North Dakota coach Brad Berry is now in his seventh season behind the Fighting Hawks’ bench (photo: Jim Rosvold).
North Dakota announced on Wednesday that head hockey coach Brad Berry has received a contract extension through the 2025-26 season.
Berry is currently in his seventh year at the helm of the Fighting Hawks and has continued to put his own distinct stamp on a culture already steeped in tradition and success. He has guided his alma mater to a 159-74-25 (.664) record during his time, including seven winning seasons, three NCAA tournament appearances (2016, 2017, 2021), a national championship (2016) and one of the best seasons in school history prior to getting cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20.
“Today is a great day for UND and UND hockey as we announce the extension of Coach Berry’s contract,” said UND director of athletics Bill Chaves in a statement. “Brad has been a tremendous leader for our program and student-athletes. In addition, he is a great teammate to everyone in our department, university and State. He is nationally respected and is looked upon by his peers and others when the discussion of growing the game of college hockey is discussed. I look forward to our continued partnership.”
“My family and I would like to thank President Armacost, Bill Chaves, the University of North Dakota, Ralph Engelstad Arena and the Engelstad family for giving us the opportunity to keep ‘adding to the tradition’ over these seven seasons,” added Berry. “We are very grateful and blessed to continue being part of an elite hockey program that possesses an outstanding culture.”
The Bashaw, Alberta, native is a three-time NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year recipient (2015, 2020, 2021) and won the Spencer Penrose AHCA National Coach of the Year in 2020. His .664 winning percentage at UND places him fourth all-time.
He has continued the success of sending players to the next level, as a school-record 24 former North Dakota players currently play in the NHL while countless more are enjoying success across other professional leagues. Berry has coached back-to-back Hobey Baker finalists, nine All-Americans, 22 all-conference selections and multiple scholar-athletes.
Perhaps his best work has come during this current season, as North Dakota has its sights set on an unprecedented third straight Penrose Cup despite welcoming 14 newcomers, the most in a single season since 1973, after eight players from last season’s team signed NHL contracts.
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton. The conversation includes the conference’s position as college hockey’s top league, his departure to the Summit League, three-on-three overtime, realignment, and working with the other five conferences.
Lucas Michaud is Trinity’s top point-getter this season (photo: Trinity Athletics).
Trinity senior Lucas Michaud is the 2022 NESCAC Player of the Year as voted by the conference coaches.
He is the fourth Bantam since 2014 to earn the honor. The player of the year honor bookends his career after being named NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2019.
Michaud helped the Bantams earn the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC championship. He is tied for the lead in conference points with 22 on nine goals and 13 assists. He has netted four power-play goals and two game-winning tallies while registering a point in 14 games this season, including six straight heading into the NESCAC semifinal.
Colby sophomore Jack Sullivan is the first Mule to garner NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors. Sullivan, a defenseman, ranks second among the Colby scoring leaders and is fourth in the NESCAC with 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists. He has recorded a point in 13 of 20 games and also has a team-high 29 blocked shots.
Colby’s Blaise MacDonald was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by his peers. He earns the honor for the first time in his career after leading the Mules to the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC championship for the first time since 2008.
All-NESCAC First Team
F: Chris Brown, Bowdoin, Jr.
F: Justin Grillo, Colby, Sr.
F: Lucas Michaud, Trinity, Sr.
D: Nick Rutigliano, Hamilton, Sr.
D: Jack Sullivan, Colby, So.
G: Andy Beran, Colby, So.
All-NESCAC Second Team
F: Justin Brandt, Tufts, Sr.
F: Grisha Gotovets, Hamilton, Fy.
F: Jordi Jefferson, Hamilton, Sr.
D: John Campomenosi, Trinity, So.
D: Matt Zandi, Wesleyan, Gr.
G: Evan Ruschil, Williams, Jr.
Middlebury’s Madie Leidt has been voted the top player in NESCAC play this season (photo: Will Costello).
Middlebury senior Madie Leidt has been selected as the 2022 NESCAC Player of the Year by the conference coaches.
Leidt earns the honor for the second consecutive season and is the seven Panther to garner the award. The player of the year honor bookends her career after being selected as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2018.
Leidt leads the NESCAC in scoring with 27 points on 16 goals, including seven game-winning tallies, and 11 assists. The forward has tallied 21 of her 27 points in NESCAC contests (11 goals, 10 assists) and has a point in 17 of the 20 games she has appeared in this season. She also owns a NESCAC-best .629 faceoff percentage and surpassed the 100-career point milestone earlier this season.
Colby sophomore Meg Rittenhouse is the first Mule to garner the NESCAC Rookie of the Year honor. She ranks second on the Mules and second among NESCAC newcomers in scoring with 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists. She has scored four game-winning goals and netted three power-play tallies. Rittenhouse has recorded a point in 15 of the 20 games she has played this season.
Middlebury’s Bill Mandigo was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by his peers. He garners the honor for the fifth time in his career after leading the Panthers to a perfect NESCAC record 15-0-0 and the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC championship for the 14th time in program history.
All-NESCAC First Team
F: Lexi Cafiero, Colby, Sr.
F: Madie Leidt, Middlebury, Sr.
F: Jenna Letterie, Middlebury, Jr.
F: Nancy Loh, Hamilton, Jr.
D: Abby Kuhns, Hamilton, Jr.
D: Claudia Vira, Middlebury, Jr.
G: Nina Prunster, Colby, Sr.
All-NESCAC Second Team
F: Carley Daly, Amherst, Jr.
F: Meg Rittenhouse, Colby, So.
F: Julia Surgenor, Bowdoin, Sr.
D: Eva Hendrikson, Middlebury, Jr.
D: Bri-Michaud Nolan, Colby, Jr.
G: Caitlin Walker, Amherst, Sr.
AJ Vanderbeck leads Northern Michigan with 22 goals this season (photo: Northern Michigan Athletics).
The Mason Cup is back.
After a nine-year absence, the CCHA will award the championship trophy once again to the winner of its conference tournament, which begins with quarterfinal action this week. The trophy, named after famed Bowling Green, Lake Superior State and Michigan State coaching legend Ron Mason, was created in 2001.
“We were excited to be back in the CCHA and now we’re excited to compete for the Mason Cup again,” Bowling Green coach Ty Eigner said.
The Mason Cup holds a special place in the hearts of the Falcon faithful because although BGSU has never won that specific trophy they did win the CCHA tournament championship three times from 1977-79 when Mason was behind the Falcon bench.
“For Bowling Green, as a founding member of the CCHA, and having coach Mason as a member of our athletics hall of fame here, we know what he’s done and what he meant to the CCHA during his career, it’s a big deal,” Eigner said. “To have the opportunity to compete for it again is great.”
In the previous incarnation of the CCHA, the cup was won by six different teams. However, none of the teams in the current conference have ever won the trophy, so whichever team wins this year’s CCHA tournament will be making some history.
“Coach Mason started the program here, so there’s a little extra investment in coach Mason and the Mason Cup,” said Lake Superior State coach Damon Whitten, who played at Michigan State under Mason along with Lakers assistant Mike York. “It’s a goal for our program, and it would be something special for us, but the bigger picture is having our team ready to play.”
Of course, everybody in the league would like to win the conference tournament title no matter what the trophy was called, as it means an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. The Lakers are looking to win their second-consecutive conference tournament title after winning the final WCHA playoff championship a year ago.
This year’s favorite, unsurprisingly, is top-ranked and top-seeded Minnesota State, who are fresh off the backs of their fifth consecutive MacNaughton Cup title and are a lock for the NCAA tournament. The Mavericks, who take on No. 8 seeded St. Thomas in their first-round matchup, are gunning for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs.
