UW-Superior is hoping to have a strong second half to the season. (Photo Credit: Holden Law/UW-Superior Athletics)
It’s the day before Christmas, and all through the D-III hockey world, rinks are as silent as the night.
The hockey sticks are hung by the chimney with care in the hopes of them soon being used to score plenty of goals in the second half of the season.
Coaches, athletes and fans are home right now enjoying some well-deserved time off, but the return of action on the ice is just around the corner.
And we can’t wait to see what the second half of the year has in store for us all.
Santa, meanwhile, will soon be up on rooftops, dropping down chimneys and bringing joy and presents to everyone around the world.
If it’s not too much to ask, Santa, I’d love if you could help with a few hockey-related requests ahead of the second half of the season.
Let’s start with the MIAC. We know how tightly contested that league always is. A handful of points typically separates the top from the bottom and while there might be a favorite on paper, the games on the ice tend to tell a different story.
Right now, Gustavus is atop the standings. The Gusties started 0-3 but are now 6-5, including a 5-1 mark in league play.
It’s one of the great stories of the early part of the year. But the year is far from over. Saint Mary’s and Saint John’s aren’t too far off the mark, and don’t count out St. Scholastica.
Then again, don’t count out anyone in the MIAC. Even Augsburg. Yes, the Auggies are at the bottom of the standings, but a few good weekends of hockey for them can flip the script in a hurry.
The ask here, Santa, is can you please let the MIAC continue to be as competitive and entertaining as always throughout the second half of the year? I hope you can, because it sure does make things fun and there is never a dull moment.
Over in the WIAC, things have really gotten interesting. UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point are both ranked in the USCHO.com poll, but have you noticed that UW-Superior is currently atop the standings?
The Yellowjackets have won four in a row and have proven they are going to be in the discussion for the league championship when it’s all said and done.
UW-Eau Claire can’t be overlooked either. The Blugolds have done well in WIAC play so far and I expect that to continue.
And like I mentioned earlier, Stevens Point and River Falls are ranked. Maybe they remain in the rankings in the second half of the year. Maybe they don’t. But we know you can’t overlook either one in the race for the title.
I hope Santa can keep the WIAC rolling along with fun and unpredictable hockey week in and week out in the second half.
But the biggest request from Santa here is can the big guy in the red suit bring some good fortune to Northland.
The Lumberjacks have had it rough, dropping all 11 of its games this year despite some games where they’ve shown flashes of their potential. Their losing streak overall dating back to last year is at 37 games.
If any team could use some joy after the new year, it’s Northland. Those players are working hard. They just need a few breaks to go their way. I know Santa will do what he can to make that happen.
Last, but certainly not least, is the NCHA. Typically, you can say either Adrian or St. Norbert is winning this thing and there is no other option.
But not this year. The top four teams are separated by a total of four points, with Trine leading the way at the top, sitting one point ahead of St. Norbert, which started the year with 11 straight wins.
Aurora is just two points behind Trine and Adrian is four. And hey, look out for those Concordia Falcons, who have won their last four.
I have a feeling that things are going to get interesting in the second half of the season. And the conference tournament could be the best thing ever based on how the standings look right now.
So, Santa, keep the NCHA the way it is. Let’s let this season truly be a fight to the finish. And if it’s not too much to ask, Dubuque, a second-year program, could use a few wins in the second half of the year. That program is trying to build something there. It’s just going to take a little time.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and let’s hope the second half of the D-III season out west is the best it can be. With a little help from Santa, I know it will be.
Jake Livanavage has been a force at both ends of the ice this season for North Dakota (photo: Russell Hons).
It’s no secret that North Dakota has some work to do if the Fighting Hawks are to make their fourth NCAA tournament appearance in five years.
Sitting 22nd in the PairWise Rankings after an 11-7-1 start, more things will have to start going the right way.
Kind of like they have in the last couple of weeks.
A North Dakota team dealing with injuries to some of its key players is entering the holiday break on a four-game winning streak. After eking out a tight pair of games Dec. 6-7 at Miami, the Hawks won twice again last weekend at home to St. Cloud State.
“I thought our guys did a good job of getting through the first half with some adversity, gaining some momentum in December here and heading into Christmas break with being in a good spot here, and trying to keep building for the second half,” North Dakota coach Brad Berry said during his weekly press conference Wednesday.
Among UND’s high-profile players that didn’t factor into any of those four games are a pair of upperclassmen in senior forward Cameron Berg and junior defenseman Bennett Zmolek. Berg has been out since early November, and it was announced Wednesday that Zmolek will miss the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury. Zmolek hasn’t played since UND’s season opener against Providence.
But for as big as those lineup omissions are, UND has seen many of its younger players blossom. For example, the Hawks’ three top point-producers are all underclassmen in freshman Sacha Boisvert (8-9-17) and sophomore defensemen Abram Wiebe (4-10-14) and Jake Livanavage (2-12-14). Sophomore forward Jayden Perron (6-6-12) and freshman Mac Swanson (2-9-11) aren’t far behind, sitting fifth and sixth on the list.
“I think that comes from, A, seeing what college hockey is all about,” Berry said of the contributions of UND’s youth this season. “When you jump from junior hockey or wherever you came from, it’s a huge step in the pace of the game, it’s a lot faster and it’s a lot more physical, and there’s a lot more physical maturity of playing against older guys. I think the combination of that, they get immersed into that, they get to see what the level is and then they play to that level.
“The other thing, I think, is confidence and knowing that they belong. Once you go through all of our practices playing against really good players, and then you get into the nonconference schedule, which was really tough, and then the NCHC, then you become confident in what you can do, and I think they’re playing with some swagger and confidence to make a difference, and they had to. With the guys that were out of our lineup, they had to make a difference, and we want to see that progression keep going, trending north, as far as their development.”
Youngsters have played key roles in UND’s success over the past couple of weeks. Boisvert scored the game-winning goal with less than a minute left in the Hawks’ 5-4 victory Dec. 6 at Miami, then three underclassmen scored the following night in a 4-2 win in Oxford, Ohio. Livanavage bagged an insurance goal in UND’s 2-0 win last Friday against St. Cloud State, then underclassmen scored the Hawks’ first three goals in a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday against the Huskies.
UND is off until it hosts Manitoba in an exhibition game Jan. 4, and then it’s all NCHC play after that. It won’t be too long before the Hawks are back at it, with an eye toward making up some ground.
“When you talk about the reasons why you’re winning games or losing games, there’s really no excuses built in,” Berry said. “We know where we’re at. At the end of the day, it’s, what are we going to do…the finger doesn’t go (outward), it goes (inward) whether it’s coaches or players, and what we have to do individually and better as a team.
“I do think that Friday game at Miami was kind of a defining moment for us. It was kind of like that Denver game on Friday in Denver last year where we had to come all the way back and win that game (7-5, last December), and I think that showed (for UND’s young players) that, ‘Hey, we belong. We made an impact in this game that we won at Miami and we can continue to do that.’
“The last thing I said to the guys after the game on Saturday is, ‘You’ve done a good job of leading the right way here, but now, us as coaches give you game plans and situations where we’re going to keep moving forward and give you a chance for success, but the success is going to align this locker room in the second half of this season because that’s where the leadership really takes over,” Berry continued. “That’s where the ownership of the dressing room takes charge right away in the second half, and I firmly believe that our guys believe that.”
Rhett Pitlick has played well in his first season with Minnesota State (photo: Abby Santos).
As the holiday break descends upon us, there is one thing that has stood out above all others: Minnesota State is the real deal.
This isn’t a particularly “hot take,” in fact, one might argue that it’s the most obvious observation one could make. But sometimes, as a columnist, I’m supposed to take risks, and challenge the status quo, so consider this my risky move: making a point and hoping that nobody else notices it’s obvious.
Anyway… Minnesota State is legit.
We should have known this coming into the season, because despite a few flaws (they two of the conference’s top scorers in Lucas Sowder and Sam Morton), they also brought basically everybody else back. And yet, some people (this writer included) didn’t believe. In fact, this writer might have made a huge error and said that Minnesota State would finish fifth in the conference.
Mea culpa, Mavericks fans.
Maybe it was fitting, then, that just days after the preseason polls were voted on, the Mavericks made a huge splash in the transfer portal by adding forward Rhett Pitlick from Minnesota. If I’d have known about Pitlick joining the Mavericks, I certainly would have made them a top-three team, but even then, did I think they were going to be far and away the top team in the conference at Christmas break?
The answer to that, readers, is obvious. (For the record, I thought defending CCHA champions Bemidji State and St. Thomas would finish first and second, respectively, but currently neither team is in the top half of the conference standings.)
So, sometimes we sportswriters get things wrong. But as it stands, Minnesota State is sitting atop the CCHA standings with a 9-1-2 record and 29 points in the league table. Close behind them are second-place Augustana, who have 16 points through eight games.
Now, I’m sure you’re asking me now, “Jack, wait. Augustana only has 16 points. How is it possible that they are 13 points and four games behind Minnesota State. Michigan Tech is in second with 23 points, right?”
Well, that’s where things get complicated. Because the Vikings were a last-minute addition to the league — CCHA officials decided to vote them in this summer after finding out that St. Thomas would be leaving after the 2025-26 season — the CCHA is using a points-percentage formula to determine the league champions and standings this year. So the Vikings, who have 16 points at the moment, are still in second place because they are 5-3-0 in the conference and have a 0.667 points percentage compared to Tech’s 0.639 (they’re 7-3-2). Lake Superior State is in fourth place at 6-4-0 (0.600).
As luck would have it, the Vikings play all three of those squads for the first (and only) time this season after the holiday break. So even though the points-percentage formula is slightly confusing (it’s total points divided by games played times three), there will be some huge matchups that will tell us a lot about where we’re at in February.
For now, I wanted to quickly go through each team and highlight one player who I think deserves to be mentioned as that team’s MVP. My criteria isn’t necessarily based on stats (although they certainly are important) but more about which players I think would be so important to their teams that they’d be substantially worse if they were not available. This is subjective, of course, but it’s also a chance for me to talk about some players I may not normally mention.
Without further ado, here we go!
Minnesota State (14-4-2, 9-1-2 CCHA)
MVP: Goaltender Alex Tracy (14-2-2, 1.39 GAA, .945 SV%)
Tracy’s numbers last season were solid but not eye-popping (2.50 GAA and .910 SV%). He got a little overlooked by a strong crop of goaltenders the CCHA had last year (Bemidji State’s Mattias Sholl and Michigan Tech’s Blake Pietila). But this season, Tracy has been basically unstoppable. He’s started every single game for the Mavericks, and he’s only allowed teams to score more than two goals against him three times. Two of those were in Maverick wins. Even in a loss, teams have trouble scoring on him: In MSU’s only regulation conference loss this season, Bemidji State managed just a single goal and won 1-0. Tracy has been arguably the nation’s top goalie for a reason.
Augustana (10-7-1, 5-3-0 CCHA)
MVP: Luke Mobley (7g-3a-10pts)
It’s hard to pick just one standout offensive performer from Augustana this season, because one of the Vikings’ hallmarks has been scoring depth. But Mobley, a senior who transferred from Clarkson last season, is the team’s captain and leading scorer with seven goals. He’s a big leader on a forward unit that has lots of players with a handful of goals. Nearly everyone on this team has been chipping in, which is why the Vikings are off to such a great start to the first half of the season.
