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Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2023-24 All-USCHO Teams

Fifteen different programs are represented on the All-USCHO Women’s Division I teams this year. Congratulations to all the players on their spectacular seasons.

First Team
F: Izzy Daniel – Cornell
F: Casey O’Brien – Wisconsin
F: Kirsten Simms – Wisconsin
D: Cayla Barnes – Ohio State
D: Nicole Gosling – Clarkson
G: Michelle Pasiechnyk – Clarkson


Second Team

F: Tessa Janecke – Penn State
F: Danielle Serdachny – Colgate
F: Sarah Fillier – Princeton
D: KK Harvey – Wisconsin
D: Haley Winn – Clarkson
G: Raygan Kirk – Ohio State

Third Team
F: Abby Hustler – St. Lawrence
F: Abbey Murphy – Minnesota
F: Alexis Petford – Stonehill
D: Sydney Morrow – Colgate
D: Kate Reilly – Quinnipiac
G: Gwyneth Philips – Northeastern

Rookie Team
F: Joy Dunne – Ohio State
F: Emma Pais – Colgate
F: Alaina Giampietro – Robert Morris
F: Sofia Nuutinen – Mercyhurst
D: Andrea Trnková – RPI
G: Ava McNaughton – Wisconsin

College hockey coaching veteran Berard, ‘the ideal candidate,’ takes over as new head coach at Stonehill

David Berard spent seven seasons behind the Holy Cross bench, guiding the Crusaders from 2014 to 2021 (photo: Holy Cross Athletics).

Stonehill has named David Berard as the 12th head coach in program history as the program prepares for its third year at the NCAA Division I level.

Berard takes over for David Borges, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“We are thrilled to welcome David Berard to Stonehill as our men’s ice hockey head coach and are excited for him to lead our student-athletes as together they build a program that is on the rise,” said Stonehill assistant VP and director of athletics Dean O’Keefe in a statement. “David’s strong understanding of today’s collegiate hockey landscape, deep appreciation for the coach’s role in mentoring student-athletes on and off the ice, and eagerness to embrace Stonehill’s mission and values made him the ideal candidate for this role.”

Berard comes to Stonehill following three years as assistant vice president/associate deputy athletic director for coaching excellence at Providence, bringing eight years of experience as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level. He has a combined 29 years of coaching experience overall, including 19 years as a Division I assistant coach with stints in Hockey East, CCHA and Atlantic Hockey. Berard, who has won over 100 games as a head coach, also gained leadership experience with USA Hockey throughout his career.

“I am honored to be selected as the next head men’s hockey coach at Stonehill College,” said Berard. “Thank you to (president) Father John Denning and Dean O’Keefe for providing me the opportunity to lead the program into a new era. I am confident with our shared vision, passion and commitment, that we will be successful in building a strong and competitive Division I hockey program. I am excited to start and look forward to the future.”

Berard served as head coach at Holy Cross for seven seasons from 2014 to 2021. He led the Crusaders to 84 wins, including 74 in Atlantic Hockey play, with three victories against nationally ranked nonconference opponents. Holy Cross enjoyed four consecutive winning seasons in Atlantic Hockey, earning three first-round byes in the Atlantic Hockey tournament.

Berard mentored nine all-Atlantic Hockey selections, two AHA all-rookie team picks and three Walter Brown Award semifinalists at Holy Cross. Three Crusaders signed professional contracts in the AHL and four of Berard’s players attended NHL development camps. Berard’s teams performed in the classroom, recording a 3.25 team GPA each semester with 118 Atlantic Hockey academic all-stars and 12 AHCA All-American scholars. He led the fundraising initiatives for both the men’s and women’s hockey programs at Holy Cross, forming a hockey alumni group for fundraising, mentorship and engagement.

Prior to taking the reins at Holy Cross, Berard was appointed as interim head coach at UConn five games into the 2012-13 season after one year as assistant coach. He led the Huskies to its first winning season since 1999-2000 with a 19-10-3 record overall, including 14-7-3 in Atlantic Hockey for a fourth-place finish and spot in the AHA semifinals.

Of his 21 years as an assistant coach, with 19 at the NCAA Division I level, 16 were spent over three stints at Providence, his alma mater. In total, Berard helped the Friars reach three Hockey East championship games, winning the 1996 title, and three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996, 2001 and 2014. He was instrumental in recruiting talented student-athletes to Providence that included three AHCA All-Americans, seven Hockey East all-stars and five Hockey East all-rookie selections. Additionally, Berard recruited 23 NHL draft picks, 10 of which played in the NHL, and two of his recruits represented the United States as the IIHF World Junior Championship during his tenure.

Berard served as top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at CCHA member Lake Superior State from 1996 to 1998 after getting his coaching start at Colby for two years. He has been heavily involved in player development for USA Hockey at the national, district and local levels, serving as assistant coach for the USA Hockey Under-17 Select Team during the summer of 2004 that won the silver medal at the Five Nations Tournament in Germany.

In his administrative role at Providence over the three years, Berard served on the executive staff and leadership team that set strategic direction and priorities and collaborated in decision making in all athletic department matters. He served as mentor for coaching development, providing direct support and guidance for 13 Friar head coaches, served as sport administrator for the nationally ranked men’s and women’s hockey programs and was the primary institution representative at Hockey East administrative meetings.

“David’s extensive experience as both a collegiate head coach and assistant coach is impressive,” said O’Keefe. “His background as a senior athletic administrator, former student-athlete, and parent of two Division I student-athletes, provides him with the unique ability to look through a variety of critical collegiate hockey lenses in his new role.”

