8) Norwich
Another national tournament caliber game on opening weekend – wait, that’s right they opened against each other last season and saw each other in the quarterfinals of the national tournament with each team capturing a shutout win. Cadets at home and special teams are the difference – Norwich, 2-0
Fitchburg State v. New England College
The Pilgrims would love to get off to a good start this season and will be tested by Dean Fuller’s Falcons. Henniker Rink is a tough place to play for opponents, but the home team still needs and empty-net goal for the win – NEC, 3-1
Wilkes v. Cortland
This game finds two teams facing off in search of what their identity is with both rosters looking for players to emerge and establish themselves in their roles. Cortland without the graduated Luca Durante and the visitors find just enough offense to take the win – Wilkes, 4-2
(15) Babson v. Lake Forest
The Beavers travel west to open their season and after a big Friday night win, the visitors take two road games to start their 23-24 campaign. Lake Forest won’t make it easy for Babson, but special teams will be the difference in a one-goal win – Babson, 3-2
Wentworth v. Skidmore
The Thoroughbreds can’t wait to start flying on the ice and the Leopards best bring some early game energy or they could be in trouble. Wentworth keeps it close, but home team puts away the win with a couple of third period goals – Skidmore, 4-1
It is the beginning of another hockey season and if it is anything like last year, fans, family and schools are going to be immensely entertained. I have no doubt that the action will be great from night one right through the national championship tournament in Hartford in March next year. As my good friend and hockey scribe John Connolly always said – “Drop the Puck!”
Plymouth State has had lots to celebrate in recent years and another MASCAC title is on their goal list for the 2023-24 season (Photo by PSU Athletics)
Plymouth State was one of only two teams that finished their conference schedule undefeated last year (Utica was the other) on the way to the MASCAC championship. The Panthers have dominated the conference in recent years and will be trying to extend their six-year title streak as Plymouth State and Massachusetts-Dartmouth will be departing in 2025-26 to join the new Little East Conference for hockey which will also include Southern Maine, Massachusetts-Boston, and VSU-Castleton from the NEHC and newcomer Keene State who will field a D-III program starting next.
Another added team for this season sees the return of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) to D-III hockey. The Trailblazers last played NCAA level hockey when the school was called North Adams State. The Mohawks played from 1972-2003 before disbanding due to budgetary considerations.
Another significant change finds John MacInnis stepping into the head coaching role for Salem State following the retirement of long-time and legendary D-III coach Bill O’Neill.
The Favorites
The Panthers lose MASCAC Player of the Year Myles Abbate but return a strong core of players including the return of goaltender Kalle Andersson who was unable to return from Sweden during the pandemic. A strong group of forwards including Jeremy Rancourt, Anton Jelvik and Connor Tait will be supported by Colin Tracy and a solid defensive group. The Panthers have all the tools to win the conference again.
Worcester State, changes bench leaders with Jay Punsky stepping in as head coach to continue the program build overseen by coach Bob Deraney in recent years. Goaltender Wyatt Friedlander will be an important piece of Lancer success in the goal while Shane Prifrel and Martin Dlugolinsky will be featured offensive players this season.
The Dark Horses
Fitchburg State enters head coach Dean Fuller’s 40th season with the Falcons and a lot of new pieces to put together particularly offensively. Goaltender Max Macchioni returns along with his brother Michael and fellow forwards Cole Archambeault and Toivo Kramer to lead the offensive group with eight new players.
Massachusetts-Dartmouth returns key leaders for each group of players starting with Daniel Davidson in goal, Jake Maynard on defense and Michael Perrone at forward. Coach Eric Noack always has competitive teams and will need see some more favorable results away from the friendly confines of their home rink.
Players to watch
Fitchburg State: Max Macchioni – goaltender; Toivo Kramer – forward
MCLA Jeremiah Ketts – coach; Charlie Addesa – forward
Plymouth State: Jeremy Rancourt – forward; Kalle Andersson – goaltender
Salem State: Chris MacInnis – coach; Erik Larsson – forward
Westfield State: Cooper Board – forward; Valtteri Valtonen – goaltender
Worcester State: Jay Punsky – head coach; Brigham Neuhold – forward
USCHO Predicted finish
Plymouth State
Worcester State
Fitchburg State
Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Westfield State
Salem State
Framingham State
MCLA
Plymouth State will open the season with an NCAA first round re-match as they host the University of New England in a battle of Top 15 teams. Massachusetts-Dartmouth hosts long-time rivals Massachusetts-Boston to open their campaign while Fitchburg State travels to play New England College on Saturday. Worcester State will be part of the Worcester City Cup tournament and coach MacInnis and the Vikings will open on the road against Suffolk.
Endicott forward Andrew Kurapov anchors a potent offense for Endicott who seeks back-to-back CCC titles (Photo by Edward Jacobs/Team Shred
Not one but two CCC teams reached the Frozen Four hosted by Endicott last spring. The Gulls certainly have a strong desire to repeat as conference champions and take another shot at a national title while the University of New England continues to get closer and closer to the big prize at the end of the season.