Michigan Tech (9-5-2, 7-3-2 CCHA)
MVP: Forward Stiven Sardarian (8g-11a-19pts)
One of the conference’s more under-the-radar transfers, Sardarian has made a big splash this season since coming from New Hampshire. He’s tied for the conference lead with eight goals and has 19 points–already surpassing his 2023-24 total of 14 points at UNH. For a team that has at times struggled to score (they’ve scored more than two goals only six times this season), Sardarian has been a reliable spark.
We’ve seen plenty of teams in college hockey struggle with goaltender injuries. Merrimack was so hard-up in a series against Stonehill they had to play an equipment manager. LSSU hasn’t had to do that yet, but Applebee, a freshman from Chateauguay, Quebec, has been the Lakers’ only healthy goalie for nearly two months. He’s been outstanding and has helped backstop the Lakers to a solid 6-4-0 conference record. He’s also been the anchor of the Lakers best-in-the CCHA penalty kill unit, which stands at 0.871 at the holiday break.
Bowling Green (7-7-2, 4-4-2 CCHA)
MVP: Forward Brody Waters (8g-3a-11pts)
The Falcons are currently third-to-last in the conference in scoring (just 2.16 goals per game), but there’s been a bright spot: There are five different players tied for the CCHA’s goalscoring lead, and Waters is one of them. The sophomore from Heidelberg, Ont., scored twice in Bowling Green’s win over Northern Michigan last weekend, and has already improved his scoring numbers from his freshman year (when he scored six goals in 34 games).
Bemidji State (8-8-3, 5-5-2 CCHA)
MVP: Defenseman Isah Parekh (3g-5a-8pts)
One of the big question marks for Bemidji State coming into the season was how they’d handle the loss of two of their top defensemen in all-conference performers Kyle Looft and Eric Pohlkamp. And while you can’t replace a player outright, it seems they have found a solid one in the strong tradition of Beaver defensemen to take the mantle in Parekh. The freshman from Nobleton, Ont., has been one of the Beavers’ most reliable power play quarterbacks, scoring two of his three goals thus far on the man advantage and adding three of his five assists that way too.
Ferris State (6-10-2, 5-7-0, CCHA)
MVP: Forward Caiden Gault (8g-2a-10pts)
Gault, a junior from Oakbank, Manitoba, has taken a notable step in his game this season and turned into one of the Bulldogs’ most reliable performers. After recording just five points in 20 games a season ago, he’s now among Ferris State’s top six skaters and is relied upon to contribute to the offense each night. In FSU’s last series against Northern Michigan, he had a pair of goals to help the Bulldogs earn their first sweep of the season.
St. Thomas (4-9-4, 3-6-3 CCHA)
MVP: Forward Liam Malmquist (6g-13a-19pts)
St. Thomas has been up and down all season, but Malmquist has been a consistent performer for the Tommies. He’s scored some key goals against top teams–including what would turn out to be the game-winner against Michigan Tech earlier in December. The Tommies will certainly be looking towards Malmquist as they try to pull themselves back up into home ice contention for the CCHA Mason Cup playoffs.
Northern Michigan (1-16-1, 0-11-1 CCHA)
MVP: Goaltender Ryan Ouellette (1-15-1, 2.88 GAA, .919 SV%)
It’s been a rough season for NMU as a whole, but Ouellette has been a big bright spot. The transfer from Niagara has been able to keep the Wildcats in every game, even when they might not necessarily have the offensive power to be in those games. His .919 save percentage is third in the conference despite the fact that NMU has won just a single game. Although the Wildcats are currently in ninth in the conference, Ouellette should be able to help them steal a few wins down the stretch in the second half.
Cornell’s Ian Shane has been a rock in net for Cornell (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).
A happy and hearty holiday season to you and yours in the college hockey world.
I’ve found through the years that holiday and semester break is well-placed for a college hockey season that rumbles through the fall and early spring with an unsurpassed pace. We spend our weeks in October and November in the same rush to the weekend that exists ahead of postseason tournaments, so waning games ahead of exams and holidays is a great time to sit back and relax during a season stamped by a cheery man in a big red suit.
This week wraps up our first half coverage, and while we’re nowhere near the ending of college hockey season, I wanted to look back at the start of the season and identify trends along the ECAC fault lines. Consider this a halfway-point preview of our end-of-year reflection where I get to look back and count my prediction missteps.
It’s worth noting that this is all coming from a 10,000-foot viewpoint, so it’ll likely lack the full details of a team-by-team preseason preview breakdown. Instead, we’re mostly looking at what teams have done exceptionally well and where they might look to improve – again, without reasoning for what might got them or get them to those points – for the new year.
Without further ado:
Brown
Predicted Finish: Ninth If the playoffs started today: 10th Biggest Thing I Got Right So Far New and emerging players definitely added some thump to the Brown lineup. All three of my key additions – Brian Nicholas, Charlie Gollob, and Ivan Zadvernyuk – are among the team’s top scorers in one way or another, and Tyler Kopff and Max Scott are developing into top-flight and top-line talent. Goalie Lawton Zacher produced one of the team’s longest shutout streaks, and one weekend’s worth of work in January could erase the four-point gap separating 10th from fifth. For the second half: Brown is legitimately well-positioned for a fast start to January, and the Bears are a threat to jump into the top half of the league if the offense continues to add scoring.
Clarkson
Predicted Finish: Seventh If the playoffs started today: Third Biggest Thing I Got Right So Far: The program’s master class in changing its coaching leadership resulted in zero negative impacts at the start of the season, and Jean-Francois Houle enters the holiday season as a leader in ECAC’s coach of the year race clubhouse. For the second half: Clarkson’s power play is in the top-half of the league, but operating just under 19 percent situates the Golden Knights near the national average. Expect someone to jump forward in goal scoring on a team averaging a right-smack-in-the-national-middle average on offense. For reference, Ayrton Martino and Ryan Richardson scored around a quarter of the team’s 53 goals, and the next six skaters each have four goals – or 52 percent of the total offense in the first half.
Colgate
Predicted Finish: Fourth If the playoffs started today: First Things I got right: Colgate’s leadership and additions created a perfect blend for a first half breakout, and a strong defense is way better than the goals against average implies. Remove Penn State’s seven-goal game and the team’s goals against average drops by a full one-third of a goal. Remove the five goals from the overtime win over Sacred Heart, and it drops to a near-equal 3.2 goals allowed. Also, for those keeping score, those are non-conference games. For the second half: Mike Harder was very honest about the team’s injury woes in the first half. Once the team starts getting healthier, expect the Raiders to have some growing pains before a strong finish.
Cornell
Predicted Finish: First If the playoffs started today: Fifth Things I got right: Cornell has a roster capable of competing at the highest levels of college hockey, and the start of the year drew comparisons to some of the best ECAC teams of all-time. Three goals per game is just ahead of the national average, For the second half: Ian Shane (joke’s on me, I thought he graduated) is hard-pressed to replicate the numbers that had me arguing towards a Richter Award last year, but there’s no way he sticks to an .896 save percentage for the entirety of the season. He’s still the goalie who held Quinnipiac and Princeton to two combined goals before Thanksgiving.
Dartmouth
Predicted Finish: Third If the playoffs started today: Fourth Things I got right: Dartmouth isn’t going away. The game against Boston College featured two top-5 teams in the Pairwise Rankings at the time, and the Big Green already own wins over Quinnipiac and Cornell with a “tie” (shootout loss) against Colgate. The power play is easily best in the country, and the penalty kill is good enough to provide the team with some lopsided special teams. For the second half: The consecutive losses to St. Lawrence and Clarkson didn’t help, but retaining the trademark consistency from October would go a long way to maintaining a heading in a league marked by a demolition derby of chaos.
Harvard
Predicted Finish: Fifth If the playoffs started today: Eighth Things I got right: Harvard won’t stay down forever, and the transition to a new era is built around how well the nucleus can help younger players. Junior Casey Severo made a jump in the first half with five goals (he had eight during last season’s 32-game campaign), and Mick Thompson’s output matches Ben MacDonald. For the second half: Aku Koskenvuo’s numbers skewed a bit after surrendering eight goals to UMass and Notre Dame, but his combination with Ben Charette is going to steal a game somewhere along the line. For many of us in the Boston area, the first two weekends in February sure look like a golden opportunity.
Princeton
Predicted Finish: 11th If the playoffs started today: Sixth Things I got right: Nothing. I made a valid point by saying, “Princeton returns enough pieces to make an interesting run at dark horse contender status,” but I messed the entire thing up by saying the league would force it into the bottom half. Maybe that happens, but the Tigers are in sixth at Christmas. For the second half: Princeton absolutely sweeps Cornell and Colgate because that’s how these things usually work, and a four-point or five-point weekend at Harvard and Dartmouth keys a run at the top-four into February.
Quinnipiac
Predicted Finish: Second If the playoffs started today: Second Things I got right: Almost everything. Turnover finally caught up to Quinnipiac at the start of the season, but once the Bobcats got rolling, 16 league points out of a possible 18-point stretch led them right back to the top. For the second half: The wolf is back in the hen house, and the numbers are aligning for a major run in the second half. What’s especially scary is the amount of depth emerging from the team’s top seven skaters. Nobody has more than seven or less than four goals, which means 67 percent of scoring could come from anywhere.
Rensselaer
Predicted Finish: 10th If the playoffs started today: 12th Things I got right: The right returners positioned RPI for early season wins, and that split against Clarkson and St. Lawrence proved how the Engineers could easily slip into the home ice conversation as the year progresses. Four straight losses and dropping five-of-six is more about playing two games against Maine ahead of the Quinnipiac-Princeton road trip with Princeton on Saturday than a dig at this team’s makeup. For the second half: I’d really like to see some early wins in January. Making the Yale-Brown trip in the aftermath of a one-off game against New Hampshire seems like a good way to gain momentum ahead of the trip to the North Country, and the brutal stretch of Cornell-Colgate-Princeton-Quinnipiac-Dartmouth-Harvard-Colgate-Cornell doesn’t show up until the end of the year, so there’s ground to be made, especially early.
St. Lawrence
Predicted Finish: Eighth If the playoffs started today: 11th Things I got right: Longer road trips to the North Country are coming in February after the Saints have had to travel to eastern New England. Considering St. Lawrence is 1-5-1 on the road compared to a 4-4 record at home is an indicator of things to come for teams heading to the Canadian border in winter – but even that one win was against Dartmouth. For the second half: I’m holding firm on St. Lawrence. Nothing can be accurately predicted until teams have to travel into northern New York’s winter.
Union
Predicted Finish: Sixth If the playoffs started today: Seventh Things I got right: Union barreled out of the gates with a number of key wins, and the Garnet Chargers rode the last bit of Messa magic to a 5-2-1 home record before getting swept by Vermont. For the second half: I feel like Union’s season goes in one of two directions based on how the numbers react. If an offense scoring 3.2 goals per game and allowing 3.0 goals per game stops scoring or allows more goals, the Garnet Chargers will drop. If the offense kicks into another gear – which is doable – or starts cutting into its goals allowed, the team moves up. If both numbers improve or stabilize or get more inconsistent, the team stays where it is.
Yale
Predicted Finish: 12th If the playoffs started today: Ninth Things I got right: Yale managed to get through unforgivable parts of its schedule in ninth place with an offense averaging less goals than last year. Surviving trial by fire to play for home ice? That’s opening the door for a second half run. For the second half: A second half run. I still love this team’s potential, and when the Bulldogs are good, they’re really good. It’s been fortunate that four of the tough losses were non-conference games, but taking two points from Cornell and a win against St. Lawrence opens the door for factoring into the parity that’s significantly more inevitable than past years. I really like Yale to potentially win the CT Ice after getting through Sacred Heart in the first round.
