Hobart forward Luke Aquaro is among a deep and balanced offensive group pursuing another NEHC title (Photo by Adam Farid – Hobart and William Smith College)
When you are the two-time defending national champions and have just established a new NCAA unbeaten streak (currently at 41 games), you might think that everything is perfectly aligned and calibrated with the 17-0-0 Hobart Statesmen. Not so for Coach Mark Taylor and staff who have a very deep roster that competes hard and has obviously found success on the ice, but the focus continues to be forward looking and on how to be better.
“You can always do things better,” stated Taylor. “Whether its our face-off percentage wins, power play or penalty kill or line combinations, we are always tweaking things a little bit to find improvement that might help us in each game. While we always skate and rotate seven defensemen who are used to playing with different partners, the forward lines are very fluid with opportunities to put our best groups together and give us the balance and depth we want to see in our rolling four lines.”
It would be hard to argue with the Statesmen’s success this season to date which includes seventy-nine goals for and a paltry seventeen against in seventeen contests. The goaltending duo of Damon Beaver (9GP – 1.00 GAA – .960 SP – 3SO) and Mavrick Goyer (8GP – 1.00 GAA – .949 SP – 4 SO) have combined for seven shutouts so far this season and have surrendered one-third of the total goals against on the penalty kill this season. The defensive group is agile, physical and plays with good offensive skills while the forwards have been productive up and down the lineup with the entire roster boasting a positive plus/minus statistic. Knowing every team that Hobart plays is bringing their absolute best, the Statesmen have continued to stay focused and bring their best hockey in each and every game.
“Last weekend we played on home ice for the first time since we played Elmira before the semester break,” said Taylor. “It was great to be at home and the guys really felt it as we came out with a lot of energy against Norwich. We always want to play a good first period, a better second period and a great third period and I thought we did that on Friday night and it carried over into Saturday. You see so many upsets across college hockey like Dubuque beating Adrian and Chatham knocking off Geneseo last week. I like the discipline and maturity of our team that even when we have to move players around or put someone new in the group, they are ready to go and maintain our high level of play. There is a long way to go with a lot of points available in the next four weekends so we are focused on Albertus Magnus who we will face for the first time this weekend in their rink. You must respect every opponent, but we go in with confidence and expect a good battle from Kyle’s [Wallack] team who knocked off Babson twice and split with Salve Regina last weekend.”
As two-time defending NEHC champions, Hobart is comfortably on top of the standings today but is not assuming they have a lock on the current spot nor the conference championship.
“There are a lot of good teams in this conference,” stated Taylor. “We know we are going to get everyone’s best and that will certainly ramp up come playoff time. We have the conference championship trophy in our locker room, and we would really like to keep it there knowing this is the final season of the NEHC in D-III hockey. While we didn’t have the unbeaten streak as a team goal, and it is a nice one to have for this group, the league title is naturally a key goal for this team and especially the senior class that always wants to be just a little bit better than the previous group. There is a lot of hockey still to be played and I believe that some of our minor adjustments are only going to help us playing our best game at the most important time of the season.”
The Statesmen have just eight conference games remaining starting at Albertus Magnus this weekend before hosting Southern Maine and New England College and then closing out with two games at Babson. March brings the NEHC tournament and a likely opportunity to defend their NCAA title. Before all that, the tweaking will continue to help make the nation’s best team even better when it matters most.
The Aurora Spartans battle Trine in a matchup of nationally ranked NCHA teams. (Photo Credit: Steve Woltmann/Aurora Athletics)
The final month of the season is here and conference games headline another weekend.
None will be bigger than the games taking place in the NCHA, where Adrian hosts St. Norbert and Trine takes on Aurora. All four teams are nationally ranked.
Here’s a look at predictions for those matchups and more.
St. Norbert (14-5, 9-3) vs. Adrian (14-5, 8-4)
It’s never a dull moment when these two long-time rivals battle on the ice.
The Green Knights hold a two-point edge on the Bulldogs in the standings and are ranked seventh nationally. Adrian is ninth in the country.
Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky are among the best offensively, with Fraser scoring 15 goals and Dombrowsky tallying 12 to go along with 17 assists.
Ian Amsbaugh has been key for Adrian, scoring 12 goals and dishing out 23 assists.
Adrian has scored 79 goals as a team. St. Norbert has given up just 40. Adrian, 4-2; St. Norbert, 5-3
Trine (16-2-1, 10-1-1) and Aurora (16-3, 10-2)
Is this a potential preview of the NCHA championship? Perhaps. For now, it’s a regular season battle that has a lot riding on it.
No. 4 Trine is in first place, holding a two-point edge over No. 3 Aurora, and the winner of this series will be in the driver’s seat for the title.
Aurora has scored 93 goals, the most of any team in the league, and that offensive firepower will make the Spartans a tough team to deal with. Landry Schmuck leads the way with 21.
Trine’s strength is its goaltending where Cristian Wong-Ramos and Kyle Kozma lead the way. It will be interesting to see how this series shakes out.
Aurora has won six in a row and is unbeaten in six home games this season. Trine is on a four-game win streak and is 7-2-1 on the road. Aurora, 5-4; Trine, 4-3
Saint Mary’s (8-8-1, 4-3-1) vs. St. Scholastica (9-9-1, 4-6)
One point separates the two teams in the standings as the Cardinals are fourth and the Saints are tied for fifth.
Three of the best playmakers in the MIAC will be on the ice for this one as Wyatt Wurst of St. Scholastica and Colin Tushie and Joona Juntunen of Saint Mary’s are tied for the most assists in the conference. All three have 15 helpers apiece. Saint Mary’s, 4-3; St. Scholastica, 5-3
Bethel (9-6-2, 5-2-1) vs. Gustavus (11-6, 7-1)
The Gusties are the top team in the MIAC and plan on keeping it that way this weekend. The Royals come in third but are just one point out of second.
Gustavus has scored a league-best 65 goals and features two of the top five goal scorers in the league in Hunter Newhouse and Jack Suchy. The two have scored 10 goals apiece. Netminders Colin Androlewicz and Matthew Malin give the Gusties depth in goal.
Tyler Braccini leads the Royals and is tied for first in the conference in goals scored with 11. Austin Ryman has been one of the top goalies in the league this season. A split here wouldn’t surprise me. Gustavus, 4-2; Bethel, 5-4
St. Olaf (7-7-3, 2-5-1) vs. Augsburg (7-11-1, 3-6-1)
Both of these teams know what it’s like to be at the top of the conference, but at the moment, the Oles and Auggies are in a tough spot.
The Auggies, though, are just two points out of a top five spot in the conference and could change their fate with a big weekend.
St. Olaf sits in last but is never a team you can count out either.
Augsburg has won two in a row. The Oles are winless in their last three games. Augsburg, 4-2; St. Olaf, 2-1
UW-River Falls (10-8-1, 4-4-1) vs. UW-Stevens Point (14-4-1, 6-2-1)
The nationally ranked Pointers have won their last eight and look to keep that momentum going against an always tough River Falls squad.
Stevens Point, ranked 10th in the latest USCHO.com poll, has scored four or more goals in seven of their last eight. Dawson Sciarrino and Peyton Hart are tied for the league lead in goals scored, tallying 14 apiece.
Dylan Smith and Jonny Meiers are ones to watch for the Falcons, scoring nine and eight goals, respecitively, and are looking to end a two-game winless streak as they take on the Pointers on the road for this series. River Falls is playing a ranked opponent for the second straight weekend. UW-Stevens Point, 4-1 and 3-2
UW-Superior (14-3-2, 7-1-1) vs. UW-Eau Claire (8-10-1, 6-3)
The 13th-ranked Yellowjackets sit atop the conference and look to maintain that position when they hit the road to take on the Blugolds.
Reed Stark and Justin Dauphinais have been stellar for Superior, tallying 10 goals apiece.
Jordan Randall has been a key offensive player for the Blugolds, racking up seven goals, while Max Gutjahr remains a steady player in goal for Eau Claire and is the reigning league player of the week.
Superior is 9-1-2 at home this season. The Blugolds are 5-5 away from home. UW-Superior, 4-2; UW-Eau Claire, 2-1
Kyle Haskins notched a goal and added two assists in Canisius’ 4-2 win at Robert Morris this past Tuesday (photo: Tom Wolf).
Canisius has flown under the radar most of this season.
Trevor Large’s team has at least one game in hand on everyone else, and is currently in fifth place, the final bye position, based on points earned per game.
“The reality for us is that like most seasons, it’s been a roller coaster,” said Large, now in his eighth season at Canisius.
“We have a really young ‘D’ corps, and we’re really young in net. But that’s been coming along and I like where we are right now. Up front, we have a really deep group of forwards and we’ve solidified the roster and are finding good chemistry. I really like the way we are playing right now.”
The growing pains resulted in an 0-8 nonconference record, which is a league-wide problem. All AHA teams have completed the nonconference portion of their schedules, finishing with a combined record of 17-64-8 (.236), the league’s lowest winning percentage since 2015 (.217). This is despite better facilities and stronger rosters from top to bottom.
“It is what it is,” said Large. “If I had the answer, I’d fix it. The reality is that we are going up against bigger schools from bigger conferences and we want to play those schools, but they have more resources and have been able to attract players from our conference (in the transfer portal).
“Most of our (nonconference) games were early in the season, and we played well in a lot of them despite losing. We were up on St. Lawrence but allowed them to come back. We went toe to toe with Clarkson. When we played, RPI, they were a wagon. They were clicking on all cylinders at the time. We learned a lot about our team in those games.”
Large, like every Division I hockey coach, is dealing with the new realities of the transfer portal, NIL and recruiting CHL players.
“The job hasn’t changed,” he said. “New markets opened up. People are still trying to figure it out. Some are hitting the panic button. But it’s all about finding the right players and people we want at Canisius. Showing them why Canisius is their best option. The pool of players may have changed, but we’re still looking for the right people and building relationships.”
One of those relationships that worked out both parties was the recruitment of forward Matteo Giampa. The sophomore from Virgil, Ont., was rookie of the year in Atlantic Hockey last season, and picked up where he left off this year, leading the team in points (25), assists (18) and is tied for the team lead in goals (seven).
Also producing are the all-graduate student line of Cole Kodsi, Alec Cicero and Kyle Haskins, which have combined for five goals in their last three games, including three in a 4-1 win over Robert Morris on Tuesday.
“That line has been really clicking,” said Large. “We just let them do their thing – playing hard and producing. They’re playing great.”
The Golden Griffins have seven games remaining, five against teams ahead of them in the standings, including three with rival Niagara, which is nine points ahead but has two fewer games remaining.
Large explained how he likes his team’s attitude down the stretch.
“We’re doing a good job of not looking at the standings and overthinking,” he said. We’re not thinking that every win is the most important thing on planet earth. We’re thinking beyond, ‘Did I score and did we win?’ I think that shows the maturation of a young team.
“We want to be playing our best hockey at the end of the season. The times we went to the NCAA tournament, we did so as a fourth seed and a seventh seed. We need to go out and get after it, play our way, and enjoy the time together.”
Trinity’s Devon Bobak and the Bantams play “host” to Hamilton in a battle between the top two teams in the NESCAC standings (Photo by Trinity Athletics)
“Punxsutawney Phil” may be telling us of an early spring or six more weeks of winter come Sunday, but he won’t be telling any teams how much time is left in their season as the calendar month turns to February. The only way to ensure longevity and more meaningful hockey games is to win. Pivotal conference battles are everywhere and while there are some teams with comfortable point spreads in the standings, all can change with either a very good weekend or a really poor one. Scoreboard watching is everywhere from coaches to players and fans, and especially amongst the teams trying to take care of their own business and hoping to get some help in other matchups.