Berard is a 1992 graduate of Providence where he was a four-year letter-winner on the men’s hockey team, helping guide the Friars to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances.

After two seasons in Dartmouth crease, Black forgoes remaining NCAA eligibility to ink NHL deal with Panthers

Cooper Black has been a steady force in goal this season for Dartmouth (photo: William Rondeau).

Dartmouth goaltender Cooper Black has signed a two-year NHL contract with the Florida Panthers, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility.

“Getting to this point in my hockey career has been a long and difficult road but my time at Dartmouth has been some of the best,” Black said in a news release. “The relationships from my teammates and coaches and the support they’ve given me has helped me grow not just as a hockey player but as a person and I cannot thank each and every one of them enough.”

The 6-foot-8 sophomore goaltender from Alpena, Mich., started and played in 29 of the Big Green’s 32 games this season, including the three postseason games. In 29 games, Black led the Big Green to a 13-10-9 overall record and accounted for all their wins with a personal 13-8-8 record between the pipes, collecting eight more wins than in his first-year campaign.

“On behalf of Dartmouth hockey, I want to congratulate Cooper Black on fulfilling every player’s dream and signing his first NHL contract with the Florida Panthers,” Dartmouth coach Reid Cashman said. “Cooper, under the tutelage of Jason Tapp, has become one of the top free agent goalies in North America. He has spent the last two years improving every day and has earned this great opportunity. We are proud of Cooper and look forward to watching his future successes.”

This season, Black had a 2.59 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Black also posted two shutouts for the Big Green, including a 3-0 victory over Clarkson. He was recognized for his success on the ice, being named to the all-ECAC Hockey second team.

In addition to individual success, Black also helped lead the Big Green to team success, including their first opening round bye of the ECAC Hockey playoffs since 2010-11 and their first trip to Lake Placid since the 2015-16 season.

During his two seasons with Dartmouth, Black posted an 18-31-9 mark with a .904 save percentage, a 2.82 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Omaha blueliner Mancini gives up senior season with Mavericks, signs NHL contract with Rangers

Junior blueliner Victor Mancini scored his first NCAA goal in November for the Mavericks (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).

The NHL’s New York Rangers announced Tuesday that the team has agreed to terms with Omaha junior defenseman Victor Mancini on a two-year, entry-level contract.

Mancini compiled four goals and six assists for 10 points in 40 games this season with the Mavericks. He ranked tied for fourth on the Mavericks with a plus-7 rating and fifth in shots (78).

In his three collegiate seasons, the Hancock, Mich., native collected four goals and 19 assists for 23 points in 110 games. In 2022-23, he appeared in 32 games for the Mavericks where he logged a career-high eight assists and led all Mavericks with 41 blocked shots. That season, he was named NCHC academic all-conference and a distinguished scholar.

Mancini was originally selected by the Rangers in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

UMass blueliner Morrow signs NHL deal with Hurricanes, leaves Minutemen after junior season

Scott Morrow was a productive blueliner over three seasons with the Minutemen (photo: UMass Athletics).

Massachusetts junior defenseman Scott Morrow has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, giving up his senior season with the Minutemen.

Morrow was originally drafted by Carolina in the second round (40th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.

“Scott Morrow is one of the most gifted players I have worked with during my time as head coach at UMass,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel in a statement. “His abilities on the ice helped us win a lot of hockey games but more importantly, he worked diligently to develop his all-around game on the ice, which has prepared him to move on an be an NHL hockey player. I look forward to watching Scotty impress crowds at the next level like he did for our fans over the past three years.”

The Darien, Conn., native led the Minutemen in scoring this season with 30 points on six goals and a team-best 24 assists over 37 games and earned a Hockey East third team all-star nod. He was tabbed Hockey East defensive player of the month in October after helping UMass go 4-2-1 for the month after putting up nine points (2 goals, 7 assists). He also became the first Minuteman defenseman to log 20 points in the first semester of a season since UMass Hall of Famer Thomas Poeck.

Morrow saw action in every game over his three years at UMass for a total of 109 contests. He leaves Amherst second on the defenseman career scoring list with 94 career points, trailing only Poeck (102) who played four seasons with the Minutemen. Morrow also became UMass’ all-time leader among defensemen in career assists with 66, good for eighth on the overall career list. He was plus-11 with 10 power-play goals, one short-handed goal and five game winners over three seasons.

Morrow, a 2022-23 Hockey East second team all-star and New England men’s Division I all-star, finished his sophomore season as the points leader for the Minutemen with 31 on nine goals and 22 assists, including four tallies on the power play, one short-handed and two game winners, seeing action in all 35 games. The two-time Hockey East defensive player of the week became just the second Minuteman blueliner to post 30-plus points in multiple seasons, joining Poeck.

As a rookie in 2021-22, Morrow became the first freshman program history to be named a first team All-American while also earning first team Hockey East all-star, a Hockey East all-rookie team selection and New England men’s Division I all-star team recognition.

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: After launching Merrimack College Women’s Hockey Community Service Committee, Szott continuing with other volunteer, fundraising opportunities in Merrimack Valley

Raice Szott has led a number of volunteer and fundraising initiatives at Merrimack (photo: Merrimack Athletics).

Merrimack senior defender Raice Szott has been named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.

The award, which is celebrating its 29th season, is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen – a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to her team but also to the community through leadership in volunteerism. This is the second consecutive season in which Szott has been nominated for the award and her first time named as a finalist.