Ian Shane has been a rock between the pipes this season for Cornell (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).
Matteo Giampa had a stellar freshman season for Canisius and is doing the same in Year 2 (photo: Tom Wolf Imaging/Canisius Athletics).
While it often seems like the 2024-25 season just got underway, we’re already at the halfway point, with roughly 47% of Atlantic Hockey America’s conference schedule completed.
That’s a decent enough sample to look at where all 11 teams stand.
My friends at the USCHO Weekend Review podcast have an exercise called “Buy or Sell,” which asks whether they are bullish on a team or the opposite.
I’m going to add a “hold” category, meaning the jury is still out – for me, anyway.
Because we still have a somewhat unbalanced league schedule in terms of games played (they range from 10 for Air Force to 14 for Sacred Heart), I’m ranking the teams by conference points per game instead of total conference points.
Air Force
W-L-T (overall, conference): 9-10-1, 6-4
Conference points per game: 1.8 (4th)
Offense ranking: 11th
Defense ranking: 4th
Power play ranking: 10th
Penalty kill ranking: 10th
Recommendation: HOLD. In some ways, the Falcons may be overachieving with a better record than their stats might indicate. Air Force has been in a bit of a funk recently, with just one win in its last six games, but Frank Serratore’s teams tend to be stronger in the second half. Defenseman Chris Heddon and forward Clayton Consentino are having all-star seasons so far.
American International
W-L-T (overall, conference): 5-11-1, 4-7
Conference points per game: 1.27 (8th)
Offense ranking: 9th
Defense ranking: 6th
Power play ranking: 5th
Penalty kill ranking: 2nd
Recommendation: HOLD. It’s been as rough a first half as they come for the Yellow Jackets, who recently announced that the program will be downgraded to Division II and dropping out of Atlantic Hockey America at the end of the season. AIC hasn’t lost more than two games in a row but hasn’t won two in a row either. You can’t count out an Eric Lang-led team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yellow Jackets got hot in the second half if they can get and stay healthy. Rookie goalie Adam Manji has been a bright spot (.921 SV% and 2.39 GAA).
Army West Point
W-L-T (overall, conference): 5-11-0, 5-7-0
Conference points per game: 1.25 (9th)
Offense ranking: 10th
Defense ranking: 7th
Power play ranking: 11th
Penalty kill ranking: 3rd
Recommendation: SELL. There’s a feel-good story waiting to happen if the Black Knights can get their offense going and produce a second half that shines a light on coach Brian Riley, who is retiring after 21 seasons at West Point. Goalie JJ Cataldo leads the league in GAA (2.02) and saves percentage (.933), and sophomore defenseman Mac Gadowsky is having an all-star year, but he’s the only player with double-digit points right now.
Bentley
W-L-T (overall, conference): 10-5-2, 9-2-1
Conference points per game: 2.42 (1st)
Offense ranking: 3rd
Defense ranking: 1st
Power play ranking: 3rd
Penalty kill ranking: 5th
Recommendation: BUY. The Falcons are technically tied with Sacred Heart for first place but have three games in hand and are the only Atlantic Hockey America team averaging over two conference points per game. Bentley currently has over a 50% chance of winning the regular season title. Defense wins titles, and Bentley has the best in the conference led by goaltender Connor Hasley, who already has four shutouts this season.
Canisius
W-L-T (overall, conference): 5-11-2, 5-5-2
Conference points per game: 1.55 (6th)
Offense ranking: 6th
Defense ranking: 9th
Power play ranking: 2nd
Penalty kill ranking: 9th
Recommendation: SELL. Canisius is winless in its last four and has just two wins since Nov. 8. If the Golden Griffins want to move up in the standings, they will have to be road warriors – only five home games are left, with 12 games away from Harbor Center. Forward Matteo Giampa, last year’s Rookie of the Year, leads the team in most offensive categories as expected.
Holy Cross
W-L-T (overall, conference): 8-8-1, 7-4-1
Conference points per game: 1.67 (5th)
Offense ranking: 5th
Defense ranking: 2nd
Power play ranking: 7th
Penalty kill ranking: 1st
Recommendation: BUY. Holy Cross was my pick to win the league and I’m sticking with that. The Crusaders need a more balanced scoring attack and if the offense picks up, they’ll be challenging for the regular season title. Forward Liam McLinskey and goalie Thomas Gale are living up to preseason expectations.
Mercyhurst
W-L-T (overall, conference): 2-15-3, 2-10-2
Conference points per game: 0.57 (11th)
Offense ranking: 8th
Defense ranking: 10th
Power play ranking: 4th
Penalty kill ranking: 11th
Recommendation: SELL. The Lakers have a lot to work on but they’re a young team that will improve. There’s some reason for optimism – the Lakers’ combined saves percentage is .911 despite its struggles defensively and on the penalty kill, for example. But Mercyhurst needs to cut down on shots against and hope that its 18 underclassmen continue to develop.
Niagara
W-L-T (overall, conference): 8-8-3, 7-4-2
Conference points per game: 1.85 (3rd)
Offense ranking: 4th
Defense ranking: 5th
Power play ranking: 6th
Penalty kill ranking: 7th
Recommendation: BUY. There’s a lot of upside here. Trevor Hoskin, a Calgary draft pick, is a candidate for Rookie of the Year, and goalie Pierce Charleson, a transfer from Alaska (and before that, Michigan State), has provided stability between the pipes. Coach Jason Lammers has a way of getting his team deep into the playoffs year in and year out. Will this be the year the Purple Eagles win it all? It’s not out of the question.
Rochester Institute of Technology
W-L-T (overall, conference): 4-14-1, 3-8-1
Conference points per game: 0.75 (10th)
Offense ranking: 7th
Defense ranking: 11th
Power play ranking: 8th
Penalty kill ranking: 4th
Recommendation: SELL. While the Tigers snapped an eight-game unbeaten streak in their final outing of the first half, they’ll need to find a solution for goaltending/defense issues. The offense has picked up lately with Tyler Fukukusa leading the league in total points and Matthew Wilde first in the conference in points per game.
Robert Morris
W-L-T (overall, conference): 8-7-2, 5-5-1
Conference points per game: 1.5 (7th)
Offense ranking: 1st
Defense ranking: 3rd
Power play ranking: 1st
Penalty kill ranking: 6th
Recommendation: BUY. Coach Derek Schooley has built a contender in only their second year back. The sophomore line of Walter Zacher (17 points), Tanner Klimpke (17 points), and Cameron Garvey (13 points) are one of the top lines in the conference, and the Colonials have a favorable schedule in the second half, with 10 out of 15 games at home and games in hand on most teams.
Sacred Heart
W-L-T (overall, conference): 9-7-3, 8-5-2
Conference points per game: 1.93 (2nd)
Offense ranking: 2nd
Defense ranking: 8th
Power play ranking: 9th
Penalty kill ranking: 8th
Recommendation: BUY. There’s too much talent and experience to bet against the Pioneers, the preseason favorite to win the league. Coach CJ Marottolo has used the transfer portal well, with SHU’s top four scorers all coming in this year or last from other programs, including Maine transfers Félix Trudeau (20 points) and Reid Pabich (12 points). Rookie goaltender Ajeet Gundarah (.912 SV%) looks to have won the starting job.
Penn State’s Dylan Lugris celebrates a goal last Thursday against Army West Point (photo: Penn State Athletics).
The first half of the Big Ten season is in the books and there have been a few surprises along the way, setting up an interesting second-half sprint to the conference playoffs.
As we head into the holiday break, here are some thoughts about each team.
Minnesota 15-3-2 (8-1-1 B1G)
The Golden Gophers had a golden first half – until they ran into the Spartans last weekend, that is. Anyone watching that series realized that Minnesota and Michigan State are contenders for the national championship, and there’s no doubt that coach Bob Motzko’s squad will use the tie and loss to propel them in the second half.
The Gophers earned one point in last weekend’s series and are still five points ahead of second-place Michigan State. Yes, the Minnesota has played two more games than have the Spartans, but that would be immaterial if the Gophers hadn’t done so much with their first eight B1G games. Their 5-3 loss Saturday was their first in conference play this season.
They’re deep at every position. They’re in a three-way tie for the top offense in the country, averaging 4.00 goals per game. They’re in a three-way tie for the seventh-best defense 2.00). Their special teams can improve, but that can be said of many B1G teams.
I go back to something Motzko said in November: “You don’t win championships early, but you can lose them.” The Gophers have done all they can in the first half to embrace that.
Minnesota begins the second half with a pair of home games against Mercyhurst (Jan. 3-4), and the Gophers return to Big Ten play on the road against Ohio State Jan. 10-11.
Michigan State 13-2-1 (6-2-1 B1G)
The Spartans are the most tenacious, diligent, and adaptive team playing college hockey right now. As coach Adam Nightingale put it in his radio show this week, “We can wear teams down and we can come back.”
This is a team that applies what it learns from every game to every subsequent game. After losing 3-0 to Boston College Oct. 11, Michigan State won their next nine games, stopped Dec. 6 in a 4-0 loss to Wisconsin. With just those two losses on the season, the Spartans are second only to Boston College in the PairWise Rankings.
Michigan State is fifth in the nation in offense (3.44), tied for fourth in defense (1.88) and does better than most B1G teams in special teams (.820 PK/25th, (.244 PP/12th). Like the Gophers, the Spartans are balanced and deep.
And how much fun is Isaac Howard this season? The junior – a first-round draft pick of Tampa in 2022 – had eight goals in 36 games last season. He’s at nine already this season, and he’s one of the most dynamic players in the league.
Like the Gophers, the Spartans have taken care of business well in the first half, setting Michigan State up for a run at the conference championship. The Spartans return to action in the Great Lakes Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 29 when they face off against old CCHA rival Northern Michigan. That tourney features all Michigan teams, so Michigan State will play either Western Michigan or Michigan Tech Dec. 30.
There’s little rest for the Spartans following the GLI. They’ll host Wisconsin Jan. 2 before the teams meet again Jan. 4 as part of the Frozen Confines in Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Wisconsin 7-10-1 (5-7-0)
After a 2-5-0 start to the season in October, Wisconsin has clawed its way back to tie with Michigan State for second in the Big Ten standings. A key difference: the Badgers needed four more conference games than the Spartans to do that.
Wisconsin’s start puts the Badgers in a tough position going into the second half. Wisconsin is one of three B1G teams that does not control its own conference destiny. The Badgers can’t be guaranteed a slice of the Big Ten regular season championship even if they win out in the second half.
Chasing standing in the Big Ten isn’t Wisconsin’s only concern. Currently the Badgers sit at No. 25 in the PairWise Rankings. Wisconsin’s only way into the NCAA tournament may be clinching the playoff title.
The Badgers split a road series with Michigan to end the first half, blanking the Wolverines 4-0 before losing 3-2 in OT the following night. Coach Mike Hastings delivered a very Wisconsin one-liner following that loss: “That last one, uff da, is that hard to swallow.”
Since the start of the season, Wisconsin’s played nine overtime games (3-5-1).
The Badgers are the first B1G team to play following the break, as they defend their Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff title in Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Wisconsin plays Ferris State Dec. 28 and either Alaska or Connecticut the following night.