Last week my picks finished at 10-1-1 (.875) which was one of my most productive slates so far this season. Like the good teams that are looking to separate themselves, my picks must do the same heading down the final month of the regular season. Overall, my season numbers moved in a very positive direction at 88-42-7 (.698) which now means that a 70% success rate is very much attainable if I stay consistent. Here are this week’s game picks for the east:
Thursday, January 30, 2024
Neumann v. Wilkes
The Colonels are comfortable sitting atop the MAC standings, but ties like last week at Alvernia won’t help them keep the gap if other teams, like this week’s opponent get hot. Back on home ice to face the Knights and a fast start from Nick Swain and strong special teams help the home team eke out a nice win – Wilkes, 5-4
Salem State v. Plymouth State
The Panthers lost for the first time last week in conference and the Vikings with strong goaltending from Will Nepveu would like to help them drop another contest this week. Will Redick and a deep group of forwards will challenge Nepveu and take a hard-fought one-goal win on home ice – PSU, 4-3
Friday, January 31, 2024
Arcadia v. Alvernia
The “A” Teams face-off against one another with the home team coming off a pair of ties with league-leading Wilkes while Arcadia looks to rebound from losses against King’s. Momentum is fickle but there were a lot of positives for the Golden Wolves last week that carry over to a nice win – Alvernia, 3-2
Suffolk v. (6) Curry
UPSET ALERT – Sure the Colonels are great on home ice in the Ice Den but goaltenders can steal games and CJ Hapward has been a very good thief for the Rams this season. Expect a low-scoring affair with Killian Rowlee or Eelis Laaksonen netting the game-winner that may take place in OT – Curry, 3-2
Norwich v. Babson
This is still one of the best rivalries in the NEHC and produces some very entertaining albeit typically low-scoring hockey. Both teams have been opportunistic offensively this season and that works out in the Beavers favor as depth and balance produce a late game-winner to keep their second-place position in the league – Babson, 2-1
Nazareth v. Chatham
The Cougars showed what they can do on a Friday night against strong competition a week ago in their win over Geneseo. Nazareth will be a more physical challenge but Nick Cyprian & Company score at even-strength to pick up a big UCHC win – Chatham, 4-3
(15) Cortland v. Buffalo State
After Tuesday’s loss to Fredonia, this one is a battle for who wants first place in the SUNYAC and that should be enough motivation for the Bengals, who want to re-establish their presence and game on home ice where they hope to be playing some more meaningful hockey through the month of February. Motivation, yes – win to the Red Dragons – Cortland, 5-4
Saturday, February 1, 2025
(5) Geneseo v. Manhattanville
The Knights are looking keep pace with Utica after their stumble at Chatham last week while the Valiants want to extend their strong play that produced a pair of wins. Visitors will be focused with Zach Purcell and Alex Dameski leading the scoring in a one-goal win – Geneseo, 3-2
Post v. St. Anselm
The Hawks are comfortably on top of the conference standings but should not take the Eagles lightly as they have produced a number of surprise wins in the NE-10 already and would love to continue their climb in the standings. A lot of goals likely in this one with the Alberti-Brackett-Burum line finding the one that counts for the win – St. Anselm, 6-5
(8) Hamilton v. (12) Trinity
They say “to be the champ you need to beat the champ” and the Continentals can’t make a bigger statement in NESCAC than sweeping their Wesleyan/Trinity weekend on the road. Luke Tchor and a deep offense will keep Devon Bobak very busy in a playoff style win for the visitors – Hamilton, 3-2
Oswego v. Plattsburgh
These rivals are both chasing Buffalo State and Cortland in the standings, so a win here means a lot. The Cardinals have been successful of late in close games including last week’s one-goal win at Amherst. A little more scoring here but same result although it takes overtime to decide a winner – Plattsburgh, 4-3
Franklin Pierce v. Keene State
The Ravens are still in search their first win of the season, so the Owls best not take this in-state opponent lightly. Chase Carney has been a complete player for the home team and he helps the Owls pick up a win in front of a very partisan home crowd – Keene State, 4-1
Going out on a limb that I see my shadow this weekend and there is at least eight more weeks of great hockey across the region. Still a long way to go with regular season conference action before tournaments and national title games. It is going to be a crazy ride – “Drop the Puck!”
The Border Battle between Minnesota and Wisconsin dates back to 1922 (photo: Tom Lynn).
“You don’t have to do anything special. You just can’t do anything wrong.”
That nugget from Minnesota coach Bob Motzko speaks to so much in life, but it’s especially useful when trying to contain one of the top lines in the country, a line that also happens to play for your own team’s top conference rival.
This week, No. 4 Minnesota hosts No. 17 Wisconsin in the final two regular-season games of the Border Battle, a series that dates back to 1922. As in all great rivalries, each opponent reserves the right to tell at least a little bit of its own tale: according to Wisconsin, Friday’s game will be the 313th between the teams, but according to Minnesota, it’s the 317th.
In early November, the Golden Gophers swept the Badgers in Madison, a pair of 3-2 wins with the second coming in overtime. Wisconsin struggled early in the season, with three wins in nine games leading into that set against Minnesota.
“They’ve been pretty darned good ever since our series with them,” said Motzko.
Since starting 3-8-0 including their series against the Gophers, the Badgers have gone 9-4-3 starting with a sweep of Penn State and including wins over No. 2 Michigan State and No. 13 Michigan. Part of Wisconsin’s success is due to the Badgers’ top line of Quinn Finley, Gavin Morrissey and Ryland Mosley. It was a question on his weekly radio show about how to play against that line that Motzko suggested aiming for flawless hockey.
“When you make mistakes is when those guys capitalize,” said Motzko.
Finley, Morrissey and Mosly have combined for 39 of the Badgers’ 84 goals this season, 12 of them on the power play.
“Of course, you really have to watch them on the special teams,” said Motzko. “That’s where they’re very dangerous and that line’s got a lot of confidence and Finley’s been terrific this year in his sophomore year, but every team we’re playing now has got top guys.”
And at this point in the season, every team has guys that are emerging. In a 5-4 win and 4-4 tie at home against Michigan last weekend, the Wolverines limited that top trio to one goal and two assists, but Wisconsin’s second line of Tyson Dyck, Christian Fitzgerald and Kyle Kukkonen wouldn’t be contained. Fitzgerald had three goals on the weekend, including Friday’s game winner from Dyck with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Kukkonen had two assists Saturday, the second coming on Ben Dexheimer’s tying goal which also came with less than five minutes to go in the third.
Fitzgerald’s three-goal weekend doubled the number he’s scored on the season, and his goal Friday was his first since a Dec. 29 game against Connecticut in the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff.
“Christian’s been fighting through this real hard and stuck with it,” said Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings, “and as a coach, you hope the game pays him back some time.”
Fitzgerald’s performance earned him this week’s Big Ten first star, the first weekly award in the junior winger’s career.
Said Hastings, “This weekend, he earned everything that he got.”
Since their sweep of Penn State, the Badgers have been struggling to earn points on consecutive nights in series against conference opponents, something they have in common with the rival they face this weekend. On the road last weekend, Minnesota lost to Michigan State 9-3 before salvaging a point the following night with a 3-3 tie. They split with Notre Dame the week before and the week before that, they split with Ohio State.
After losing 5-1 to Ohio State Jan. 10, the Gophers beat the Buckeyes 6-1 the following night so, said Motzko, “You kind of pawn it off. We had an off night.”
Against the Fighting Irish the following week, though, the Gophers again couldn’t find their consistency. They won 5-2 Friday but lost 4-3 in overtime Saturday.
“The next Friday night, we have a great first period against Notre Dame, and then the Saturday game, we were outcompeted,” said Motzko. ‘But now we have a little data here. Three weeks in a row, we’ve been off of our game and we’re digging into that.”
Motzko said that he doesn’t like to make excuses, but right now the Gophers are fighting injuries as well as illness.
“There’s no question that we’re one of the teams right now where you find yourself in the middle of the season in January where we’re not on top of our game every night,” said Motzko. “We were also on top of it three nights of those weekends, but that’s not acceptable for us.
“Also in January, the second half of the season, everybody’s playing harder. The games are tougher. So when we’ve been pushed, we’ve rebounded, but why are we always being forced to rebound?”
With their 32 points, the Gophers sit in second place in the Big Ten standings, five behind first-place Michigan State and eight ahead of Wisconsin. Motzko said that one of the differences between the Gophers and Badgers is that early in the season, Wisconsin hit the same kind of rough patch Minnesota has hit in January.
“Wisconsin has turned the corner and lo and behold, they were decimated with injuries early in the season,” said Motzko. “Well, since then, they don’t have many losses. Mike does a great job there and he went through his stuff early.”
Hastings said in his weekly press conference that the early trials have hardened his team a little in the second half.
“You know what’s been really good about it from my standpoint is that we’ve had some peaks and valleys in that that we’ve learned to be a little harder to be successful,” said Hastings.
With the uneven first half behind them, the Badgers need to focus on what they can control themselves, said Hastings, but also to come to terms with their slow start.
“We had to own that, identify it, and then also look out the front windshield because once it goes by there’s really not much you can do,” said Hastings. “You flush it, you learn from it, and you move on. The resiliency of this group going through that adversity I think has allowed them to grow, and we need to continue to lean on that.”
Like Motzko, Hastings knows the talent of the opponent his team faces this weekend.
“You know, they’ve got ability up and down their lineup, they’ve got some guys,” said Hastings. “’Snuggy’’s probably playing as well as anybody in the country right now. Rinzel, real good defenseman. Their whole ‘D’ corps.”
With his 18 goals and 19 assists, winger Jimmy Snuggerud leads Minnesota in scoring and is sixth nationally in points per game (1.32). In the Gophers’ 9-3 loss to Michigan State, Snuggerud had the first assist on linemate Brodie Ziemer’s goal to tie the game 2-2 in the middle of the second before things got away from Minnesota, and he scored the Gophers’ final goal of the game late in the second, with the second assist on that marker coming from linemate Erik Påhlsson.
Snuggerud had two goals in the tie game the following night, the first assisted by Rinzel and the second by Ziemer.
“They’re going to go back home and try and defend their home ice just like we did last weekend,” said Hastings. “We’ve got to go on the road and find a way to play good hockey and give ourselves opportunities to get points.”
Hasting said that the series with Minnesota will be “as it always is with them … just a grind.”
Friday’s game starts at 7:00 p.m. CT. Saturday’s start is 5 p.m. CT. Both games will steam live on Big Ten+.
Northeastern won the 2024 Beanpot and celebrated on TD Garden ice (photo: Jim Pierce).
All three Hockey East teams participating in this year’s Beanpot tournament have a reason to believe the target is on their back.
Northeastern, long the Beanpot’s doormat, is looking for its second three-peat in seven years. Boston College is the No. 1 team in the USCHO men’s D-I poll. And Boston University is the only other team to win the thing during Northeastern’s recent string of success.
It’s a fitting scenario for a tournament whose unofficial slogan has been “throw out the records” for all of its 72 chapters.
“I think when you have success in this tournament, I think teams aren’t going to take anyone lightly,” said Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe. “Because you kind of proven that you know how to play in these big games and you’ve got some guys that have won it before, so they have the experience.”
Northeastern enters the 72nd Beanpot as the two-time defending champion and winners of five of the last six tournaments. Its 5-2 win over BU in the 2018 championship game snapped a 30-year Beanpot title drought for the Huskies. Only BU, which beat Northeastern 1-0 in the 2022 final, has hoisted the coveted trophy since.
The Huskies thrice erased one-goal deficits in last year’s final vs. BU. Jack Williams scored midway through the third to tie the game 3-3, sending it to overtime, where Gunnarwolfe Fontaine scored with just 29 seconds left to lift Northeastern to the title and the Husky faithful into a frenzy. Fontaine also scored in overtime a week earlier in the semifinal vs. Harvard.
Williams, now a junior, said he thinks experience will help Northeastern in its quest for a second three-peat.
“There’s a lot of stress that goes into it,” Williams said. “That was a tough game for us, (but) we showed a lot of resilience in it. We’ve been fortunate to win the last two and we’re looking for our experienced guys to carry that into this year’s.”
BC enters this year’s tournament as the No. 1 team in both the USCHO poll and the PairWise, but also with the longest drought of any of the four teams, having last won in 2016, a 1-0 overtime win over BU. Brown said that while the national rankings are nice, he wouldn’t expect Beanpot opponents to take the Eagles lightly even if they were having a ho-hum season.
“We hopefully expect everyone’s best game anyway,” Brown said. “It is what it is, and we have to be ready for our opponents. We’ve had a tough schedule so far the last couple weeks and it’s staying tough right in our near future, too.”
BU had won four straight games before a weekend sweep at the hands of BC this past weekend. Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo, who has participated in the Beanpot as both a player and a coach, said he was pleased with his team’s performance vs. BC despite the losses. He said playing on a big stage leading up to the Beanpot can only help BU.
“These pressure moments can really help your team and boost your team, especially if you perform well,” Pandolfo said. “You have to, in these moments, be able to perform well as a team. We’ve had some different opportunities this year where I think we’ve handled it pretty well as a team, but this becomes a little bit of a different animal when you get to the Beanpot. (We) have enough guys that have been there, and hopefully they can lead the way. That’s what you’re looking for.”
This year’s Beanpot kicks off Monday with BU vs. Harvard (ECAC Hockey) at 5 p.m., followed by Northeastern vs. BC. The consolation and championship games are a week later starting at 4:30 p.m. All games are on NESN and ESPN+.
Cole Gordon and Sam Court celebrate a goal last weekend against Colorado College (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).
You’ll often hear coaches and athletes say they learn more from losses than they do from wins.
To hear Arizona State coach Greg Powers say it during his team’s press conference Tuesday, the Sun Devils took important lessons from the back end of a split last weekend.
ASU had won five of its last six games heading into the then 11th-ranked Sun Devils’ home series with a Colorado College team that had been going in the opposite direction, losing five of the Tigers’ last six. That run continued Friday when three second-period goals helped ASU to a 4-1 win, but on Saturday, the Sun Devils let a 4-1 lead slip before falling 5-4.
“We have to flush it, obviously, but it’s not something that we can forget,” Powers said. “When something like that happens, and to be honest, we probably didn’t deserve to be up 4-1, I thought CC played a better game Saturday, and credit to them for not going away, and doing what they did. I think it speaks a lot about their character and their resolve, trying to course-correct where they’re at in their season.
“We have a decision: We can let that get the train off the tracks, which I know it’s not going to, or we can let things like that happen and learn from it and grow from it and make sure it doesn’t ever happen again, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing with it.”
ASU had revenge on its mind Friday, having fallen twice on the road against CC earlier this season. In the teams’ third meeting, the Sun Devils got goals from four different skaters. Beating the No. 19 Tigers that night also gave ASU its seventh straight win over a ranked opponent.
Saturday’s rematch looked to be going in a similar direction, as two goals apiece from Ryan Kirwan and Charlie Schoen gave ASU a three-goal cushion with under 14 minutes to go. But after CC’s Noah Laba cut into the deficit at 6:24, Chase McLane made it 4-3 less than a minute later, and it was a different game. Max Burkholder tied it at 11:28 before Drew Montgomery netted the eventual winner at 14:37.
“There’s nothing you can do in practice to defend leads,” Powers said Tuesday. “It’s a mindset and a killer instinct, and it’s something that this team has not perfected yet.
“I think the good news is we know we’re really good and we know we’re going to be out in front quite a bit, and we have all year, but it’s developing that killer instinct to go out and end games, and extend and continue to skate and continue to defend, kill plays and do everything the right way when other teams have to press and they’re down, and we just didn’t do that Saturday.