“I think they’ve won five straight regular-season titles, and that’s not nothing,” Eigner said of the Mavericks. “That’s a culmination of a 26-game schedule and the travel that comes with our league. You’ve got to be a very good team, you’ve got to have great depth, you have to be well-coached, all those things play into that and for Minnesota State to have won five straight regular season championships says a lot.”
The matchup between the Mavericks (31-5-0, 23-3-0 CCHA) and Tommies (3-30-1, 3-22-1) has been official for a few weeks, as is the quarterfinal between second-seeded Michigan Tech (19-11-3, 16-8-2) and seventh-seeded Ferris State (11-22-1, 916-1).
The Huskies, who are currently No. 12 in the Pairwise, are hoping to shore up their position for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and a sweep of the Bulldogs, combined with a win in the semifinals next week, would probably do the trick. However, the teams met one another earlier this month and the Bulldogs gave the Huskies all they could handle. Both games in Big Rapids went to overtime, and the Huskies won one in 3-on-3 and needed a shootout to win the other game.
Matchups in the middle
But perhaps the most interesting matchups this weekend will be the ones involving the four teams that finished mid-table. Third-seeded Bemidji State (16-18-0, 14-12-0) hosts sixth-place Bowling Green (14-17-3, 11-14-1) while fourth-seeded Lake Superior State (17-16-1, 13-13-0) will take on fifth-seeded Northern Michigan (18-14-1, 12-13-1).
“It’s going to be really difficult for all the matchups,” Whitten said of the tight CCHA standings this season. “When playoff positioning comes down to the final games of the season for multiple spots, that shows the parity and depth and the talent across teams, so I think it’s going to be an awesome weekend of playoff hockey.”
The four teams were separated in the standings by just nine points, and before last weekend any of the four teams could have finished third. As it turned out, Bemidji State took five points from St. Thomas while Lake Superior swept Bowling Green to earn home-ice advantage in the quarterfinal round.
“I think going into the last month, I think you could have taken Bemidji, Lake, Northern and BG and pulled them out of a hat and at any point somebody would have felt like they were playing pretty good and at any point somebody would have felt like they were struggling,” Eigner said of the parity between the middle of the table.
Eigner’s Falcons split the season series with the Beavers, with each team splitting the series on home ice.
“You take a look at the games we had with them this year, three one-goal games and another two-goal game,” Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore said. “We expect nothing different this weekend. We’ve had a great rivalry with Bowling Green and these games are going to be tight, no question.”
Meanwhile, in Sault Ste. Marie, the Lakers get to host a Wildcats team they have already defeated three times in four games. LSSU outscored NMU 18-6 in the four games. Both teams should be mostly fully healthy for this playoff series.
“We’re facing an explosive offensive team, their top scorers have had outstanding years and they’re extremely dangerous and talented,” Whitten said of the Wildcats, who have two of the league’s top scorers in Hank Crone and AJ Vanderbeck. “But I think it’s going to be an interesting matchup. If you look at us, since Christmas, even strength we haven’t given much up and we’ve been really good defensively so that’s going to be key.”
Whitten said his team seems to be finding its consistency at exactly the right time. The Lakers have won five of their last six games coming into the playoffs and have been led by solid play in goal with their tandem of Ethan Langenegger, who went 3-0-0 in three starts and had a 0.67 GAA, and Seth Eisel, who stated the other three games and went 2-1 with a 2.00 GAA and .920 save percentage.
“I think what we like is continuity,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot of that, whether it’s been COVID disruptions, injuries, guys not available, it’s been really challenging to have enough players to have our best lineup at times, so I like that part about how we’re playing. We’re mostly healthy and we have nearly our full allotment of players and we haven’t had that very often, so we’re showing a little bit of what we can be at the right time.”
All four quarterfinal matchups will be best-of-three series, while next weekend’s semifinals will be a single-game matchups hosted by the top two remaining seeds. The CCHA title game will be played Saturday, March 19, also on the home ice of the top remaining seed.
Josh McKechney has been a leader this season for Colgate (photo: Todd Slabaugh).
In the end, there was relatively little change in the standings during the final regular-season weekend in ECAC Hockey.
Three of the top four teams – Quinnipiac, Clarkson, and Harvard – entered the weekend having already clinched a first-round bye. The fourth team, Cornell, blanked Princeton 4-0 Saturday to hold on to the final top-four spot in the standings.
Colgate, Rensselaer, Union, and St. Lawrence will each host a playoff series in the opening round. The Raiders had already clinched home ice entering the weekend, while RPI held on to its sixth seed in the tournament. The Dutchmen and Saints were one point out of hosting a playoff series but moved ahead of Princeton and Brown in the standings.
Colgate shot up to fifth place in the standings and was in the running for a first-round bye thanks to a 5-2-2 mark over the final month of the regular season.
“I am proud of how our team developed over the course of the year,” Raiders coach Don Vaughan said following Saturday’s loss to Quinnipiac. “We gained a lot of ground in the standings over the last month, and we were in a position to earn fourth place and a bye right up until the final regular-season game. That’s what I have really liked about this group. There is no quit in them. We shift our focus now to the playoffs. We are excited to be home next weekend for the first round.”
Here is a look at the four best-of-three opening round playoff series this weekend:
No. 5 Colgate vs. No. 12 Yale
Season series: Colgate, 1-0-1; Yale won in the shootout.
Like Colgate, the Bulldogs enter the playoffs playing well. Yale had a seven-game losing streak that began last month but ended the season with a 3-2 mark over its last five games, including a win at Clarkson last Friday.
Offensively, Colgate finished fifth in the league on scoring. That appears modest at first glance, but it’s a big improvement from previous years. The Raiders’ offense is driven by the top line of Josh McKechney and Colton and Alex Young. While Yale has gotten solid goaltending from sophomore Nathan Reid and freshman Luke Pearson, the Bulldogs simply don’t have the offense to match that line. Yale might have a hard time getting possession against a Colgate team that ranked second in the league in faceoff percentage (54.2), while the Bulldogs finished last (45.6)
Prediction: Colgate in three
No. 6 Rensselaer vs. No. 11 Dartmouth
Season series: RPI 2-0
For the first time this season, RPI will allow external spectators at Houston Field House. Those fans will get a chance to see the Engineers host a playoff series for the first time since 2016; RPI was set to host a quarterfinal series against Harvard two years ago, but that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Engineers have been led by senior forward Ture Linden, who has twice as many goals in conference play as the next RPI skater.
Dartmouth averaged just over two goals per game in league play but has gotten outstanding play from goalie Clay Stevenson. After shaking off an early-season injury, the freshman finished fourth in the league with a .929 save percentage. That ranked just ahead of RPI’s Jack Watson, who has split time in goal with Linden Marshall this season.
RPI scored four times against Stevenson last Friday, but if the freshman is on point this weekend, he’s capable of stealing the series for the Big Green.
Prediction: Dartmouth in three
No. 7 Union vs. No. 10 Princeton
Season series: Union 2-0
The Dutchmen had stumbled a bit down the stretch but ended the regular season with a six-point weekend. Union clinched a home playoff series in exciting fashion, as Liam Robertson scored an empty-net goal in overtime Saturday to beat Dartmouth 3-2.
Special teams should be an important matchup in this series. Union’s power play ended the season ranked fourth in league play, while Princeton’s penalty kill was in the bottom third of the conference.
Princeton’s offense has had its moments at times this year, but the Dutchmen goalie Connor Murphy has started every game this season and has been the backbone of the Union defense. Defensively, Princeton ranked last in the conference in team save percentage and goals allowed per game.
Prediction: Union in two
No. 8 St. Lawrence vs. No. 9 Brown
Season series: 0-0-2; each team won in the shootout once.
St. Lawrence won an abbreviated league playoffs last season by going on the road and winning at Colgate and Quinnipiac. Now, the defending league champions are hosting a playoff series for the first time since 2017.
Last year’s title run came in part because of an outstanding season by goalie Emil Zetterquist. The senior wasn’t quite as a good this season, but he still lead a Saints penalty kill unit that was the best in the conference during league play.