Growing up on a farm 140 km outside of Edmonton, Szott learned the importance of community early and had that lesson reinforced again and again as she grew up. Neighbors support each other, family lends a helping hand and the whole town pitches in. There’s no other way for a farm to survive. You help someone else knowing you’re going to need help in the future. There’s a connectedness and a knowledge that success is collective and all that more enjoyable when shared. Her dad and uncles all farm connected land and they shared a camaraderie.

“It’s not just that they were family, but it’s learning how working together and building each other up was so important. I was fortunate to grow up learning that lesson and I still carry it with me today,” Szott said.

It’s been many years since Szott was a full-time resident of the farm, but she’s always looked for a similar feeling of community wherever she’s gone. She picked up hockey because she wanted to be like her older brother, Chance, who she said pushed and encouraged her. As she followed in his skate tracks, it was the fellowship she found on a hockey team that created a love so great that she hopes to work in hockey when her playing career finishes.

“Your team is your family, and you have to be willing to do whatever you can for each other, not just on the ice but in life, as well. You’re one. You’re united as a family. It’s the same as the community. You have to be willing to give some and take some. It all ties together,” Szott said.

She chose to attend Merrimack because she saw an interconnectedness and closeness among the student body and staff that felt comfortable and familiar and said she would not be the person she is today who was nominated for a service award without the support of everyone on campus at Merrimack.

“Giving back was a way to make Merrimack feel more like my home – creating those connections with people. It was a great way to bring my values here,” she said.

When she got to North Andover, Mass., she started off volunteering with groups and events on campus until she learned the area better. Then she started getting involved with projects that carried import to her, like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in honor of a grandpa who has the disease. The list of her involvements continued to grow.

Szott launched the Merrimack College Women’s Hockey Community Service Committee, which has led to several volunteer and fundraising opportunities in the Merrimack Valley. She has coordinated fundraisers to support local nonprofits, including first responders and the Ellie Fund, a local foundation that assists men and women suffering from breast cancer. Szott has coordinated volunteers for Merrimack’s Relay For Life, local girls’ hockey programs and after-school programs at local elementary schools.

Raice Szott has been an impact player during her time at Merrimack (photo: Jim Stankiewicz).

In addition, Szott oversaw logistics for a number of events, including: a teddy bear toss at a Merrimack College women’s ice hockey home game to benefit Toys for Tots; multiple Skating Strides games for the Ellie Fund; and a team event for the school’s “Relay for Life Walk” this coming April. Szott also created a program dedicated to teaching and mentoring young girls to help them build confidence through ice skating and hockey.

“She makes time for everything. She really understands that it’s not about just showing up, it’s about really dedicating whatever time she has to get things done. She’s so eager and willing and excited about helping people and putting people in a situation where they feel loved and cared about,” said coach Erin Hamlen.

Szott, who is a captain for the Warriors this year, is not necessarily a talkative leader, said Hamlen. She leads by example on and off the ice and demonstrates how to be more than just a student or an athlete. There’s no way to teach the kind of selflessness, care, leadership and humility Szott embodies. Having a captain like her for younger players to look up to and emulate is invaluable.

“She initiated all sorts of projects and got the team on board with really being a part of the greater community outside of our locker room. That has not only connected us to the Andover and North Andover community, but it also connected our team to each other. It brought teammates together doing something that wasn’t just playing hockey for themselves, it was doing something for somebody else. Connecting our teammates to each other by bringing them into service has been a unique and really cool experience for our players,” said Hamlen.

“That’s leadership. That’s showing the way. That’s influence.”

Szott has found the attention she’s received as a finalist a bit unnerving because she’s never thought of any of the things she’s done as hers alone.

“You see the nomination, you see my name, but honestly, part of what makes this so special is just the people that I can share it with and who have been a part of this whole journey. It has definitely not just been me doing all of this. It is such a special honor to be a finalist. I’ve always been proud to represent something bigger than myself. Merrimack. Hockey East. Everyone back home. My teammates. It’s being able to represent everyone on a bigger stage and make everyone else who’s been a part of this work proud,” Szott said.

Hamlen said that she’s glad Szott is being recognized, but she wants to emphasize that though there have been many projects on campus and around Andover, they are by no means the extent of what her captain has done and will continue to do.

“This is who she has been her entire life, not who she’s just been becoming. Now she’s taking more charge of where she spends her time, but she’s always been this giving, caring person who’s able to think of other people before she thinks of herself more often than not,” said Hamlen.

Szott credits her parents, Bev and Tim, with putting her on this path and helping her become the person she is today. They instilled her values and supported her in hockey at every opportunity. Some 4000 km from home, Szott is a campus and team leader and a role model, but she has also never stopped being a farm girl from rural Alberta. She just has a whole lot more perspective on life now.

Volunteer and fundraising initiatives have taken up much of Szott’s time off the ice at Merrimack (photo: Merrimack Athletics).

“My parents always remind me of who I am, my beliefs and encourage me. That’s who I am here (at Merrimack). I moved to the city and then to Ontario and to Merrimack and I tried to remain the same person with the same values and that’s because of them. My parents just always made sure that I’m staying true to myself and my values. They were willing to go to great lengths to help me branch out as a person and branch out as a player,” Szott said.

Szott plans to return to Merrimack for her fifth year of eligibility and continue studying sports management and management. She also plans to keep building on the foundation of giving she has already established.

“Hockey is a part of who I am and brought things like confidence, learning the value of hard work, supporting others and lifelong friends,” said Szott. “We’re so fortunate to be in this position where we can give back by utilizing our sport as the stage. I plan to continue to build and expand on all of this. There are always more ideas. There’s always more you can do.”

Quinnipiac’s Quillan, who scored national championship OT game-winner in 2023, leaves after junior year, signs with NHL’s Maple Leafs

Jacob Quillan was an offensive catalyst in his three seasons with Quinnipiac (photo: Rob Rasmussen).