“You can preach mindset. You can work on it and you can develop it, absolutely. They have it in them. We’ve done it. We did it against North Dakota on Friday night (a 4-1 home win Jan. 10), we did it against Cornell (a 4-0 home win Jan. 4), we certainly did it against Denver at Denver (a road sweep in November). They have it in them, they’ve proven they can do it, they just have to do it down the stretch, because it’s an important stretch for us.”
The Sun Devils now prepare for a road trip to NCHC basement-dweller Miami. ASU should be heavily favored against a RedHawks team that has lost its last 16 games.
Clearly, though, Powers is taking nothing for granted.
“We don’t focus on them, we focus on us,” he said. “There’s enough there to focus on after what we pi$$ed away on Saturday night.”
Josh Kotai has been solid between the pipes this season for Augustana (photo: Dave Eggen/Inertia).
Last weekend’s series at Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green was a feast for goaltending fans.
Occupying the nets across from one another were the No. 1 and No. 2 goalies in the nation in save percentage in Augustana’s Josh Kotai (.950) and Bowling Green’s Christian Stoever (.948). Fittingly, only three goals were scored all weekend, over nearly 130 minutes of play. And in the end, it was Kotai who got the better of Stoever, stopping 74 of 75 shots on the weekend as Augustana won 1-0 in overtime on Friday before earning a 1-1 tie Saturday with a shootout victory.
“It was a tight weekend, but that really made it lots of fun,” Kotai said. “To be able to compete in those games, it was really like a playoff kind of atmosphere, but coming away with a win and a tie gives you lots of confidence moving forward and is a good test for the playoff games coming up here.”
Kotai, a sophomore from Abbotsford, B.C., has been playing like this all season. In 21 of Augustana’s 24 games, he has three shutouts and a 1.59 goals-against average to go with that best-in-the-country save percentage. After splitting time with senior Zach Rose last season as a freshman, Kotai said earning the trust of his coaches to start nearly every game as a sophomore was his goal coming into the season. Kotai went 2-9-2 last season with a .904 save percentage and a 3.32 GAA.
“It was like, OK, Rose is leaving, and so there’s the opportunity to be able to step up into the starting role, so that kind of drove my offseason and gave me kind of a clear vision of how I want to see this year coming along,” Kotai said. “So then at the start of the year, it’s just battling to have the net. Then I got in against North Dakota [a 4-1 exhibition win at the start of the season] and had a good game, so I guess I just kind of kept it rolling from there. And so it’s been good, I’ve been able to find a rhythm each week, which has been a huge thing.”
Kotai credits some of his success this year to head coach Garret Raboin bringing him to Augustana and giving him the chance to play so much as a freshman. It did wonders for his development.
“I really liked ‘Rabs’ as a coach, and I thought, you know, he had a good vision for where he wants this team to go, and he knew what it takes to get there, being at St. Cloud,” Kotai said. “And so talking with him, I kind of got excited about that idea of being part of the inaugural team and the history of it, too.
“But having a chance to go out there and having an opportunity to go and play right away was the biggest thing for me. I really wanted to get my feet wet and find some success at the college level right away, and not having to wait a year or something to be able to get in the game. I think the experiences I got from last year were really huge in my development. And I learned so many lessons on and off the ice and then being in college for your first year, too, it was big.”
Last season, the Vikings went 12-18-4 — not world-beating, but certainly better than most people’s expectations of a first-year Division I program. The players who got their seasoning on that team as freshman are key contributors to this season’s team–one that is 14-7-3, just got its first-ever national ranking (No. 19 in the latest USCHO.com poll) and is still in the conversation for an at-large NCAA tournament bid when it comes to the Pairwise.
Sophomores Brett Meerman and Hunter Bischoff are tied for second on the team with 15 points, while Owen Bohn is second in goals with six. Luke Mobley — a senior who transferred to Augustana last season from Clarkson — leads the team with eight goals.
Kotai said that while the national accolade is nice, it’s not something they’ve really thought about — nor is it as goal of theirs.
“It’s cool that we’re ranked, and it’s nice that people are seeing us, whereas before, maybe they don’t know anything about us. And so, OK, maybe people take more interest in, ‘Who is Augustana?’ and stuff like that. But that doesn’t change what we’re trying to accomplish,” Kotai said. “As for the Pairwise, we know that if we move up a few spots, there’s a possibility of getting to the tournament, but we can do that anyways, by playing well and winning our conference. So it’s not a huge deal for us. It’s just a cool little thing you put in the back of the pocket, it’s motivation to keep working hard each and every day.”
The Vikings are currently in second place in the CCHA standings, behind Minnesota State and ahead of Michigan Tech. But because Augustana didn’t officially join the league as a full member until late in the summer, the conference standings are based on points-percentage this year.
Right now, Minnesota State is at .704, Augustana is at .667 and Michigan Tech is at .630. The math is a little confusing — because Augustana has played half as many conference games as everyone else — but Kotai said the easiest math for the Vikings will simply be to win.
“We had been out of conference play for a while before last weekend, and we hadn’t really been thinking about it, but last week before the Bowling Green series, we said, ‘OK we’ve got four weekends in a row of conference play here. Each of them means so much.’ And so you have to go into each weekend focusing on, ‘OK, we got to win this game, and then from there, win the second one,’” Kotai said. “It just comes down to, when you get to playoffs, you want to have that home ice advantage. So it makes a huge difference. There’s definitely that emphasis and intensity and like how we approach those CCHA games.”
The Vikings host fifth-place Lake Superior State this weekend before traveling to Minnesota State next week. Their final conference series is against Michigan Tech in Sioux Falls on Feb. 14-15.
Sean Keohane rips a shot from the blue line for Harvard during a recent game (photo: Harvard Athletics).
The dog days of college hockey’s regular season usually hit around January’s latter weeks.
Conference tournament races are well-shaped for teams facing postseason contention, and even the national picture within the Pairwise Rankings won’t shift frequently after results between its highest contenders. Everything is starting to fall into place for February’s mad dash to the playoffs, but it’s still far enough away for obligatory matchups that don’t move too many needles.
The Northeast historically bucked that trend by installing several infamous rivalries along the stretch of calendar leading directly into the playoffs. Historic matchups between longtime rivals dot ECAC Hockey in particular, and the high likelihood of a dramatic ending or weirdly unprecedented finish helps build a league race increasingly centered around its emerging parity.
For the Harvard Crimson, late-season hockey is exactly the perfect time to begin moving along those story tracks. The team representing arguably the world’s most famous university still isn’t tracing the steps from its more recognizable finishes within the territory of NCAA Tournament at large teams, but the dark horse status behind the first-place teams is starting to move its way towards Cambridge as the program’s battle-tested growth barrels into one of the nation’s most famous college hockey tournaments.
“There are certain details and fundamentals that allow you to play winning hockey,” explained Harvard coach Ted Donato. “I think we’ve done a better job of staying away from a costly penalty or a costly turnover. We want to close out games on our toes, not on our heels, and we want to continue to be aggressive, but we also recognize that we have to do a good job defending, so we don’t give up outnumbered rushes and power plays at crucial times during the games.”
The Beanpot is not a run-of-the-mill midseason tournament for its four schools, but the buildup to playing its first round requires a balancing act unlike anything else in college hockey. The pre-tournament media event from this past Monday, for example, brought the four coaches together under a single roof for the first time since last year’s Beanpot, and throngs of media quenched a Beanpot thirst by putting representatives under isolated microscopes as questions about playing at the famed TD Garden began flying.
Yet for all four schools, the days ahead of the Beanpot aren’t exactly loaded with pre-tournament preparation. Harvard, for example, has a scheduled game against Princeton on Friday night before playing Boston University in Monday’s first round, and the three possible points from a home game against the Tigers are more critical to the Crimson’s postseason hopes than the matchup with the Terriers.
“Our guys are pretty focused on Friday night,” said Donato. “I think we’d be lying if we didn’t say that we weren’t excited about the opportunity that’s ahead, playing in the Beanpot, but there’s a lot of respect in our locker room for Princeton. We played them in the playoffs last year, and we played them earlier in the year in a game that went to overtime. There’s a real understanding that it’s important to stay focused and play our best hockey because we’ll need to have success against Princeton.”
Harvard’s 12-7 record in its final game between the Beanpot illustrates the criticality of that point. With the exception of the COVID-19 season that canceled both Harvard and the Beanpot in 2021, the Crimson rode a six-game winning streak ahead of consecutive losses to Quinnipiac in 2023 and 2024, and they’ve rarely been on the receiving end of a losing streak longer than a couple of games. The 2010 and 2011 losses to Princeton and Yale aside, 2013 and 2015 results against Union and RPI built a 3-5 record dating back to a 2008 loss to Brown.
Claiming those league points is paramount, and this year’s ECAC race is much tighter and much more compact than how previous seasons presented themselves. The three points from beating Colgate over this past weekend launched the Crimson into a sixth-place tie with Union, which was idle in league play while playing its non-conference Mayor’s Cup game against RPI, while preventing Cornell, which beat Harvard on Friday, from climbing closer after the Big Red dropped a 6-1 decision to second place Dartmouth.
Eleventh place Princeton, meanwhile, is a three-point swing away from gaining home ice in the first round, though the same three-point swing puts Harvard on a path towards a first-round bye after last year’s eighth place hiccup.
“This is a great group of guys that are committed to trying to improve and push each other to be their best,” said Donato. “We’ve seen bigger contributions throughout the lineup, and whether that’s lower down in the forward group or lower down in the defensive pairings, we’re very aware that we need everybody to have [our team] have sustained success. We need those contributions up and down the lineup, and I think we’ve started to see people grasp their roles and do things that allow us to have more success.”
None of the team’s numbers necessarily jump off the page, but Harvard’s success stems from its ability to play even-keeled hockey in any situation. From a pure rankings standpoint, the No. 33 scoring defense and No. 46 scoring offense wouldn’t translate to those even numbers, but the Crimson are averaging within one-third of goals scored versus goals allowed and are separated from opponents by less than a shot per game. They remain one of the nation’s least-penalized teams, but the number of penalties taken and number of faceoffs won all align with exactly how each game seemingly plays against them.
It’s almost uncanny how much there’s a yin to every yang on this team. Casey Severo’s team-leading eight goals totals half the number of league-leader Ayrton Martino, but a little under a dozen players have multiple goals on the stat sheet. Nine different skaters have positive plus-minus ratings, and both Aku Koskenvuo and Ben Charette have goals-against averages (2.80 versus 2.34, respectively) rivaling one another’s save percentage (.903 versus .926, also respective) and full save numbers (250 for Koskenvuo to Charette’s 275).
Whether or not that translates to a Beanpot win won’t become clear until next week, but Harvard ran top-ranked Boston College to the limit of its 3-1 loss from two weeks ago and previously shut out first-place Quinnipiac with a 3-0 win on the road. The six-point weekend over Brown and Yale got the team’s juices going in the right direction to start the second half of the year, and last weekend’s win over Colgate continued thrusting the Crimson forward with a game against Dartmouth lurking on the horizon between the two Beanpot weekends.
“We’ve certainly seen some improvement,” Donato said. “And I think we’re generating good zone time and good scoring chances. We’re trying to improve our special teams since it’s not where we want them to be. That would allow us to be more dynamic, and if we become more dangerous, particularly on the power play, there are positive signs that our best hockey could be coming.”
UConn won both games last weekend at the annual CT Ice tournament (photo: UConn Athletics).
Welcome to Week 3 of Bracketology.
Each week from now until Selection Sunday, March 23, I will outline the current 16 teams in the Men’s NCAA Division I tournament and attempt to seed a bracket based on the current field.
This past weekend was majorly beneficial to one team: Connecticut. The Huskies won the Connecticut Ice tournament win regulation wins over Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart. The Quinnipiac win is considered a neutral-ice win, while the win over Sacred Heart is a road win as the games were played at Sacred Heart’s arena.
The Huskies two wins catapulted them all the way to the fourth spot in the PairWise, meaning that if the season ended today, UConn would be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. That’s remarkable when you consider that when the month of January began, UConn wasn’t even in the projected NCAA field (they were 18th in the PairWise on January 1.
UConn gained 14 spots by posting a 6-0-1 mark since the start of 2025. Absolutely remarkable.
All that said, here are the 16 teams who would qualify for the NCAA tournament if the season ended today:
1. Boston College*
2. Michigan State*
3. Minnesota
4. Connecticut
5. Maine
6. Western Michigan*
7. Denver
8. Providence
9. UMass Lowell
10. Boston University
11. Ohio State
12. Michigan
13. Quinnipiac*
14. Arizona State
15. Minnesota State*
16. Sacred Heart
* – Indicates team that currently has the top conference winning percentage in their respective conference. While each conference is awarded an autobid for its tournament champion, for the purposes of this exercise we will use the first-place team (based on winning %) to receive the autobid.
With the field of 16 in place, we can now seed the four regions using basic bracket integrity (1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14, etc.).
1. Boston College
8. Providence
9. UMass Lowell
16. Sacred Heart
2. Michigan State
7. Denver
10. Boston University
15. Minnesota State
3. Minnesota
6. Western Michigan
11. Ohio State
14. Arizona State
4. Connecticut
5. Maine
12. Michigan
13. Quinnipiac
As a reminder and also for those who aren’t regular readers of Bracketology, there is one thing that the committee seems to avoid at all costs and that is first-round matchups between teams from the same conference. In the above bracket, we have one: 8 Providence vs. 9 UMass Lowell.
It is possible to make a swap of 9 UMass Lowell and 11 Ohio State that will clear up that interconference matchup. Another option of the committee would be to switch 8 Providence with 7 Denver. I tend to like to switch the the lower seed to reward the higher seed.