Both Zetterquist and Brown’s Mathieu Caron were workhorses for their teams, ranking second and third in the league, respectively, in minutes played in conference games.
With two low-scoring offenses and two solid goalies, offense will likely be hard to come by in this series.
Marty Scarano has been the athletic director at New Hampshire the past 22 years (photo: UNH Athletics).
While Marty Scarano treated all sports under his watch equally in his more than two decades as athletic director at New Hampshire, there’s no question that hockey holds a special place in his heart.
In fact, it was hockey that brought Scarano to New Hampshire at the turn of the millennium. Then the AD at Colorado College, an early attempt by Scarano to recruit UNH legend Dick Umile to coach the Tigers ended up with Scarano taking a job as Umile’s boss.
“It was right out of ‘The Godfather,'” Scarano said about an unofficial “interview” he had with Umile at a popular Italian restaurant in nearby Portsmouth. “The owner came out, we had a special dinner, Dick and I spent two hours together. That had a lot to do with me coming here.”
After 22 years, Scarano’s calling it a career. So it was altogether appropriate for UNH to hold his official going-away party (his retirement is effective at the end of the school year) at Saturday’s men’s hockey game vs. Merrimack. With family, friends, and a large contingent of UNH student athletes and coaches (past and present) by his side, Scarano was saluted in a pre-game ceremony.
“I obviously have a love for it,” Scarano said of the sport that brought him to the Granite State. “It’s a very special sport. It’s a classic niche sport. There’s a lot of parity. Some people say it’s not good for the sport, I think it is.”
Umile said Scarano’s legacy at UNH speaks for itself.
“He’s done a tremendous job in a tough place to be an athletic director, with limited funds,” Umile said. “But he found ways to get it done.”
At the time of his hiring, UNH was at its apex as a hockey program on both the men’s and women’s sides. The men’s program made the NCAA tournament 17 times between 1998-2013, including four Frozen Four appearances between 1998 and 2003. The women’s team won the AWCHA D-I national title in 1998, made the NCAA Frozen Four in 2006 and followed that up with four straight tournament appearances.
While the program remains nationally prominent and has had success off the ice (Scarano touted a graduation rate of more than 95 percent for the men’s team and 100 percent for the women), it has taken a back seat in the discussion of national contenders. Next year will mark 10 years since the men’s team’s last NCAA tournament appearance and 20 since its last trip to the Frozen Four.
“If there’s one regret that I have, it’s that I haven’t gotten hockey back to where it should be,” Scarano said. “I’m taking full responsibility for that. I believe in (current coach) Mike Souza. He’s the right coach. We have work to do. In my heart of hearts, I do believe UNH should be a top-10, if not top-five, program.”
Scarano said a program reboot is in the works, centering around significant upgrades to the Whittemore Center, the Wildcats’ home arena, which will soon enter its fourth decade of service.
The renovations, which Scarano said will begin the day after the season ends, include replacing the ice-making apparatus, reducing the width of the surface from an Olympic-sized sheet to NHL standard, new boards and glass, and a new sound system.
“We’re going to invest in hockey. We’re going to get back to where we should be,” Scarano said. “UNH is hockey royalty.”
Scarano said his main focus has always been the success of student athletes.
“Wins and losses are very important — I think people think that isn’t our end analysis, but it is,” he said. “But more so, we want to grow kids up to be good citizens. I have a lot of coaches who might not have maybe as many wins as fans want, but they do a great job in growing kids up and graduating kids.”
Souza, who played for the Wildcats from 1996 to 2000 (including a 3-2 loss to the Scarano-administered Colorado College team in the first round of the 1997 NCAA tournament), said he has always admired Scarano’s commitment to student athletes.
“I think that’s something that’s become, I don’t want to say further and farther between, but it’s what we do,” Souza said. “It’s the most important part of our job. And Marty’s never lost sight of that.”
Theresa Schafzahl has put up outstanding numbers this season for Vermont (photo: Brian Jenkins).
Hockey East announced Tuesday that Vermont senior forward Theresa Schafzahl has been awarded the 2022 Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East Player of the Year.
Schafzahl is the first Vermont Catamount to be so honored.
Alongside Schafzahl, Vermont’s Jim Plumer was unanimously named Hockey East Coach of the Year, his second time winning the award, while Boston College forward Abby Newhook was tabbed rookie of the year.
Schafzahl appeared in 21 regular-season games in Hockey East play for Vermont, leading the conference with 21 goals, 39 points, and a plus-28 on-ice rating. Her 1.86 points per game was second-best among all league players, while her 97 shots on goal ranked sixth. She netted three game-winning goals in league play and converted at a shooting rate of 21.6 percent.
The Weiz, Austria, native potted seven of her 21 tallies while on the power-play, ranking second in the conference. Schafzahl was crowned the Hockey East Scoring Champion and PNC Bank Three Stars Award Winner, as well as the sole unanimous First Team All-Hockey East selection. She was named Hockey East Player of the Week four times and Hockey East and HCA National Player of the Month in January, was the runner-up in February, and was the lone unanimous selection to the All-Hockey East First Team.
Newhook led Hockey East rookies in nearly every offensive category in 2021-22, including goals (13), assists (12), points (25), points per game (0.96), game-winning goals (5), and plus/minus (plus-17). She was named rookie of the week six times, including on back-to-back occasions twice and three out of four weeks once and rookie of the month three times.
No freshman in the NCAA was more clutch than Newhook this year, as the first-year forward scored six game-winning goals in all games, more than any other rookie in the nation. She enjoyed a stretch of eight straight games with a goal, finding the back of the net in every outing from Jan. 21 to Feb. 8. She was named to the all-rookie team by a unanimous vote of the league’s 10 head coaches.
Plumer, named coach of the year by a unanimous vote of his peers after sharing the honor in 2013-14, has led the Catamounts to a 22-10-3 overall record, the most wins in program history, and a 18-7-2 mark in Hockey East regular-season play. The mark was good for a second-place finish in the conference standings, which was the best-ever finish for Vermont in Hockey East play and doubled the most-ever league wins for the Catamounts (2016-17).
Under Plumer, the Catamounts allowed just 693 shots against at even strength, second-fewest of any team in Hockey East. His team’s 18.5 percent power-play conversion rate was also second in the league, while Vermont claimed the best penalty kill in the conference at 91.8 percent, good for third nationally, and the most short-handed goals with four.
Yale’s Emma Seitz and Cornell’s Gillis Frechette earned top awards from ECAC Hockey Tuesday (Seitz photo: Brad Ahern/Frechette photo: Madison Epperson).
ECAC Hockey announced two women’s hockey awards Tuesday as Yale junior Emma Seitz has been named best defenseman and best forward is Cornell junior Gillis Frechette.
Seitz is the first Yale skater in program history to claim this award after she put together the best season of her Bulldog career, registering 19 points from the blue line, including 13 in league contests.
Her best stretch of the year came in mid-November when she won back-to-back ECAC Hockey Player of the Week honors after posting nine points in four games. As good as she was offensively, Seitz was just as solid on the defensive side of the puck, ranking second in the conference with a plus-17 on-ice rating.
Though voting for awards takes place at the conclusion of the regular-season, Seitz continued to show her value as one of the best players in the league during last week’s quarterfinal series, scoring four goals and dishing out an assist in the three-game series win.
Frechette is the fourth Big Red skater to receive the honor since the awards inception in 2008, and the first since Brianne Jenner in 2015.
Frechette led ECAC Hockey skaters in scoring during league games by a wide margin, recording 36 of her 40 total points against ECAC Hockey opponents. She found the back of the net 10 times and dished out 26 assists, finishing with a plus-25 on-ice rating for the Big Red.
She was consistent throughout the year, finding the scoresheet in 18 of 22 league contests, which included 12 multi-point performances. Three of her 10 goals were game winners, which was good for second in the conference.