Curry was also a national tournament participant and Salve Regina would like nothing more than to take the conference title in their final season competing before departing to the NEHC next year. Nichols, Suffolk, Wentworth and Western new England all have aspirations of knocking off the top contenders so the action should be very competitive from top to bottom.
The Favorites
Endicott returns last year’s conference Player-of-the-Year in Andrew Kurapov and coach RJ Tolan has built a great culture and recruiting network for a strong supporting cast. The goaltending tandem of Atticus Kelly and Ryan Wilson proved to be a dynamic duo for the Gulls who also have depth and balance up front and on the blueline. The Gulls will be very strong again this season and will need to extend their balanced scoring from Jackson Sterrett, Primo Self, Connor Beatty and Cass Bowes to produce desired wins now.
UNE has lost some key players to graduation that produced a lot of offense but as they demonstrated in their first round upset win at Utica in the NCAA tournament, balance and depth can make a difference. The Nor’easters bring back Billy Girard IV in goal who gives them a chance to win every night. Ryan Kuzmich leads a young forward group and the Nor’easter will be looking to fill-in on the blueline for the graduated Alex Sheehy and Collin Heinold. Kevin Swallow teams always seem to rise to the occasion at the right time and should be there at the end when the games matter most.
The Dark Horses
Salve Regina appeared to have found a missing piece when Plattsburgh transfer Anthony Del Tufo came to the Seahawks last year for the second semester. Up front, Johnny Mulera is a talented scorer and playmaker that makes others around him better. If Salve Regina can pick up some early wins against the top contenders their confidence my help them contend right through the end of the year.
Curry had a very competitive season and handed Endicott their only regular season loss. Timmy Kent returns to spearhead the offense while Roland Polasek will look to replace Goaltender of the Year, Reid Cooper for the Colonels. Peter Roundy has a deep roster with a lot of skill upfront so if the defense takes some time to gel, the offense should carry some team wins.
Players to watch:
Curry: Roland Polasek – goaltender; Timmy Kent – forward
Endicott: Andrew Kurapov – forward; Jackson Sterrett – forward
Nichols: Nathan Carl – forward; Luke Harvie – forward
Salve Regina: Johnny Mulera – forward; Anthony Del Tufo – goaltender
University of New England: Billy Girard IV – goaltender; Ryan Kuzmich- forward
Wentworth: Connor Carbo – goaltender; Charlie Reid – forward
Western New England: Sam Mitchell – forward; Shane Miller – defense
USCHO Predicted finish
Endicott
UNE
Curry
Salve Regina
Western New England
Suffolk
Nichols
Wentworth
Endicott travels to Norwich for their opening game while UNE will have a return engagement at Plymouth State to start the season. Curry hosts UMass-Boston while Salve Regina travels to western New York to play in the Buffalo State Tournament.
The Auggies play a top 15 matchup against UW-Eau Claire this weekend. (Photo by Kevin Healy/Augsburg Athletics)
The first weekend of the 2023-24 D-III West hockey season is here. And we have a handful of ranked teams in action, headlined by a USCHO.com poll top 10 battle between Adrian and Utica. Dubuque also makes its debut in NCAA hockey.
We’re picking seven games this week, and those aforementioned top 15 battles are on the list. We’ll see how it goes. It’s time for the puck to drop and another D-III hockey season.
Friday
St. Norbert at St. Olaf
The Green Knights aren’t in the top 15 to start the year but they are right on the cusp of it, receiving 20 votes.
St. Olaf comes in unranked and looking to prove it can be one of the top teams in the nation.
The Gree Knights aim to pass a big test on the road and return several key players, including Liam Frasher, who scored 16 goals and tallied 19 assists.
The Oles have a lot of experience, returning 90 percent of its scoring and were just in the NCAA tournament two seasons ago. Troy Bowditch leads the way with 10 goals and 17 assists.
Being at home might just give the Oles a slight edge here. St. Olaf, 5-4
Saint Mary’s at Lake Forest
The Cardinals have 25 players back, including their top two point scorers in Landon Poellinger and Kellen Theraldson. The big key for Saint Mary’s is it has a lot of leadership with 12 seniors on the roster.
The Foresters are hoping for a turnaround season and have the talent to do it. Seven of the nine players who hit double digits in points are back, including Collin Bella, the team leader in goals (11). Give the edge to the Foresters on their home ice. Lake Forest, 4-3
No. 15 Babson at MSOE
The Raiders have plenty of experience on their roster, led by NCHA Freshman of the Year Gramm McCormack, who tallied 12 goals and dished out 18 assists. MSOE also has great depth in goal with three players back at that position. And they have the advantage of playing this one at home.