Making that swap we have the following four regional brackets:
1. Boston College
8. Providence
11. Ohio State
16. Sacred Heart
2. Michigan State
7. Denver
10. Boston University
15. Minnesota State
3. Minnesota
6. Western Michigan
9. UMass Lowell
14. Arizona State
4. Connecticut
5. Maine
12. Michigan
13. Quinnipiac
With this bracket in place, Let’s assign regions to each four-team group. When considering this, we must place host schools in the region they are hosting. Right now, none of the four hosts are in the field (New Hampshire, Bowling Green, North Dakota and Penn State). So that’s not an issue this week.
Boston College is the top seed and should play closest to home in Manchester, N.H. Michigan State is the second seed and the closest region is Toledo, Ohio, less than two hours from Lansing. Minnesota is the third overall seed and would head to Fargo, N.D., which leaves Connecticut to play in Allentown, Pa.
That gives us the following:
Manchester Region
1. Boston College
2. Providence
3. Ohio State
4. Sacred Heart
Toledo Region
1. Michigan State
2. Denver
3. Boston University
4. Minnesota State
Fargo Region
1. Minnesota
2. Western Michigan
3. UMass Lowell
4. Arizona State
Allentown Region
1. Connecticut
2. Maine
3. Michigan
4. Quinnipiac
Let’s look at how attendance should be in each region. Manchester is fine with BC, Providence and Sacred Heart. Toledo should be okay with both Michigan State, but having Denver, BU and Minnesota State isn’t the easiest travel for those fan bases. Fargo is a concern, though as we mentioned last week, Minnesota is one of the closest teams to Fargo not named North Dakota. Arizona State has a strong national fan base as well.
The concerning region remains Allentown. As we said last week, as long as Penn State doesn’t make the field, drawing in Allentown will be a struggle. UConn is about four hours away by car and Quinnipiac an hour closer. Maine travels well but not that well and Michigan, though a national presence, it’s hard to count on them to help with attendance.
Is there anything we can do? Not really. When we look at the 16-team field, we’re already sending two of the closest teams geographically to Allentown (UConn, Quinnipiac).
So with that, let’s leave this alone for this week.
Here is the final bracket:
Manchester Region
1. Boston College
2. Providence
3. Ohio State
4. Sacred Heart
Toledo Region
1. Michigan State
2. Denver
3. Boston University
4. Minnesota State
Fargo Region
1. Minnesota
2. Western Michigan
3. UMass Lowell
4. Arizona State
Allentown Region
1. Connecticut
2. Maine
3. Michigan
4. Quinnipiac
Last in: Arizona State, Michigan
First out: New Hampshire, Massachusetts**
** – Wisconsin ranks higher in PairWise but not tournament eligible right now as current record is below .500
Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com take a look at the last full weekend in January, when St. Lawrence and Clarkson couldn’t decide anything in a rivalry series, Long Island and Sacred Heart couldn’t decide anything at the top of NEWHA and St. Thomas removed the interim tag from coach Bethany Brausen after a program first.
The women’s goalie of the year award will be narrowed to 10 finalists soon, and we look at some of the top candidates and discuss how much the games played column matters.
This week’s Bracketology has a new look and a couple teams who might get on a bus rather than a plane.
And the look ahead to this weekend’s games starts with a series between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for our mailbag? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email [email protected].
Minnesota looks to be a lock to once again head to the NCAA tournament later this spring (photo: Jim Rosvold).
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.
Ed: Jim, we’ve covered the weekend’s events and the ins and outs of the PairWise in other columns and podcasts this week, so let’s look at some things that otherwise may have been missed.
Every season, the NCAA ice hockey rules committee designates points of emphasis that officials are expected to give more focus. Readers might remember the 2022-23 season in which one of the points was pregame and intermission protocols. Teams were starting games or periods with minor penalties for staying on the ice a second or two too long past the 23:00 mark before the start of the game, or for coming out of the tunnel a bit early or late.
I think everyone got the message that things had gotten a bit sloppy, but the enforcement struck me at the time as a bit nitpicky.
Ever since then, players and coaches have paid attention. Some players have even had a bit of fun with it, hopping off the ice with a second or so left after warmups. And I’ve seen a penalty assessed this year when a hyped-up rookie goaltender stepped out 15 seconds too soon.
So I expected that’s what happened at Boston College on Saturday night – something borderline – when Boston University was tagged with a protocol violation that put BC on the power play to start the game. It resulted in the game-winning goal by rookie phenom Teddy Stiga just 24 seconds into the contest.
But apparently what took place was a lot stranger than that. Fortunately for us, you were there on the television broadcast and saw it firsthand. What the heck happened?
Jim: You’re correct that this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill protocol violations. Boston University’s goaltender on Saturday was Mikhail Yegorov, a Russian-born rookie who officially joined the Terriers last Tuesday, a semester earlier than originally planned.
Yegorov was told Saturday morning he would get the start against No. 1 Boston College, BU’s archrival. Certainly, he was excited but he somehow entered the ice before the officials. Protocol calls for the officials to enter the ice with 39:00 left on the clock. The home team enters at 38:00 and the visitors at 37:50. Yegorov entered the ice 30 seconds before the officials and thus the penalty was awarded.
I don’t know what made Yegorov go out early. Certainly someone should have told him how things work. But the penalty, as strange as it was, was more costly than you could imagine, leading to the game’s only (non-empty net) goal.
Certainly not an everyday occurrence.
Ed: I’m glad that something else we don’t see every day is fighting at the end of the game.
Tempers flared at the end of Dartmouth’s 6-1 win over Cornell at Lynah Rink on Saturday. A frustrated, but not violent shove at the buzzer by a Cornell player on his opponent sparked a little scuffle behind the Cornell net that quickly dissipated. Dartmouth then skated away but gathered at the glass to celebrate in front of Cornell’s student section.
The Big Red, in home white, quickly skated over to the gathered Big Green and a few punches were thrown. Officials tried to separate the two teams and get the players off the ice. Coaches for both squads headed out into the melee, including Dartmouth’s Reid Cashman and Cornell’s Mike Schafer. Cashman was particularly animated, grabbing players and yanking them toward the door while yelling at them. Schafer, accompanied by associate head coach Casey Jones, also had heated words for the officials before leaving the ice. The ceremonial handshake was understandably dispensed with.
Both teams ended up with three fighting majors which are accompanied by automatic disqualifications, plus two roughing minors coupled with two misconducts.
A less chaotic but similar situation happened between Holy Cross and Air Force after their two-game series at the Academy last weekend. The box score seems to be missing a couple of penalties to go along with a DQ for each team. Neither conference has made public any further disciplinary action.
With a lot on the line at this time of year, it’s understandable that there would be high emotions. The tough part is that both Dartmouth and Cornell will be down three players as the Big Green welcomes Quinnipiac and Cornell heads to St. Lawrence.
Jim: I think you hinted at it: it is getting late in the season. Certainly, tensions can flare at any game, but when teams are possibly chasing their seasons and trying to win every possible game to help their status in the league and national standings, things can boil over.
What is too often forgotten is that a melee like we saw at Lynah on Saturday will have carryover effects. Obviously, both teams will be missing three players based on the assessed penalties alone that carry the automatic suspension. But I would be shocked if there weren’t additional actions from the league that could easily include additional suspensions or multiple game suspensions that would create longer impact.
The good thing is these are outlier events.
Changing the subject, I was taking a deep dive into the PairWise this morning in order to write this week’s Bracketology column. It struck me that there aren’t that many more weekends for things to change, which means the current PairWise likely represents a large portion of what will be the NCAA field.
Something that stands out is that three of the six conferences are likely to only place one team each in the tournament. Atlantic Hockey America, the CCHA and the ECAC all currently have just a single bid. Quinnipiac is the highest ECAC team and is barely inside the bubble. Minnesota State in the CCHA is below the bubble as is Sacred Heart, though AHA will only get one team no matter what else happens.
It is mathematically possible for the ECAC and CCHA to place a second team in the NCAA field, but it is statistically unlikely.
So what does this say about the six conferences? Is the parity that we love to preach every season something that even exists? Or is this season just an aberration?
Ed: I don’t know if it’s an aberration or not. But the whole thing comes down to one metric: a conference’s composite record out of conference.
The number of teams inside the bubble right now is about proportional to the record against other leagues and independents for Hockey East, Big Ten, and NCHC. Even the NCHC is looking like only two or three teams in the NCAAs unless there is an upset in the league championship.
The Big Ten leads D-I men’s hockey with a nonconference winning percentage of .743 and winning records against everyone else. Hockey East is not far behind at .716. The NCHC is below its usual pace and the three leagues you mentioned likely to have single bids are all below .500 against the rest of D-I. Worst of those three is AHA, which had been improving year after year but took a big step back this season.
Is this just a blip? I don’t know. Atlantic Hockey had its cookie jar raided in the offseason by the transfer portal. Last year’s regular-season and conference champions, Rochester Institute of Technology, lost three of its returning leading scorers and an all-conference goalie to the portal and have slid from first to 10th in the standings.
So it does seem like a have and have not situation that has benefited the bigger programs. Will the influx of major junior players offset that? Some have said so, but it remains to be seen.
Do you have a hunch on this? Are we seeing the end of parity, or is this just an off year?
Jim: Every time that I begin to worry about parity, things seem to settle. I thought in the 90s and 2000s that there were only a handful of programs that could win. Then Minnesota Duluth, Yale and Union all win national titles.
Then end of 2010s into this decade, we thought only the Big Ten or NCHC would win and UMass and Quinnipiac each shock the world.
Quinnipiac was just a couple of years ago, so we maybe aren’t in a world of hurt, but if we end up with the deepest player pool ever this summer because of the CHL and other factors, I will choose to stay positive and think this will be a good thing to help maintain parity.
Bethany Brausen celebrates the Tommies’ 3-2 win over No. 4 UMD last Thursday evening (photo: Kylie Macziewski).
St. Thomas has announced that Bethany Brausen will be the next head coach of the Tommie women’s hockey program.
Currently the interim head coach, Brausen led St. Thomas to its first sweep of a top-5 program this past weekend over then-No. 4 Minnesota Duluth and has played an integral role in the Tommies’ Division I transition.
“Bethany Brausen has demonstrated an alignment with our athletics and institutional values and is committed to the pursuit of comprehensive excellence,” said St. Thomas VP and director of athletics Dr. Phil Esten in a statement. “I am thrilled to introduce Bethany as our new women’s hockey head coach as she has established herself as one of the best emerging coaches in women’s college hockey. Coach Brausen’s leadership over the last four years has made me confident that she is the right person for the job, especially as we enter a new era of Tommie hockey.
“I am confident she will lead St. Thomas women’s hockey with poise and uphold the core values of Tommie athletics at the highest level.”
Brausen brings a wealth of experience to the head coaching roll, serving as St. Thomas top assistant, active head coach and interim head coach since joining the program in 2021. In her first three seasons, the Tommies rose from eighth to sixth in the WCHA standings, earning wins over ranked opponents in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. With Brausen on the bench, St. Thomas earned its first ever win over a top-10 opponent, a shootout victory over then No. 7-ranked Minnesota Duluth, in 2022-23, and defeated No. 9 St. Cloud State in 2023-24 for its first regulation win over a nationally ranked opponent.
“It is both an immense honor and one of the greatest privileges of my professional career to be named the head coach of the women’s hockey program at the University of St. Thomas,” said Brausen. “Our program is uniquely positioned within the landscape of women’s college hockey to offer an unparalleled academic and athletic experience—one that stands apart from any other institution in the country.
“At every level of our organization, from staff to student-athletes, we are committed to fostering a values-based culture grounded in gratitude, commitment, and integrity. We will lead with purpose in every facet of our daily lives, striving for excellence both on and off the ice. Our program will embody a relentless pursuit of success, ensuring that our student-athletes are equipped to thrive in all aspects of their future endeavors.”
Prior to joining St. Thomas, Brausen was an assistant coach at Minnesota. She joined the coaching staff in 2016-17 after competing for the Gophers from 2010 to 2014. Brausen’s resume also includes stops at some of the top prep programs in the state of Minnesota, including Breck High School, Minnesota’s Elite League and OS Hockey. She also has ties to the NHL. In the summer of 2023, Brausen joined the Boston Bruins development camp coaching staff as part of the NHL Coaches’ Association Diversity Guest Coach Program.
Brausen’s playing resume is equally impressive. A four-year letter-winner and two-time captain with the Gophers, Brausen led Minnesota to back-to-back national championships in 2012 and 2013 and was a member of the Gophers national runner-up team in 2014. She helped Minnesota to a 139-17-5 (.879) record during her career, including an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak. Minnesota won three-straight WCHA Final Faceoff titles Brausen’s sophomore, junior, and senior years and earned two WCHA regular-season titles during her time. A three-time WCHA scholar athlete, academic all-WCHA, and academic all-Big Ten honoree, Brausen played 161 career games, recording 51 points on 16 goals and 35 assists for the Gophers.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Vischer and Dr. Phil Esten for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity,” said Brausen. “Their unwavering support and commitment to the growth and success of our program, as well as to the broader athletics department, is unparalleled. I am both honored and humbled to lead our program towards a culture of competitive excellence as we move towards a promising future.”
Minnesota, Denver, Maine and Providence are still ranked fourth through seventh, respectively, UMass Lowell is up four to No. 8, UConn is up four to No. 9, and Boston University drops two spots to sit 10th in this week’s rankings.
Ohio State falls out of the top 10, going from ninth to 11th, while Michigan drops from No. 10 to No. 13.
Wisconsin (17th), Augustana (19th) and UMass (20th), all unranked last week, are ranked this week.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 13 others received votes in this week’s poll.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s 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.
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review games of the weekend and news of the week.
The spotlight starts on Boston College’s sweep over Boston University in a home-and-home series, highlighted by a strange protocol penalty involving BU’s goaltender Mikhail Yegorov. The crew also covers Michigan State’s dominant weekend against Minnesota, discussing significant outcomes for the Big Ten standings.