Frechette’s best stretch of the season came in early February, when she went three straight games recording multiple points. She notched four (two goals, two assists) on Feb. 1 against St. Lawrence, two assists on Feb. 5 against Harvard, and three (goal, two assists) the following night against Colgate.
Anna Klein was the NEWHA scoring leader this season with 14 goals and 36 points (photo: Sacred Heart Athletics).
The New England Women’s Hockey Alliance announced Tuesday its major end-of-season awards on Tuesday and also unveiled its all-NEWHA teams.
Nominated and voted on by the league’s coaches, players from the six schools were honored for their accomplishments on the ice during the 2021-22 campaign.
In addition to the two all-NEWHA squads, the league’s all-rookie team was selected as well as the all-sportswomanship Team. Six first-year players (regardless of position) were voted to the all-rookie team while the all-sportswomanship team nominees were furnished by each of the league’s Head Coaches.
Sacred Heart’s Anna Klein was named NEWHA Player of the Year and her teammate, Kelly Solak, picked up defender of the year accolades.
Franklin Pierce’s Suzette Faucher earned the NEWHA Goaltender of the Year award, the first such honor for a Ravens player, while Tyra Turner of Saint Anselm earned the conference’s rookie of the year award.
David Stockdale, in his 10th year leading Franklin Pierce, collected coach of the year honors following a vote of his peers. The top seed entering the NEWHA postseason on Tuesday, the Ravens sprinted out to a 20-9-1 record this season with a 16-4-0 mark against league opponents. Stockdale’s unit won a program-record 11 consecutive games near the end of the season.
First Team
Suzette Faucher, Franklin Pierce – So. – G
Stefanie Caban, Franklin Pierce – Jr. – D
Kelly Solak, Sacred Heart – Sr. – D
Anna Klein, Sacred Heart – Sr. – F
Erin Meyers, Saint Anselm – Sr. – F
Emilie Prive, Franklin Pierce – So. – F
Second Team
Tindra Holm, Long Island – Fr. – G
Allie Kelley, Saint Anselm – Jr. – G
Katerina Dajia, Franklin Pierce – Gr. – D
Nicole Guidi, Sacred Heart – Sr. – D
Megan Bouveur, LIU – Jr. – F
Kelly Golini, Saint Anselm – Sr. – F
Tyra Turner, Saint Anselm – Fr. – F
Carrigan Umpherville, LIU – Jr. – F
All-Rookie Team
Tyra Turner, Saint Anselm – Fr. – F
Jeannie Wallner, LIU – Fr. – F
Tindra Holm, LIU – Fr. – G
Geno Hendrickson, Franklin Pierce – Fr. – F
Katie Keenan, Sacred Heart – Fr. – F
Madi Ressler, Saint Anselm – Fr. – D
All-Sportswomanship Team
Alexandrea Bednar, Post – Fr. – F
Sophia Burns, Saint Michael’s – Jr. – F
Bridget Fagan, Franklin Pierce – Sr. – F
Elizabeth Furfari, Sacred Heart – Sr. – F
Gabrielle Huson, Saint Anselm – Jr. – D
Sarah Rourke, LIU – So. – F
Georgiana Santullo has been an offensive catalyst this season for Utica (photo: Jeff Pexton/Perfect Game Imaging).
The UCHC women’s conference announced Tuesday its 2021-22 award winners.
Player of the Year: Georgiana Santullo, Utica Rookie of the Year: Ally Nolan, Chatham Goaltender of the Year: Angela Hawthorne, Utica Defensive Player of the Year: Morgan Miller, Manhattanville Coach of the Year: Chris Baudo, Nazareth
First Team All-UCHC
Forward: Georgiana Santullo, Utica
Forward: Erica Sloan, Utica
Forward: Abbey Luth, Nazareth
Defense: Madison Novotny, Utica
Defense: Sydney Bradley, Alvernia
Goaltender: Angela Hawthorne, Utica
Second Team All-UCHC
Forward: Madison Nichols, Nazareth
Forward: Hailey Redders, Nazareth
Forward: Allison Corser-James, Chatham
Defense: Stephanie Kubis, Nazareth
Defense: Olivia Gilida, Alvernia
Goaltender: Adriana Brehm, Nazareth
Honorable Mention (appears on minimum of three coaches’ ballots)
Forward: Rebecca Brown, Utica
Forward: Carly Stefanini, Utica
Forward: Ally Watrous, Nazareth
Forward: Morgan Miller, Manhattanville
Forward: Gabrielle Cox, Manhattanville
Defense: Gabriella DeMeo, Nazareth
Defense: Tia Martignetti, Manhattanville
Goaltender: Julia Beaven, Alvernia
Goaltender: Franny Gerardi, Manhattanville
Emma Polusny was solid between the pipes this season for St. Cloud State (photo: St. Cloud State Athletics).
The WCHA has announced four individual award winners for the 2021-22 season.
Minnesota’s Taylor Heise has been named WCHA Offensive Player of the Year while fellow Gopher Peyton Hemp takes home the WCHA Rookie of the Year title. Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques earns WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and St. Cloud State’s Emma Polusny has been named WCHA Goaltender of the Year.
“This is an impressive group of honorees,” WCHA commissioner Jennifer Flowers said in a news release. “I want to congratulate the recipients being recognized for their outstanding accomplishments that continue to elevate the success of their programs and the WCHA. We are proud to be the home to so many incredible student-athletes and coaches and are excited to celebrate this special group’s excellence.”
The individual awards continue tomorrow, March 2, with the announcement of WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year and WCHA Coach of the Year. The overall WCHA Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, March 3.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Year Taylor Heise – Minnesota, Sr.
A two-time WCHA Forward of the Month, Heise follows up her First Team All-WCHA nod by being voted as the league’s offensive player of the year. Through the regular season, Heise stood as the nation’s leading scorer with 60 points by 26 goals and 34 assists, becoming the first Gopher since 2016-17 to register 60-plus points in a season. Tallying a nation-leading four short-handed goals on the year, Heise also earned national recognition when she was named Hockey Commissioners Association’s National Player of the Month for November.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Sophie Jaques – Ohio State, Sr.
After earning eight WCHA Defender of the Week titles throughout the regular season, Jaques has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Jaques collected three WCHA Defender of the Month titles on her way to garnering First Team All-WCHA accolades, all while setting the single-season program record for points by a defender. From the blueline, Jaques registered 53 points in the regular season by 18 goals and 35 assists, including a nation-topping 10 power play goals. While skating to a plus-43 rating on the ice, Jaques added 32 blocked shots and four game-winning goals.
WCHA Goaltender of the Year Emma Polusny – St. Cloud State, Grad.
After becoming the first First Team All-WCHA honoree in St. Cloud State program history, Polusny garners goaltender of the year accolades. Polusny registered a .925 save percentage through her 926:57 of action in the regular season, while making 546 for a 2.85 GAA. Polusny earned a career-high of 55 saves against No. 1 Minnesota (Feb. 11) after surpassing her 54 saves against then-No. 2/3 Wisconsin (Jan. 28). The performance helped St. Cloud State claim its first point from Wisconsin since 2015. Overall, Polusny set the program record with her 3,343 career saves (as of Feb. 24), and currently leads all active players in the NCAA in the career save category.
WCHA Rookie of the Year Peyton Hemp – Minnesota
After earning a spot on the WCHA All-Rookie Team, Peyton Hemp has been voted as the league’s 2021-22 Rookie of the Year. Hemp led all WCHA freshmen with 31 points through the regular season as well as with 12 goals. Only taking one penalty all season, Hemp scored five game-winning goals and scored in every situation by adding both a power play and shorthanded goal on the year. Hemp’s Rookie of the Year honor comes after being a two-time WCHA Rookie of the Month honoree in the regular season.