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday that the club has signed Quinnipiac junior forward Jacob Quillan to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in 2024-25.

Quillan, 22, skated in 39 games for the Bobcats this season, registering 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) and was the recipient of the ECAC Hockey best defensive forward award.

In 116 career games at QU, Quillan recorded 93 points (38 goals, 55 assists).

Last season, the Dartmouth, N.S., native scored the overtime winning goal to secure the 2023 national championship for Quinnipiac and was awarded the Frozen Four most outstanding player award.

Longtime USHL coach, Wisconsin-Stevens Point grad Noreen named new head coach for Miami, aims to set ‘a standard that all of our supporters can be proud of’

Anthony Noreen is a longtime head coach in the USHL, most recently with the Tri-City Storm since 2017 (photo: Tri-City Storm).

Miami announced Monday that Anthony Noreen has been named the seventh head coach in RedHawks history.

Noreen, who takes over for Chris Bergeron, who has not brought back after the 2023-24 season, has been the head coach of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm since 2017 and has also served as the Storm’s president of hockey operations since 2019. He has been involved with USA Hockey for nearly a decade, most recently as the 18U head coach for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Noreen led the 2018 U.S. Junior Select Team to a gold medal in the World Junior A Challenge.

“I am honored and humbled to be the next head hockey coach at Miami University,” said Noreen in a statement. “I would like to thank David Sayler and Brad Okel for their belief in me, and the alumni of this storied program for creating something special to build upon. I look forward to being a part of the next chapter of Miami hockey and establishing a standard that all of our supporters can be proud of.”

During his time with Tri-City, Noreen has produced a record of 236-126-24-18, making him the winningest coach in franchise history. His Storm teams have qualified for the playoffs in each of his seven seasons at the helm (with the exception of the 2019-20 postseason, which was canceled due to COVID). Noreen has led the Storm to two Anderson Cups (2018-19 and 2021-22), setting a franchise record for wins and points in the 2018-19 season and breaking the league record for wins and points in 2021-22. He was named USHL coach of the year in both of those seasons (the first Storm coach to earn that honor) and has produced more playoff appearances and more regular-season titles than any other Tri-City head coach.

The Storm topped the USHL in penalty killing for four straight seasons (2018-22) and led the league in goals against in two of those years. In 2021-22, Noreen’s team won a franchise-record 11 consecutive games and went on to lead the USHL in goals scored and power-play goals.

Noreen has coached 34 NHL draft picks over the past seven years with the Storm, and his Tri-City program has produced more than 100 NCAA Division I hockey players in that time. The 2024 NCAA tournament featured a total of 24 former Storm players, with 14 of the 16 participating programs (and each school in the Frozen Four) having at least one Tri-City product on their roster.

Storm players under Noreen won two USHL player of the year awards to go along with two defenseman of the year honors, three goalie of the year recognitions, one forward of the year pick and a rookie of the year selection.

“I am excited to introduce Anthony Noreen as the next head coach of the Miami University hockey program. All of us here at Miami are committed to getting our hockey program back to being nationally competitive within the NCHC and building on our proud history of NCAA tournament appearances,” said Miami director of athletics David Sayler. “I am reminded of a famous quote by Wayne Gretzky, where he said, ‘Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.’ This quote could not be more true of where we find ourselves in college athletics at this moment of time,” Sayler continued. “We set out to find someone that is adept at bringing high-end talent into their program, developing that talent on and off the ice, and communicating clearly to forge strong culture and win hockey games.

“Coach Noreen has succeeded in all of those areas while having to evaluate his ever-changing roster each year, something that will serve him extremely well in his new role as the head coach of the Miami hockey program.”

Noreen’s experience with USA Hockey includes his most recent role as U-18 head coach for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as well as a collection of three medals earned with the U.S. Junior Select Team in the World Junior A Challenge. Noreen served as head coach for the U.S. Junior Select Team in 2019 (bronze medal) and 2018 (gold medal) after helping the U.S. to silver in 2017 as an assistant.

Before joining Tri-City, Noreen was the head coach for the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears from 2015 to 2017 after four previous seasons in the USHL as Youngstown Phantoms head coach and general manager (2011-15). Noreen posted a mark of 38-35-4-6 in Orlando and led the Phantoms to a 126-99-10-9 record. His 2014-15 Youngstown team set a USHL record with a 17-game win streak en route to claiming the Anderson Cup, as Noreen was named the league’s coach of the year.

Noreen, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interpersonal/Organizational Communication from Wisconsin-Stevens Point, began his coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant from 2007 2010. Noreen played four seasons for the Pointers from 2003 2007, serving as a team captain in his junior and senior years. He was named to the NCHA all-academic team in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and graduated from UWSP in 2007.

Noreen will continue with the Storm through the remainder of the USHL regular season and postseason before officially assuming his role leading Miami hockey.

The introductory press conference for Noreen will be held April 9 at 1 p.m. in the club lounge at Goggin Ice Center.

Looking at the results from the regionals, a deluge of entries into the transfer portal: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 26

Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review the games of the weekend and news of the week in this Monday, April 1, 2024 edition.

In this episode:

  • Transfer portal is flooded with entries as it opens for all players
  • Denver survives a pair of 2-1 games
  • Boston University rallied past Minnesota to advance
  • Boston College prevailed over Quinnipiac in OT
  • Michigan had a couple of strong third periods to advance
  • Looking at Hobey Baker and Richter awards

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit: ncaa.com/mfrozenfour

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

Find our podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: Penn State’s Lugris taking on enjoyable role as ‘a catalyst’ in helping to build, grow local sled hockey program

Dylan Lugris has helped to grow the State College Coyotes sled hockey team, all while getting on a sled himself to join the Coyotes players (photo: courtesy Dylan Lugris).