They also note UMass Lowell’s comeback weekend against Providence and Arizona State’s split series with Colorado College. The podcast also highlights UConn’s victory in the Connecticut Ice Tournament and Western Michigan’s continued dominance. Detailed discussions focus on the implications of recent games for PairWise Rankings and potential tournament placements. The episode also explores the challenges for teams on the bubble and the intense competition within various tiers as the season progresses.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:38 BC vs BU: A weekend recap
01:37 Strange Protocol Penalty Incident
03:16 BU’s goaltending
05:36 Michigan State’s dominant performance
07:00 Big Ten standings and future outlook
08:45 UMass Lowell’s dramatic weekend
10:40 Providence’s challenges
12:22 Arizona State vs. Colorado College
18:51 Western Michigan’s dominance
24:04 Cornell and Dartmouth’s heated clash
31:15 Pairwise Rankings analysis
43:30 Wrap-up
Chatham’s Nick Cyprian scored two goals including the overtime winner, and added two assists in a thrilling 7-6 upset of Geneseo on Friday night (Photo by Chatham Athletics)
For anyone who might think that playoff hockey hasn’t started yet this season, just checkout the scores that featured 17 one-goal games (would have been higher if not for several ENGs) and 11 overtime contests in the east for the week ending with Sunday’s late action in the MAC and NEHC. Talk about a lot of close and hard-fought games that also included some key conference battles like Chatham’s 7-6 OT win over Geneseo; two one-goal wins for Utica against Nazareth, Cortland eking a one goal win over Oswego and Endicott winning both an overtime game and a one-goal game against Suffolk in the CNE to name just a few of the high-drama games across the region. Here is the recap for an extremely exciting slate of games in the east:
CNE
The Endicott Gulls faced-off against a determined Suffolk team over the weekend and skated away with two very hard-earned victories over the Rams. Friday saw neither team able to score in the first 39:59 of the game before Joe O’Brien solved goaltender Atticus Kelly with just one second remaining in the second period to give the Rams a 1-0 lead. Jack Costanza provided the home crowd a little last-minute action as he tied the game with just 28 seconds remaining in regulation. A power play in overtime took just 25 seconds for Andrew Kurapov to score the game-winning goal and send the Gulls off with a 2-1 win. On Saturday, scoring was even harder to find as Suffolk’s CJ Hapward and Endicott’s Ryan Wilson were almost perfect in their respective goals. John Goldowski scored the game’s only goal in the middle frame and Endicott eked out an important 1-0 road win over the Rams.
Curry kept pace to remain just above Endicott in the standings as the Colonels swept a weekend series with Johnson & Wales. The Wildcats used two power play goals in the first period for a 2-2 tie after twenty minutes of action, but Eelis Laaksonen helped the visitors to a 5-3 win as the forward scored two goals and added two assists for a four-point game to pace the Curry attack. Back home on Saturday, the Colonels celebrated 50-years of Curry hockey in style. After surrendering the first goal of the game to J&W’s Connor Nelson, five different players scored for Curry to pace a 5-1 win. Laaksonen capped off a strong weekend with the final goal of the contest on the power play that extended the Colonels’ win streak to seven games.
UNE stayed close to Curry and Endicott as they swept their weekend series against Wentworth. On Friday, the Nor’easters started fast with three goals in the first ten minutes of action and then held on as the Leopard rally fell one goal short in a 3-2 UNE win. Ryan Kuzmich scored a goal and added an assist while netminder Joey Stanizzi stopped 18 of 20 shots to earn the road win. On Saturday, the Nor’easters took a commanding 4-0 lead with two goals in each of the first two periods only to see the Leopards again fight back to a one-goal deficit. Ian Worthey, George Weiner, and Nicholas Sombrowski scored in just over a three-minute span midway through the third period putting pressure on UNE to close out another win. Drew Olivieri, who opened the scoring in the game, scored his second of the contest with just over two minutes remaining in regulation and UNE skated off with a 5-3 win. Olivieri finished the game with two goals and two assists for UNE.
Nichols has a three-game win streak on the heels of a non-conference win over Massachusetts-Dartmouth and a weekend sweep if Western New England to move to fourth place in the CNE. Nathan Carl’s two goals paced the Bison attack in a comfortable 6-1 win over the Corsairs on Tuesday. Facing the Golden Bears on the weekend, Nichols jumped out to a 2-0 lead only to see WNEU rally to tie the score at 2-2 making overtime necessary. Ryan Austin wasted no time in deciding the game with his goal just thirty seconds into the extra session giving Nichols a 3-2 OT home win. Goaltender Nick Anderson stopped 21 of his 25 saves in the final forty minutes to keep the Golden Bears at bay. On Saturday, six straight goals including three in a row on the power play helped pace Nichols to a solid 7-1 win over WNEU. Seven different players scored for the Bison while CJ Zezima chipped in with a pair of assists in the win.
MAC
Wilkes traveled to face Alvernia over the weekend and the Colonels battled the home team to a pair of 2-2 OT ties with each team picking up an extra point with one shootout win apiece. On Friday, Miles Harrington gave the Colonels a 2-1 lead in the second period only to see Owen Noll tie the game for the Golden Wolves in the third period. Neither team could decide the game in overtime leading to the first 2-2 OT tie with Wilkes taking the shootout. On Saturday, all the scoring took place in the third period with Alvernia taking a 1-0 lead off the stick of Edvin Robertsson just two minutes into the third period. Cam Low and Matt Carlson scored less than two minutes apart to give Wilkes another third period lead, but Alvernia’s Christian Heckman scored with just 68 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. Following another scoreless overtime session, Alvernia capped off the weekend with a shootout win of their own.
Stevenson continued their winning ways in the second half as the took two wins over Lebanon Valley by identical 3-2 scores. Darion Benchich opened the scoring for the Flying Dutchmen on Saturday before Stevenson scored the next three in a row including Liam McCanney’s ENG that proved to be the game-winner when Harris Blackwood tallied in the final twelve seconds for LVC. On Sunday, the Mustangs took a comfortable 3-0 lead to the final two minutes of regulation when Cade Freer and Cade Helmer, on a late power play scored to make the game a 3-2 final as the Flying Dutchmen ran out of time.
King’s also swept a weekend series with Arcadia to move to 4-9-1 in the MAC. On Saturday, two goals in the second period and two in the third period erased a 1-0 deficit as the Monarchs won 4-1 over the Knights. Teodor Benno Vaage picked up two assists to pace the offense. On Sunday, three power play goals and a shorthanded goal accounted for all but one of King’s goals in a 5-0 win. Lee Kent picked up a goal and two assists while goaltender Diego D’Alessandro stopped 33 shots to earn the shutout.
MASCAC
Anna Maria extended their win streak to four games by knocking off league-leading Plymouth State and Westfield State to move comfortably into second place in the conference standings just four points behind PSU. On Thursday, the AmCats took advantage of Panther penalties by scoring two power play goals in a three-goal first period. There was no scoring in the fast-paced and physical game in the second period. In the third period PSU’s will Redick scored two goals, but Matthew Gilbert added another power play goal for AMC who held on for a 4-2 home win. Goaltender Cole Johnston was outstanding, stopping 42 of 44 Panther shots. On Saturday, there was no let down for the AmCats who took advantage of two goals from Liam Wells, including a shorthanded tally to close out the scoring in a 4-1 road win over the Owls.
Following a pair of non-conference wins over Keene State and Rivier, the Falcons returned to conference play a skated to a 2-2 OT tie with Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday. The Falcons kept their offensive game going strong with a pair of goals for a 2-0 lead late in the second period, but Blake Kashark halved the lead before the end of the second period and Vincent Nicosia tied the game late in the third period for the Corsairs. No scoring in overtime led to an exciting shootout where FSU outscored the Corsairs.
After routing Worcester State 9-3 on Thursday, Salem State took a clutch road win over MCLA on Saturday to sweep two important MASCAC contests. Henry Wilson, Seamus Cummings, and Luke Day each scored a pair of goals in Thursday’s comfortable win over the Lancers but on Saturday, goals were harder to come against a stout Trailblazers squad. Landyn Greatorex scored on the power play in the first period for a 1-0 Vikings lead. In the second period, the Trailblazers rallied with two goals less than a minute apart for a 2-1 lead after forty minutes of play. In the third period Keagan O’Donoghue tied the score with an assist from Greatorex who saw the favor returned by his teammate when he scored the ultimate game-winner just five minutes later. Will Nepveu continued his strong play in goal stopping 27 of 29 Trailblazer shots to earn the win.
NE-10
Following a 7-0 loss to D-I Stonehill on Tuesday night, St. Anselm returned to NE-10 play with a two-game series on the road against Assumption and captured two big wins to extend their lead in the standings. On Friday, the Hawks took advantage of a hat trick from Garrett Alberti and a goal and two assists from Hunter Brackett in a 6-1 win. Goaltender Cam Carroll made thirty-five saves for the Hawks to earn the win. On Saturday it was Brackett with two goals for the Hawks while Alberti added a goal and an assist in a 4-0 Hawks win. Tucker Hanson stopped 34 Greyhound shots including twenty in the opening period to earn the shutout win.
St. Michael’s extended their win streak to three games with a weekend sweep of Franklin Pierce. One special team’s goal in each period was enough to pace the Purple Knights to a 3-1 win over the Ravens on Friday. Jack Macdonald opened the scoring with a first period shorthanded goal before Case Kantgias and Quinn McCarthy each scored on the power play in the second and third periods respectively to provide a comfortable margin for netminder Evan Plunkett who surrendered just one goal late in the third period. Seven first period goals provided the fireworks on Saturday as the Ravens scored first but the Purple Knights answered back with five of their own, all at even-strength, on the way to a 7-3 win and weekend sweep. Seven different players scored for St. Michaels with six players recording two-point games as the Purple Knights helped keep the Ravens winless on the season.
Southern New Hampshire and Post split their series creating a cluster of teams battling in third through fifth in the standings. On Friday, two goals from Scotty Swain and a goal and an assist from Holden Beckett helped the Eagles to a 5-1 win over the Penmen. Dillon Phillips and Kyle Slingerland helped SNHU to an early first period lead and Bryan McLachlan scored what proved to the game-winner as all the scoring took place in the opening 20 minutes of a 3-2 SNHU win.
NEHC
Hobart returned to home-ice for the first time in 2025 with a two-game series against the second place (now third with two games in hand on Babson) Norwich Cadets and the Statesmen kept their unbeaten streak going with a pair of 4-1 wins over the Cadets. Dominic Schimizzi scored in the first period and Tristan Fasig extended the Hobart advantage to close out the second period setting up a dynamic third period. Johnny Johnson scored to cut the lead in half with a power play goal early in the third period, but Norwich penalties led to extra-man markers from Schimizzi and Tanner Daniels to close out the scoring for the final margin. On Saturday, the teams were tied after one period of play before Luke Aquaro and Easton Ryan scored in the opening three minutes of period two to move Hobart to a 3-1 advantage. Austin Mourar closed out the scoring in the third period for the Statemen who moved to 17-0-0 overall and 12-0-0 in NEHC play.
Babson and Elmira played a two-game series with each taking a one-goal win in two very entertaining hockey games. On Friday, the Soaring Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first period and held that advantage entering the third period. Babson finally broke through with a power play goal from Johnny McElaney at the twelve-minute mark and carried that momentum into goals from Raphael Marcoux and Brendan Kennedy in the next four minutes to hold on for a thrilling 3-2 win. On Saturday, Joseph Kramer’s shorthanded goal in the second period erased a 2-1 Elmira advantage. Neither team could score in the final period of regulation play, but Shane Haviland scored on the power play in overtime to give Elmira a 3-2 OT win and split of the weekend series.
If goals were on your must-see list for games this weekend, then the Massachusetts-Boston and VSU Castleton series should have been on your list of games to watch or attend. The two teams combined for nineteen goals with eh Beacons taking and overtime tie (shootout win) and an overtime win. On Friday, the Beacons took advantage of two goals each from Chris Repmann and Jack Ford to post a 5-2 lead in the third period, but the Spartans fought back with three late goals in the final four minutes of regulation to earn a 5-5 OT tie. Aiden Robson scored one goal and assisted on three others, including the game-tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period. On Saturday, it was the Beacons who flipped the script to rally for the one-goal road win. After Andrew Stefura gave the Spartans a 4-3 lead with just over four minutes in regulation time remaining, Jack Ford tied the score with a power play goal just thirty seconds later and Michael Krupinski netted the game winner with just ten seconds remaining in regulation for the 5-4 win.
New England College extended their win streak to four games with two victories over Southern Maine over the weekend. Egor Osipik scored two goals and Jack Herron assisted on every Pilgrim goal in a 3-0 shutout win over the Huskies. Goaltender Anthony Beaulieu made 26 saves to earn the shutout on Friday night. On Saturday NEC fell behind early but scored the final three goals of the game with Herron scoring one goal and assisting on two more for a six-point weekend as the Pilgrims moved to 5-6-1 in NEHC play.
NESCAC
Hamilton took advantage of a light schedule with a single game against travel partner Amherst at home on Friday night. In a game that saw Luke Tchor net a hat trick, the Continentals could never build a cushion as the Mammoth battled back with Oliver Flynn’s goal in the third period to trail by one goal. Goaltender Aksel Reid made 29 saves to preserve the one goal advantage in a 4-3 win that moved Hamilton to 9-1-0 in NESCAC play.