Western Michigan captain Paul Washe is facing a sexual assault charge after an incident at a Dec. 5, 2021 party, according to ClickOnDetroit.
A fellow WMU student said she was sexually assaulted by Washe on that night and Washe admitted to having sex with the woman, but said it was consensual, according to authorities.
“Paul Washe was suspended from the hockey team for violating team rules and remains indefinitely suspended from all team activities,” WMU said Feb. 25 in a statement to News 8. “We are aware of the charge against him. This is a matter we take very seriously. The university has been cooperating with law enforcement and following the federal Title IX processes, including conducting our own investigation.”
Washe was arraigned Feb. 25 in Kalamazoo County on one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bond was set at $500, cash/surety. He isn’t allowed to contact or cause a third party to have any contact with the victim.
Washe faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 9, and a preliminary examination is set for 1:30 p.m. March 16.
Geneseo is one of many teams in the east looking to celebrate winning their conference and advancing to the NCAA tournament (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)
All I can say about last week is, it probably reflected the incredible parity, across all of the teams and conferences. This is exactly what you want in the playoffs – teams needing to go out an earn the win. My picks at 9-10-0 (.474) last week mirrored the stunning results – took too many presumed favorites. The overall numbers of 103-62-11 (.616) are good but not championship caliber so one last shot before the annual head-to-head contest with Brian Lester in the NCAA tournament. Everything is on the line this week and upcoming weekend. With semifinal action taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, here are this week’s expanded picks including predicted weekend matchups from the earlier results:
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
MASCAC Semifinals
Framingham State v. Plymouth State
The Rams are coming off an immense high while the Panthers have been off for a week. Blake Carlson has been amazing in goal for FSU but now faces a potent Panther attack that comes in waves. It’s closer than score indicates with an empty-net goal , or two – PSU, 4-1
Salem State v. Westfield State
The Vikings didn’t seem to have much going until the calendar turned to February where they have picked up 50% of their win total for the season. Erik Larsson and Joe Smith are dangerous scorers and Aaron Mercer has been steady in goal. Vikings surprise the Owls in OT – SSU, 3-2
NE-10 Semifinals
Post v. Southern New Hampshire
The Penmen earned the top seed with a great first half and enough good play when it counted in the second half. It counts most now so look for George Thurston, Joe Fiorino and goaltender Adam Mercer to lead the home team to the win – SNHU, 5-2
Stonehill v. Assumption
UPSET ALERT – the Greyhounds best not take the Skyhawks lightly as St. Anselm found out this past weekend. Game against Franklin Pierce showed need to lay the full 60 minutes so look for the home team to start fast and finish strong – Assumption, 6-3
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
SUNYAC Semifinals
Brockport v. Geneseo (3)
The Knights are home and well rested but face an invigorated Brockport team that found a way to win in a hostile atmosphere. This one is close but the regular season champs punch their ticket to the title game – Geneseo, 4-3
Cortland v. Oswego (12)
Luca Durante vs. Steven Kozikoski. The goaltenders will be key here in a game that may not see a goal in regulation but will definitely need one in overtime to decide a winner. Lakers eke it out – Oswego, 2-1
CCC Semifinals
Nichols v. University Of New England (11)
The Nor’easters are very tough at home and Nichols will try to slow them down. Tough to do for three periods and the power play will be key for the home team. Jake Fuss and company use a big third period for the win – UNE, 5-2
Curry v. Endicott (13)
This one will be a battle from the drop of the first puck. Both teams are fast and skilled and highly opportunistic. Only going with the Gulls because of home ice, home crowd and Conor O’Brien between the pipes – Endicott, 2-1
Saturday, March 5, 2022
CCC Championship
Endicott (13) v. University of New England (11)
The championship game won’t be high scoring like their game a couple of weeks ago in Biddeford. This one will be a chess match with the visitors scoring late to win the game and defend their 2020 CCC title – Endicott, 3-1
MASCAC Championship
Salem State v. Plymouth State
The seniors and graduate students back to make this final run are not going to fall short by one game, especially at home. JR Barone leads the Panthers to the win but not without a little nail-biting – PSU, 3-1
NE-10 Championship
Assumption v. Southern New Hampshire
This one will see a lot of goals because both of these teams will take advantage of special team opportunities. Home team rallies in the final period to send game to overtime and celebrate in grand style – SNHU, 5-4
NEHC Championship
Skidmore v. Babson (6)
The NEHC is the deepest conference in the country with both of the finalists having taken out the top two seeds last weekend. Surprise, surprise it will be a Babson overtime win. Only question is who gets the championship goal – Babson, 2-1
NESCAC Semifinals
Williams v. Trinity
The Bantams have been the hottest team in NESCAC over the past three weeks winning six in a row. Make it seven against a solid Williams team that can’t score enough to take down the Bantams – Trinity, 3-2
Hamilton v. Colby (14)
The Mules get to show off their new facility as the hosts of the Final Four weekend, but it won’t mean anything if there not playing on Sunday. Mules take care of business with Andy Beran shutting the door on the Continentals – Colby, 4-3
SUNYAC Championship
Oswego (12) v. Geneseo (3)
The Lakers have not fared well in the two games against the Knights this season and they say the hardest thing is to beat a team three times. Knights have enough playoff experience at home to defend their crown – Geneseo, 2-0
UCHC Championship
Wilkes (8) v. Utica (2)
The Pioneers are locked and loaded with a roster built for playoff hockey but so too are the experienced Colonels who lost a shootout to Utica just a few weeks ago. This one will be a very intense game with the home team winning it in overtime – Utica, 2-1
Sunday, March 6, 2022
NESCAC Championship
Trinity v. Colby (14)
The Mules will have learned something from their last loss at Trinity and that is to get the first goal of the game and build from there. Mules score early but still need overtime to decide the NESCAC champions – Colby, 4-3
Lots of presumptive results that may be a reach on the prediction side but regardless, everything is on the line this weekend with conference titles and NCAA tournament berths up for grabs. Tons at stake, so go get it – “Drop the Puck!”
American International and Niagara tied last Friday night before AIC defeated the Purple Eagles Saturday night in overtime (photo: Kelly Shea).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Dan: Well, everyone, we finally made it, and we’re here.
March.
The glorious month when the games start counting for real, and the postseason starts. No better way to ring it in, in my opinion, than with my co-host for this week, Paula Weston.
A couple of quick hit thoughts here.
I’ve heard a number of people say that over the years, that this is the “real season.” I’ve absolutely said it myself. The more I think about it, though, the more I think that the statement somehow invalidates the last few months of hockey, and the playoffs only exist because of how teams played over the course of the entire season. Somehow, whether we realize it or not, a game in October adds pieces to why we care so much or how we perceive the games in March, and I’m glad more and more coaches are talking about those games when the year begins.
The second thought is more about postseason hockey on the whole. I have been vocal about my conflicted feelings about the 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts in general, but I’m glad that when the playoffs roll around, we settle things the way it oughta be settled: five-aside until someone scores a goal. I can’t wait for that first game to go deep into the night.
Paula, how are you feeling this week? The postseason is back, and with it, I’m sure, can you offer your thoughts on what we might see when things kick off this weekend?
Paula: Dan, the two thoughts you have there are worth addressing before we get to your question. (Short answer: I’m good. You?)
As I told Jimmy Connelly last week, I love conference playoff hockey. To me as a fan of the game, a conference championship is every bit as exciting as the national championship. We know that winning the conference is often the first stated goal of contending teams at the start of every season, and there are plenty of good reasons for that. One of the reasons is what you mentioned, that every game in October counts – and the season is so freaking long that it’s important for teams to maintain a focus. What better way to do that than to concentrate on winning the games against a finite number of known conference foes?
