Ohio State players celebrate a goal in Friday’s national semifinal win over Clarkson (photo: Ohio State Athletics).
DURHAM, NH — Ohio State will play in their third straight title game on Sunday after defeating Clarkson 4-1 Friday afternoon in Durham, NH.
Makenna Webster, Sloane Matthews, national rookie of the year Joy Dunne and Hadley Hartmetz scored for the Buckeyes to secure the win.
“What an exhilarating game. That’s a playoff game at its finest. A lot of credit to Clarkson. What a fantastic defensive side they have. Brilliant goaltending – a lot of credit to [Pasiechnyk],” said OSU coach Nadine Muzerall.
Clarkson came out strong against OSU and opened the scoring just 2:25 into the game when Brooke McQuigge brought the puck from behind the net and fed Anne Cherkowski, who turned and shot the puck past Buckeye goalie Raygan Kirk to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.
Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall said her team started the game playing not to lose instead of playing to win, but that early goal seemed to wake her team up as they started to hold possession. But Clarkson’s stout defense clogged up the middle of the ice, not allowing the Buckeyes to pick up speed or move through the neutral zone the way they would have liked. OSU started to build a lead in shots on goal, but most of them came from the edges as they struggled early to find space in front of the net.
“We knew coming into this game that we’re going to have to weather some storms throughout the entirety of the game. I thought we did a good job with it. We were able to keep some things to the outside. We know they are a shot volume team. They love to get a lot of pucks towards the net. So for us, it was just staying calm, you know, even though they had possession in our zone quite a bit in that first period,” said Clarkson coach Matt Desrosiers.
Makenna Webster tied things up for the Buckeyes with just more than six minutes left in the first as Ohio State’s forecheck kept Clarkson from easily exiting the zone. Jenna Buglioni’s poke check created a turnover that put Webster in alone on Pasiechnyk where she slid the puck through the goalie’s legs to make it a 1-1 game.
“We felt that we were making pushes but just not capitalizing in the tight spaces around the net. We had faith in the girls. They were working real hard to create opportunities,” said Muzerall.
Ohio State outshot the Golden Knights 24-5 in the first, but headed to the locker room tied. They continued to pepper the net, adding 16 more shots in the 2nd and 13 in the third for a total of 53 shots on goal. Clarkson finished the game with 29 blocks while national goalie of the year Michelle Pasiechnyk racked up 49 saves. She was the standout for Clarkson, as expected, stopping several point-blank opportunities and keeping her team in the game.
“There were saves that I think all of our jaws were dropped,” said Ohio State forward Joy Dunne.
The Buckeyes finally broke through with about seven minutes left in regulation as Riley Brengman’s shot was stopped, but the puck was loose in the crease and Sloane Matthews put the rebound away to give her team a 2-1 edge. That seemed to break things open as Joy Dunne came down the ice and put away a wicked shot from the faceoff dot for an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with three minutes to play.
Dunne said her team was not frustrated and even as they scored goals, were not letting up.
“You just have to keep chipping away. We just have to treat it like the first five minutes of a game every time we go out there. We trusted one another,” she said.
Clarkson pulled their goalie to play with an extra attacker just 20 seconds later, but Ohio State had prepared for that situation, knowing how lethal the Golden Knights had been 6 on 5 this season. Hadley Hartmetz’s empty-net goal with 1:54 to play secured the win for OSU, who will await the winner of the second semifinal between Colgate and Wisconsin.
Despite the final score, Desrosiers said he was happy and proud of the game and season his team had played. They were facing the top team in the country and kept them to one goal for more than 46 minutes of hockey.
“I liked the way our team played. We stuck to the game plan that was exactly the type of game that we needed to play and we wanted to play and I thought we executed pretty well,” he said.
The national championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. EDT and will air live on ESPNU.
Michelle Pasiechnyk was a Women’s Goalie of the Year semifinalist for the third straight season (photo: Gary Mikel).
The Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association has announced that Clarkson senior Michelle Pasiechnyk has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award.
Voting was carried out by a panel of coaches, administrators and members of the media from across the country.
A native of Ottawa, Ont., Pasiechnyk has been a pillar in goal for the Golden Knights this season and never more than in last week’s 3-2 4OT win over Minnesota in the NCAA quarterfinals. After giving up two goals in the first nine minutes of play, Pasiechnyk shut the door in a phenomenal 61-save performance that included 36 saves in the 65 minutes of overtime.
On the season, Pasiechnyk has started 31 games for Clarkson and has compiled a record of 25-4-1. She brings a 1.29 GAA and .945 save percentage into Friday’s semifinal match with WCHA regular-season champion Ohio State in Durham, N.H.
In addition to Pasiechnyk, the other finalists for the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award were Ohio State senior Raygan Kirk and Northeastern graduate student Gwyneth Philips, the 2023 Goalie of the Year.
UConn coach Chris MacKenzie led the Huskies to several milestones this season (photo: UConn Athletics).
For leading his Huskies to an historic season of firsts, UConn’s Chris MacKenzie has been chosen CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year.
Among UConn’s accomplishments: the first Hockey East regular-season title, the first Hockey East tournament crown and the first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.
MacKenzie was assisted this season by Casey Handrahan and Elizabeth Wulf.
Simply put, the 2023-24 season was the most successful season in program history. In addition to the milestones cited above, the Huskies set a program mark for most wins, most conference wins, and longest win streak. MacKenzie led the Huskies to a 25-8-5 overall record and a 19-4-4 record in Hockey East action.
MacKenzie just completed his 11th season in charge of the UConn women’s program and enjoys a record of 151-157-43 in Storrs. Counting two years as head coach at Niagara, his overall career mark is 175-188-53. He was named the second head coach in Husky program history in May of 2013.
MacKenzie coached on the Division I men’s side for eight seasons at UMass-Lowell and followed that experience with a year as an assistant with the Ohio State women’s program.
As a player and 2000 graduate at Niagara, MacKenzie served as a team captain for all four seasons upon the program’s inception in 1996. As a senior, he helped the Purple Eagles to a CHA regular-season and tournament championship as well as an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals. He set several records at Niagara, including most goals, assists and points in a career and season by a defenseman. MacKenzie received player of the year honor in 1998 and was a CHA all-star in 2000.
MacKenzie earned his bachelor of arts in commerce from Niagara in 2000, graduating Cum Laude, and earned a master of arts in psychology from UMass Lowell in 2003.