Ohio State 13-4-1 (6-2-0 B1G)
The Buckeyes may be the biggest surprise of the season. With 16 points, the Buckeyes end the first half of the season in fourth place, three behind the tied Badgers and Spartans, eight points out of first place.
Ohio State heads into the break with a four-game Big Ten win streak, having swept Notre Dame last weekend and Penn State the weekend before. The Buckeyes also have a sweep of Wisconsin to their credit, but their two losses came to Michigan State – and eight of their remaining games are against Minnesota and Michigan, collectively.
Buckeyes coach Steve Rohlik has said all season that this Ohio State team wins by committee, and that was true of every position including goaltending until recently. Logan Terness and Kristoffer Eberly had been splitting duties, but Eberly has started the last four games. Eberly’s numbers put him among the top netminders in the country (.941 SV%/6th, 1.35 GAA/1st).
The Ohio State defense (1.94) is right behind Michigan State’s and the Buckeyes’ penalty kill (.843) is the best nationally among B1G teams.
Ohio State faces a tough second-half schedule, starting with a game against Michigan Jan. 3 in the Frozen Confines. The Buckeyes and Wolverines finish that series in Ann Arbor Jan. 5.
Michigan 11-6-1 (5-3-0 B1G)
When Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen pocketed his first career goal at 12:26 of the second period in Michigan’s overtime win against Wisconsin last weekend, he was the first Wolverine to score since 4:22 in the second period of Michigan’s win over Western Michigan Nov. 30.
That scoring drought spanned over 11 periods of hockey and encompassed three whole games in which the Wolverines were kept off the scoresheet, the first time that had happened to a Michigan team since 1942-43.
Before all of that nonsense, the Wolverines were averaging 4.00 goals per game, third in the nation. They dropped to 23rd (3.00) after a pair of shutout losses to Minnesota followed by that 4-0 loss to Wisconsin.
After getting scoring last Saturday – and a win – coach Brandon Naurato said, “Everything that may not be going right from this first half I think can be corrected with just individual growth. Michigan’s been a second-half team.”
And he’s right about that. It would be foolish to count the Wolverines out of anything in the second half of the season. They have deep talent and – shutout losses not withstanding – a knack for outscoring opponents even when they allow too many goals against to expect a win.
Michigan’s first series back is the one against Ohio State, starting with the game in Wrigley Field Jan. 3.
Notre Dame 6-12-0 (1-9-0 B1G)
The Fighting Irish are struggling to find consistency in every position and in every situation, leaving Notre Dame in a tough spot heading into the second half.
The Irish went 3-7-0 in November, including a 1-7-0 record in conference play. That month also saw a seven-game losing streak that Notre Dame ended with a 5-2 win over Havard Nov. 29 at the Friendship Four in Belfast, Ireland.
After that trip, coach Jeff Jackson said that he likes this team and thinks it has the potential to improve as the season progresses. “I like the group. I think we haven’t figured some things out on how we need to play.”
Everything from puck management to penalties to team defense has hampered Notre Dame’s game this season. In their single December series, the Irish lost 2-1 (OT) and 3-1 to Ohio State, allowing a power-play goal in each contest. The Buckeyes outshot the Irish 86-34 in the two contests.
The Fighting Irish are another team not in control of their own destiny in the second half. In the unlikely event that Notre Dame runs the rest of the Big Ten schedule, the Irish would still need significant help from other teams to finish higher than fifth place.
Next up for Notre Dame is a series against Penn State that begins Jan. 3 at the Frozen Confines. The teams will finish that series in South Bend Jan. 5.
Penn State 7-9-0 (0-8-0 B1G)
With the exception of a single loss to Quinnipiac early in the season, Penn State is perfect in nonconference play. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, none of that success has translated into Big Ten play, where Penn State is still looking for its first conference win.
The Nittany Lions ended the first half on an up note, defeating Army West Point 4-1 in the inaugural Capital Holiday Classic in Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals.
In advance of that game, coach Guy Gadowsky told reporters that the Nittany Lions need to improve in one very specific way. “I’m just going to be blunt,” said Gadowsky. “We have to be a lot more mentally tough than we are. We have to be mentally tougher to start the game, and then we have to be mentally tough to finish it when we fight back.”
John Seifarth (.918 SV%, 2.19 GAA) has emerged as the starting goaltender for Penn State, beginning with the Nittany Lions’ win over Colgate Nov. 26. Penn State swept that weekend and lost two to Ohio State in the next series and finished the first half with that win over Army.
Penn State opens the second half with that series against Notre Dame. Like the Fighting Irish and the Badgers, the Nittany Lions would need significant help to play their way up the Big Ten standings in the second half. Winning 15 of their 16 remaining conference games would get them to fourth place.
Happy holidays, everyone
I am ever grateful to everyone who supports USCHO and follows along for the Big Ten season, and to those of you who reach out to talk a little hockey. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and may 2025 be gentle to you.
Merrimack finished 2024 with a bang, scoring three times in the final period to knock off Northeastern 4-1 on home ice last Saturday night (photo: Merrimack Athletics).
When a team wins a lot, it’s common for players to speak highly of team chemistry. It’s not a popular topic when a team struggles.
That’s not the case with Merrimack.
Despite wrapping up the first semester with just five wins, the Warriors are feeling nothing but positive vibes entering the winter break.
“The biggest thing that stands out amidst a number of lows so far this first half, is the togetherness of our group,” said grad student forward Harrison Roy, who scored his first goal of the season last Saturday in a 4-1 home win vs. Hockey East foe Northeastern. “Before the season even started, (we) made an emphasis that we were going to stick together as a team no matter what the result is. So I give credit to our team. It’s not easy losing, and it’s a very competitive league. The most important thing (is) our ability to stay together. Nobody’s turning their backs on each other.”
The Warriors (5-10-1) have rallied around coach Scott Borek, who was forced to miss the last three games of the semester due to a respiratory illness. The school said on Saturday that Borek was on the mend but did not give a timetable for his return.
“Scott’s presence, not just as a coach but as a human, is immense,” said associate coach Dan Jewell, who has filled in for Borek behind the bench during the head coach’s absence. “We miss him being here dearly on a day-to-day basis. But his presence in the locker room oozes through every guy. It’s one of the funnest things working for Scott — and he would hate me saying ‘for’, which tells you about him — is just his personality, his values, his relationships. It emanates through our locker room.”
One bright spot for Merrimack this season was how it bounced back after a disastrous weekend at Maine on Nov. 1-2, in which the Warriors were outscored by an aggregate score of 11-0 over two games. The following week, Merrimack swept Connecticut in a home-and-home series by scores of 4-1 and 5-2.
“That Maine weekend, that was a line in the sand for us,” Roy said. “It’s hard to go into a place like Maine and not score any goals. (That’s) really challenging for a team. We made it a point that from there on out that it’s going (to be up to) each and every person to elevate their game. There have still been lows since then and highs since then, but like I said, the togetherness sticks out.”
Roy said he hopes the win vs. Northeastern will be a springboard to success for when the Warriors’ season resumes Jan. 3 at Army West Point (Atlantic Hockey America).
“I would say a lot of us haven’t necessarily played night in and night out according to our standard,” he said. “I think (vs. Northeastern) we got a better glimpse at, whenever everything’s going together, the success and opportunity that our team has to win games against really good teams.”
Jewell said what has worked well for Merrimack so far — mainly, the team’s camaraderie and its ability to handle adversity as a unit — will serve the team well in 2025.
“I give our leadership group, our older guys, a ton of credit,” Jewell said. “We’ve been on point. We’ve been on focus. We’ve (been through) a lot of adversity — injuries, lack of success in the win column — and this group has really been undeterred. They come to work on Monday. They’re ready to go.”
Merrimack returns to Hockey East play on Jan. 10 at Boston College, kicking off a home-and-home series.
Chase Clark made 34 saves on Dec. 6 for AIC in an OT loss to Holy Cross (photo: AIC Athletics).
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.
Jim: Well, Ed, we’ve officially reached the halfway point of the college hockey season, even if most of the teams out there haven’t played half of their collective games.
This seems like a good time to re-hash some of the biggest storylines from the first half of the college hockey season, and to no one’s surprise, the biggest story thus far seems to be the NCAA’s vote to allow players from the Canadian Hockey League – a.k.a. Major Junior – to play in college hockey.
To date, I actually don’t feel like the collective college hockey world has felt the seismic shift that this legislation should bring. In reality, we won’t hear about most of the related commitments from this decision until the offseason.
Do you have a feel for how much impact this will have?
We have speculated about it, and realistically the impact should hit American junior leagues the most. I am most interested in seeing the number of signings from leagues like the North American Hockey League and other smaller regional junior leagues. Will those numbers be significantly less than previous years?
What are your thoughts?
Ed: I think there will be a domino effect on the NAHL, and USA Hockey has met with that league and the other two it sanctions, the USHL and the NA3HL, to discuss what’s next. The same situation applies for Canadian leagues overseen by Hockey Canada, plus the independent BCHL.
However, I’m hard-pressed to give you a real prediction.
I do think it’s going to push some players who might have gotten a D-I scholarship to a D-III school. The signs of that are already happening.
Major Junior eligibility in the NCAA is limited to Division I, so anyone who plays college hockey in the U.S. from the CHL will have to go to the 63 programs that will be in D-I next season.
So far we’re not only seeing recruits who have transferred or are transferring to Major Junior from the USHL and BCHL, but also players who are being recruited who would not have had the opportunity to play college hockey. Each one of those players is going to bump someone who took what they thought was the only route for college hockey. And that’s going to hurt.
The problem is exacerbated by what appears to be a pending limit on roster sizes as a result of the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement, which is our second major storyline.
Jim: I think the House v. NCAA settlement is maybe the most concerning storyline for college programs.
Increasing the number of scholarships to 26 may be the best thing to happen to college hockey in a long time, but I also see limiting roster sizes to that same number of 26 players is very shortsighted.
The reality is that, while some programs can survive with 26 players, there isn’t a desperate need to cap the number of players that a school can enroll.
Think of this scenario for a university: you have a sport that today gives 18 scholarships and might have 30 on their collective roster. That school is getting the cost of 12 players enrolling in their school.
Now tell that same school you have to increase your scholarships by eight and you can no longer enroll those bonus students that boost the bottom line.
Those are all horrible formulas for some institutions. We are already seeing the issues at American International, a program that has become a mainstay in the AHA.
Ed: The situation at AIC is by far the saddest storyline for me so far this season.
Perennially an underdog with an underfunded program, American International brought in alumnus Eric Lang in 2016 after the retirement of longtime coach Gary Wright and committed resources to improve the Yellow Jackets. In Lang’s third season, AIC won the Atlantic Hockey regular season and championship and repeated the feat in 2021 and 2022. The team’s 2019 upset of No. 1 seed St. Cloud in the NCAA regionals and images of the celebration in the locker room are some of the great moments for small schools in D-I hockey.
Adding insult to injury was the abrupt cancellation of AIC’s game against Holy Cross on Dec. 7, 2024 because the Yellow Jackets did not have a healthy goalie to start the game.
Lang has been an advocate for larger rosters and cited the deep bench at AIC for that team surviving to the Atlantic Hockey championship game last season through a stretch that would’ve resulted in forfeits because of a plethora of injuries.
Sadly, AIC’s situation with injured players and a tight financial situation at the college highlights the possibility of haves and have nots in D-I hockey.
A report in Canadian media last week suggested that an OHL player might have been offered more than $1 million to leave Major Junior and sign with a top college program. What’s the scuttlebutt on that?