Another reason to love the conference championship – and to value the entire season that comes before it – is the relatively small pool of D-I programs and the big differences from conference to conference. College hockey is still a sport of the haves and have nots. There is a small number of programs that can maintain success annually, and the teams in that number change from time to time. And there are conferences that are consistently haves while others are challenged to rise to that consistent level of successful competition. The conference championship is a payoff for a long, hard-fought season playing mostly against teams that are peers. Winning a conference championship is a reward for a lot of guys who may never get the chance to compete for a national championship.
And every championship game is exciting, which is in itself a reward for everyone.
As for postseason hockey, I can’t wait until every conference gets there. Both Hockey East and the NCHC still have another week of regular-season hockey. While it’s likely that Massachusetts and North Dakota will hold onto the top spots of their respective leagues, that’s by no means a lock.
Even though I love to watch the conference championships for their own glorious sakes, it’s impossible to ignore the PairWise implications as March begins. Look at the very, very good teams on the bubble, both above and below the PWR cutoff line: Ohio State, Northeastern, UMass Lowell, Boston University, Clarkson, Providence, Merrimack. Northeastern and Merrimack are tied for second place in Hockey East and there is a possibility that one or both of them will sit out the NCAA tournament.
With all of the conference tournaments, I’m curious to see how recent momentum vs. seeding will play out, too.
What are you keeping an eye on as the postseason begins?
Dan: A return to normalcy…
No, but seriously, I can’t believe it’s been three years since conference tournaments played out under their standard formats.
Take both Atlantic Hockey and ECAC.
Atlantic Hockey played a pod-based format last year and didn’t experience a single crossover between the west and east until the single-elimination semifinal round. Air Force traveled to play Bentley, but Air Force wasn’t tied to any one particular pod because its geographic location was such an anomaly in comparison. Then Bentley, after beating Air Force, had its season ended by COVID-19, so AIC, the eventual league champion, didn’t play its first postseason game until it played Niagara in the semifinals.
This year alone, teams that didn’t see each other at all last year are scheduled to play in three different postseason series, including both this weekend when Bentley heads to Niagara and Mercyhurst hosts Holy Cross. Oh, and the fourth series is Air Force at Army, in case we needed any more intrigue to a playoff that saw anything other than a No. 1 seed win over a six-year span in a league that will send a single team to the postseason.
ECAC, meanwhile, is actually going to look like a postseason tournament after the four-team league finished the season with a sneaky-good three-team, single elimination bracket that saw St. Lawrence beat both Colgate and Quinnipiac in overtime last year. Say what you will, SLU did what it needed to, and its title defense starts at Appleton Arena this year after it won its way into eighth spot by passing Brown over the weekend.
But one of the things that I’m most interested about, on top of everything, is seeing which teams adapt to the postseason after those breaks. Almost none of the players taking the ice this weekend are used to playing in a best-of-three series, and for teams with younger players, critical experience awaits. With any luck, a team that doesn’t know that it’s supposed to lose is going to go on a run and ruin someone else’s season. That’s the drama.
Enough about the east, though. I’m switching gears to the Big Ten and a league that I think is as wide-open as it gets. I can see any of the six teams advancing this weekend, and gaining some due momentum could set up Minnesota for a brutal semifinal matchup next weekend, especially since anything can happen in a single-elimination game.
That said, anything I say might be on a dart board in the Minnesota dressing room by now after I left that team for dead a month or so ago. How are we sizing up the Big Ten, and what kind of chaos can we expect from it since it is probably the tightest in talent of all?
Paula: There is so much about the Big Ten that is fascinating this season. Congratulations to the Golden Gophers, who capture their first regular-season title since 2017, a year that capped a six-season run of regular-season championships that spanned the WCHA and Big Ten. The Gophers ended their season with an eight-game win streak during which they outscored opponents 37-11, including last weekend when Minnesota outscored Wisconsin 13-0 in two consecutive shutouts.
I can’t say enough about this Minnesota team. At several points earlier in the season, they looked like they had the potential to be unstoppable; now they look like the team to beat not only in the Big Ten playoffs but perhaps in the national championship tournament as well.
The Gophers have a winning record on every B1G opponent except Michigan, with whom they tied the season series. They’re beatable, but I don’t see a huge upset loss for the Gophers in the B1G tourney.
The team to keep a close eye on, I think, is Notre Dame. They’re entering the weekend with a five-game win streak after sweeping Michigan at home last weekend, keeping the explosive Wolverines offense to two goals. The Fighting Irish have won eight of their last 10, and the first win in that span was in OT against Minnesota.
It’ll be interesting to see how Ohio State responds to their bye weekend last week following four straight losses to end the season.
I don’t see a lot of chaos happening in B1G Hockey. While no game in the Big Ten playoffs will be a gimme, I think the second half of the B1G season showed a separation between the top and bottom teams and exposed a two-tier league that maybe appeared tighter than it actually was.
Dan: Ohio State is the one team that troubles me because I’ve seen teams limp into the postseason before finding the right sauce.
In the 2019 Hockey East postseason, Boston College looked like it was done for the season after it lost to Providence in overtime in the first game of the quarterfinals, but the Eagles rallied to win the series in Rhode Island with a pair of two-goal wins. After beating UMass, a team bound for the national championship game, in the semifinals, BC came within a bad first period against Northeastern of winning Hockey East after losing 20 games – and eight of its last nine in the regular season.
That’s the beauty of the postseason, and it’s a big reason why I’m not my usual cranky self at this time of year. While Ohio State was swept in its last two weekends, losses to Minnesota and Michigan are hardly bad results, and there’s something to the matchup against Penn State that I like for that team. Big if, but if they get through, I wouldn’t mind seeing them make some noise, especially since another matchup with either Minnesota or Michigan awaits depending on which teams work their way through the first round.
All of that said, there is still plenty of hockey left to be played, and with Hockey East and the NCHC joining the postseason next week, plenty will change between now and the end of the weekend.
Paula: The Buckeyes were picked last in the Big Ten in preseason and defied everyone’s expectations for much of the year, in no small way due to the steady presence of freshman Jakub Dobeš and his .931 save percentage. Another rookie, Georgii Merkulov, surprised everyone with 18 goals. As you say, Ohio State’s four losses were against Minnesota and Michigan, but the Buckeyes struggled for some overall team consistency down the stretch. I wouldn’t count them out completely, for sure.
For all my Big Ten love – and the CCHA, which we didn’t even discuss this week – I have to confess that I’m most captivated by how Hockey East will end its wild ride. Merrimack is 10-2-0 in HEA play heading into the final weekend against Northeastern, with whom the Warriors are tied in conference standings. Can the Warriors ride that momentum to a conference playoff championship? What about Boston University’s stunning second half?
Merrimack at No. 19 in the Pairwise, BU at No. 16, Omaha and Cornell at No. 21, Harvard at No. 23 – perhaps the craziest thing that March and playoff hockey will bring is a number of teams sitting out the NCAA tournament with performances that nearly any other year would have them sitting pretty.
Kristin Della Rovere has been a key cog in the Harvard lineup this season (photo: Gil Talbot).
ECAC Hockey has announced the 2022 all-league teams, with 18 players representing seven schools.
FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Goaltender: Lucy Morgan, St. Lawrence
Defenseman: Emma Buckles, Harvard
Defenseman: Emma Seitz, Yale
Forward: Elle Hartje, Yale
Forward: Kristin Della Rovere, Harvard
Forward: Gillis Frechette, Cornell
Ryan Romeo has been a steady presence on the Brockport back end this season (photo: Katie Wilson).
The SUNYAC has announced the 2022 all-conference teams as nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
Eighteen players from six different schools were recognized on the first, second and third teams.
First Team
Dan Bosio, Geneseo, F, Sr.
Peter Morgan, Geneseo, F, Fr.
Travis Broughman, Oswego, F, Jr.
Ryan Romeo, Brockport, D, Gr.
Chris Perna, Geneseo, D, Sr.