Trinity lost ground to Hamilton as the Bantams came away with a split of their two games against Connecticut College and Tufts. On Friday, Trinity rallied from a 2-0 deficit to the Camels to take a 3-2 lead on a goal from Jacob Karpa. John Russo tied the score at 3-3 before the end of the period on the power play but the third period belonged to Trinity who took advantage of goals from Ryan Panico and Richard Boysen to take a 5-3 win. On Saturday, the Bantams ran into a hot goaltender as Gustave Bylin made twenty-nine saves to shut down the Bantam offense in a 2-0 Jumbo win. Max Resnick and Brendan Fennell provided all the goals Bylin would need for the Jumbos who are now in a logjam of teams separated by just three points in the standings from fifth place to tenth place.
After a slow start to the season, Wesleyan moved into contention with a road sweep of games over Tufts and Conn College. Friday’s playoff style game with the Jumbos saw Jack Marottolo score in the opening period on the power play and Owen Sweet score an empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation for a 2-0 Cardinal win. Goaltender Patrick McDevitt was simply outstanding as the netminder made forty-nine saves to earn the shutout win where the Cardinals were outshot by a 49-20 margin. On Saturday, a pair of ENGs helped provide some cushion in a 6-3 win over the Camels. Andrew Haxton and Owen Sweet each scored two goals for Wesleyan who won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Colby remained in third place in the standings having split weekend games with Williams and Middlebury. On Friday, the Mules got goals from Jack MacDonald in the first period, Massimo Gentile in the second period and Matthew MacDonald in the third period for a 3-0 win over the Ephs. Cooper Rautenstrauch stopped twenty-seven shots to earn the shutout win. Saturday’s contest against the Panthers saw goals in abundance as the teams were tied 2-2 after one period and 4-4 after two periods of play before Middlebury scored the only markers in the third period to steal a 6-4 win over the Mules. Revy Mack scored what proved to be the game-winner before Reece Brednich added an insurance goal in the final five minutes of play.
SUNYAC
Following a 6-2 win over Morrisville on Friday night, Cortland put last weekend’s charity game behind them and leveraged a 4-3 home win over Oswego to move to the top of the SUNYAC standings. The Lakers also came off a Friday night win over Canton by a 5-1 score to set up a great rivalry game. The Lakers and Red Dragons exchanged goals for a 1-1 tie before the excitement of the second period that ultimately decided the game. Justin Legault scored a power play goal in the opening minute of play and Collin Vassallo tied the game again on the man advantage and less than five minutes remaining in the period. Domenic Settimo’s second goal of the game gave the hosts another one goal lead with under two minutes to play in the period and a lot of drama in the last minute of play. Daniel Colabufo scored a shorthanded goal with 52 seconds remaining and the Red Dragons scored the ultimate game-winner with just eleven seconds on the clock as Nathan Garnier beat the clock with a PPG to close play in the second period. Despite chances for both teams there were neither goals nor penalties in the third period as Cortland held on for a 4-3 win.
Buffalo State played a rare outdoor game against Keene State on Friday and skated away with a 4-2 win over the Owls. Vadim Kiriakov opened the scoring for the Bengals and assisted on David Tolan’s game-winner in the third period before Aiden Dufault iced the contest with an empty-net goal and final two-goal margin.
While Plattsburgh downed Amherst 2-1 on Saturday, they built some positive momentum entering the weekend with a 7-3 conference win over Potsdam on Wednesday night. Leading by a 3-2 score entering the third period, the Cardinals scored four unanswered goals to cruise to a comfortable win. Jake Sacratini and Aaron Catron scored two goals apiece and Kevin Weaver-Vitale added a goal and two assists in the important SUNYAC win.
UCHC
Geneseo played a home-and-home series with Chatham and Friday’s game may have been one of the craziest played this season as the Cougars upset the Knights, 7-6 in overtime. Goals came fast and furious as the Cougars held leads of 3-2 and 6-4 after the first and second periods but Geneseo kept fighting back. Luke Panchisin made it 6-5 early in the third period before Zach Purcell completed his hat trick to tie the game at 6-6 and send the game to overtime. Nick Cyprian, who already had a three-point game for the Cougars sent the home fans home delighted as he netted the OT winner in the final minute of the extra session for the 7-6 upset win. On Saturday, the Knights bounced back at home as they raced to a 5-0 lead on the way to a 7-3 win. Purcell added another goal and an assist while Alex Dameski added a goal, and an assist and Carter Diceman scored two goals.
Utica extended their win streak to five games as they took a pair of one-goal wins over Nazareth to move one-point ahead of Geneseo in the standings. On Thursday, the Pioneers jumped to a 2-0 lead only to see the Golden Flyers answer back to tie the score in the second period. In the final minute of play in the middle period, Jakob Breault and Drake Morse scored eleven seconds apart to give Utica a lead they never relinquished. Morse finished the game with three goals and two assists while Breault added one goal and four assists in a 5-4 win. On Saturday, Breault scored the only two goals the Pioneers could generate as they eked out a 2-1 road win. Ryan Piros held the Golden Flyers at bay stopping 37 of 38 shots in the one-goal win.
Manhattanville swept their weekend series with Brockport by 3-2 and 3-0 scores. On Friday, Ryan McKenna’s third period goal broke a 2-2 tie for a big Valiants’ road win. On Saturday, goaltender William Billiquey stopped all 37 Golden Eagle shot attempts and Elijah Devereaux scored one goal and added an assist in a 3-0 shutout win.
Three Biscuits
Matteo Orme Lynch – Fitchburg State – scored a natural hat trick with two off the goals assisted by his twin brother, Elowan in an 8-2 rout of Rivier on Thursday night.
Nick Cyprian – Chatham – called game with the overtime goal in a thrilling 7-6 OT win for the Cougars over Geneseo on Friday night. Cyprian had a four-point night for the Cougars including two goals.
Patrick McDevitt – Wesleyan – stopped all forty-nine shots by Tufts in a 2-0 Cardinal win against the Jumbos on Friday night as Wesleyan was outshot by a 49-20 margin.
For those who may remember the D-III built roster that played in the World University Games hosted in Lake Placid, New York in 2023 and won a silver medal, the best showing by a US team in the history of competing in the WUG. This past week in Torino, Italy a roster of primarily ACHA club team players and coaches played very well in the round robin portion of the tournament and made it to the medal round where they lost to Canada in the semifinals and lost out to Ukraine in the bronze medal game finishing fourth overall. Sorry that the timing, travel, and cost made it prohibitive for the D-III players to participate again this year but congratulations to the ACHA players that enjoyed a very successful tournament.
The action and the standings are must-see as we head into February. Can’t imagine that any coach is not telling their team it takes the full effort for sixty minutes and likely more as key battles for position in conferences are basically every week for the remainder of the regular season.
Game one recap here. On Sunday, the Huskies became the first team to earn a point from Wisconsin at home this season, thanks in part to a 30-save game from freshman goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö, who did not allow an even-strength goal. SCSU got on the board first when Allie Qualley batted a puck that had popped above goalie Ava McNaughton into the net. The Badgers were able to respond on the power play less than two minutes later on Lacey Eden’s 150th career point – a goal from the slot. Wisconsin doubled their lead midway through the second when Kirsten Simms jumped on a rebound on the power play to make it 2-1. With about 11 to play in the third, Emma Gentry intercepted a Badger exit pass, immediately shooting the puck on net and Laura Zimmerman cleaned up the rebound to tie the game 2-2. St. Cloud dominated possession in the overtime period, but could not break through. It was Simms’ goal in the shootout the secured the extra point for Wisconsin.
(2) Ohio State at Minnesota State
Taylor Otremba picked up the puck at her own blue line and wove through traffic before beating Amanda Thiele to open scoring on Friday and put Minnesota State up 1-0. The Buckeyes took over from there, scoring three unanswered as Kiara Zanon, Sloane Matthews and Jenna Buglioni each lit the lamp to make it 3-1 OSU. JuliAnna Gadzik’s shot from the blue line found its way through traffic to cut the lead to 3-2 before the second intermission, but the Mavericks wouldn’t be able to pull any closer. Emma Peschel and Matthews each lit the lamp in the third to give Ohio State the 5-2 win. Buglioni’s goal turned out to be the game-winner and she became the program record holder in season (7) and career (17) game-winning goals. In the second game, the Minnesota State defense held Ohio State at bay for more than 37 minutes, but once the Buckeyes lit the lamp, the game opened up and they tripled their lead quickly. Brooke Disher ended the scoreless game with a shot from the top of the far circle to make it 1-0 heading into the second intermission. Joy Dunne scored a few minutes into the third and Kiara Zanon made it 3-0 with about ten left on the clock. Alexis Paddington chased down the puck behind the net and dropped it for Claire Vekick, who made it 3-1 just seconds later, but the Mavericks could not pull any closer and Mira Jungåker’s empty-netter secured the 4-1 win and weekend sweep.
Bemidji State vs. (3) Minnesota
Despite outshooting the Beavers 16-7 in the first, the Gophers could not find the back of the net as Eva Filippova made 16 saves and the Bemidji defense had five blocks. Early in the second, Ella Huber found Peyton Hemp all alone in the slot to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead. That score held for another 20 minutes as BSU added another nine blocks in the second. Gracie Graham and Audrey Wethington got in behind the defense a few minutes into the third as Graham found Wethington at the back post to make it 2-0. Two minutes later, Autumn Cooper scored her first career goal, cleaning up a loose puck in a scrum in front of the net to cut the lead in half, making it 2-1. With just more than three minutes left in regulation, Abbey Murphy circled through the zone before breaking to the bottom of the near circle and throwing the puck on net from a tight angle, finding some space at the back post to make it 3-1. Murphy added an empty-netter to close out the 4-1 win. Saturday’s game was played outdoors as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. This time, the Gophers found their groove early as Emma Kreisz scored on a seeing eye shot from the high slot that beat everyone to hit twine and make it 1-0. Minutes later, Murphy took the puck at her own blue line, split the defense and went forehand, backhand to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead before 11 minutes had elapsed. Gracie Graham’s drag and shoot from the far faceoff dot extended the lead to 3-0 early in the second. Morgan Smith scored on the power play a few minutes later to make it 3-1. From there, the defenses took over and this game ended 3-1 and gave the Gophers the weekend sweep.
(4) Minnesota Duluth at St. Thomas
St. Thomas announced on Sunday that the interim tag has been removed and Bethany Brausen has been hired as the head coach of the Tommies. The announcement comes after a historic weekend for the program as they earned their first sweep of a nationally-ranked opponent. It was a complete weekend from St. Thomas as goalie Dani Strom made 73 total saves and the defense had 29 total blocks while there were six different goal scorers on offense. On Thursday, UMD pushed hard in the first 10 minutes, but the Tommies withstood the barrage and countered as Rylee Bartz opened the scoring to make it 1-0. Early in the second, Zoey Krock took advantage of an awkward bounce to tie the game. Olivia Mobley scored short-handed to give UMD the lead 2-1 and then Ève Gascon stopped a penalty shot attempt from Ilsa Lindaman to send the Bulldogs to the locker room with a 2-1 lead. Midway through the final frame, St. Thomas tied the game as Madison Brown tipped in a shot from Ellah Hause. Lindaman found redemption later, scoring her first collegiate goal on a two-on-one with 30 seconds left in regulation to give St. Thomas the 3-2 win. Friday’s game started similarly, with Bartz opening the scoring to put the Tommies up 1-0 early in the first. They carried that lead into the second period, but that’s when Minnesota Duluth pushed back. The Bulldogs scored three goals in less than five minutes to take a 3-2 lead. Mary Kate O’Brien and Clara Van Wieren scored two minutes apart to tie the game and Danielle Burgen added a power play goal to close out the second. Lauren Stenslie, who’d already had three assists on the weekend, lit the lamp herself midway through the third to tie the game and eventually force overtime. In the extra frame, Ella Boerger put home a feed from Stenslie to complete the 4-3 win and weekend sweep.
(5) Colgate at Harvard
Colgate came out firing from puck drop, but the Harvard defense kept them from breaking through until Alexia Aubin’s amazing solo effort up the boards to score with less than three minutes left in the frame. Crimson goalie Ainsley Tuffy made 13 saves in each of the first two frames and held the Raiders to the one goal. A long power play from a game misconduct to close out the second and open the third paid off as Gabi Davidson Adams tied the game on a feed right in front of the net from Emily Hamann. Two minutes later, the Crimson got another power play and Davidson Adams once again found the back of the net to give Harvard a 2-1 lead. It looked like the home team might be on their way to an upset, but with under three to play, Kaia Malachino’s goal from the top of the zone tied things for Colgate and forced overtime. With the defense hemmed in close, Kalty Kaltounková took advantage of the open ice to close in and pick her spot top shelf to win the game for the Raiders.
(5) Colgate at Dartmouth
Coming off their tie with Cornell, the Big Green were fired up and outshot the Raiders 34-23, but Colgate was able to capitalize on rebounds and loose pucks to skated away with a 4-1 win. Neena Brick found Alexis Petford skating into the zone and she was able to tuck her own rebound inside the post less than two minutes into that game. With about five minutes to play in the first, Emma Pais tapped in a loose puck sitting in the crease to increase the lead to 2-0 for Colgate. Late in the second, Ella Belfry netted her first-career goal to make it 3-0. Dartmouth responded before the period ended with a wrister from Cally Dixon, but they couldn’t carry that momentum into the final frame and Casey Borgiel’s empty-netter secure the 4-1 win for Colgate.
