Last week saw some incredibly competitive and close hockey in each of the first-round games which included two overtime games and one very extended four overtime thriller. The top seeded teams awaited the outcome from last week’s action and are now preparing for quarterfinal action with the hope of garnering a spot in this year’s Frozen Four. Both Brian Lester and I finished 2-2 on the first-round picks so it is a tied contest heading into Saturday’s action. This could be an epic weekend of D-III hockey.
Saturday, March 18, 2023
NCAA Quarterfinals
(8) University of New England v. (1) Utica
TC – Utica may be riding a win streak but now may be having déjà vu as the team that knocked them off last year in the quarterfinals looks to make it two road wins in a row on the way to back-to-back Frozen Fours. Don’t think it can’t happen as Billy Girard IV didn’t surrender a goal last weekend the team blocked another collective 17 shots to stifle Plymouth State’s high-flying offense. Yes, I am that guy picking the biggest upset of the weekend while hoping for the luck of the Irish – UNE, 2-0
Utica (25-2–1) vs. UNE (20-6-2) BL – The top-ranked team in the country is set to play its first NCAA tournament game of 2023.
The eight-ranked Nor’easters beat the Pioneers last season to punch a ticket to the Frozen Four. Could they do it again? You bet.
Then again, Utica is playing as well as anyone now, riding an 18-game winning streak into this matchup against the No. 10 in the country. They are also unbeaten at home, boasting a 14-0-1 record. Their offense is clicking. Utica hasn’t scored fewer than three goals since Jan. 6. Remy Parker leads the charge with 23 goals. He’s one of seven players with 11 or more goals on the year.
Billy Girard IV, though, is quite a goaltender, helping the Nor’easters post a shutout win over Plymouth State in its tourney opener. He’ll need another stellar effort like that one to help his team pull off the upset.
It’s worth noting UNE has fared well away from home this year, going 9-3-1 in true road games.
I think this time, however, Utica gets its revenge. But if UNE wins, well, it’s a lesson learned in never bet against the Nor’easters – Utica, 4-1
(6) Wisconsin – Stevens Point v. (3) Adrian TC – The Pointers showed great resiliency in beating Augsburg in four overtimes to open the tournament and travel to face the defending national champions and a team that some feel should be ranked No. 1 as well. The Bulldogs rolled through their conference tournament out scoring their opponents by a 38-6 margin over the four games. Sam Ruffin and company will not take the Pointers lightly and need a late third period goal and an empty-net goal for the final margin that sends them on the Frozen Four– Adrian, 4-2
Adrian (23-4-2) vs. UW-Stevens Point (20-5-4) BL – Adrian has a case for being the No. 1 team in the nation. And don’t forget, the Bulldogs are the reigning national champs.
The Pointers, however, won’t be an easy out. They are coming off a wild and thrilling win over Augsburg in the opening round and now hit the road for their biggest game of the year up to this point.
This is a matchup that pits two of the top 10 teams in the country, with Adrian checking in at No. 3 and UW-Stevens Point sitting at No. 6.
The Bulldogs are the NCHA champs and had a bye last week. But now it’s back to work and they will put their four-game winning streak, and their season, on the line.
The good thing for Adrian is it is at home. The Bulldogs are 14-2 on their own ice this season.
The Pointers showed against Augsburg last week they can battle as hard as anyone in the game. To come out of a four-overtime game with a win says a lot about this team. And their goaltending will be key against one of the nation’s best offensive teams. Adrian has scored 167 goals this year and features the top scorer in the country in Matus Spodniak.
It won’t surprise me if UW-Stevens Point pulls off the upset, but in this spot, it’s hard to bet against Adrian – Adrian, 5-3
(7) Curry v. (2) Hobart
TC – No team in the tournament has played in as many consecutive NCAA tournaments as the Statesmen and Mark Taylor’s team really wants to parlay that level of achievement into a national championship. One step at a time is the mantra and Team Orange will be very motivated to take down a tough Curry squad in front of the fervent “Cooler Crazies.” NEHC Player of the Year Luke Aquaro has a big game that needs a couple of ENGs to seal the deal – Hobart, 4-1
Hobart (26-2) vs. Curry (22-5-1) BL – The No. 2 Statesmen are in the NCAA tournament for the eighth consecutive time and for the 12th time overall in program history. That’s the longest active streak in the country. They made it to the national semifinals in 2019. And a trip to the Frozen Four is what will be on the line this weekend. The big thing for this team is defense. It is allowing just 1.8 goals per game. Utica is also balanced offensively, with 24 players tallying at least one point, and 14 hitting double digits in points. Luke Aguaro and Jonah Alexander lead the way with 35 and 34 points, respectively, for a team that has won its last nine games. Oh, and the Statesmen are unbeaten at home (18-0).
Seventh-ranked Curry is coming off a 1-0 win over Bowdoin in the opening round, thanks in large part to the goaltending of Reid Cooper, who stopped 37 shots. The Colonels are going to need that kind of performance as well as having their offense get on a roll early to have a shot against Hobart. It might be too tall of an order, though Curry is 10-3 away from home this year – Hobart, 5-2
(6) Norwich v. (4) Endicott
TC – These two teams opened the season on October 29, 2022, with Endicott hosting and the Cadets skated away with a 3-0 win on the strength of great goaltending, strong defense and two power play goals. There has been a lot of hockey between then and now but some things like the play of Drennen Atherton and Clark Kerner remain the same. Despite the high-octane pace and what I expect will be very few penalties, this one will come down to one goal with insurance for breathing room late. Taking the road team despite the raucous support from an SRO crowd – Norwich, 2-0
Endicott (22-2-2) vs. Norwich (20-6-2)
BL – Fourth-ranked Endicott welcomes the Cadets to town for a quarterfinal matchup. The two teams met once already this year, with the Gulls falling 3-0 on Oct. 29. But both teams have come a long way since that day, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Endicott flipped the script. The Gulls do play with a lot of confidence away from home, fashioning a 10-1-1 mark. They have no shortage of weapons on the offensive end. Ryan Willett leads the way in points with 31. Andrew Kurapov and Connor Amsley share top goal-scoring honors with 13 apiece.
Ninth-ranked Norwich needed overtime to hold off Plattsburgh 2-1. Callum Jones scored the game winner. It was the fifth time in the last six outings that the Cadets have played a game decided by one goal. They are 5-1 in those matchups. This could be one of the more entertaining matchups of the weekend. I expect it to be much closer than the first go-round between the two teams. We shall go with the road team here in a close game – Norwich, 3-2
So, both Brian and I are consistent on three of the four games, but I am taking a big chance that the Nor’easters can repeat their stunning upset at Utica. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I say so we all must wait until Saturday evening for the action to commence. Who’s ready? – “Drop the Puck!”