Luca Durante, Cortland, G, Jr.
Second Team
Justin Cmunt, Geneseo, F, Jr.
Joey Mancuso, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Bennentt Stockdale, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Matthew Doran, Geneseo, D, Sr.
Matt Araujo, Plattsburgh, D, Sr.
Logan Dyck, Fredonia, G, So.
Third Team
Andrew Harley, Brockport, F, So.
Michael Sciore, Cortland, F, Sr.
Carson Gallagher, Plattsburgh, F, So.
Nick Grupp, Cortland, D, Jr.
Jacob Modry, Plattsburgh, D, Jr.
Steven Kozikoski, Oswego, G, Jr.
Lucas Sowder picked up the fourth game-winning goal of his career when he scored Minnesota State’s second goal in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Michigan Tech (photo: MTU Athletics).
Minnesota State garnered 48 first-place votes this week and remains the top team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
Minnesota vaults two spots to No. 2 and picked up one first-place vote, while Denver stays No. 3, North Dakota is up three to No. 4, and Michigan falls three to sit fifth this week.
Quinnipiac is down one to No. 6 and earned the last first-place vote.
Notre Dame is up two to No. 7, Western Michigan falls two slots to No. 8, Massachusetts is up one to No. 9, and St. Cloud State moves up one to No. 10 in this week’s rankings.
Eighth last week, Minnesota Duluth tumbles to No. 11 this week.
Omaha reenters the latest poll at No. 20.
In addition to the top 20 teams, seven other schools received votes in this week’s poll.
The DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Ice Hockey 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.
DCU (DCU.org), a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by and operated for its members, is the sponsor of this poll. DCU serves more than 900,000 members and their families in all 50 states.
Brockport was one of several teams across the region that found their way to an upset win on the road in conference tournament action (Photo by Gabe Dickens)
The best thing about playoff hockey is you never really know what is going to happen. How about a No. 1 seed, three No. 2 seeds and four No. 3 seeds all being dispatched from their conference tournaments this week? The NEHC championship is going to be hosted by the No. 4 seed (Babson) playing against the No. 6 team (Skidmore). There were six overtimes and two lowest seeds that advanced setting up more drama for the upcoming week. Before we get there, here is the weekend wrap-up:
CCC
The University of New England earned the top spot and faced Western New England in quarterfinal action on Saturday. After Daniel Winslow gave the Nor’easters a 1-0 lead late in the first period, the game became the Jared Christy show. Christy recorded a natural hat trick during the second and third periods to give UNE a 4-0 lead before the Golden Bears broke the shutout bid of Billy Girard IV on a goal by Sam Mitchell. Alex Sheehy, Jake Fuss and Austin Morgan each had two points for the Nor’easters in the win.
Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov setup one goal and scored on the power play to give the Gulls a 2-1 lead after two periods of their quarterfinal matchup with Wentworth. In the third period the Gulls broke the game open as Connor Amsley and Ryan Gaulin each scored a pair of goals for a 6-1 win. Conor O’Brien made 25 saves to earn his 18th win of the season.
There are some matchups that look great on paper for the higher seeded team but not so much on the ice. For the second consecutive time, Nichols knocked Salve Regina out of the playoffs with a 3-1 win over the Seahawks. Despite being outshot by a 44-24 margin, the Bison took an early lead on a goal by Owen Gonter setup by Curtis Carlson. Peter Miko extended the lead to 2-0 and Carlson sealed the win with a late goal to support a 43-save effort by goaltender Korbinian Lutz.
Curry also faced a challenge from Suffolk’s goaltender, Cal Wilcox on Saturday but came away with a 2-1 win over the Rams. Devin Lowe gave the visitors a first period lead but goals by Timmy Kent in the second period and Alexander Bouchard in the third period were just enough to overcome a 45-save effort from Wilcox.
The semifinals are now set for Wednesday, March 2 with UNE hosting Nichols and Endicott hosting Curry.
MASCAC
While Plymouth State was enjoying the bye week from their winning the regular season, three quarterfinal games created a lot of excitement and a major upset as No. 2 seeded Fitchburg State was ousted by Framingham State. The Falcons threw 40 shots at Blake Carlson who stopped everything that came his way. Neither team could score in regulation time but as is often the case, an unsuspecting hero emerged for the Rams, with sophomore forward Kaleb Kinskey scoring his first collegiate goal at the eight minute mark of overtime to give the Rams the 1-0 victory.
The No. 3 seeded Worcester State lancers also ran into a hot team in the Salem State Vikings on Saturday, dropping a 4-3 decision on Saturday. The Vikings seemed to have control of the game when Keagan O’Donoghue scored an empty-net, shorthanded tally late in the third period to give the visitors a 4-1 lead. The Lancers fought back with the extra attacker to score twice in the final minute off the sticks of Max Moriarty and Mike Wilson but ran out of time before they could get the equalizer. Aaron Mercer made 35 saves in the win.
In the No. 5 vs. No. 4 game, it was again the visitor that came away with the victory as Westfield State downed Massachusetts-Dartmouth 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. After Melker Kroon and Chuck Costello exchanged goals in the first two periods, neither team could solve the goaltending excellence of Valtteri Valtonen (38 saves) and Daniel Davidson (33 saves) for their respective teams. It took an overtime and a quick strike attack from the Owls early in the extra session to punch their ticket to the semifinals on a goal from Justin Collins.
As all of the lower seeds won on Saturday, Tuesday’s semifinals look like this – Plymouth State hosts Framingham State while Westfield State will host their game against Salem State.
NE-10
Southern New Hampshire enjoyed the bye week from winning the regular season and probably enjoyed scoreboard watching the three quarterfinal games where two took overtime to settle.
Stonehill was the lowest seed in the tournament and traveled to face No. 2 St. Anselm on Saturday where the offense was on display for both teams. Will Christensen scored a pair of goals in the first period for the Hawks who held a 3-2 lead after the first 20 minutes. Ryan King tied the game for Stonehill in the second period setting up and exciting third period and overtime. Trevor Hott gave the home team a 4-3 lead in the first wo minutes of the third period but once again Stonehill fought back to tie with an unassisted goal from Max Pineo with less than seven minutes remaining. As neither team could score in regulation, the game went to overtime where Mike Seoane cashed in on a rebound off the post on a shot from John Peloso giving the Skyhawks the 5-4 victory. John Day made 35 saves in the win for Stonehill.
Post playing for the first time in the NE-10 playoffs earned their first tournament win with a 3-1 decision over St. Michael’s on Saturday. Niko Grollman scored his first of two goals to level the game at 1-1 in the second period. Connor Barter would score the eventual game winner while Grollman added an insurance goal in the third period to support Brandon Brown’s 27-save effort for the Eagles.
Assumption and Franklin Pierce played a seesaw affair on Saturday that needed overtime to settle as well in their NE-10 matchup. Collin Philippon, Ronny Paragallo and Michael Zampanti gave the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead ,but the Ravens weren’t going to go away quietly. One goal from Chris Stevenson and two more from Conor Foley tied the game at three midway through the third period. Nothing was decided in regulation and the Greyhounds found some overtime magic off the stick of senior Robert Holyoke with assists to Devan Sheth and goaltender David Altman at the 9:11 mark.
On Tuesday, March 1, Southern New Hampshire will host Post in the semifinal round while Assumption will play Stonehill.
NEHC
The No. 1 seed Hobart and No. 2 seed Elmira both played host on Saturday in semifinal games and both now find themselves awaiting their NCAA fate looking for an at-large bid after losses to Skidmore and Babson respectively.