The runner-up for this year’s CCM/AHCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year Award was Clarkson’s Matt Desrosiers.
Joy Dunne has had an exceptional first season with Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).
Ohio State freshman forward Joy Dunne has been chosen by the nation’s assistant coaches as the winner of the 2024 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year Award.
Dunne enters the NCAA Frozen Four with a line of 22-18-40 in 37 games for the Buckeyes. She was a major factor in Ohio State capturing the WCHA’s regular-season title and earning the top seed for the NCAA tournament. They bring a 33-4 record to Durham, N.H., for the Frozen Four, fresh off a 9-0 NCAA quarterfinal win over Minnesota Duluth.
Dunne, a native of O’Fallon, Mo., had a goal and an assist in the victory. Dunne carded two hat tricks this season (vs. Bemidji State on Nov. 3 and vs. Minnesota on Jan. 12) and had 12 multi-point games in 2023-24. Her stats also include 146 shots on goal and a remarkable plus-36 plus/minus.
The national women’s rookie of the year is chosen by a vote of the NCAA Division I schools’ assistant coaches, with one vote per staff.
The award is named after the former Harvard and U.S. Olympic standout who recorded 93 points as a freshman during the 2003-04 season, en route to a career in which she set an NCAA record with 284 career points. The names on the ballot are each conference’s rookie of the year.
The runner-up for this year’s award was Colgate forward Emma Pais.
The other finalists were Sacred Heart forward Isabel Chaput, Robert Morris forward Alaina Giampietro, and Boston College forward Sammy Taber.
Shane Bull went for 22 goals and 42 points this season for Oswego (photo: Oswego Athletics).
NCAA Division II-III men’s head coaches have recognized the top 30 hockey players in their division by selecting them as CCM Hockey/AHCA All-Americans for 2023-24.
First Team East
Devon Bobak, SO, Trinity, Goalie
Danny Magnuson, JR, Skidmore, Defense
Brian Scoville, SR, Utica, Defense
Shane Bull, SR, Oswego, Forward
Tanner Hartman, SO, Hobart, Forward
Will Redick, SO, Plymouth State, Forward
First Team West
Samuel Vyletelka, JR, Augsburg, Goalie
Connor Kalthoff, JR, St. Olaf, Defense
Jaden Shields, SR, Adrian, Defense
Liam Fraser, JR, St. Norbert. Forward
Zachary Heintz, SR, Adrian, Forward
Adam Stacho, SR, St. Norbert, Forward
Second Team East
Ty Outen, JR, Stevenson, Goalie
Ned Blanchard, SR, Trinity, Defense
Alex Wilkins, GR, Geneseo, Defense
Ignat Belov, SO, Hobart, Forward
Artem Buzoverya, SR, Hobart, Forward
Andrew Kurapov, SR, Endicott, Forward
Second Team West
Dershahn Stewart, SR, Adrian, Goalie
Dayton Deics, SO, St. Norbert, Defense
Mick Heneghan, SR, UW-Stevens Point, Defense
Fletcher Anderson, JR, UW-Stevens Point, Forward
Tyler Kostelecky, SO, Bethel, Forward
Mathew Rehding, SR, Adrian, Forward
Third Team East
Tate Brandon, SR, Skidmore, Goalie
Cole Jungwirth, JR, Wilkes, Defense
James Philpott, JR, Hamilton, Defense
Tyler Flack, SR, Oswego, Forward
Liam McCanney, JR, Stevenson, Forward
Bennett Stockdale, SR, Plattsburgh, Forward
Mark Taylor has won the Jeremiah Award in consecutive seasons (photo: Hobart Athletics).
For once again leading Hobart into the NCAA men’s Division III Frozen Four at Trinity, Mark Taylor has been named winner of the 2024 Edward Jeremiah Award as the CCM/AHCA Division III Men’s Coach of the Year.
Taylor becomes only the third Division II-III coach to win this award in back-to-back years. The others were Norwich coach Mike McShane in 1999 and 2000 and Bowdoin coach Sid Watson in 1970 and 1971, the first two years the award was presented.
Taylor, the 2024 NEHC coach of the year, guided the Statesmen to a 26-2-1 record entering the national semifinals. The 26 wins are the second most in a single season in program history. The Statesmen went 17-0-0 on home ice this season on its way to capturing their third straight NECHC regular-season title with a 16-1-1 mark in conference play. The Statesmen defeated Skidmore 5-0 to claim their second straight NEHC tournament title. Hobart has won an NCAA Division III-record 37 consecutive games at The Cooler.
The Canton, N.Y., native’s charges are first in the nation in penalty-killing percentage (.966), scoring defense (1.00), scoring margin (+4.38), scoring offense (5.38) and winning percentage (.914). They are sixth in the nation in power-play percentage (.288). He has guided the statesmen to five straight 20-win seasons and 20 consecutive winning seasons. His career record stands at 403-176-55. The Statesmen have been selected to nine straight NCAA tournaments and 13 overall. This is Hobart’s fifth trip to the national semifinals.
Now in his 24th year, Taylor continues to add to his reputation as the most successful coach in Hobart hockey history. Entering the national semifinals, he has compiled a record of 404-176-55 (.680), while earning 13 NCAA tournament bids and five trips to the national semifinals (2006, 2009, 2019, 2023, 2024). He has been named the conference’s coach of the year nine times, earning recognition from the ECAC West six times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2015 and 2016) and the NEHC three times (2022, 2023, 2024).
Taylor is known as a tremendous motivator and recruiter of all of Hobart’s All-Americans. Six Statesmen have earned conference player of the year award recognition under Taylor’s leadership.
A 1985 graduate of Elmira, Taylor was the Soaring Eagles’ MVP and an All-ECAC selection as a senior. He transferred to Elmira after a pair of National Junior College Athletic Association championships at Canton, earning All-American defenseman honors for the Northstars.
The Edward Jeremiah Award is named in honor of the great Dartmouth College head coach and was first presented in 1970.
Taylor was assisted this year by Niko Kovachis. The runner-up for this year’s Jeremiah Award was Matthew Greason of Trinity.
Ryan Leonard celebrates one of BC’s eight goals Friday afternoon (photo: Joe Sullivan).
BOSTON — It was a blowout, pure and simple.
But officially, Boston College’s 8-1 win over Massachusetts in the Hockey East semifinals at TD Garden will be recorded as a come-from-behind victory for the Eagles, who actually trailed for a brief stint in the first period.