Game recognizes game. And every so often, game helps game level up.

Over the past few years, a local sled hockey team in State College, Pennsylvania, has developed a fan following among Penn State’s men’s hockey program. Nittany Lions coach Guy Gadowsky approached the State College Coyotes, who practice out of PSU’s Pegula Ice Arena, to ask if he could hit a sled with them. He then encouraged his own players to do the same.

Among them was Penn State junior forward Dylan Lugris, who has now organized two editions of the Penn State Sled Hockey Classic, pitting his team against the Coyotes. Lugris’ work to put on an event that has gone from strength to strength has helped him become one of five finalists this year for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.

“I had started going to those practices with a couple of the guys on our team, and over time, I started to develop some good relationships with the Coyotes and was asking them questions and wanted to see if they played any games or how their season looked and how they ran their program,” Lugris said.

“When they told me they don’t get to play games because it’s expensive to travel and get people place to place, I thought, ‘We’ll play you here. We’ve got enough guys that we’ll play here and try to raise some money for next year so that you can travel and build the program.’”

Lugris got the green light from Gadowsky to spearhead the project, and in February of last year, the first Penn State Sled Hockey Classic was held. The game was held in front of a crowded Roar Zone, Penn State’s hockey student section, with Nittany Lions players putting on the whole show between playing, coaching the teams, officiating the game, ushering for fans and even running the scoreboard and public address system. A second edition of the event was held last month, and in terms of what happened on the ice, there was more to keep track of.

Dylan Lugris talks to the State College Coyotes sled hockey team, looking to encourage the players and pass on his knowledge of the game (photo: courtesy Dylan Lugris).

“The first year we did it, they only had nine or 10 people in their program, and it was easy to do us versus them, but this year, since we raised money and grew the sport a little bit, they actually grew their program to 22 players,” Lugris said. “We had line changes this year, and one of their players played for us because it was always a dream of his to play for Penn State, so Gads played for the Coyotes in a little trade.

“All our guys got involved, and when I brought it up to them the first time, they were all for it. The way we had to schedule it, we could only do it on a bye week and had to do it in a morning, so to get the response that we did of, ‘How can we help, what can we do,’ at 9 a.m. on a Saturday when we’re supposed to be off says a lot about who they are and our culture.”

The annual event has helped the Coyotes in other ways, too. They are now proud members of the Northeast Sled Hockey League and play in multiple games per month thanks in part to the nearly $50,000 that Penn State’s players have raised for the club over the past year.

Lugris credits Penn State staff members for helping behind the scenes, but all game day preparation and in-arena work was done by PSU players. And both times, the event exceeded Gadowsky’s expectations, because of the scale of the project.

“I thought Dylan had great intentions, but I didn’t think there was any way he would make it happen, because he basically said, ‘If I can do it, can I do it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead, but it’s all on you. If you can get it done, that’s great,’” Gadowsky said.

“I knew it would take organizing for both our team, the sled team, ice time and I didn’t know how he would do it with all the people it took, but he motivated our entire team to want to partake in it, and it was a first-class event. It was everything you could imagine.”

Dylan Lugris (16) and teammates celebrate a goal for Penn State (photo: Penn State Athletics).

And it would’ve been eye-opening for fans and players who were new to the world of sled hockey. In at least one instance, a fan looks set to become a player.

“It’s really tough, man,” Lugris said when asked how he has found the experience of playing sled hockey. “It’s a lot of core strength, your arms are tired and it’s faster than you would think, and more physical, too. I’ve gone most Sundays that I can make since my freshman year, and I’m still not very good, but it helps grow the sport, too. When fans see Division I athletes go out there and not be able to play sled hockey, even though they’re Big Ten athletes, it shows how athletic these sled hockey players are, no matter their disability.

“Just seeing their program almost triple in size was incredible, but one of our assistant coaches, his son is around 8 years old and had his birthday party that day this year, and he brought his friends and one of them is disabled. This kid went to the event, had a blast and when they had practice again the following day, he showed up and wanted to be a part of it. Little things like that really go a long way. Seeing a kid go to a birthday party and finding out that this is something he can enjoy and do for the rest of his life is really powerful.”

Lugris is studying corporate innovation and entrepreneurship at Penn State, and has another year left with the Nittany Lions. Plans are already in place for the next edition of the Penn State Sled Hockey Classic, and for future editions after Lugris has moved on, but he will be long remembered for what he put in motion.

“I don’t want to downplay the money raised, because that was certainly significant for a lot of reasons, but there was so much that was so much more impactful,” Gadowsky said. “The feeling of the whole day is awesome, and I really love the fact that our entire team gets behind it, our community gets behind it and that the exposure has helped transform the Coyotes program. That feels really great that Dylan was a catalyst for that.”

A first look at the 2024 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four: Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Michigan

Four of the six most experienced Men’s Frozen Four teams are headed to St. Paul, Minn.

Boston College, Boston University, Denver and Michigan won regional championships to advance to the April 11 national semifinals. The winners will play for the 2024 championship at Xcel Energy Center on April 13.

Michigan extended its NCAA record by qualifying for a 28th Frozen Four. Boston College is making its 26th appearance, second behind the Wolverines. Boston University is third at 24 and Denver is sixth at 18.

They’ve combined to win 28 of the 75 NCAA championships. Denver and Michigan are looking to become the first to win 10.