Skidmore’s Zach Frisk, Zach Lindewirth and Kaeden Patrick (all freshmen) scored all the goals that Tate Brandon would need in downing Hobart by a 3-2 score. Brandon was especially good in the final two periods where he made 24 of his 32 saves for the game. The win was the Thoroughbreds first in seven appearances in the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
Babson used Ryan Black’s overtime goal to down Elmira 3-2 on Saturday night. Black’s goal was his eighth game-winning goal of the season which leads the nation across all NCAA divisions. After Babson’s Matt Wiesner and Elmira’s Adam Eby exchanged first period goals, the goaltending was on display for both teams. In the third period, Elmira’s Shawn Kennedy and Babson’s Mike Egan exchanged power play goals just 30 seconds apart to end regulation tied at 2-2. With just over a minute left in the extra period, Black fired in a rebound that beat Elmira’s Chris Janzen for the win. Brad Arvanitis made 47 saves for the Beavers.
Babson as the highest remaining seed will now host Skidmore in the championship game on Saturday, 3/5.
NESCAC
After Tufts downed Middlebury, 4-1 and Connecticut College upset Bowdoin by the same score on Friday night, the quarterfinal matchups were set for the weekend with three games being played on Sunday afternoon.
Connecticut College earned the right to face a red-hot Trinity squad and saw the game quickly go awry when the Bantams posted goals by Lucas Michaud and Gerard Maretta in the first 22 seconds of action. Paul Selleck and Cole Poliziani would make it 4-0 before the end of the first period and the Bantams would add Michaud’s second of the game to close out a 5-0 win. Jax Murray picked up three assists and goaltender JP Mella picked up the 34-save shutout. The win extended the Bantam streak to six games.
Tufts drew another Maine opponent this week with a game against the top-seeded Colby squad. The first period ended with the teams deadlocked at 1-1 and then the home team got the offense rolling. John McElaney and Jacub Thousand gave the Mules a 3-1 lead after two periods before McElaney would net his second and setup Carter Breitenfeldt for the final goal in a 5-1 Colby win. Andy Beran stopped 19 of 20 shots in the win that secured Colby being the host site for the semifinals and championship game next weekend.
Hamilton traveled to Wesleyan for their quarterfinal matchup on Sunday and no surprise the game was close between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the NESCAC tournament. The Continentals proved to be the only visiting team to win in the quarterfinal round with a 3-2 win over the Cardinals. Nick Rutigliano, Cade Groton and Sean Thompson each scored to give the Continentals a one goal lead with Thompson’s goal proving to be the decisive one late in the second period. Goaltender Sean Storr made 26 saves to earn the victory.
In the only game played on Saturday, No. 3 seed Williams hosted Amherst in a re-match from the final weekend of the regular season. The Ephs took the season sweep by adding a quarterfinal playoff win by a 3-1 score. In a game that showed some high intensity, the Ephs scored once in each period to put away the challenge from the Mammoths. Niko Karamanis and Jack Forrest gave Williams a 2-1 lead and Sean Clarke’s empty-net goal sealed the victory.
Next Saturday, Colby will play host to the remainder of the tournament. The Mules will host Hamilton while Trinity will face-off against Williams in the other semifinal. The winners advance to the championship game on Sunday, March 6.
SUNYAC
The Geneseo Knights and Oswego State Lakers both earned byes to the semifinals as the quarterfinal round played out on Saturday in the SUNYAC playoffs.
Cortland, who earned the home-ice spot by beating Fredonia on the final day of the regular season, hosted the Blue Devils again on Saturday. The teams were tied at 1-1 after the first period before Cortland took a second period lead on a goal from Matt Jahn. A three-goal third period sealed the 5-1 win as Fredonia outshot the Red Dragons by a 40-36 margin with Luca Durante making 39 saves in the win.
In perhaps the wildest game of the weekend, Brockport traveled to No. 3 Plattsburgh and skated away with a 7-6 overtime win where the Golden Eagles rallied from a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes of regulation. Brockport started fast taking a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals from Connor Galloway. They extended the lead to 3-1 early in the second period on a power play goal from Andrew Hartley before the home team found their offense with five unanswered goals. Christian DeFelice scored twice in the period to give the Cardinals a 6-3 lead at the second intermission, but there were more fireworks to come. Jacob King’s power play goal early in the third period closed the gap to 6-4 before the late drama ensued for the Golden Eagles. With the extra attacker on the ice, Anthony Hora scored at 18:28 to make it 6-5 and just 15 seconds later Galloway completed his hat trick to tie the game at 6-6. In the overtime session, it was Brockport’s Scott Ramaekers that scored the golden goal for the Eagles and advanced them to the semifinals by a 7-6 final. Nolan Egbert made 46 saves, including 22 in the first period to earn the win for Brockport.
The semifinals are set for Wednesday, March 2 where Geneseo will host Brockport and Oswego will host Cortland.
UCHC
The quarterfinals played out on Tuesday and Wednesday with a bit of drama and an upset to kick-off the conference tournament. While No. 1 Utica easily dispatched Lebanon Valley, 11-1 on Tuesday night and No. 2 Wilkes took out Neumann, 7-4, the other two quarterfinals were much more competitive.
Chatham earned its first ever playoff win with a hard-fought and gritty 4-2 win over Nazareth on Wednesday earning them a semifinal date with Wilkes. Four different Cougars scored in the quarterfinal win. Playing against No. 3 Stevenson, Manhattanville stunned the Mustangs with a three-goal first period led by two goals from AJ Bella, on the way to a 4-1 win and a semifinal matchup with Utica.
Looking for more early magic against Utica, Manhattanville was stymied by Chris Dickson in the Utica goal as the first period was scoreless. In the second period Eric Holland and John Moncovich gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Buster Larsson and Regen Cavanaugh would score in the third period for the final 4-0 score. Dickson made 16 saves to earn the shutout win.
Chatham’s Matthew Doyle gave the Cougars an early 1-0 lead against Wilkes, but the Colonels would then score the next five goals on the way to a 5-1 win. Phil Erickson and Ben Stefanini would give the Colonels a 2-1 lead before the end of the first period and Tyson Araujo, Taylor Brierley and Donald Flynn would score in the second period to give Wilkes a comfortable lead. Michael jones-Paterson stopped 34 of 35 shots to pick-up the win.
Wilkes will travel to face Utica for the UCHC championship on Saturday, March 5.
Three Biscuits
Blake Carlson – Framingham State – stopped all 40 shots he faced from Fitchburg State as the Rams upset the Falcons 1-0 in overtime on Saturday.
Ryan Black – Babson – scored his nation-leading eighth game-winning goal in Babson’s 3-2 overtime win over Elmira on Saturday.
Connor Galloway – Brockport – recorded a five-point game including three goals and two assists for the Golden Eagles in their come-from-behind, 7-6 win over Plattsburgh in overtime on Saturday night.
Bonus Biscuits
Zach Frisk – Skidmore – scored the Thoroughbreds’ second goal and setup the game winner in their 3-2 upset of Hobart on Saturday.
Kaleb Kinskey – Framingham State – made the most of his first collegiate goal with the overtime winner against Fitchburg State on Saturday.
Brad Arvanitis – Babson – stopped 47 of 49 shots to backstop the Beavers to a 3-2 overtime win at Elmira on Saturday.
Jared Christy – University of New England – scored a hat trick in the Nor’easter’s 4-1 quarterfinal win over Western new England on Saturday. Christy became just the second player in program history to achieve the feat.
Scott Ramaekers – Brockport – netted the overtime winner for the Golden Eagles in their 7-6 overtime win over Plattsburgh on Saturday.
Robert Holyoke – Assumption – scored the overtime winning goal to advance the Greyhounds past Franklin Pierce on Saturday, 4-3
Justin Collins – Westfield State – scored the overtime goal advancing the Owls past Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday.
John McElaney – Colby – scored two goals and set up another in Colby’s 5-1 win over Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Sunday.
With all of the upsets and top seeds getting bounced, it is not just the conference titles that get interesting but also the makeup of the contenders for the NCAA tournament. One more week of action to go starting with some mid-week semifinals and conference championships next weekend.