Jim: The story you reference was Boston College potentially paying an OHL player (reportedly Saginaw Spirit standout and probable 2025 first-round pick Michael Misa) $1 million or higher, but their athletic director Blake James emphatically denied this money is coming from BC.
By who? I can assure you, it is not Boston College. OHL Player Offered North of $1 Million To Play For Boston College https://t.co/7Dn2joZAQE
Regardless, one has to wonder when a storyline like this will become a reality.
If you can recruit a player and your competitive edge is money, why wouldn’t you leverage that. All of the provisions that were once in place have basically disappeared.
I always had concerns that one major donor could influence the recruiting process. We are so far beyond that now. And while the student-athlete certainly benefits, I can’t help but think that the overall college athletics landscape is about to suffer.
Do I sound like a curmudgeon at this point?
Ed: Maybe. But I’ve been accused of being a curmudgeon myself.
Money, in the form of name, image, and likeness (NIL), has been the catalyst for all of things people are complaining about.
Without NIL money, we don’t have the transfer portal issues. That came about because limiting transfers was seen as a restraint of trade and resulted in a lawsuit from 10 states, D.C., and the United States Department of Justice. Back in May, that resulted in a settlement with the NCAA that permanently ends previous restrictions on transfers.
Without NIL money, we don’t have the House v. NCAA settlement, which will include student-athletes getting revenue sharing and which will set boundaries for rosters and scholarships all across college athletics.
Without NIL money, we don’t have the lawsuit against 10 universities and the NCAA calling the restriction of Major Junior players a restraint of trade. And that’s especially significant because NIL bucks can dwarf the very modest stipends in the CHL and the arguments about amateur status have become a joke.
The old saying is that you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. Your guess is as good as mine where things go from here. But let’s hope the upheavals settle down.
Optimistically, schools of the right size can avoid the big money issues of Power 5 conferences and launch new programs. Pessimistically, all the money could chase programs out.
I’m opting to be a glass half-full kind of guy and I’m bullish on college hockey, especially after we get through the uncertainty of this current climate.
Michigan State celebrates a win over Minnesota Saturday night on the road (photo: Jim Rosvold).
With 31 first-place votes, Michigan State moves up two spots to once again sit as the top-ranked team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll.
Boston College picked up 15 first-place votes and remains No. 2, Minnesota, with three first-place votes, is down two to No. 3, Maine is up one to No. 4 with the last first-place vote, and Denver is down one to No. 5 this week.
Western Michigan stays sixth, Providence is again No. 7, Colorado College moves up two to No. 8, Michigan falls one to No. 9, and UMass Lowell remains 10th in this week’s rankings.
St. Cloud State falls out of the top 10, going from No. 9 to No. 12, while no new teams enter the latest poll.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 11 others received votes this week.
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.
They discuss Michigan State’s successful weekend against No. 1 Minnesota, likely placing them at the top of the rankings. They also explore North Dakota’s turnaround after sweeping St. Cloud State and their challenges to move up in the PairWise Rankings. The episode highlights the intense rivalry between Colorado College and Denver, and praises Wisconsin’s performance against Michigan. Additionally, the hosts analyze Hockey East’s strong presence within the PairWise Rankings, with seven teams in contention for the NCAA tournament, despite potential cannibalization in the second half of the season.
The hosts discuss the most surprising NCAA hockey teams from the first half of the season, highlighting standout performances from Long Island, Stonehill, Bentley, Lindenwood, and Augustana. They also preview upcoming holiday tournaments, including the Great Lakes Invitational, Kwik Trip Holiday Face Off, Ledyard Bank Classic, Coachella Valley Cactus Cup, and Desert Hockey Classic.
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and hosts
00:25 Michigan State vs. Minnesota Recap
02:32 Minnesota’s shootout struggles
04:49 North Dakota’s comeback
08:05 Colorado College vs. Denver in the Gold Pan
11:27 Wisconsin’s resurgence
14:19 Hockey East PairWise dominance
15:30 Biggest surprises of the season
21:37 Upcoming holiday tournaments
32:15 Final thoughts and holiday wishes
Jake Schmaltz celebrates his OT winner Saturday night for North Dakota (photo: Russell Hons).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
The first half of the men’s Division I college hockey season officially wrapped up this weekend. Here are 10 key takeaways from the weekend – and from the first half.
1. No. 3 Michigan State can score in bunches
If you were planning on writing off Sparty after their 4-0 loss and come-from-behind overtime win last weekend against Wisconsin, think again.
Michigan State proved this weekend their as poised as any team in the B1G to make a massive second-half run. And they did so with the explosive offense that this Michigan State team is becoming known for.
The third-ranked Spartans scored three second-period goals on Friday in a 3-3 tie at No. 1 Minnesota and then took the extra league point with a 2-0 shootout win. A night later, the explosiveness of the offense was even more magnified as Michigan State scored three goals in 2:51 and then added a late empty netter to win 5-3 and take five of six points on the weekend.
Sparty reaches the break at 13-2-1, the best record in the country, and will take a quick two-week break before returning to play in the annual Great Lakes Invitational.
2. No. 16 North Dakota sweeps No. 9 St. Cloud State, leaves most scratching their heads
For North Dakota to sweep a series never really shocks anyone.
This, of course, is a program that hasn’t finished a season below .500 since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. But this season has been anything but a landslide for this Fighting Hawks team.
Just last weekend, North Dakota was 7-7-1 and trailed Miami, a team winless in NCHC play, in the third period before rallying late for a 5-4 win.
Since that game, the Fighting Hawks have rolled off three more victories including this weekend’s sweep of No. 9 St. Cloud State, 2-0 and 4-3 in overtime. That team that was .500 two Fridays ago is now 11-7-1 and reaches the break sitting in second place in the NCHC standings.
They’ll get quite a break now, not playing another NCAA games until January 10 when they travel to Arizona State. There’s a lot of ground for them to make up if they want an NCAA bid as they currently sit 22nd in the PairWise. But certainly don’t write off the Fighting Hawks.
3. A split through the first two games of the Gold Pan series
It hasn’t felt competitive for a while, but the annual series between Denver and Colorado College, dubbed the “Gold Pan” series, may be experiencing a renaissance of sorts with the Tigers a more competitive team against in-state rival Denver.
Each team held serve this weekend in the first two of four games, with CC winning at home on Friday, 5-4, before the Pioneers returned the favor a night later, 2-1, at home in Denver.
The Pioneers actually hold a lopsided 15-2 mark in regular-season games against their rivals in the series over the last 17, including this past weekend. Lest we forget, though, that CC held the upper hand in their only playoff meeting, a 1-0 win over Denver in the NCHC tournament in St. Paul in 2023.
4. Minnesota State continues to be the team to beat in the CCHA
It seems every season we want to talk about a new king of the CCHA. But this year, like many in the past, we’re seeing a hot start from Minnesota State, which swept Lake Superior this weekend, 2-1 and 3-2 in overtime, to extend its winning streak to six and its unbeaten streak to 11 (9-0-2).
The Mavericks are the only team from the CCHA currently inside the top 16 of the PairWise and are five points clear of Michigan Tech in the standings.
If there is a team to keep an eye on in the second half of the season, though, its newcomer Augustana, which actually reaches the break with the second-best winning percentage in the CCHA. They have four games in hand on Minnesota State and Michigan Tech and are 12 points behind the Mavericks.
5. A sensational (albeit unrealistic) seven teams inside the PairWise cutline right now for Hockey East
Tell me if you’ve heard this story before. It’s the end of the first half of the season. We’re at the break point and Hockey East is dominating the PairWise.
It’s a familiar story from the last couple of years. This year, though, feels even crazier.
Right now, the top eastern conference boasts the second-best out-of-conference winning percentage and currently has seven teams inside the cutline in the PairWise.
Boston College is already looking like it could be a runaway No. 1 overall seed. Maine is third, Providence is sixth, UMass Lowell is eighth and Boston University (10th) rounds things out with five teams in the top 10.
Add in bubble teams New Hampshire (14th) and Connecticut (15th) and that’s seven teams inside the top 15.
Reality is that it is not really feasible for any conference to quality seven for a 16-team NCAA tournament (technically it is, but mathematically it is highly unlikely). But it’s a pretty nice position for a conference to be in at the break.
6. Bentley has been a pleasant surprise in the first half
The Bentley Falcons were picked first in the preseason Atlantic Hockey America coaches’ poll. They’ve reached the break, though, as one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Falcons are 9-2-1 in league play and have just three losses in their last 14 games.
Second-year coach Andy Jones’ group has been strong at home posting a 7-2-1 mark at Bentley Arena. The team is among the highest scoring teams in AHA, averaging 3.06 goals per game overall. But unlike many counterparts in the league that have strong offenses, Bentley is matching with a stingy 2.18 goals against per game overall and a 2.08 mark in league play.
The Falcons are tied atop the league standings with Sacred Heart (29 points) but have played three fewer games than the Pioneers.
7. ECAC Hockey standings looking a little different heading to break
We’re not one to call the ECAC predictable or boring. The league is anything but. But when you look at the standings in recent years, let’s just say things aren’t always close.
Last year, Quinnipiac won the regular season by 10 points. A year prior it was 11. Not exactly a barn burner down the stretch.
This season is shaping up a little differently thanks to Colgate. Second-year coach Mike Harder has his team playing well in conference of late, and they sit atop the ECAC at the break with 17 points. Quinnipiac is a single point behind with 16, but it is the third-place team, Clarkson, that has a lot of eyes opened. The Golden Knights are two points back but hold two games in hand on the Bobcats and Raiders.
Lots of hockey to play, but this might be the year that the Cleary Cup isn’t decided until the final night of the regular season.
8. NIL money is sparking concern in college athletics, and hockey isn’t immune
We’ve all heard the term NIL – which stands for Name, Image and Likeness. It’s the vehicle through which college athletes across all Division I sports can be compensated for their respective schools using their name, image or likeness.
What we haven’t heard is how this will impact college hockey.
The reports aren’t deep in hockey compared to sports like men’s football and basketball, which annual deals with players are in the seven figures.
There were reports on Twitter/X this week that Boston College might be offering a potential student-athlete (reportedly Saginaw Spirit superstar Michael Misa) $1 million to play for the Eagles instead of staying in the Ontario Hockey League, something that was immediately refuted by BC athletic director Blake James.
By who? I can assure you, it is not Boston College. OHL Player Offered North of $1 Million To Play For Boston College https://t.co/7Dn2joZAQE
But it begs the question of when big-time money will infiltrate college hockey like it has football and basketball to this point.
9. We still aren’t seeing the full potential of the ruling that allows CHL players
If you’re a college hockey fan and, unless you’re hiding under a rock, you know that the NCAA has ruled that players who have played in the Canadian Hockey League – known to many as Major Junior – can now play college hockey with full eligibility (pending passing the NCAA clearinghouse).
And while this ruling came in November, we haven’t really seen the full fallout of this decision to this point. Players aren’t committing en masse, at this point, though that could change as we approach various NCAA signing deadlines.
How many players will matriculate to the NCAA ranks is clearly unknown. But it does seem like coaching staffs have been aggressively recruiting in the CHL since the decision about a month ago.
This offseason promises to be one with plenty of drama. Get your popcorn ready to watch.
10. When will we see the impact of roster limits?
Again, if you’re followed college hockey this first half of the season, you’re quite familiar with the potential House v. NCAA settlement that is being negotiated in Congress.