For BC coach Greg Brown, UMass’s opening goal at 6:33 of the opening frame set the tone for the rest of his team’s night, and in a good way.
“One of the very best parts of our game was when we gave up that first goal,” Brown said. “Bench energy was terrific. Guys stayed really positive. Not one person hung their head. (There) wasn’t any kind of desperation.”
BC responded with a four-goal outburst in the second period to clinch its first trip to the Hockey East championship game in five years.
Gabe Perreault and Andre Gasseau scored just over two minutes apart to open the middle frame to break a 1-1 deadlock. The Eagles scored twice more in the second and added three in the third to cruise to their 11th straight win on Friday night at TD Garden.
The Eagles, top seed in Hockey East and the No. 1 team in the USCHO.com men’s D-I poll, will face either No. 2 Boston University or No. 3 Maine in Saturday’s championship (7 p.m., NESN and ESPN-plus).
BC will make its first appearance in the conference final since 2019, when it lost 3-2 to Northeastern. The Eagles seek their first Hockey East championship since 2012, when it beat Maine 4-1 and went on to win the NCAA championship.
Will Smith and Cutter Gauthier lit the lamp for the Eagles (30-5-1, 21-3-1) 46 seconds apart in the second period to give BC a commanding 5-1 lead entering the final frame. In all, BC got scoring from 11 different players.
“That was just hard work there on the forecheck,” Smith said about his goal at 16:03 of the second. “We got a lucky bounce there. (Gauthier’s) goal was huge for momentum.”
UMass opened the scoring at 6:33 of the first period when Lucas Mercuri took a centering feed from Ryan Lautenbach on the right wing and fired a wrister past BC goalie Jacob Fowler (27 saves). BC erased that lead less than two minutes later when Ryan Leonard scored on a power play, his 27th of the season.
Any chance No. 5 UMass (No. 13 USCHO) had of asserting itself fizzled late in the first period when it failed to convert on a five-minute power play, awarded when BC’s Mike Posma was sent to the box for a major contact-to-the-head penalty at 14:34. The Minutemen took 12 shots during the major but were unable to crack Fowler’s code.
“That could have helped us out,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “We moved it around pretty well but all in all, it was pretty unfortunate for us tonight.”
UMass (20-13-3, 12-11-2), which was seeking its third Hockey East tournament title in four seasons, now must wait to see if it will qualify for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Minutemen entered the weekend 12th in the PairWise, the rating system used to determine tournament qualification. A ratings analysis before Friday’s semifinal put UMass as a 79 percent chance to make the 16-team NCAA field, which will be announced Sunday night.
“It will come right down to the wire,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “If we make it, great. If we don’t, we have only ourselves to blame.”
UMass provided the tournament’s only upset so far when it upended No. 4 Providence 3-1 in the semifinals.
Boston College put an exclamation point on their evening with two more tallies to open the third period, with Aram Minnetian scoring 3:00 in and Perreault notching his second of the night at 5:04. Gauthier made it 8-1 with a power-play goal at 17:29, his second of the night and league-leading 27th Hockey East goal of the season (34th overall).
The Eagles are assured of the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, regardless of how the rest of the Hockey East tournament unfolds.
“Those eight goals don’t come from super highlight reel plays,” Gauthier said. “They come from little details, like winning puck battles and making smart plays. I thought we did that for a full 60 minutes tonight.”
Devon Bobak put up stellar numbers this season in the Trinity crease (photo: Trinity Athletics).
Devon Bobak, a sophomore goaltender from Trinity, is the recipient of the 2024 Sid Watson Award.
The award, voted on by the nation’s Division III head coaches, is presented to the best player at the men’s NCAA Division III level by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Bobak is the ninth NESCAC player to receive this award but the first from Trinity.
During his sophomore campaign, the Northwood, Ohio, native holds a 24-3-1 record with a career-best 1.25 goals-against average, a career-best .943 save percentage and a career-high 550 saves. Bobak logged a program-record seven shutouts on the season, including back-to-back shutouts against Tufts in the NESCAC championship and Elmira in the NCAA quarterfinals. Nationally, Bobak ranks third in goals-against average and eighth in save percentage. Bobak led the NESCAC in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts on the year.
Goaltending success is nothing new for Bobak. He was chosen all-NESCAC second team a year ago as a freshman. He was fourth in the nation for goals-against average (1.41) and posted a .934 save percentage, with five shutouts.
The runner-up for this year’s Sid Watson Award was Artem Buzoverya, a senior forward from Hobart.
Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Sid Watson Award honors the memory of former Bowdoin head coach and athletic director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA coach of the year, Watson served Bowdoin for more than 30 years, winning 326 games in 24 seasons as head coach.
Joe Cranston guided UW-River Falls to a national championship this season (photo: UW-River Falls Athletics).
For leading his team to a phenomenal 29-0-0 record heading into the semifinals of the NCAA Division III championships, Joe Cranston of Wisconsin-River Falls has been chosen by his peers as the 2024 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III coach of the year.
It is the first time that Cranston has been so honored and the first WIAC coach to win the award.
Cranston was voted the WIAC coach of the year and has guided the Falcons to a program record undefeated season at 29-0, leading the Falcons to their sixth NCAA tournament Frozen Four berth in program history.
UWRF defeated UW-Eau Claire to secure its fifth consecutive WIAC O’Brien Cup championship, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, defeating Gustavus Adolphus in the quarterfinals.
In his 25th season leading the Falcons, Cranston is the first and only head women’s hockey coach in UWRF history and has 490 career wins, the fourth most in NCAA Division III women’s hockey history. Earning his first career national coach of the year award, he has been named the runner-up three times, and is a nine-time conference coach of the year. Under Cranston, 40 Falcons have earned All-America status, including AHCA players of the year Dani Sibley in 2017, Callie Hoff in 2022 and Maddie McCollins this year.
A 1990 graduate of UW-River Falls, Cranston began his coaching career in his hometown of Fergus Falls, Minn., and then coached the boys’ high school team in Somerset, Wis., for over a decade before starting the UWRF women’s hockey varsity program in 1999. He will receive his award at the AHCA Convention on May 2, in Naples, Fla.
Cranston was assisted this year by Jim Walsh, Amanda Ryder and Jeremy Weiss.
The runner-up for this year’s award was Greg Haney of Elmira.
Maddie McCollins was a key player on offense this season for UW-River Falls (photo: UW-River Falls Athletics).
