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.