Boston University will play Denver in the 4 p.m. Central semifinal on April 11. No. 1 overall seed Boston College will play Michigan at 7:30 p.m. Central.

Denver made it to the Frozen Four by beating UMass 2-1 in double overtime on Thursday and Cornell 2-1 on Saturday in the Springfield Regional.

The Pioneers have won seven straight games, including all six of their postseason contests. They won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff by beating St. Cloud State and Omaha, and they’re led in scoring by

Boston University made it two Frozen Four trips in two seasons under coach Jay Pandolfo by winning a pair of 6-3 games in the Sioux Falls Regional — over RIT on Thursday and Minnesota on Saturday.

The Terriers, who lost to Minnesota in the Frozen Four semifinals in 2023, feature the expected No. 1 pick in this year’s NHL draft, Macklin Celebrini. The freshman is tied for second nationally with 64 points.

Boston College earned the third spot in the Frozen Four out of the Providence Regional, beating Michigan Tech 6-1 on Friday and rallying past Quinnipiac 5-4 in overtime on Sunday.

The Eagles have four of the nation’s top six scorers in Will Smith (No. 1, 69 points), Cutter Gauthier (tied No. 2, 64), Ryan Leonard (No. 5, 59) and Gabe Perreault (No. 6, 57).

Michigan is the only non-No. 1 regional seed that won a regional, and it scored two goals in 12 seconds of the third period Sunday to spark a 5-2 win over Michigan State to go through. The Wolverines rallied past North Dakota 4-3 on Friday in the first round in the Maryland Heights Regional.

The Wolverines are making their third straight Frozen Four appearance and second in as many seasons under coach Brandon Naurato. They’re led in scoring by Gavin Brindley, the Big Ten player of the year, and Rutger McGroarty, a first-round pick of Winnipeg in 2022.

Michigan erupts with four goals in third period, advances to third straight Frozen Four in 5-2 win over rival Michigan State in Maryland Heights regional

Michigan is back in the Frozen Four after downing in-state rival Michigan State Sunday night (photo: Michigan Athletics).

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Michigan scored four times in the third period, including the game’s final three goals in the final 7:18, as the Wolverines advanced to their third straight Frozen Four with a 5-2 win over archival Michigan State.

Michigan will face Boston College in the nightcap of the Frozen Four semifinals (April 11, 8:30 p.m. ET).

“Playing BC, the No. 1 team in the country, we have a lot of work to do, [but] we will enjoy this tonight and fly back tomorrow,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “They deserve it. The kids do.”

It was the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament that Michigan and Michigan State faced one another. It was also the sixth time this season with the Spartans winning four of the first five entering Sunday.

The emotions of the game were clear throughout every running second, as scrums of pushing and shoving were quick to break out after most stoppages in play.

Michigan State took the early lead on a power play goal after Michigan’s sophomore forward phenom Gavin Brindley was called for hooking, allowing MSU’s freshman forward Gavin O’Connell to tip in a puck from sophomore defenseman Matt Basgall and give the Spartans an early lead.

Michigan trailed, 1-0, heading to the second but evened the game on a shot from junior defenseman Ethan Edwards.

“[Edwards and Warren] did a great job, obviously we’re missing our top offensive defenseman Seamus [Casey], so the guys knew they had to step up and they did that, so play as a team and they gave us a chance to win,” Duke said.

Despite the effort from both teams in the second period, neither would score again in the middle frame, sending the game to the third, tied at one.

The Wolverines would be the one to break the tie, after a pass from freshman forward Garrett Schifsky allowed graduate forward Marshall Warren to put one just to the side of MSU’s freshman netminder Trey Augustine and take a 2-1 lead.

But the Spartans special team continued to shine and sophomore forward Joey Larson tied the game at two with 9:34 remaining.

From there it was all Michigan.

Dylan Duke gave the Wolverines the lead at 12:42 and Brindley finished off a highlight-reel pass from Frank Nazar just 12 seconds later.

Duke scored his second of the night with 2:19 remaining to account for the 5-2 final.

With the help of Michigan goaltender Jake Barczewski, a St. Louis-area native playing in front of his hometown fans, and his stellar play through the regional, the ticket was officially punched.

“Really just super, super happy for first of all my teammates, we’ve been through so much this year and to come back here to Missouri, there are so many people in the stands who I haven’t seen in so long, just being able to share this moment with them,” Barczewski said.

For Michigan State, which just eight days earlier won its first Big Ten title over Michigan, this loss will sting.

“It’s pretty hard to put into words to help them feel better, it hurts for sure, it’s not going to replace an opportunity to go play in the Frozen Four,” MSU coach Adam Nightingale said.

Michigan reaches the Frozen Four for 28th time in program history and is looking for its record 10th national title.

Quinnipiac ‘kept throwing the first punch,’ but Boston College’s Malone delivers knockout blow in 5-4 OT thriller as Eagles win Providence regional, reach Frozen Four

Boston College overcame deficits of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 and Jack Malone score at 3:06 of overtime to knock off defending national champion Quinnipiac 5-4 to advance to the program’s first Frozen Four since 2016 (photo: Elliot Jenner/Hockey East).

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Falling behind the defending national champions three different times, Boston College stuck with what made them the top-ranked team for most of the season.

The result was the program’s 26th trip to the Frozen Four.

Jack Malone scored in overtime to give BC a 5-4 win over Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) before a crowd of 5,835 at Mass Mutual Pavilion in the NCAA regional final on Sunday.

“We felt if we continued on the path we were going, one was going to go for us,” Malone said. “Just trying to keep the boys focused on what was at hand — not to get too high or get too low.”