The impact on college hockey could be a roster limitation for Division I men’s hockey at 26 players. Many might think this won’t impact many teams, but we’ve already seen the fallout.
AIC is moving its program back to Division I because of the limitations it creates on the school, which often carries north of 30 players. That’s a loss of tuition revenue for the school.
But we’ve also seen teams play very shorthanded this season at times, something that roster limitations could further exacerbate.
Minnesota played on Friday with just 10 forwards and lost one to a game misconduct penalty further limiting the roster. The aforementioned AIC team couldn’t play last Saturday against Holy Cross due to the lack of a healthy goaltender.
Pending legislation, reportedly, wouldn’t just limit the roster size but could also preclude teams from adding players midseason, a massive mistake in a sport that is prone to injury troubles.
Plenty more to shake out from this, but as we approach the midway point, something to keep a close watch upon.
No. 9 St. Cloud State (10-7-0)
12/13/2024 – No. 9 St. Cloud State 0 at No. 16 North Dakota 2
12/14/2024 – No. 9 St. Cloud State 3 at No. 16 North Dakota 4 (OT)
No. 10 Colorado College (10-5-1)
12/13/2024 – No. 4 Denver 4 at No. 10 Colorado College 5
12/14/2024 – No. 10 Colorado College 1 at No. 4 Denver 2
No. 10 UMass Lowell (10-4-2)
12/09/2024 – No. 10 UMass Lowell 2 at No. 2 Boston College 3
No. 12 Minnesota State (14-4-2)
12/13/2024 – Lake Superior State 1 at No. 12 Minnesota State 2
12/14/2024 – Lake Superior State 2 at No. 12 Minnesota State 3 (OT)
No. 13 Boston University (9-6-1)
12/11/2024 – No. 13 Boston University 4 at RV Massachusetts 2
12/13/2024 – U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team* 5 at No. 13 Boston University 7
No. 14 Cornell (5-3-3)
Did not play.
No. 15 Ohio State (13-4-1)
12/13/2024 – RV Notre Dame 1 at No. 15 Ohio State 2 (OT)
12/14/2024 – RV Notre Dame 1 at No. 15 Ohio State 3
No. 16 North Dakota (11-7-1)
12/13/2024 – No. 9 St. Cloud State 0 at No. 16 North Dakota 2
12/14/2024 – No. 9 St. Cloud State 3 at No. 16 North Dakota 4 (OT)
No. 17 Dartmouth (6-3-2)
12/13/2024 – RV New Hampshire 3 at No. 17 Dartmouth 3 (OT)
Concordia stretched its win streak to four games with a sweep of Gustavus. (Photo Credit: Katelyn Cardinale/Concordia Athletics)
Concordia accomplished what no opponent could do over the last six games – beat Gustavus.
The Falcons ended the Gusties’ six-game winning streak on Friday with a 3-2 win and then capped the weekend with an 8-6 victory on Saturday.
Concordia has suddenly become one of the hotter teams in the process, with its own win streak now at four games.
Down 3-2 after one, the Falcons and Gusties were tied at 5-5 after two. A big third period then sealed the deal on the win.
Six different players tallied an assist while Seth Bergeron came through with a pair of goals as he helped the Falcons improve to 7-6. Cameron Hrdlicka finished with 19 saves.
In Friday’s game, Hrdlicka made 25 saves while the Falcons overcame a 2-0 deficit to notch the victory. Concordia scored all three of its goals in the third, with Garrett McArthur scoring the game winner with less than three minutes to play.
Concordia is the winner of four in a row for the first time since 2021 and this is the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Falcons have a winning record in the fall semester.
Milestone Win
Aurora finished off a sweep of Hamline Saturday with a 4-1 win and the victory was a big one for head coach Jason Bloomingburg, who earned his 100th career win.
Hassan Akl scored a goal and dished out two assists to help lead the way for the No. 5 Spartans while Landry Schmuck and Jacob Brockman tallied two assists apiece. Matt O’Donnell stood tall in goal, racking up 26 saves.
The Spartans dominated the final two periods on Friday night in an 8-2 win, scoring seven of their eight goals in that time. Schmuck and Chayce Schmidt fueled the offense with two goals apiece
Schmuck also dished out an assist while Jacob Brockman tallied a goal and two assists. Schmidt finished with three points as well as he notched an assist.
Aurora is 9-2 and heads into the Christmas break on a four-game win streak.
Rivals split series
UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire took turns finding the win column in their weekend WIAC series.
The Pointers blanked the Blugolds 4-0 on Friday before falling 5-2 on Saturday.
No. 15 Stevens Point won the strength of Alex Proctor’s second consecutive shutout and Andrew Poulias’ stellar showing in his 100th career game.
Poulias finished with two goals and an assist while Proctor made 27 saves.
Saturday’s game was a little different as the Blugolds blew the game open in the third period, scoring three times to secure their second win over a ranked opponent this season.
Kade Peterson scored the game winner with less than three minutes to play and the Blugolds added two more goals to finish things off. Max Gutjahr recorded 24 saves as Eau Claire won its first game over Stevens Point since January of 2023.
Stevens Point is 6-4-1 overall and 3-2-1 in the WIAC while Eau Claire is 5-6-1 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Ranked Falcons salvage series
No. 13 UW-River Falls didn’t come out of the weekend empty handed as it won 3-2 in overtime on Saturday in the finale against UW-Stout. The Blue Devils won Friday’s opener by a 4-3 score.
River Falls improved to 7-4 overall and 3-3 in the WIAC after snapping a three-game losing streak thanks to a game-winning goal by Cole Telecki. It was his third goal of the season.
Max Collette and Jonny Meiers tallied two assists apiece and Brennan Boynton recorded 29 saves for his seventh win.
River Falls led 2-0 after two periods but the Blue Devils answered with two goals in the third to force OT.
The Blue Devils head into Christmas at 5-5-1 overall and 2-3-1 in league play.
Superior stays in first
UW-Superior is atop the WIAC standings going into Christmas after dominating Northland 8-1 on Saturday.
The eight goals are the most by the Yellowjackets in a game since 2018. Superior improved to 8-3-1 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
Justin Dauphinais helped lead the way as he scored a goal. It’s the fifth consecutive game in which he’s found the back of the net.
Reed Stark also scored and has come through with a goal in four consecutive games, leading to his team-best total of eight.
Austin Paul tallied two goals and Zach Lussier recorded a goal and two assists. Jan Skorpik made 25 saves on his way to his second win of the year.
Northland has yet to win a game this season and is still searching for its first win since Oct. 27, 2023, when it beat Lawrence 3-2 in overtime. The losing streak is currently at 37 games. Logan Gallagher scored the opening goal of the game for Northland
It’s still Trine time
Sean Henry stole the show for the sixth-ranked Thunder in their 6-1 win over Buffalo State Saturday night.
Trine won Friday’s game 6-5 in overtime, and with the sweep, the Thunder are now 12-1-1.
Henry dominated the night as he scored a pair of goals and recorded two assists to help Trine improve to 4-0 in the state of New York this season.
Christian Wong-Ramos made 18 saves for Trine, which has won its last three.
Friday was far more interesting as Trine had to overcome a 5-2 deficit.
Brendan Hill scored two goals during the comeback and finished with three goals in all. Michael DiPietra came through with the game winner a little over two minutes into overtime. Tyler Blanchard added a goal and assist while Ronnie Petrucci earned the victory in goal, playing the final 28:43 and making eight saves.
Six in a row
Adrian kept its win streak intact and picked up two conference victories along the way with a sweep of MSOE.
The Bulldogs won 5-2 on Friday and 7-5 on Saturday as they stretched their winning streak to six games. They are 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the NCHA.
Frank Tafelski and Patrick Saini scored two goals each while Ben Loreto added a goal and an assist. Connor May dished out two assists.
Nolan Duggs got his first start in goal, picking up the win on the strength of 24 saves.
MSOE led 2-1 after one but trailed 5-3 going into the third. Jackson Hughes and Carson Jones each had a goal and assist for the Raiders. Ethan Mann and Rylan Jockims each finished with two assists.
The Raiders are 3-7-1 overall and 2-6 in the NCHA.
Adrian won Friday’s game by a 5-2 score thanks to Ryan Pitoscia, Ian Amsbaugh and Matt Couto all tallying a goal and an assist.
Trey Augustine made 24 saves in Michigan State’s 5-3 win over Minnesota (photo: Jim Rosvold).
With four third-period goals, Michigan State surged ahead of Minnesota for a 5-3 win Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn. With the two points they picked up in Friday’s 3-3 tie and shootout, the Spartans earned five of six on the road from the Golden Gophers and climbed into second place in the Big Ten.
At 3:21 in the third, Brody Lamb gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead on the power play, but the Spartans answered with three quick goals in just under three minutes in the middle of the period.
Isaac Howard’s second of the game from Maxim Štrbák at 11:08 cut Minnesota’s lead to a goal. Štrbák tied the game at 13:06, and Charlie Stramel had the game winner at 13:59.
Savvy Savage collects his own rebound at the left post and feeds Stramel. Great pass by Russell to start the sequence too. 4-3 Spartans. pic.twitter.com/K3DdzlzKFU
Trailing 1-0 at the end of one, the Pioneers came from behind to beat the Tigers 2-1 at Magness Arena to take the second game of the Gold Pan series.
Aiden Thompson scored the tying goal, unassisted, at 2:35 of the second, and defenseman Cale Ashcroft’s power-play goal at 5:28 in the third put Denver ahead for good. The goal was the second of the season for Ashcroft and the third of his career.
Kaidan Mbereko stopped 22-of-24 for Colorado College. With 29 saves, Matt Davis earned his 13th win of the season as the Pioneers improve to 14-4-0 on the season, 4-4-0 in NCHC play.
No. 8 Michigan 3, Wisconsin 2 (OT)
With goals by Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, Garrett Schifsky and Michael Hage, the Wolverines beat the Badgers 3-2 in overtime, breaking a four-game losing streak and earning a weekend split with visiting Wisconsin.
Michael Hage had the winning goal at 1:21 in OT, his fourth game-winner of the season.
After a scoreless first period, Rhéaume-Mullen netted his first career goal to open the scoring for Michigan at 12:26 in the second period, breaking another streak for the Wolverines – a span of over 11 periods of play in which Michigan was held scoreless.
Rheume-Mullen with his first career goal and Michigan gets the monkey off its back pic.twitter.com/x919MZC7mb
Prior to Rhéaume-Mullen’s goal, the last Wolverine goal scored was Hage’s game-winning goal at 4:22 in the second period Michigan’s 2-1 win over Western Michigan Nov. 30.
The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead when Schifsky scored with less than a minute to go in the second.
Jack Horbach and Gavin Morrissey scored to tie the game for Wisconsin in the third, Horbach’s unassisted goal at 3:34 and Morrissey five minutes later.
Cameron Korpi made 26 saves in his fifth win of the season. Tommy Scarfone made 33 saves. The Wolverines outshot the Badgers 36-28.
No. 16 North Dakota 4, No. 9 St. Cloud 3 (OT)
In a game in which they never led until Jake Schmaltz scored the winner in overtime, the Fighting Hawks beat the Huskies 4-3, sweeping the series and extending their unbeaten streak to four games.
Grant Ahcan gave St. Cloud a 1-0 lead after one on his shorthanded unassisted goal at 11:42 in the first.
At 7:19 in the second, Jayden Perron tied the game for North Dakota. Later in the period, the teams scored power-play goals two minutes apart — Austin Burnevik for St. Cloud, Abram Wiebe for North Dakota – making it a 2-2 game after two.