Babson beat MSOE 4-3 back in 2018, which was the last time the two teams met. The nationally ranked Beavers won 17 games last year and have 21 players with experience on the roster. I know Babson is favored but I’m picking the upset here. MSOE, 4-3
Saturday
No. 13 Augsburg at No. 14 UW-Eau Claire
Does it get any better than two nationally ranked teams going at it in the first weekend? We know the answer to that.
The Auggies were an NCAA tournament team last season and are the reigning MIAC champs. They have the offensive weapons to be a tough team to slow down and an experienced goalie in Samuel Vyletelka.
But the Blugolds are no pushover. They have Quinn Green back in the mix. He was the co-player of the year in the WIAC. And like Augsburg, they have experience in goal with Matt Gutajahr. A slight edge goes to the Auggies in a game that really could go either way. Augsburg, 4-3
Friday and Saturday
No. 2 Adrian at No. 6 Utica
It’s one of the biggest matchups of the opening weekend. The reigning national runner-up Bulldogs hit the road to battle the Pioneers.
Adrian lost several key players to the pros but have 11 players on the roster who played in the national championship game a year ago. One of the players to watch for Adrian is Jaden Shields, who dished out 27 assists and is motivated after being left off the All-American team last season.
Utica is coming off a 25-win season and played in the NCAA tourney last year. The Pioneers are tough at home, winning 21 consecutive in the regular season and are led by Kimball Johnson, who scored six goals and dished out 21 assists a year ago. Look for two tightly contested games here. Adrian, 4-3 and 6-4
Dubuque at Gustavus
It’s the first year for the Spartans while the Gusties are hoping for a bounce back season.
There will be a lot of motivation for Dubuque to want to make history and get that first ever win. But Gustavus has the experience and is at home.
It won’t be a surprise if the Spartans steal one here, but the edge goes to the Gusties, who need a strong start to the year. Gustavus, 3-1 and 4-2
No. 9 Aurora at Concordia (MN)
The Spartans will look to get this season rolling with a couple of big wins on the road against a Cobbers team that should be one of the better teams in the MIAC. Aurora has a lot of talent back, including Giovanni Procopio, who racked up 30 points last season.
Concordia welcomes back its to seven points leaders, led by Joe Harguideguy, who tallied 12 goals and 11 assists. The Cobbers are hoping to make a statement. I think they get one. Aurora, 5-3; Concordia, 4-3
St. Anselm took the NE-10 title last year but will face a host of contenders this season (Photo by St. Anselm Athletics)
The St. Anselm Hawks ended their title drought last season with a dominating season in the NE-10. In a league where anything can happen and usually does, the Hawks best be prepared for a series of contenders in the six-team D-II league that often sees such familiarity create some crazy results on the ice.
While Shaun Millerick has left Franklin Pierce for the head coaching role at Rivier, Joshua Fusco takes over with the Ravens to challenge with the rest of the teams for this year’s title.
The Favorites
St. Anselm must find replacements for the Goaltender of the Year (Nick Howard) and Defensive Player of the Year (Jack Murphy) to really show they are a complete team on the ice. Offensively, the Hawks can be special with talented forwards like Chase Reynolds, Tommy Schwartz, Max Burum and Will Christensen. If the goaltending and defensive group develop quickly, the Hawks will certainly be contenders again this season.
St Michael’s started out very slowly last season but built a great second half to jump in the standings and playoff position. Goaltender Marshall Murphy is steady and consistent and defenseman Case Kantgias brings a physical element to the Purple Knights from the blueline. Scoring will be a challenge for St. Mike’s who will look for several players to emerge offensively.
The Dark Horses
Never count out Assumption in NE-10 play as they often emerge when least expected to compete for the championship. Ronny Paragallo, William Roberts and Camron Roberts will help lead a team that will be looking to build experience and depth through the course of the season. Goaltender Thomas McLarnon returns to backstop the Greyhounds.
Southern New Hampshire has a number of key returners that could help the Penmen challenge for the conference title. Ryan Pomposelli returns and looks to build on a promising freshman season cut short by injury. Matt Amante and Derek Flynn provide some needed senior leadership while Cam Bernard will look to be the man between the pipes for coach Sean Walsh.
Players to watch
Assumption: Ronny Paragallo – forward; William Roberts- forward
Franklin Pierce: Cody Rumsey – forward; Michael Flaherty – forward
Post: Brandon Crowther – forward; Niko Brewer – defense
Southern New Hampshire: Matt Amante – forward; Ryan Pomposelli – forward
St. Anselm: Chase Reynolds – forward; Tommy Schwartz – forward
St. Michael’s: Marshall Murphy – goaltender; Case Kantgias – defense
USCHO Predicted finish
St. Anselm
St. Michael’s
Assumption
Southern New Hampshire
Post
Franklin Pierce
St. Anselm will host SUNYAC champion Plattsburgh to open the season while St. Michael’s will travel to Manhattanville while Post and Franklin Pierce take part in the Western Massachusetts Invitational this weekend.