(6) Cornell at Dartmouth
After a scoreless first frame, Lindzi Avar put Cornell on the board with a power play goal midway through the second that was the Big Red’s first shot of the frame. With just two minutes to play in the second, Dartmouth struck back. The line of Laura Fuoco, Mia Buonarosa and Kenzie Bachelor had a stellar game for the Big Green, registering nine of the team’s 18 shots and combining for both Dartmouth goals. Fuoco’s first came on the rush and her tip in front of the net trickled in to send the teams into the third tied 1-1. Neither team could find an advantage until Fuoco struck again with just 1:42 left in regulation. On another rush, she beat the defender and shot high to give the Big Green a 2-1 lead. Cornell pulled their goalie, trying to stave off an upset and hit paydirt with just 11.6 seconds left in regulation as Avi Adam scored to force overtime. Neither team could break the stalemate in the extra frame. Fuoco continued her great day, scoring in the shootout for Dartmouth. Karel Prefontaine and Piper Grober scored for the Big Red in the shootout and Annelies Bergmann stopped two Dartmouth shots to earn the shootout victory.
(6) Cornell at Harvard
Cornell earned their 17th Ivy League Championship thanks to a 6-1 win over Harvard on Saturday. Lindzi Avar and Katie Chan each scored twice while Delaney Fleming and Lily Delianedis each added a goal for the Big Red. It was the 50th goal of Delianedis’ career. The Big Red defense held the Crimson to just nine shots on the day.
(7) St. Lawrence vs. (9) Clarkson
It was a tale of two totally different games in this rivalry. On Friday, Anna Segedi scored twice while Claire Tyo had three assists and Emma-Sofie Nordström made 33 saves to lead St. Lawrence to a 6-5 win at Clarkson. Anne Cherkowski opened the scoring 2:26 into the game to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. But SLU came charging back, first with a power play goal by Segedi and they took the lead on the player advantage thanks to Kennedy Wilson tipping in Segedi’s Pass. Just 11 seconds later, Segedi’s second of the game made it a 3-1 lead for the Saints. Clarkson came out firing to start the second, tying the game with two goals in 20 seconds as Jenna Goodwin and Rhea Hicks each lit the lamp to make it 3-3. Aly McLeod’s shot from the slot put St. Lawrence ahead at the midpoint, but the Golden Knights replied again, this time Sena Catteral scored in the final minute of the middle frame, sending the teams to the second intermission tied 4-4. Goodwin’s second of the game was a breakaway, short-hander to pull Clarkson ahead six minutes into the third. Taylor Lum scored an unassisted goal of her own, picking up the loose puck at center ice and firing top shelf to make it 5-5. Abby Hustler was credited with the game winner when Tyo’s shot was tipped by McLeod and then bounced off Hustler’s skate and into the net to give SLU the win. Clarkson outshot the Saints 38-17 but St. Lawrence had 14 blocks and Nordström’s 33 saves helped make the difference. After Friday’s offensive barrage, Saturday’s game was scoreless for more than 48 minutes and Hicks’ power play goal midway through the final frame proved to be all Clarkson needed to get the 1-0 win and weekend split. The Golden Knights had 18 blocks and outshot St. Lawrence 27-18 in the win.
(8) Penn State at Lindenwood
On Friday, McKenna Walsh scored early in the first to put PSU up 1-0. Katelyn Roberts scored in the second to extend the lead to 2-0. Olivia Grabianowski cut the lead in the opening minutes of the third to get Lindenwood on the board and make it 2-1, but Stella Retrum’s goal a few minutes later gave the Nittany Lions the 3-1 lead they’d win the game with. In the second game, Tessa Janecke continued her historic season, this time breaking the Penn State school record for career points – men or women – with the opening goal, giving her 142 (and counting). Maddy Christian, Grace Outwater and Nicole Hall also lit the lamp to carry Penn State to a 4-0 win and weekend sweep.
Yale at (10) Quinnipiac
These two teams took a little time to get moving and neither could find the back of the net until Quinnipiac stole two just before the second intermission. First Emerson Jarvis found space in front of the net and one-timed a pass from Tessa Holk into the net to make it 1-0. Then with under 25 to play in the second, Kahlen LaMarche picked up a pass from Bryn Prier in the neutral zone and proceeded to beat three defenders to get in alone on Pia Dukarich and score to make it 2-0. Cami Bell broke up the shutout with 11 seconds left in the game to get Yale on the board, but the Bobcats took the 2-1 win.
Brown at (10) Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac outshot Brown 45-24, but the teams skated to a scoreless tie, even through overtime. The 45-saves were a career high for Rory Edwards and it was Brown’s fourth straight overtime game. Both teams were scoreless in their first three attempts of the shootout before the floodgates opened and they each scored five-in a row. The goalies won the next two rounds before Emerson Jarvis won it for Quinnipiac. Ella Sennick, Sophie Urban, Maya Labad, Laurence Frenette and Maddy Samoskevich each scored for Quinnipiac. Olivia Fantino, Margot Norehad, Ava DeCoste, Sam Broz and Olivia McDadi scored for Brown.
(12) Boston College vs. Providence
Reichen Kirchmair’s first career hat trick was the difference in Friday’s game for Providence. She got the Friars on the board first just 73 seconds into the game, putting back a rebound from a Hannah Johnson shot to make it 1-0. Boston College tied the game midway through the period on a power play goal from Keri Clougerty and the teams went into intermission tied 1-1. BC controlled play in the second, but Kirchmair caught the Eagles in transition and despite being outnumbered and getting tripped and sent airborne as she shot, she put the puck in the top corner to make it 2-1. In the third, a pickoff by Johnson in the defensive end quickly headed the other way where Brooke Becker found Audrey Knapp on the backdoor to extend the lead to 3-1. Kirchmair completed the hat trick on a heads up play from Lily Martinson, who’s initial shot was blocked. Martinson got her own rebound and hit Kirchmair, who was trailing, to complete the hatty and secure Providence the 4-1 upset win. On Saturday, Jenna Carpenter scored her first of the season by scooping up a puck she initially missed on to go up and over Hope Walinski and make it 1-0. The Friars fought for more than 30 minutes before they found an equalizer when Hannah Johnson backhanded a rebound into the net to tie the game and eventually force overtime. Just 30 seconds into the extra frame, Julia Pellerin and Abby Newhook took off on a 2-on-1 rush and Pellerin picked her spot, sniping a top-shelf beauty to call game and give BC the win and weekend split.
Brown at (13) Princeton
Brown goalie Rory Edwards made 35 saves during play, including four in overtime and then stopped all six shooters she faced in the shootout to help the Bears to a 2-2 tie and shootout win over the Tigers. Princeton scored early in the opening frame when Rosie Klein stripped the puck in the neutral zone and fed Katherine Khramtsov, who found Sarah Paul in the slot to make it 1-0. Ava DeCoste tied the game for Brown, putting back a rebound on the backhand to make it 1-1. Margot Norehad took off short-handed late in the frame to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. With six minutes left in regulation, Khramtsov and Paul hooked up again as Paul tapped in a great pass to tie the game 2-2. An extra frame didn’t decide a winner and Brown’s Ella Muralt scored the only goal in six rounds to give the Bears the edge.
Yale at (13) Princeton
Jennifer Olnowich earned her first shutout for the season, making 34 saves for Princeton as they took a 3-0 win over the Bulldogs. Angelina DiGirolamo scored with 40 seconds left in the first to put Princeton up 1-0. Sarah Paul scored her third of the weekend early in the second and Mackenzie Alexander’s goal late in the second topped off the day for the Tigers.
(14) Connecticut at Vermont
Vermont took the lead early in the first game thanks to a turnover in the zone that Kyla Bent put back towards the net and Cecelia DesLauriers deflected past Tia Chan as she skated back into position to make it 1-0. Emma Eryou scored her first of the season to tie the game for Connecticut early in the second with a shot from the blue line that found traffic in front of the net and ended up lighting the lamp. Maddy Skelton put the Catamounts ahead 2-1 by deflecting the puck out of the air on the power play. UConn tied the game once again just two minutes into the third when Kyla Josifovic carried the puck up the far boards and took a shot that was saved but the rebound was right in front of the net and Ashley Allard fired it home to make it 2-2. In overtime, confusion on defense for Vermont had Megan Woodworth all alone with the puck at the back of the neutral zone and she skated through free ice straight to net to win the game for the Huskies. On Saturday, Megan Warrener earned a 20-save shutout and Claire Murdoch scored the game’s only goal just four minutes in as Connecticut shut down the Catamounts and earned the 1-0 win.
(15) Northeastern vs. Merrimack
Allie Lalonde, Éloïse Caron, Lily Shannon and Holly Abela each scored on Friday to lead the Huskies to a 4-0 win. Tory Mariano had three assists on the day. In the second game of the weekend, Skylar Irving put Northeastern on the board first, but Merrimack’s Emma Pfeffer got the Warriors on the board late in the first to send the teams to the locker rooms tied 1-1. In the 2nd, Tory Mariano got her fourth point of the weekend, scoring on the power play to make it 2-1. Abela and Caron added goals in the third to push it to 4-1 and give the Huskies the win and weekend sweep.
UConn earned the 2025 CT Ice championship Saturday night with a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart (photo: UConn Athletics).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. No. 1 Boston College sweeps No. 8 Boston University in home-and-home weekend
Boston College took the only two Hockey East regular-season games against archrival Boston University in the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue, 6-2 at BU on Friday and 2-0 at home on Saturday. BC now has a six-game winning streak.
Eagles goalie Jacob Fowler notched his sixth shutout of the year (tied for third in program history) and ninth of his career (fifth all-time).
“We try not to take it for granted, but he’s so consistent,” said Boston College coach Greg Brown about Fowler after the game. “He gives us a chance every night and his demeanor is so calm that it really helps spread confidence throughout the team.
BC has scored a power-play goal in five of its last six games. Ryan Leonard leads Hockey East in scoring with his 19th goal – second nationally. Rookie Teddy Stiga is on a seven-game point streak.
2. Spartans take five of six points from Minnesota
No. 2 Michigan State stunned No. 4 Minnesota on Friday night with a 9-3 win over the visiting Golden Gophers. Michigan State scored four goals in both the second and third periods, with eight Spartans logging multiple-point games. It was the most goals against the Gophers in Michigan State history, going back to the first games between the two teams in 1926.
“You’re not going to score every night like that,” said Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale. “But I thought our quality of play was good. Up and down our lineup our guys played well.”
Michigan State’s Isaac Howard had two goals and an assist Friday, and leads the nation with 20 goals and 39 points.
Howard pushes it back to a three-goal game with this putback. Russell and Strbak with the helpers. pic.twitter.com/mr5GsNveHL
The Gophers managed a 3-3 tie on Saturday, with Michigan State picking up the extra point in the standings with a shootout win. The Spartans took 10 of 12 Big Ten points against Minnesota, going 2-0-2 with two shootout points.
3. Relief goaltenders make the difference as Wisconsin takes five points at home against No. 10 Michigan
Wisconsin came from behind to take Friday’s game 5-4 with three straight goals, including two in the last 5:12. After giving up two goals in the middle of the second period in less than a minute, starting goalie Tommy Scarfone was relieved in net by William Graeme. Graeme kept the Wolverines off the board in the final 28:40 of the contest.
In Saturday night’s rematch, it was Scarfone who came in to spell Graeme, with the Badgers down 3-1 just 12:13 into the game. Wisconsin battled back to tie it at 3-3, and overcame a 4-3 deficit with Ben Dexheimer’s first goal of the season with 3:43 remaining in regulation. Michigan took the shootout point in the 4-4 tie.
“We should be really proud of ourselves,” said junior defenseman Dexheimer. “We took eight of 12 points against a top-10 team this season. We’re taking baby steps every weekend and building some momentum for the end of the year.”
4. UConn takes Connecticut Ice championship
No. 13 UConn beat host Sacred Heart to win its first Connecticut Ice Chammpionship. Filip Sitar scored the lone goal of the game, the first of his collegiate career, while Tyler Muszelik made 23 saves in the win.
The Huskies made it to the championship game with a 2-1 win over No. 15 Quinnipiac on Friday. Ryan Tattle scored both goals for UConn, including the game winning power-play goal with just .5 seconds remaining on the Martire Family Arena clock.
Sacred Heart downed Yale, 8-2, on Friday to advance to the championship game. Quinnipiac took third place in the tournament with a 6-2 win over Yale.
5. Watch out for the #IceBus!
UConn’s weekend wins – coupled with a 6-0-1 record in 2025 – have propelled Mike Cavanaugh’s Huskies to fourth in the USCHO PairWise Rankings. That would be good enough for a No. 1 regional seed in the NCAA tournament were it actually the end of the season.
The Huskies are currently in fourth place in Hockey East and have their next test in a two-game series against No. 7 Providence, in Rhode Island on Saturday and busing to downtown Hartford to the XL Center on Saturday.
6. Here come the Mavericks!
Omaha notched its third straight sweep on home ice against St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday. Eight different Mavericks scored goals on the weekend. Omaha is just one point behind first-place Western Michigan in the NCHC standings, though the Broncos have two games in hand.
“Having eight different scorers and everybody contributing and everybody playing well, and that’s what you need to be successful in this league,” Omaha coach Mike Gabinet said.
Things are going in the opposite direction for St. Cloud, which has been swept in six straight conference games. The Huskies are now 4-10-0 in the NCHC, and are 16 points out of first place.
7. Colorado College splits at Arizona State
No. 19 Colorado College came back from a 4-1 deficit Saturday night in a five-goal third period to earn a weekend split against host No. 11 Arizona State, including Drew Montgomery’s game-winner at 14:37 of the period. The loss knocked Arizona State out of first place in the NCHC.
The win was just the second since the start of the year for Colorado College.
“I’m not going to act like everything is fixed now and everything is solved, but if you look at how we won this game, I’m really happy on how committed we were to doing the right things,” said CC coach Kris Mayotte.
The Sun Devils took Friday’s game, 4-1, in front of Luke Pavicich’s 24 saves.