Hockey East champion BC (33—5-1) advanced to the Frozen Four for the first since 2016. Quinnipiac’s defense of its 2023 NCAA title ended with a 27-10-2 record. The Eagles have now won 13 straight games.

“It was an even hockey game,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “They kept throwing the first punch, and we kept having to respond. Fortunately, we got the last one. It was definitely a game that could have gone either way.”

The Eagles rebounded from deficits of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3. Boston College forced overtime when Aram Minnetian scored to make it 4-4 with 4:44 left to go in regulation.

Malone notched the game winner when he intercepted an attempted clear by Quinnipiac’s Christophe Tellier and pounded it into an open net. Bobcat goalie Vinnie Duplessis made the initial save on a long-range shot by BC’s Drew Fortescue, but couldn’t scramble back on his feet quickly enough, leaving an open net for Malone to feed. Fortescue and Colby Ambrosio were credited with assists.

“Colby obviously did a great job of getting a piece of it, creating some chaos in front,” Malone said. “I just tried to funnel it to the net and pick up the change and it just shot right out to me. I saw it and tried to rip it, and luckily it went in.”

After a goal-free first period, the teams combined for six in the second, the first three coming in a span of 61 seconds. Jacob Quillan deflected a Travis Treloar shot between the pads of BC goalie Jacob Fowler (26 saves) for a 1-0 Quinnipiac lead 1:19 into the frame. Just 35 seconds later, Iivari Rasanen’s shot from the faceoff circle sailed over Fowler’s left shoulder on the far side and the Bobcats were up 2-0.

BC’s Ryan Leonard redirected a power-play shot-pass by sophomore Cutter Gauthier into the net at 2:20 to put the Eagles on the board and cut Quinnipiac’s lead to 2-1. The assist was the 100th point of Gauthier’s career.

Things settled down after that, but not by much. Andre Gasseau scored for BC to tie the game 2-2 at 11:35 when, from the top of the faceoff circle, he one-timed a pass from Oskar Jellvik past Duplessis (27 saves). The teams traded goals to close out the period — Christophe Fillion buried a rebound to give the Bobcats a 3-2 lead at 15:59, while Leonard scored his second of the night on a wraparound at 17:55 to tie the game 3-3.

“It was a great college hockey game,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “Frustrating to lose like that, to not be able to put them away. But (BC’s) a great hockey team. I’m really proud of our guys. The battle level was excellent. The passion was off the charts. We wanted it.”

It didn’t take long in the third period for Quinnipiac to regain the lead. Quillan took a shot from the end line that bounced off the right pad of Fowler and into the net to break a 3-3 deadlock just 16 seconds into the final frame. Boston College forced overtime when Minnetian scored exactly 15 minutes later.

Quinnipiac held a 29-28 shot advantage after regulation.

BC will face either Michigan or Michigan State on April 11, at 8:30 p.m. ET in Saint Paul, Minn.

Quinnipiac, Boston College heading to overtime tied 4-4 in Providence Regional; trip to Frozen Four at stake

No. 1 overall seed Boston College and Quinnipiac will need overtime to decide the Providence Regional final in a game that the Bobcats have never trailed. Click for live stats. (photo: Quinnipiac Athletics)

Rivals Michigan State, Michigan decide final Frozen Four berth: live stats

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Boston College, Quinnipiac play for Frozen Four spot: live stats

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Down 2-0, confident Boston University rallies to down Minnesota 6-3 to win Sioux Falls regional as Terriers ‘stuck to the game plan’ to get back to Frozen Four

Boston University celebrates its Sioux Falls regional title Saturday night (photo: Jim Rosvold).

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Revenge may not have been a motivating factor, but there’s no doubt Boston University is relishing returning the favor from how their 2023 campaign ended.

Second-period goals by Shane LaChance and Jack Harvey helped the Terriers rally from a deficit to a lead they would never relinquish as they avenged their Frozen Four loss to the Gophers last year by ending Minnesota’s season Saturday night 6-3 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

“Really proud of our group,” said Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo, who in his second year in charge has brought his team to the Frozen Four each time. “To get down 2-0 and not get rattled, we just stuck to the game plan.”

The Terriers, who were beaten in Tampa Bay 6-2 by the Golden Gophers in the Frozen Four semifinals last April, denied Minnesota a third consecutive trip while earning their second consecutive trip themselves. Pandolfo didn’t think revenge was on the minds of his players, however.

“We just talked about playing our game and we were capable of beating them,” Pandolfo said. “It’s a new year – we certainly liked ending their season like they did ours last year.”

Jaxon Nelson opened the scoring for Minnesota to cap off a brilliant regional while Bryce Brodzinski and Aaron Huglen added goals themselves, but the Gophers could not figure out a way to get one last puck past BU goaltender Mathieu Caron late in regulation after forechecking relentlessly over much of the second half of the third period – Caron’s teammates had a lot to do with that with 18 blocked shots overall on the night with most of them seemingly coming late.

Minnesota coach Bob Motzko knows the game could have ended much differently had the Gophers managed to sneak one through, and he’s not blaming his players.

“They’re awful talented players,” Motzko said of BU. “Their guys made a couple plays that flipped the game on us. Our guys battled. I got no issue on how we battled tonight to try and get back in that thing.”

Nelson, who earned all-regional honors and celebrated his 24th birthday Saturday, got the scoring started with an odd-angle shot from the right circle that somehow went in. With the assist going to Brodzinski on the play, it was the third straight Minnesota goal going back to Thursday where Nelson had the goal and Brodzinski had the lone assist. Then after Rhett Pitlick forced a turnover on the far wall, he found Brodzinski who then scored from the faceoff circle late in the period to get his fourth point of the regional, but the Terriers answered with two minutes left as Quinn Hutson managed to get a puck in on a soft shot that Gophers goaltender Justen Close couldn’t completely stop before it trickled slowly in.