Wisconsin-River Falls senior forward Maddie McCollins is the recipient of the 2024 Laura Hurd Award.
The award, voted on by the nation’s Division III head coaches, is presented to the best player at the NCAA women’s Division III level. McCollins is the third player from UWRF to be so honored.
A fifth-year senior forward from Maple Grove, Minn., McCollins is the Division III leading scorer with 62 points in 29 games played and has tallied eight power-play goals (1st/DIII) and five game-winning goals. McCollins was also named the WIAC player of the year for the second consecutive season, and an All-WIAC first team honoree.
A Laura Hurd Player of the Year finalist last season and the 2022-23 USCHO.com Player of the Year, she also received AHCA First Team All-America laurels for the second year in a row this season. She became UWRF’s all-time games played leader this season and broke a single-season record with her 29th goal of the season on Feb. 23.
The award is named in honor of former Elmira star Laura Hurd, who died in a car accident shortly after graduation. Hurd was a four-time All-American who led Elmira to victory in the first NCAA Division III women’s hockey championship.
The runner-up for this year’s Hurd Award is Une Bjelland, a senior forward at Adrian College.
Madi Morton wore the ‘C’ this season for Elmira (photo: Elmira Athletics).
NCAA Division III women’s head coaches have recognized the top 24 hockey players in their division by selecting them as CCM Hockey/AHCA All-Americans for 2023-24.
First Team East
Natalie Stott, SO, Amherst, Goalie
Madi Morton, SR, Elmira, Defense
Kendall Wasik, GR, Plattsburgh, Defense
Livia Brooks, FY, Norwich, Forward
Julia Masotta, GR, Plattsburgh, Forward
Meg Rittenhouse, SR, Colby, Forward
First Team West
Katie McCoy, GR, Gustavus Adolphus, Goalie
MaKenna Aure, SO, UW-River Falls, Defense
Maya Roy, SR, Adrian, Defense
Une Bjelland, GR, Adrian, Forward
Maddie McCollins, GR, UW-River Falls, Forward
Sophie Rausch, GR, UW-Eau Claire, Forward
Second Team East
Haley McKim, SR, Southern Maine, Goalie
Julia Holmes, JR, Nazareth, Defense
Sami Quackenbush, SR, Hamilton, Defense
Haylee Bouchard, FY, Wilkes, Forward
Gabrielle Cox, GR, Manhattanville, Forward
Erika Goleniak, JR, Elmira, Forward
Second Team West
Jordan O’Connor, SR, UW-River Falls, Goalie
Sophia Coltvet, SR, Gustavus Adolphus, Defense
Elizabeth Valley, SR, Hamline, Defense
Megan Goodreau, SO, UW-River Falls, Forward
Alex Hantge, SR, UW-River Falls, Forward
Hailey Holland, GR, Gustavus Adolphus, Forward
USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger look at money lines and over/under in semifinal games in Hockey East, ECAC Hockey, and the NCHC, and championship games for the CCHA, Atlantic Hockey, and the Big Ten.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit ncaa.com/mfrozenfour
Justin Hryckowian surpassed the 100-point mark for the Huskies over his three seasons with the team (photo: Jim Pierce).
Northeastern junior forward Justin Hryckowian has signed a two-year, entry level contract with the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
Hryckowian, a native of Île Bizard, Quebec, wrapped up his third season as a Husky, serving as team captain. Hryckowian was a consistent force for Northeastern, helping the Huskies claim back-to-back Beanpot championships, the program’s first Hockey East regular-season championship, and an NCAA tournament bid in 2022.
He was named the Hockey East best defensive forward twice in his career, becoming the first-ever two-time recipient in league history. Hryckowian was also named to the Hockey East all-star team for two consecutive years, finding his name on the second team and third team, respectively.
He finishes his collegiate career with 94 appearances for Northeastern with 35 goals, 66 assists for 101 points, becoming the first Husky to record 100 points as a junior since Adam Gaudette in 2017-18.
In his junior campaign, Hryckowian tallied 43 points in just 32 games played with 13 goals and 30 assists. He finished as the NCAA’s faceoff percentage leader (61.3) and Hockey East’s leader in faceoff wins (424), among skaters with a minimum 200 attempts. Additionally, Hryckowian concluded the 2023-24 slate with 35 blocks and plus-24 rating.
Jacob Fowler, Kaidan Mbereko and Kyle McClellan are the three finalists for the 2024 Mike Richter Award (photos: Boston College Athletics, Colorado College Athletics, Wisconsin Athletics).
The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the final three candidates for this year’s Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014.
A watch list of 32 was reduced to 10 semifinalists and now, with playoffs underway, the final three have been chosen – Boston College freshman Jacob Fowler, Colorado College sophomore Kaidan Mbereko, and Wisconsin senior Kyle McClellan.
The winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award will be announced on April 12 during the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
Mike Richter enjoyed a phenomenal playing career, highlighted by 14 seasons with the New York Rangers, leading them to the Stanley Cup in 1994, their first in 54 years. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Richter was outstanding on a number of USA Hockey teams, most notably the 1988 Olympic Team, the 1991 Canada Cup Team and as the MVP of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. He also played at Wisconsin and earned a degree from Yale.
Three Finalists for the 2024 Mike Richter Award
Jacob Fowler, Boston College
Fowler’s record of 27-5-1 gives him an NCAA best .833 winning percentage. His 2.23 goals against average and .923 save percentage also rank him among the nation’s leaders as he has put BC into a No. 1 ranking in the country.
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College
Mbereko put the Tigers on his shoulders in mid-season, winning eight of nine from mid-January to late February and allowing two goals or fewer in eight of those games. A workhorse with 2,227 minutes played, he has a 2.40 GAA and a save percentage of .915.
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin
With the best save percentage in the NCAA (.931) and the second best GAA (1.92), McClellan has played a key role in the Badgers’ resurgence this year under first-year head coach Mike Hastings. He has recorded seven shutouts.
Trinity’s Devon Bobak and supportive teammates kept limited Adrian to one goal in a NCAA semifinal win on Thursday night (Photo by Stan Godlewski/Trinity Athletics)
Playing on home ice in front of a raucous crowd, Trinity took advantage of superb goaltending from Devon Bobak and timely goals from James Barbour and Devon Tongue to defeat Adrian, 2-1 and advance to the national championship game against Hobart on Saturday.