Early in the third, Barrett Hall briefly gave the Huskies another lead, but Sacha Boisvert’s goal six minutes later knotted the game again.
St. Cloud’s Gavin Enright made 32 saves as the Fighting Hawks outshot the 38-26. T.J. Semptimphelter had the win with 23 stops.
No. 12 Minnesota State 3, Lake Superior State 2
Josh Groll’s seventh goal of the season – his second of the night – gave Minnesota State a 3-2 overtime home win against the Lakers and extended the Mavericks’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (9-0-2).
The Mavericks led 2-0 early in the first on goals scored less than a minute apart by Rhett Pitlick and Groll.
John Herrington’s power-play goal in the final minute of the second period brought the Lakers to within one, and Jacob Conrad’s late third-period goal sent the game to overtime.
The Lakers outshot the Huskies 36-29. Rorke Applebee stopped 26 for Lake Superior State. Alex Tracy made 34 saves in the win, his 14th of the season.
Michigan Tech 9, Bemidji State 5
Michigan Tech’s explosive six-goal third period lifted the Huskies to a 9-5 win over Bemidji State at the Sanford Center. With Friday’s tie, the Huskies earned four points on the weekend and improve to 7-3-2 in the CCHA.
Logan Morrell’s second goal of the night at 14:37 in the third was the sixth Huskies’ goal and the game winner.
The Beavers led 2-0 after the first on goals by Patrik Satosaari and Eric Martin, but the game was tied 3-3 by the end of the second period.
Satosaari’s second goal of the game gave the Beavers the lead again early in the third, but 47 seconds later, Elias Jansson evened it again for the Huskies, who scored three more straight to take a 6-4 lead by the 14:37 mark in the third.
In the final five minutes – in a span of one minute and 36 seconds – the teams combined for three more goals to bring the final score to 9-5.
Mattias Sholl made 22 saves on the 30 shots he faced in the Bemidji net. Derek Mullahy stopped 23-of-28 in the win for the Huskies.
Between the two teams, 21 players registered at least a point on the night. Michigan Tech’s Stivan Sardarian led everyone with a goal and four assists. For the Huskies, Morrell and Jansson each had two goals and an assist. Bemidji’s Jackson Jutting also netted two goals and an assist.
Minnesota goalie Nathan Airey faces a shot from Michigan State’s Tommi Männistö in Friday night’s game (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Brodie Ziemer scored two goals, including the game-tying goal at 11:06 of the third period, as No. 1 Minnesota played to a 3-3 tie with No. 3 Michigan State Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn.
Brody Lamb also scored for the Gophers, while goaltender Nathan Airey finished with 29 saves.
The Spartans were led by goals from Tiernan Shoudy, Tanner Kelly and Karsen Dorwart and 40 saves from Trey Augustine.
The Gophers started game with only 10 forwards, one of which was a defenseman skating as a forward. Nick Michel was later ejected on a major head contact penalty, meaning Minnesota skated the rest of the game with just nine forwards.
Colorado College rallied from a 3-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals and defeat Denver 5-4 to take game one of the Gold Pan series in front of a record crowd of 3,952 at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Denver jumped on the board with a pair of short-handed goals late in the first period to take a 2-0 lead at the first intermission by Samu Salminen.
Salminen opened the scoring at the 16:37 mark of the opening frame. Salminen stole the puck from CC’s Ryan Beck in the Tigers zone and was all alone against goalie Kaidan Mbereko (25 saves). Salminen put a shot between Mbereko’s legs for a 1-0 lead.
Salminen doubled the lead with his second shorty of the first period with 47.7 seconds remaining. DU goaltender Matt Davis (34 saves) sent the puck to Salminen, who led a 3-on-1 charge. Salminen’s first shot from the right circle was saved by Mbereko, but Salminen sent the puck towards the crease from behind the net and it went in off Mbereko’s stick.
Carter King made it 3-0 at the 11:49 mark of the second period. Jack Devine found King all alone in front and King beat Mbereko with a backhander.
The Tigers roared back with a pair of goals later in the middle frame. Gavin Lindberg scored from the left circle after Davis saved a shot from the right point by Stanley Cooley at the 15:38 mark, and then Ryan Koering scored his first career goal at 17:46. Gleb Veremyev and Noah Laba were on the doorstep trying to control a loose puck, which slid out the Koering at the left circle and he put it in an open net.
Owen Beckner made it three straight goals for Tiger freshmen with a power-play goal at the 4:13 mark of the third period. He took a pass from Beck and fired a one-timer past Davis for his third goal of the season.
Chase McLane scored his third of the season to give CC its first lead at 9:33 of the final frame. Max Burkholder sent a cross-ice pass to McLane, who beat Davis from the left side of the net. Drew Montgomery then scored what turned out to be the game winner at the 14:51 mark. Bret Link made an outstanding individual move at the red line to create a 2-on-1 and he found Montgomery free in front of the net.
Devine scored at the 16:03 mark with Davis on the bench in favor of an extra attacker for the final goal of the game as CC held on for the final 3:57 with Davis on the bench.
Friday marked the first of four regular-season games between the in-state rivals for the Gold Pan. The Pioneers currently hold the trophy, while the Tigers need to win the season series outright to take it.
Wisconsin 4, No. 8 Michigan 0
Four different players scored and Tommy Scarfone pitched a 23-save shutout as Wisconsin blanked Michigan 4-0 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"Another brilliant piece of goaltending from that young man."
Carter Wilkie and Jake Livanavage scored the Fighting Hawks’ goals.
St. Cloud State goalie Gavin Enright made 29 saves.
No. 12 Minnesota State 2, Lake Superior State 1
Luc Wilson scored both goals, including the game winner at 7:21 of the third period, as Minnesota State edged Lake Superior State 2-1 from the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minn.
Fin Williams sets up Luc Wilson for a @MinnStMHockey goal! Mavericks take a 1-0 lead.
Jack Suchy has played a big role in Gustavus’ success on the ice. (Photo provided by Gustavus Athletics)
Jack Suchy is enjoying the chance to play college hockey in his home state one final time, and the experience has been made even better by the fact that Gustavus is on a roll.
After starting the season 0-3, the Gusties have won six in a row, surging to the top of the MIAC with a 5-1 record. They are 6-3 overall.
“It was a slow start, but I don’t think there was any question of how good we were,” the senior forward said. “After getting that win (6-5) over St. Olaf, we haven’t looked back. We have to keep playing like that.”
Suchy has played a key role in the early-season success, leading the team in goals (6) and ranking second in assists (7). He’s two goals shy of matching his best for a season and has already tied his career-best in assists.
“It’s going good, but I’m very tough on myself on how I play,” Suchy said. “We have four lines all playing their best. Everyone is doing their job. And for me personally, I have found some success and have to keep doing the little things that have put in a position to score those goals.”
Being from Minnesota, hockey just seemed like a natural fit for him.
“It’s tough not to play hockey in Minnesota,” Suchy said.
Of course, he did other sports.
“I play golf for fun to kind of take my mind off hockey and I also played lacrosse. But hockey is big here and it’s a part of who we are in Minnesota.”
And staying close to home has been a bonus for him.
“It’s super cool. A lot of friends and family either had a sibling or parent that went to Gustavus,” Suchy said. “When I came to the campus, I fell in love with it. It has a great rink and being close to home, my parents and grandparents don’t miss many games. I’m cherishing the last few months I have here.”
Suchy finished with seven points in his first year, including four off goals but managed only two goals and two assists in year two. But he came through with eight goals and seven assists last season and has carried that momentum into this year.
“I’ve worked a lot on my quickness getting up and down in the ice, especially in our conference. Every night is fast,” Suchy said. “I’ve also tried to be more aggressive, shoot the puck more, and if I don’t have the puck, find spots to be open. I’ve also done my best to lead by example.”
The thing that has kept him playing this game for as long as he has is that nothing is ever the same on the ice.
“I love the unpredictability of it,” Suchy said. “It’s sort of a chess match. You have to use your mind and IQ to get the upper hand, and I love how this game always changes. It’s never the same.”
While Gustavus is in great shape as the Christmas break approaches, the MIAC is a tightly contested league where the ‘any given night mentality rings true.’
“It’s a good start, but we have to keep improving, and personally, I want to keep scoring goals or help any way I can on the scoresheet, blocking shots, taking hits. This is a tough conference and there is so much parity. You have to show up every night ready to play.”
USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger look at money lines and over/under for five games (plus our “pizza money” game) on December 13, 2024:
Wisconsin +190 @ Michigan -250; over/under 6.5
Notre Dame +114 @ Ohio State -145; o/u 5.5
Michigan State +124 @ Minnesota -160; o/u 6
St. Cloud State +120 @ North Dakota -154; o/u 5.5
Denver -188 @ Colorado College +145; o/u 6
Our “pizza money” bet is a futures bet for the 2025 Beanpot:
UW-Eau Claire will take on nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point this weekend. (Photo Credit: Zach Jacobson/UW-Eau Claire Athletics)
One final weekend of NCAA Division III hockey remains before Christmas and there are a handful of games on the slate. The MIAC and NCHA are both out of conference this weekend while the WIAC continues play within the league.
Let’s take a look at what is ahead and predict the outcomes.
Hamline (3-6) at Aurora (8-2)
The Pipers have won three of their last four and face their first nationally ranked team of the year as they take on the Spartans, who are ranked fifth in the USCHO.com poll.
Hamline is allowing a little over four goals per game and will need to be at its best defensively against the high-powered Spartans. Carson Simon leads the way on offense for Hamline with six goals and four assists.
Aurora has won its last and is unbeaten at home (2-0) this season. Eight times this season the Spartans have scored or more goals in a game. Hassan Akl was big time in the series against Lawrence, scoring five goals in the sweep last week, including a hat trick in one game. Aurora, 5-1 and 4-1
Concordia (Wis.) (5-6) at Gustavus (6-3, 5-1)
The Falcons have the tall order of facing the hottest team in the MIAC as Gustavus has won its last six games.
Jack Suchy has played a key role in the Gusties’ success, scoring six goals for a team that has been on point offensively during its streak. Gustavus has scored at least four goals in each of its last six wins.
Concordia is coming off a sweep of Dubuque and hasn’t been bad on the road, going 3-4. Devon Savignac is one to watch for the Falcons. He went off for three goals last weekend, including two off the power play, and keep in mind he’s only a freshman.
Concordia is certainly capable of winning this series, but I expect the streak to continue for Gustavus. Gustavus, 4-2 and 3-1
UW-Eau Claire (4-5-1, 3-1) vs. UW-Stevens Point (5-31, 2-1-1)
Stevens Point is unbeaten in its last three and three of the top five goal scorers in the WIAC play for the No. 15 Pointers, including Peyton Hart, who has come through with six goals. Dawson Sciarrino and Chris Engelbert have five goals apiece.
Eau Claire will be ready for the challenge, though, and is coming off a big win over then No. 10 UW-River Falls, shutting out the Falcons 3-0. Max Gutjahr has started nine games and has two shutouts on the year. He sports a 1.89 goals against average UW-Stevens Point, 4-2; UW-Eau Claire, 3-2
UW-River Falls (6-3, 2-2) vs. UW-Stout (4-4-1, 1-2-1)
The 14th-ranked Falcons are looking to get back on track after dropping their last two games.
Alex Atwill is one to keep an eye on for River Falls as he has tallied two goals and six assists on the year.