“We lost a little momentum there,” Motzko said. “If we backtrack the game, just a couple critical mistakes.”

Terriers defenseman Lane Hutson certainly saw it as the main turning point.

“To get us back in the game, it was a good feeling for our guys,” he said. “We were confident that we were gonna claw back into the game, and that’s what we did.”

BU tied it early in the second as Macklin Celebrini made a brilliant move coming in before passing across the net to Shane Lachance, who fired into a gaping net as Close came back across too late. Jack Harvey gave the Terriers their first lead just over four minutes later with a wrister from the right circle.

Needing an answer to the sudden change of momentum, Minnesota got it when Huglen tied it at three with a rebound goal. But Boston University had another answer when Lane Hutson snuck one through to the right of Close, and it was 4-3 Terriers after two periods.

“Go get in the ‘O’ zone, get those pucks,” said Minnesota forward Brody Lamb when asked about what his team’s plan of attack was for the third period with the game still within reach.

The Gophers pushed hard to do just that, especially over the final six-plus minutes, but very few shots got through to Caron from the stingy Terriers defense down low – only nine did in the period, and none of them found twine. BU captain Case McCarthy and Sam Stevens eventually finished off the game with empty-net goals in the final two minutes.

“To go into the lead in the third period, and to play the way we did in the third says a lot about our group,” said Pandolfo.

Caron, who earned all-regional honors for Boston University, made 25 saves. Close had 32 for Minnesota.

Boston University will take on Denver in St. Paul in two weeks in the Frozen Four semifinals.

All-Sioux Falls Regional Team
Forward: Macklin Celebrini (Boston University)
Forward: Jack Harvey (Boston University)
Forward: Jaxon Nelson (Minnesota)
Defenseman: Lane Hutson (Boston University)
Defenseman: Case McCarthy (Boston University)
Goaltender: Mathieu Caron (Boston University)
Most Outstanding Player: Macklin Celebrini

Denver plays ‘whatever we need to play,’ earns Frozen Four berth, Springfield regional championship with 2-1 win over Cornell

Denver edged Cornell 2-1 in Springfield, Mass., and the Pioneers are returning to the Frozen Four (photo: Denver Athletics).

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The highest scoring team in the nation didn’t need much of it to get back to the Frozen Four.

Denver, a team known for often posting victories by wide margins, posted its second-straight 2-1 victory in the NCAA tournament on Saturday. Two late-period goals were all the Pioneers needed for a thrilling win over Cornell in the NCAA regional final before a crowd of 4,407 at the MassMutual Center.

“We’ll play whatever we need to play,” said Denver coach David Carle, whose team went into the afternoon averaging 4.78 goals per game. “You look at our team, we’re comfortable playing any type of game now. We have a lot of confidence regardless of the style of play. Just really proud of our team for being able to execute in these types of hockey games.”

Denver goalie Matt Davis made 24 saves, none bigger than when he stopped Cornell’s Ryan Walsh with his right pad on a point-blank opportunity with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game.

“I thought the guys did a heck of a job there just shutting them down,” said Davis, the tournament MVP who deflects praise as well as he does pucks. “(Cornell’s) a hard, heavy team, and they look to create chaos at the net front. The guys were awesome in front of me there.”

NCHC champion Denver (30-9-3) will now head to the Frozen Four for the 19th time in program history, and first since 2022, when it won its ninth NCAA championship with a 5-1 win over Minnesota State in the final. ECAC Hockey champion Cornell, looking for its first trip to the Frozen Four since 2003, saw its season end at 22-7-6.

Sam Harris provided the game-winner for Denver late in the second period when he redirected a power-play shot by Shai Buium between the pads of Big Red goalie Ian Shane (16 saves) with just 4.8 seconds remaining to break a 1-1 tie. Shane initially appeared to make the save with his pads, but the puck trickled through and no one from Cornell was there to scoop it to safety before it slowly inched over the goal line.

It was Harris’ first goal of the tournament and 14th on the season.

The third period was devoid of scoring, but not excitement. Cornell’s Jonathan Castagna missed on an open-net chance with about 3:15 to go in the period. With Davis out of position, Castagna was unable to get enough of his stick on the puck in the fraction of a second he had to react.

Later in the frame, seconds after Shane was pulled for an extra skater, Walsh was called for a slashing penalty, putting the Pioneers on the power play. After the Big Red successfully killed the penalty, Shane returned to the bench, but Cornell was unable to find the equalizer.

“We fought all the way to the very end,” Cornell coach Mike Schafer said. “(Davis) made an unbelievable save. (He) did a tremendous job. Couldn’t be more proud of our hockey team.”

Cornell sophomore forward Nick DeSantis opened the scoring when he capitalized on a loose puck in front of Denver’s net at 6:44 of the first to put the Big Red up 1-0.

Miko Matikka provided the last-minute magic for the Pioneers in the first period, when his wrister from high in the slot got past Shane at 18:28, knotting the game at 1-1.

The Pioneers will face either Boston University or Minnesota in the Frozen Four on April 11 in Saint Paul, Minn.

Photos: Boston University returns to Frozen Four by beating Minnesota

Boston University clinched its second straight trip to the Frozen Four by beating Minnesota 6-3 on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D. Here are some photos.

Boston University faces Minnesota for a spot in St. Paul: live stats

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