“It was a great college hockey game,” said Trinity head coach Matt Greason. “Both teams had chances to win the game and we had Devon [Bobak] that made sure we did. [Devon] Tongue had a huge goal taking advantage of his size and reach and we played our game to hold them off right to the end.”
The game started with pace early as the Bantams converted a quick face-off play into a breakaway that was unsuccessful but got the crowd engaged as the pace of play was intense. Physicality was on display as both teams were trying to establish their game and Adrian’s early attacks were thwarted by Bobak and the Trinity defense. With under seven minutes to play in the first period, offensive pressure landed the puck on Connor Sedlak’s stick who made a beautiful cross-ice pass to James Barbour on the hash mark far side and he buried the shot past a diving Dershahn Stewart for a 1-0 lead.
In the second period it was Sedlak again who turned a broken play into a Bantam goal finding Tongue who deked past Stewart’s outreached pad on the backhand and tucked in the puck for a 2-0 lead. Adrian came back hard as Bradley Somers was rewarded for going hard to the net to stuff the puck through Bobak from a beautiful feed to the net from Zachary Heintze and the intermission saw the score sit with just a one-goal differential at 2-1.
The third period saw lots of up-and-down play with missed opportunities, a post or two and some acrobatic saves on both ends of the ice as Bobak and Stewart kept the game at a one goal differential. Trinity received a rare power play opportunity with just under eight minutes in regulation time but could not generate any good shots against Stewart. With over three minutes remaining on the clock, Trinity’s Teddy Griffin went to the penalty box for cross-checking and Adrian had a power play opportunity to level the score. Bobak and the rest of the Trinity penalty kill unit shutdown the Adrian power play keeping shots to the outside and clearing rebounds from dangerous areas. Adrian finally pulled their goalie for the extra attacker in the final minute, but Bobak and his defensive group cleared the zone to run out the clock and seal the victory.
“The game went exactly as I thought it would if we lost,” noted Adrian head coach Adam Krug. “ We just couldn’t get to Bobak. They packed it in and played as a unit and took away a lot of Grade A chances we usually get. We played hard but didn’t get any bounces tonight and their team defense had a lot to do with that.”
With the win, Trinity will play Hobart for the national championship on Saturday night. The Bantams, while playing on home ice, will be the visitors against the defending champion Statesmen.
Hobart’s Cooper Swift and Damon Beaver held Utica’s offense at bay in a 3-1 semifinal win propelling the Statesmen to the national championship game on Saturday (Photo by Kevin Colton – Hobart Athletics)
Hobart took advantage of a first minute goal and a second marker just over seven minutes into the opening period and skated off with a 3-1 win over a young Utica team on Thursday afternoon. The Statesmen, defending national champions, took advantage of their experienced roster to stymie the upset minded Pioneers holding them scoreless on three power play opportunities and limiting Utica to just 23 shots on goal.
“It was a great game between two really good teams,” stated Hobart head coach Mark Taylor. “We built a buffer and got to play with a lead that forced them to chase the game and have to take some more chances.”
In the opening minute it was Utica that had the jump on the opening shift but Hobart quickly transitioned into pressure mode and got paid off with Austin Mourar’s shot from the right point eluding Utica goaltender Ethan Roberts through a screen for a 1-0 lead just 52 seconds into the contest. Just under three minutes later, Utica;s Drake Morse cruised down the right wing into the Hobart zone and rang his shot off the goal post on the short side of goaltender Damon Beaver and Hobart held their lead.
The Statesmen built on their advantage just over seven minutes into the period as Tristan Fasig picked up his second assist of the game by taking a Utica defender with him deep in the zone before feeding a wide open Tanner Hartman who fired a shot high over Roberts’ glove hand for a 2-0 lead. The period finished 2-0 for Hobart who also held a 10-9 advantage in shots.
Utica settled down a bit in the second period and both Roberts and Beaver came up big for their teams early with some key stops to keep the score at 2-0. Midway through the period, Utica’s Michael Herrera made a beautiful move across the top of the slot from left to right and beat a screened Beaver to the short side to cut the deficit to 2-1. Utica had two more power play opportunities but couldn’t solve the Hobart pressure or Beaver. Roberts helped preserve the one-goal deficit as he robbed Shane Shell on a shorthanded breakaway that kept the deficit at one goal.
Hobart opened the third period with the man advantage but was unable to extend the lead. Despite several end-to-end rushes, Utica was unable to create many good scoring chances as Hobart clogged shooting lanes and blocked several shots to keep the goal area clear for Beaver who finished with 22 saves on 23 shots. Connor Lally and Cooper Swift each blocked four of Hobart’s 20 blocked shots in the game.
In the final three minutes Utica pulled Roberts looking for the equalizer but only found relentless pressure from Hobart in their defensive zone that turned into an empty-net goal as Luke Aquaro chased down a loose puck at center ice and made a play to the slot where Shane Shell deposited the puck into the open goal for the 3-1 final score.
“I thought we had a great first shift,” said Utica head coach Gary Heenan. “We accelerated this team quickly but our being young showed today. They are a very experienced group with a bunch of All-Americans as the defending national champions. They forced some mistakes from our young guys and took advantage of them early. It’s hard to chase a game like this. I liked our bounce-back but they make it hard and Beaver is just a stud in goal.”
Hobart awaits the winner of tonight’s second semifinal between Adrian and Trinity. The championship game is scheduled for 7 PM on Saturday, March 23.
Michigan and Michigan State have a longstanding rivalry that continued during the 2023-24 season (photo: Michigan Photography).
In 2004, Michael Farber wrote about the intensity of the Michigan-Michigan State hockey rivalry for Sports Illustrated when the magazine was celebrating its 50th anniversary by highlighting the fiercest sports rivalries state by state.
That piece ended with a quote by NHL veteran and Michigan State alum John-Michael Liles, who said, “This rivalry demanded the utmost of us: talent, smarts, physical play. Long after we’re gone, Michigan-Michigan State will carry on, and all of us can say, ‘That was one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of.’”
Twenty years ago, the feeling of “one of the greatest things” in college hockey was immediate, not ancient history. The Cold War game, played just three years earlier in Spartan Stadium Oct. 6, 2001, set a record hockey attendance of 74,544. That record stood for nearly nine years.
In the decade previous to Farber’s article, the Wolverines and Spartans had won a combined nine CCHA playoff championships. They were simply that dominant in the conference. Michigan and Michigan State met for the title game three of those nine times, including each team winning once in back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.