Stout is up against a ranked opponent for the second consecutive weekend and is going to make it tough for any team it plays. The Blue Devils played Stevens Point to a 2-2 tie last week and have the leading goal scorer in the WIAC in Nicolas Pigeon, who has scored seven goals. UW-River Falls, 4-2; UW-Stout, 3-2
UW-Superior (7-3-1, 4-1) at Northland (0-10, 0-5)
The Yellowjackets already have an early lead in this series after rolling past the Lumberjacks by a 6-0 score on Thursday at home.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Superior doesn’t come out of this thing with a sweep. And Northland has managed to score only 10 goals on the year while giving up 52.
Superior is playing really well and has kept its opponent off the scoreboard in three consecutive games. The Yellowjackets have a chance to win two in a row for the second straight week.
Jack Boschert has been solid in goal and has four wins on the year. He’s coming off his first career shutout and feeling good about the way he is playing. Offensively, Reed Stark continues to be a force, scoring seven goals and dishing out three assists. UW-Superior, 6-1
Trine (10-1-1) at Buffalo State (6-3)
The No. 6 Thunder earned a split with St. Norbert last week in a battle of nationally ranked teams and now hits the road for a big test out East. This will be Trine’s second trip to New York this season.
Christian Wong-Ramos has been a key part of Trine’s success, and he had a shutout against the No. 2 Green Knights, which says a lot about the kind of goalie he is. He made 58 saves in all against St. Norbert last week and gives Trine a chance to win every time he’s on the ice.
Buffalo State has lost two of its last three and is playing a team from the West for the first time this season. It will also be the Bengals’ second matchup against a ranked opponent. Trine, 5-3 and 4-2
Adrian (7-3, 4-2) at MSOE (3-5-1, 2-4)
The Bulldogs have won four in a row and head out on the road where they have yet to lose. Adrian is 4-0 away from home this season.
Ian Amsbaugh is having a great year for the seventh-ranked Bulldogs, tallying seven goals and 12 assists, and it appears Adrian seems to be starting to hits stride.
But playing the Raiders at their place is never easy. MSOE is 2-1-1 on its home ice this year and in a series against Trine earlier this year, the Raiders lost by one goal both times. It’s a sign this team will battle tough until the end. Adrian, 4-3 and 3-2
The hardest working team of the season are obviously Santa’s elves with such a condensed schedule and such – here’s to the other hard working group on the ice and some wishes for Santa to bring joy to D-II/III fans everywhere
Dear Santa – we all know the greatest team sport is the game of hockey! It is where “we” is more important than “I” and where everyone doing their job from the crease out makes the difference in consistent performance and results.
Wow, Big Guy, that kind of sounds like all your elves who always seem to put the “we” first. A group that massively delivers results around the world to the satisfaction of good children on the nice list and even manage to keep their coach (that’s you Santa) happy and mostly jolly for your annual around the world pilgrimage on Christmas Eve. No doubt that your team knows about self-sacrifice and dedication and commitment like all the players and coaches who are catching their breath over the holidays following an exhilarating first-half of hockey filled with dominant performances, abundant surprises, an extremely competitive landscape and of course, dreams and goals of conference glory and national championship invitations swirling in every team’s collective heads over the holiday season.
So, Jolly Old Elf, we will make sure there are ample milk and cookies awaiting your delivery schedule so painstakingly architected by your team with the expectation that you can deliver on the requests found in the balance of this letter prioritized as you and the elves like it – by conference and in alphabetical order.
CNE
With everyone having played eight games, the top three (Curry, Endicott, and UNE) are separated by just three points in the standings. Both Suffolk and Wentworth are within sight of the league leaders so let the second half produce some drama not just for the expected contenders but a great underdog story we can all climb aboard the Upset Express for. Goaltender CJ Hapward has found a home with the Suffolk Rams and proven he can backstop a team that believes into wins as evidenced by last weekend’s pair of 1-0 shutout victories over Johnson & Wales. Santa let’s make sure the battle for the 40th anniversary title is a memorable one with some excitement and surprises along the way.
The offensive statistical battles in the CNE are heavily weighted to the top three teams but the talent is worthy of the accolades they display on the scoresheet each game. Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov is seeking a third conference Player of the Year award which would cement his legacy among the best at Endicott and in the conference. Keep him and all his fellow competitors healthy so we can witness the winter magic they can all produce with a stick and puck in the second half.
Independent
After a slow start to the season, Keene State (who will play in the Little East next season) ended the semester on a three-game win streak leveling their record at 5-5-1. The fledging Owls are in their first season at the D-III level but coach Bobby Rodrigue has the boys playing with some pace and aggression as they have acclimated to the college game. Santa let’s do something for the little guy literally – Marcus Chrisafideis may only be 5’6” but he is on pace for a 20-goal season and over 30 points if he continues his torrid scoring from the first half. Let’s keep some magic in his stick for the second half where the Owls will face some perennial powers including Curry, Plattsburgh, and Amherst.
MAC
Santa, the MAC is something old and new as this year’s conference has expanded to eight teams and the champion receives and auto-bid to the NCAA tournament. Lots of motivation for all the teams who currently looking up at a Wilkes team that started fast. There is a lot of talent across these rosters and already Arcadia, Neumann, and Stevenson have shown they can be worthy contenders when they are on their game. Let’s bring the magic of the holidays forward into the second half where the point spread in the standings shrinks and creates some extra drama for playoff seeding and tournament matchups.
Stevenson’s Liam McCanney has represented excellence on the ice for the Mustangs garnering All-American honors in two of his seasons. Santa, all great players have that Century Club distinction and often in both games played and points. Let’s keep the Mustangs’ power forward on track for achieving both with room to spare which will help jump start Stevenson back into the battle for the top spot.
MASCAC
The Plymouth State Panthers entered the break in a customary position atop the MASCAC standings going a clean 5-0-0 to start the campaign. Both Fitchburg State and newcomers Anna Maria are not far back setting up an exciting race to challenge PSU’s recent dominance and multiple consecutive championships. Oh Santa, if any conference shows off your elfin work ethic it is the MASCAC where upsets astound with a great deal of frequency. Please keep this race wide open right to the bitter end and prove that the teams that want the title will need to go and take it from the incumbent who is not likely to part easily with their crown.
While PSU has a lot of front-end talent among the league leaders for offensive statistics, it is sophomore Collin Patterson from Massachusetts-Dartmouth who leads the league in goals and points (8G – 8A – 16 Pts) at the break. CP18 may be one of the most under-rated players at the D-III level but for anyone who has seen him knows he is dangerous anytime the puck and his stick meet. Santa keeps Mr. Patterson’s productive game on track for all to see and for the Corsairs to take advantage in moving up the MASCAC standings
NE-10
Assumption holds a small advantage in the conference standings entering the break where the top four teams are separated by just four points. Consistency across the board has been a challenge for many of the NE-10 teams who will need that disciplined approach to playing a full sixty minutes in the second half if they want to contend for a conference title in March. It always seems to be anyone’s title who wants to step up and grab it and the second half always plays out much larger than the first. Let’s keep things unpredictable on the ice Mr Claus so that even the playoff positions are highly contested.
Defenseman David Ciancio has had a first half where defense was far from all he did on the ice. The star blueliner for the Purple Knights is third in the conference in goals and sixth in assists at the break and combined with fellow D-man Case Kantgias, the two have combined for 24 points in the first half. Let’s make sure these 200-foot players have an excellent second half and keep St. Michael’s in the championship hunt.
NEHC
Hobart has continued their juggernaut roll like Santa attacking some freshly baked Christmas cookies with a cold glass of milk chaser. The Statesmen are 10-0-0 and are outscoring opponents by a 50-9 margin. While there is little or no chance a Mark Taylor team would ever become complacent, the rest of the league will surely be targeting their shot at the defending champions not only in the second half but also come playoff time. Let’s make sure the expanded NEHC in its final year as a conference displays the depth and talent we have come to expect in recent years.
Hey, Mr. Claus, two requests on the NEHC list for your consideration. First, forward Luke Chakrabarti from VSU-Castleton has shown great skill and scoring talent in his rookie season with the Spartans. While he leads the conference in scoring, please help him and his teammate Andrew Stefura continue to display the depth and ability that each team in the NEHC brings to the ice every night. Second, it probably should not be a surprise that the top five players in plus/minus are all from Hobart. Not sure this has ever happened for a full season but if the Statesmen continue to dominate in the second half, it would be great to have one of the most telling hockey team stats reflect that dominance.
NESCAC
The standings at the semester break are nothing short of intriguing as not only is Trinity not among the top five (largely due to games played or a lack thereof) but after Hamilton, Conn College, Colby, Bowdoin, and Williams are all in the upper echelon. Santa, if this could stay true with the roller coaster each weekend has brought to scoreboard watching, it certainly will be a great race for playoff eligibility and position along with a dynamic conference tournament. Please make it so as the parity among high-performing teams is as good as it has ever been in the NESCAC today.
Colby has certainly found their offense early with junior Reese Farrell and sophomore Jayden Grier (son of San Jose Sharks GM, Mike Grier) lighting the lamp early and often for the Mules. The duo has already combined for twelve goals with six apiece in the shorter first half seen by NESCAC teams so Santa, please keep this dynamic duo producing goals in volume and helping Blaise MacDonald’s squad to stay in the battle at the top of the standings.
SUNYAC
The eight team configuration for the conference this season has already produced some dramatic results with no team going unbeaten in the first half and Buffalo State holding the top spot based on an extra game played and won in conference action. The records are close as are the point gaps with only six points separating teams one through seven. This race could be the most interesting of all across conferences in the east so here is my request of the Big Red Elf, let’s continue the success in Buffalo and throw in a tough Fredonia squad to battle the usual suspects including Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Cortland.
They say there is no place like home and if that is true, then Santa you must really love the North Pole! Back to SUNYAC hockey for a moment and maybe some home cooking magic for Cortland that has been undefeated on the road and just 1-3-0 at home where the losses have included non-conference games with Adrian and Curry. Tough to contend if you can’t defend your own barn so, please help the Red Dragons regain their mojo on home ice in the second half.
UCHC
This season’s edition of the UCHC is quite different with just six teams and a clear-cut stratification with the top two of Geneseo and Utica and the rest of the league at the halfway mark. Things could certainly change after the holidays but if the two games played between the Pioneers and Knights last weekend are any indication of action to come then more, please- definitely, more. A college hockey game with zero penalties that had the crowd riveted – make sure this style for action makes the “nice list” requirements Santa as anyone will tell you the game is more fun when it is 5-on-5 and up and down the ice action.
Santa, as you know it is a team game and puck possession is so important to creating offense. With that in mind, it is incredible that Utica’s Jakob Breault is 200-87 (.697) at the dot for the Pioneers. He has 200 face-off wins which is almost 70 more than the next closest rival. Big guy you know I aspire in my prognostications to be 70% successful (still waiting on that gift) but it would be nice to share that success rate with Breault who is so close to an incredible number and face-off dominance.
Well, not too much asked for this year as we are already enjoying some great hockey and hard work shown by all the teams and coaching staffs who are definitely emulating the intensity, focus and urgency on display by Team Santa and the elves on the shelf and elsewhere. We all know you will be busy in less than two weeks but please make certain all of our D-II/III players and families enjoy the spirit of the holidays, whichever they celebrate and return to the second semester rested and ready for the sprint to the finish of the 2024-25 season.
Wishing all fans of the greatest of team sports the joy of the season and a healthy and Happy New Year!