8. No. 5 Denver salvages split at Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota Duluth held off visting Denver on Friday night at AMSOIL Arena, with a 4-3 win. The Bulldogs never trailed and went 2-for-2 on the power play. The win was the first against Denver on home ice since Nov. 9, 2019 and snapped a four-game losing streak vs. the Pioneers.
Denver took the second game of the weekend, 2-1, on goals by Carter King and Samu Salminen.
“Lots to be proud of — how we dug in, the physicality that we played with, and I just think that’s going to be a bit of a blueprint victory as we head down the stretch with 12 games to go,” said DU coach David Carle.
9. Who’s in first?
Standings are generally tight across D-I hockey’s six leagues with just over a month to go in the regular season.
Preseason favorite Sacred Heart tops Atlantic Hockey America with Niagara, Bentley, and Holy Cross all within a weekend’s points out of first. Michigan State’s five-point weekend has given them a five-spot on second-place Minnesota.
In the CCHA, Minnesota State has a four-point lead on second-place Michigan Tech, while in ECAC Hockey, league-leading Quinnipiac has Dartmouth, Clarkson, and Colgate on its heels, all within two wins of first.
Boston College moved into first place in Hockey East, jumping past Boston University and leading by four points over the Terriers. In the NCHC, Western Michigan leads Omaha by one point and insurgent Arizona State by two.
10. Living in the bubble
Things are still looking optimistic for Hockey East to get five or six teams into the NCAA tournament. With Quinnipiac sitting at No. 13 in the PairWise Rankings – just a whisker ahead of Arizona State – the Bobcats would be in a spot to be an at-large entry. But that’s a precarious position as a post-season loss in the conference tournament could be enough to drop them outside of the “bubble,” leaving ECAC Hockey with one entry.
So as things stood on Sunday night as we put together this column, we’d see the following if the season had somehow ended yesterday.
Hockey East would have six teams in the tournament: Boston College, Connecticut, Maine, Providence, UMass Lowell, and Boston University.
Four from the Big Ten would be in: Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Michigan.
The NCHC would see two or three teams: Western Michigan and Denver would be in, and 14th-ranked Arizona State would only make it in if 13th-ranked Quinnipiac wins the ECAC tournament.
ECAC Hockey at this point would have only one team in, either Quinnipiac or the championship winner.
Minnesota State has fallen to 17th in the PairWise and Sacred Heart is 28th, so the CCHA and AHA would have just one team in each.
Minnesota State and Ferris State split their weekend series in Big Rapids, Mich. (photo: Minnesota State Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Jan. 20 fared in games over the weekend of Jan. 24-25.
No. 1 Boston College (18-4-1)
01/24/2025 – No. 1 Boston College 6 at No. 8 Boston University 2
01/25/2025 – No. 8 Boston University 0 at No. 1 Boston College 2
No. 2 Michigan State (20-3-3)
01/24/2025 – No. 4 Minnesota 3 at No. 2 Michigan State 9
01/25/2025 – No. 4 Minnesota 3 at No. 2 Michigan State 3 (OT)
No. 3 Western Michigan (17-4-1)
01/24/2025 – Miami 3 at No. 3 Western Michigan 8
01/25/2025 – Miami 0 at No. 3 Western Michigan 2
No. 4 Minnesota (19-6-3)
01/24/2025 – No. 4 Minnesota 3 at No. 2 Michigan State 9
01/25/2025 – No. 4 Minnesota 3 at No. 2 Michigan State 3 (OT)
No. 8 Boston University (13-9-1)
01/24/2025 – No. 1 Boston College 6 at No. 8 Boston University 2
01/25/2025 – No. 8 Boston University 0 at No. 1 Boston College 2
No. 9 Ohio State (15-7-2)
01/24/2025 – No. 9 Ohio State 6 at RV Penn State 6 (OT)
01/25/2025 – No. 9 Ohio State 2 at RV Penn State 3 (OT)
No. 11 Arizona State (14-9-1)
01/24/2025 – No. 19 Colorado College 1 at No. 11 Arizona State 4
01/25/2025 – No. 19 Colorado College 5 at No. 11 Arizona State 4
No. 13 Connecticut (14-8-2)
01/24/2025 – No. 13 Connecticut 2 vs No. 15 Quinnipiac 1 (Connecticut Ice at Sacred Heart)
01/25/2025 – No. 13 Connecticut 1 at RV Sacred Heart 0 (Connecticut Ice championship at Sacred Heart)
No. 14 Minnesota State (17-7-2)
01/24/2025 – No. 14 Minnesota State 0 at Ferris State 2
01/25/2025 – No. 14 Minnesota State 7 at Ferris State 2
No. 15 Quinnipiac (15-8-2)
01/24/2025 – No. 13 Connecticut 2 vs No. 15 Quinnipiac 1 (Connecticut Ice at Sacred Heart)
01/25/2025 – Yale 2 vs No. 15 Quinnipiac 6 (Connecticut Ice third place at Sacred Heart)
No. 16 North Dakota (12-10-1)
Did not play.
No. 17 St. Cloud State (11-13-0)
01/24/2025 – No. 17 St. Cloud State 3 at RV Omaha 6
01/25/2025 – No. 17 St. Cloud State 1 at RV Omaha 3
No. 18 New Hampshire (11-9-3)
01/24/2025 – Vermont 3 at No. 18 New Hampshire 2 (OT)
01/25/2025 – Vermont 2 at No. 18 New Hampshire 5
No. 19 Colorado College (12-11-1)
01/24/2025 – No. 19 Colorado College 1 at No. 11 Arizona State 4
01/25/2025 – No. 19 Colorado College 5 at No. 11 Arizona State 4
No. 20 Clarkson (14-8-2)
01/24/2025 – No. 20 Clarkson 5 at St. Lawrence 2
01/25/2025 – St. Lawrence 2 at No. 20 Clarkson 1
The Dubuque Spartans knocked off nationally ranked Adrian on the road. (Photo provided by Dubuque Athletics)
If you are going to win your first game of the season, might as well do it in style.
That was the case for the Dubuque Spartans on Saturday in their showdown with nationally ranked Adrian.
They shook off an early deficit, rallied to force overtime and then won the game 5-4 just 33 seconds into the extra period as Nikita Borodayenko scored to lift the Spartans to a victory over the seventh-ranked Bulldogs on the road.
Adrian had won in convincing fashion on Friday night, rolling to a 7-2 victory. There was little reason to think the series finale wouldn’t go the same way.
But never underestimate the fight of an underdog. Dubuque saw five different players score while Erik Chaffe made 43 saves.
A second-year program, Dubuque improves to 1-15-3 overall and 1-9-1 in the NCHA.
Dubuque trailed 3-1 at the end of one and was down 4-1 after two before scoring three in the third to send the game to OT thanks to a power play goal by Zach Weimer with less than three minutes to go.
Dubuque has played 21 games in all if you count the two exhibition games against UW-Eau Claire and eight have gone to OT. So the Spartans have been in a lot of games this season.
Raiders stun Green Knights
MSOE was up for the challenge of taking on nationally ranked St. Norbert on Saturday day.
After losing 4-1 on Friday in the series opener at home, the Raiders hit the road to play in one of the toughest venues in D-III hockey and were unfazed, skating to a 4-2 win over the nation’s sixth-ranked team.
MSOE scored four times in the final period to secure the win, beating the Green Knights for the first time since 2018.
Sam Lyons scored twice to help fuel the comeback while Austin Schwab made 28 saves.
MSOE improved to 9-8-2 overall and 4-7-1 in the conference as it notched its first win over a ranked team this season.
It’s been a pretty good January for the Raiders, who opened the month with four consecutive wins and own a 6-1-1 record this month.
They have been competitive all season and lost a pair of one-goal games to nationally ranked Trine earlier this season.
MSOE handed the Green Knights just their third home loss of the year. In Friday’s win, Logan Dombrowsky tallied a goal and two assists to lead St. Norbert to a victory.
Auggies get a sweep
Augsburg finished off a series sweep against Hamline Saturday with a 3-0 win, thanks in part to the play of goalie Carsen Stokes, who made 42 saves for his second shutout victory of the year.
Nick Catalano provided most of the offense, scoring twice, while Conner Schneider added an empty-net goal.
For Stokes, it’s the fourth time he’s made at least 40 saves in a game this year as Augsburg improved to 7-11-1 overall and 3-6-1 in the MIAC.
Augsburg dominated Friday’s game by a 5-1 score as Landon Parker and Graham Harris led the way with two goals apiece. Stokes came through with a season-high 48 saves, helping the Auggies snap a four-game winless streak.
The crazy thing for Augsburg is that it now has 11 points in the standings and is just four points out of second in a tightly contested league.
Saints and Royals split
Bethel avoided a weekend sweep as it knocked off St. Scholastica 2-1 on Saturday.
Goals by Jack Brown and Dane Soyanoff put Bethel up 2-0 before the Royals held on for the win. Brown’s goal was his sixth of the year. The Royals improved to 9-6-2 overall and 5-2-1 in the MIAC.
St. Scholastica overcame a 3-1 deficit in Friday to win 4-3. Brodie Girod completed the comeback win with the final tally of the night. Nathan Adrian scored twice.
The Saints got 34 saves from Eino Rissanen. They are 9-9-1 overall and 4-6 in the league.
Cobbers finish off series with win
Concordia dominated the finale against St. Olaf on Saturday, winning 5-2. The two teams played to a 3-3 tie on Friday.
Tied at 2-2 on Saturday, the Cobbers scored the final three goals of the game.
Tucker Skime scored twice and Jackson Lucia dished out three assists for Concordia, which improved to 8-9-2 overall and 4-4-2 in the MIAC. Dane Couture made 22 saves.
The Cobbers are unbeaten in their last four games are tied for fourth in points in the league standings.
Johnnies avenge loss
Saint John’s wasn’t about to drop its fifth consecutive game. So the Johnnies did something about it, dominating Saint Mary’s 6-0 on Saturday to salvage a split with the Cardinals.
Bailey Huber came through with 32 saves for his third collegiate shutout and Chris Kernan tallied a pair of goals as the Johnnies won for the first time since Jan. 10.
Sam Berry and Spencer Rudrud each recorded two assists and also scored a goal apiece. Jacob McPartland played a role in the win as well, tallying a goal and assist. Berry’s goal was the first of his career at the college level.
Saint John’s is 7-10 overall and 4-4 in the MIAC.
Saint Mary’s won Thursday’s game 4-1 as they ended a four-game losing streak. AJ Rushkowski made 16 saves. The Cardinals are 8-8-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the MIAC.
Superior keeps unbeaten streak intact
No. 13 UW-Superior finished off a series against UW-River Falls with a 2-1 win on Saturday. The two teams played to a 2-2 tie on Friday.
Superior hasn’t lost in 11 consecutive games, sits at 14-3-1 overall and 7-1-1 in the WIAC, and is in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
Daniel Rozsival’s sixth goal of the year at the 15:06 mark of the second period proved to be the game winner. Jack Boschert, starting for the third time since Dec. 12, tallied 17 saves for his sixth win. Boschert has allowed a goal or less in six times this season.
The unbeaten streak by Superior is the sixth longest in program history and ties a mark last set in 2001. Matt Francois scored the other goal for the Yellowjackets.
UW-River Falls battled back in the third to force overtime thanks to a goal by Jonny Meiers and then won the shootout to pick up two points in the standings.
Brennan Boynton racked up 32 saves as he made his 18th consecutive start in goal. The Falcons are 10-7-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the conference.
Pointers still on a roll
Nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point won two games against UW-Stout over the weekend as it extended its winning streak to eight games.
Ranked 11th in the USCHO.com poll, the Pointers won 5-1 on Friday and then finished things off with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win on Saturday.
The Pointers are 14-4-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the league.
Andrew Poulias scored at the 3:47 mark of OT to help the Pointers secure the win. Alex Proctor was stellar in goal as he racked up 41 saves, including three in the extra period. The save total is his best of the year.
Nico Chmelevski dished out the assist on Poulias’ goal, marking his sixth consecutive game with at least one point.
Friday was a special night for the Pointers and head coach Tyler Krueger, who won the 150th game of his career.
Chmelevski scored a goal and dished out an assist while Tyler German came through with two assists Proctor recorded 31 saves.
Krueger is in his eighth season at the helm and has guided the Pointers to six WIAC regular season championships. He is an alum of the school and played for Stevens Point.
The Price is right
Bobby Price came through with a hat trick on senior night and helped lead Trine to a 7-1 win over Lake Forest on Saturday.
The fifth-ranked Thunder stretched their win streak to four and Price turned in his stellar performance in the 100th game of his collegiate career. The hat trick was the second of Price’s career at the college level.
Trine, which won the opener 4-2 on Friday, scored its final five of goals in the third period as it broke open a close game and completed the sweep.
Brendan Finn finished his night with two goals and Michael DiPietra tallied a goal and assist. Jack Cooper added two assists for the Thunder, who are 16-2-1 and 10-1-1 in the conference. They are also atop the conference.
Spartans extend streak
Fourth-ranked Aurora took care of business against Concordia in a key NCHA series over the weekend.
The Spartans finished off the series with a 5-2 win on Saturday behind two goals from Landry Schmuck and a pair of assists out of Matt Weber. JaCob Mucitelli tallied 19 saves.
Aurora trailed 2-1 after two but scored four goals in the third to secure the comeback win.
Friday’s game wasn’t quite as close as Aurora skated to a 7-0 win. Schmuck stole the headlines again as he scored two goals and dished out a pair of assists. Riley Dekowny also scored twice for the Spartans, who come out of the weekend at 16-3 overall and 10-2 in the NCHA.
Aurora has won its last six games and is still unbeaten in the month of January.
Concordia is 10-9 and 5-7 in the NCHA and came in having won seven of its last eight. This was the second straight weekend where the Falcons were playing a nationally ranked opponent after splitting with St. Norbert last week.