Michigan made an appearance in the NCAA tournament every single year in that decade previous to Farber’s article. What people forget now, though, is that Michigan State was also very much on the national scene, with six NCAA tournament appearances from 1997-2002.
This weekend, the Wolverines and Spartans will meet in their fourth-ever conference championship game and what a delicious thing this is – a great big savory surprise gift to all of college hockey.
A rivalry with renewed relevance. Two name brands with a B1G television platform. All the intensity of a playoff championship plus the fire of teams separated by more than just the 65 miles of road between them, each representing the same state.
As Spartans coach Adam Nightingale said in his weekly press conference, “Everything will be amped up.”
Nightingale, this year’s Big Ten coach of the year, played two seasons for Michigan State (2003-05) after beginning his collegiate career with another Michigan team that was once a national powerhouse, Lake Superior State. He faces off this weekend against Michigan alum and current coch Brandon Naurato (2005-09), who understands exactly what a strong Michigan State program can mean for college hockey in Michigan and beyond.
“It’s good for us,” said Naurato. “I’d rather have Michigan State be good than losing Michigan kids to BC or BU. I think it’s great.”
After Michigan’s team practice Tuesday, Naurato was asked about the recruiting implications of the title game. “I don’t think if we win or lose that game we get a recruit or don’t get a recruit,” said Naurato. “I think it’s your culture, your identity as a program, and they’ve done a great job in the two years Nighty’s been there. They should be proud of that.”
Nighty is Nightingale. Of course. It’s hockey. There are always nicknames.
These two second-year head coaches whose collegiate paths never crossed are plenty familiar with each other as professionals, each having worked extensively with the Detroit Red Wings in player development. There’s a very different vibe from the Red Berenson-Ron Mason rivalry of the late 20th century. There’s less vitriol. The intensity, though, is real and here and now.
And it’s playoff hockey.
“You’re playing good teams, no matter what,” said Nightingale. “They want to win – not that they don’t during the regular season, but everything’s cranked up.”
Opposing teams are at their best, said Naurato, “when they’ve got something to prove, and they’ve got something to prove this weekend.”
Prior to Nightingale’s tenure, the Spartans were 0-12 in Big Ten postseason play. Last year, Michigan State lost the first game of a best-of-three road quarterfinal series against Notre Dame before taking the next two games. The Spartans ended their playoff run last season with a 5-1 road loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinals.
With the win against Ohio State last weekend, Michigan State is 3-2 in the B1G playoffs under Nightingale. The game against the Buckeyes was also the first time that the Spartans had hosted a playoff game since 2010. Back in that series, they were swept by the Wolverines in CCHA quarterfinal action.
“We earned the opportunity to play another home game,” said Nightingale, who has been especially conscious of his obligation to the Spartan faithful in his first two seasons, eager to reward a fanbase and to make Munn Arena an especially difficult place to play.
“Looking forward to having Michigan here Saturday,” said Nightingale. “It’ll be a great environment. It’s a special rivalry and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Michigan enters the weekend on a four-game win streak, having beaten Minnesota on the final night of the regular season before sweeping Notre Dame in the Big Ten quarterfinals, and then beating Minnesota again in a semifinal game on the road last weekend. The Wolverines are 7-4-0 in their last 11 games, a stretch that began with a sweep at the hands of the Spartans Feb. 9-10.
Michigan State is also 7-4-0 in its last 11 games, but to count back those contests we have to go all the way to late January because of two bye weeks – one scheduled, and one earned as the regular season champs. In that time, the Spartans’ longest win streak was three games (Feb. 3-Feb. 10), which included a win over Notre Dame and that series against Michigan.
Nightingale and his staff are conscious that this is new territory for the Spartans, but they’re confident as well.
“It’s not like we’re just trying to turn on a switch here and all of a sudden we’re going to try to play playoff hockey,” said Nightingale. “I like to think we’ve tried to help our guys do that from Day 1.
“I think in college hockey, actually, when you look at the schedule [of] 34 games, almost every game is like a playoff game.”
The Wolverines are used to playing in someone else’s barn in the Big Ten postseason. In 2022 and 2023, Michigan won the conference championship in Mariucci Arena, and last week the Wolverines had to go through Minnesota again to reach this title game.
It took Michigan until the last weekend of February to climb into fourth place in conference standings, and that’s where the Wolverines finished. A lot of that had to do with shoring up team defense and goaltending. Last weekend’s 2-1 win over Minnesota was uncharacteristic for Michigan – not just because of the two goals the Wolverines scored, but because winning close games has not exactly been Michigan’s style this season.
That hasn’t been design, said Naurato.
“It’s not like we’re just snapping our fingers and everything is great defensively now,” he said.
Naurato credits the team with Michigan’s recent back-end improvements.
“It’s not like they were not trying earlier on, but they’re growing and they’re continuing to take steps. Not that they weren’t buying in before, but just overall buy-in that it’s all about the team this year and that shows that guys care and want to win,” said Naurato.
Some numbers before the game. All stats are overall.
Scoring offense: Michigan, 4.22 goals per game (4th); Michigan State, 3.86 (7th) Scoring defense: Michigan, 3.00 goals allowed per game (34th); Michigan State, 2.97 (32nd) Power play: Michigan, 35.3% (1st); Michigan State, 26.7% (5th) Penalty kill: Michigan, 78.1% (43rd); Michigan State, 80.9% (28th) Top scorer: Michigan, Gavin Brindley (24-27—51); Michigan State, Karsen Dorwart (14-18—32), Artyom Levshunov (9-23—32), Isaac Howard (8-24—32) Top goal scorer: Michigan, Brindley (24); Michigan State, Joey Larson (15) Goaltender: Michigan, Jacob Barczewski (2.78 GAA, .909 SV%); Michigan State, Trey Augustine (2.86 GAA, .919 SV%)
On paper, these teams are very evenly matched. The one notable difference in stats is that Michigan State’s penalty kill is significantly better than Michigan’s. Both teams can score. Each team has six players with 10 or more goals this season.
The Spartans were 3-1-0 against the Wolverines during the regular season. Playoff hockey, though, is a brand-new season.
“You have to play this game and it’s one game,” said Naurato. “We feel really good about our team.”
Nightingale said that he hopes that the Spartans can savor this moment – playing their biggest rival, at home, for a conference championship.
“Our guys should be proud of earning people’s respect, because that definitely wasn’t a given and we had to do a better job,” said Nightingale. Give the guys credit. They’re the ones doing the work.
“It is important to step back and really appreciate this opportunity that they’ve earned.”
Trinity’s Devon Bobak and the Bantams play “host” to Adrian in one of two great semifinal pairings (Photo by Trinity Athletics)
The final national poll before the Frozen Four had Hobart, Utica, Trinity, and Adrian ranked one through four. It is not often that we get a pure draw that leaves the best in the country battling it out on the ice for a national title, but we do this year, and the semifinal matchups are intriguing and exciting. Lots of interesting storylines are present for each team including Hobart – can they repeat? Or can a young Utica team go where no recent team has been? How about the hosts from Trinity and can they win this thing on home ice in their first Frozen Four since 2016-17? And Adrian, the team that has been there three seasons in a row – can they take back the title and earn a second trophy in three seasons? Lots to ponder and great hockey to be played and decide it where it belongs, on the ice!
The battle between the writers with NCAA picks currently stands with Brian Lester (7-2) at the top and in control leading Chris Sugar (5-4) and me (5-4) with two great games to choose on Thursday before Saturday’s title game. The battle continues on the way to the 2023-2024 national championship. Here this week’s picks from the USCHO D-III writers:
Thursday, March 21, 2024
NCAA Semifinal Round
(2) Utica v. (1) Hobart
TC – The Statesmen dominated their quarterfinal against Curry in virtually every statistic but needed a goal in the fourth overtime to advance to Hartford and a matchup with in-state rival Utica. The orange and White are the defending champions and very experienced but should not look past a Pioneer team that has grown up over the course of the season and erased some demons with a quarterfinal win over Plymouth State. If you like pace of play, you must love the way these two teams get up and down the ice. While the front ends are comparable it is the backend that makes the difference for Mark Taylor’s squad who needs an empty-net goal for the final margin – Hobart, 3-1
BL – The top-ranked Statesmen survived a four-overtime thriller against Curry to get here. And now they face the No. 2 team in the country fo the right to advance to the national title game.
Hobart has been nothing short of impressive this year, especially on defense where it has given up just 29 goals thanks in part to Damon Beaver, who sports a 0.98 goals against average. The Statesmen have scored 156 goals.
Utica is pretty good as well and is in the national semifinal round for only the second time in program history. The Pioneers have scored 136 goals while allowing 42. Ethan Roberts has a GAA of 1.54. This matchup may very well come down to which netminder can make the fewest mistakes.
I always say the national champs are the team to beat until someone proves otherwise. Hobart gets the job done here. Hobart, 2-1
CS – We’ve been given a fun one to begin the Frozen Four. One team who’s been told for years their league isn’t good enough, and another who’s been considered the outright favorite considering they lost hardly anyone from last year’s roster.
Utica’s Gary Heenan has gotten over the NCAA hump and found themselves in the Frozen Four for the first time since 2013, meanwhile, Mark Taylor is seeking his 2nd National Championship which would also happen to be back-to-back for the first time since St. Norbert in 2011 & 2012.
Hobart just got done with their four-overtime game with Curry, winning 4-3, Utica defeated Plymouth State 4-1, I think this may be the year of the Pioneer as some may call it. Hobart’s the favorite and the best team of the two so far, being more battle tested, but I like Utica in this one and who doesn’t want a Gary Heenan-winning press conference? I do. – Utica 3-1
(4) Adrian v. (3) Trinity
TC – The battle between Adrian and Trinity comes down to who can impose their style of play on the other. The Bulldogs have evolved over the season into a team that does not rely on scoring a lot of goals but can when needed and are very dangerous on the power play. The Bantams play relentless team defense backed by Devon Bobak in goal and quickly transition solid defensive play into offensive opportunity. Expect the goals to be at a premium in this game that ultimately needs an overtime, or two, to decide who plays on Saturday for the title – Trinity, 3-2
BL – Adrian is in the Frozen Four for the third consecutive year and is looking for its second title in that stretch. The Bulldogs face a tall order playing Trinity in what will basically be a home game for the Bantams, who are the host for the tourney.
The Bulldogs are averaging 4.6 goals per outing while the Bantams are averaging 3.4. We could very well see a high-scoring game here.
It’s worth noting that these two teams last met in a Frozen Four in 2015. Trinity won that game and went on to win the title. But Adrian has won the last two against the Bantams, including in 2021.
Adrian needs to be able to set the tone right away by getting off to a quick start and taking the crowd out of it. If Trinity gets rolling first, it could be a long night for the Bulldogs.
I like Adrian’s chances in this game. As the lone team out of the west region in the Frozen Four, the Bulldogs are looking to make a statement. They will get it done. Adrian, 4-3
CS – Adrian fought through the gauntlet of the bottom right corner of the bracket. Trinity defeated a highly skilled Elmira opponent at home, they get to stay home for the Frozen Four and sleep in their own beds. We saw UW-River Falls take home the title on home ice for the Women’s side of D-III, there’s a chance we see that again in Hartford, CT, home of Trinity College.
Trinity is a wildcard, very skilled and performed well in conference play, not great in the few non-conference games they played, but the home ice is critical for them here.
Adrian is a different animal, Norbert is too from the prior matchup, but Trinity hasn’t seen anything like what they’re about to witness in front of them. Adrian should physically dominate this game, but the home ice/crowd should play to the Bantam’s benefit come later in the game. I like Adrian here, making that three-straight finals appearances for Adam Krug’s Bulldogs who look to win their second title in three years. – Adrian 5-2
There are just two semifinal games on Thursday and the national championship game on Saturday left in the 2023-2024 campaign. The big prize is within sight, but you need to win two more games and the only one that counts right now is on Thursday. Time to leave it all on the ice – “Drop the Puck!”
Adrian returns to their third consecutive Frozen Four where they face NESCAC champion Trinity on their home ice in the semifinals Thursday night (Photo by Adrian Athletics)
For the third season in a row, the Adrian Bulldogs have reached the Frozen Four and look to add a second championship in the past three seasons to their trophy case. The now expected level of excellence has all associated with the program that they will compete every year at this level with a focus on not only getting to the Frozen Four but winning the national title.
“This is three years in a row,” noted Adrian head coach Adam Krug. “The two years before that were cut out by COVID and I liked our chances with those teams as well. During this post-season run I have had the opportunity to re-connect with a number of graduated players and alums who now look at the program and believe this is the standard by which we measure our program now. This team got here a little differently with some losses during the season we haven’t had recently but losses I feel really helped us improve our game for this time of the season. We had a really difficult road to the Frozen Four having to play a first-round game against Stevens Point and then another battle with St. Norbert but the team has responded and now we have a chance to play for another title.”
The Bulldogs have a deep group led by Mathew Rehding (16G – 32A – 48 Pts; +25), Zachary Heintz (18G – 21A – 39 Pts; +26) and Jaden Shields (11G – 28A – 39 Pts; +26) with additional strong contributions from Bradley Somers, Connor May, Ryan Pitoscia and Jacob Suede. The defensive group is solid in front of goaltender Dershahn Stewart who saw relief action in last year’s semifinal win over the University of New England. Adrian has a deep roster, plays with pace and has an exceptional power play that can change a game quickly.
“We really have 1A and 1B lines with our top two groups,” said Krug. “We have seen a lot of other contributors on the scoresheet later in the season that gives us some balance beyond the top two lines. Our defensive group has really emerged as a big part of our game and Dershahn has been very consistent in the crease for us.”
Adrian faces a Trinity team they have not seen this season while also playing on the Bantams home ice. Trinity’s game begins with the back-end with Devon Bobak in goal and a solid group of defenders led by the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year in Ned Blanchard. The forwards are deep and balanced in their scoring as the team takes advantage of solid defensive play and quick strike transition offense opportunities.
“Bobak has had a terrific season and Matt Greason is a very good coach with experience at the US Development Team level,” noted Krug. “They play terrific team defense and take advantage of your mistakes with a deep group upfront. It will be a battle of styles as we try to beak down that great team defense and get some pucks behind one of the best goalies in the country.”
Adrian and Trinity face-off in the second semifinal of the day at 7 PM on Thursday, March 21 at the Koeppel Community Sports Center in Hartford, Connecticut on the campus of Trinity College.
AIC’s John Lundy carries the puck against RIT’s Xavier Lapointe during a game last December (photo: AIC Athletics).
One game for all the marbles.
The longest postseason in college hockey comes to an end on Saturday in Rochester, N.Y. After almost four weeks, the Atlantic Hockey tournament is down to the final two teams: American International and Rochester Institute of Technology. They will play a single game on Saturday in Rochester for the title and the right to represent the league in the NCAA Tournament.
Previewing the finals
No. 5 AIC at No. 1 RIT
We have a classic battle between a resurgent RIT, which has three playoff titles but none since 2016, and AIC, which has won three of the last four, excluding the canceled 2020 postseason.
The Tigers, the regular season champions, dominated their opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals, dispatching Robert Morris in two games by a combined score of 12-1, and sweeping Niagara by a combined 9-3 tally.
RIT has a wealth of depth, getting scoring from their veteran forwards including Carter Wilkie (16-23-39) and Elijah Gonsalves (17-16-33), and from the blueline (Gianfranco Cassaro’s 17 goals is tops among defensemen in Division I) as well as their all-freshman line of Matthew Wilde, Tyler Fukakusa and Christian Catalano, who have combined for 73 points so far.
In net, Tommy Scarfone is the league’s goaltender of the year, posting a .928 save percentage. He’s allowed a total of four goals in the Tiger’s four playoff games so far.
AIC, hobbled by injuries in February, managed to qualify for the fifth and final bye. They won two hard-fought road series against Air Force and Holy Cross, sweeping the Falcons 3-1 and 3-2 and coming back to defeat Holy Cross in three games 2-5, 3-0 and 3-1.
AIC is playing a more defensive style than in the past due to holes in its roster (although some key players have returned from injury). That starts with rookie goaltender Nils Wallstrom, the Yellow Jackets’ most valuable player so far.
Against Holy Cross last weekend, Wallstrom posted a .959 save percentage and a GAA of 1.33.
The Yellow Jackets are led in scoring by graduate student Dustin Manz (7-24-31) and feature AHA Defenseman of the Year Brian Kramer (10-11-21), who recently returned from injury.
Awards season, final edition
Here is our final set of award winners, which I’m calling “The Rubies” after my buddy Dan Rubin, who covers the ECAC for USCHO.
He continues to call his award picks “The Lerchies” harkening back to the time when he and I shared the Atlantic Hockey beat. Back at you, Dan.
Player of the Year: Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross
This came down to RIT’s Carter Wilkie and McLinskey. Wilkie was last year’s pick by both the league and USCHO, but I went with McLinskey, who led the league in scoring with 47 points on 19 goals and 28 assists. He’s the league’s sole Hobey Baker finalist, announced on Wednesday.
Rookie of the Year: Mateo Giampa, Canisius
Despite a glut of upperclassmen thanks to the extra year available to players due to the pandemic (next season will be the last for this), there was a bevy of rookies who made significant impacts. I chose Canisius’ Mateo Giampa. His 35 points on 18 goals and 17 assists led his team in all three categories.
Coach of the Year: Andy Jones, Bentley
The league finalists are RIT’s Wayne Wilson, whose Tigers repeated as regular season champions, Air Force’s Frank Serratore, whose Falcons improved from 10th last year to fourth, and Holy Cross’ Bill Riga, whose Crusaders continued to improve each season.
But I’m going with Bentley coach Andy Jones, who completed a successful season behind the Falcons’ bench in his first year as a Division I head coach. Despite being hired in late June and inheriting a team picked to finish last, Jones and his team ended up sixth, a point out of a first-round bye. The Falcons are definitely on the upswing.
Looking back, looking ahead
This is my last column of the season, my 25th at USCHO and my 18th covering Atlantic Hockey. I took over the beat from my friend Jimmy Connolly the season following the monumental upset of Minnesota by Holy Cross in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
That put the fledgling conference on the map, and so much has changed since then. Air Force and RIT joined my first season covering the league, followed by Niagara and Robert Morris in 2010-11. By my count, four new arenas have opened since then, and the league has gone from 12 scholarships per team to a full complement of 18. The future is bright.
I’m grateful to the coaches, players, and Sports Information Directors who made time for me this season, as well as league SID Todd Bell. Thanks also to editor Matt Mackinder and everyone at USCHO, my hockey family since 1999.
And as always, thanks to my (actual) family for their support and patience while I’m off covering a game, on the phone with a coach, or holed up with my laptop muttering to myself.
And finally, thank you, dear reader. We have a few more journeys together. I’ll be reporting from the championship game in Rochester on Saturday and from St. Paul during the Frozen Four.
