Boston College won both games over the weekend against Providence (photo: Meg Kelly).
With 36 first-place votes, Boston College takes over as the top-ranked team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll, moving up one spot in the rankings.
Michigan State falls one spot to No. 2, earning 13 first-place votes, while Western Michigan is up one to No. 3, Minnesota is down one to No. 4, getting the last first-place vote, and Denver is up two to sit fifth this week.
Maine is down one to No. 6, Providence drops one to No. 7, Boston University is up three spots to No. 8, Ohio State falls one to No. 9, and Michigan stays No. 10.
UMass Lowell drops out of the top 10, going from No. 9 to No. 12 in this week’s poll.
No new teams enter the poll this week.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 14 other teams 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.
Hockey East announced Monday that Maine graduate forward Ross Mitton has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 16:59 of the third period on Jan. 18 against UConn.
On the play, Mitton was assessed a major penalty for indirect contact to the head and a game misconduct.
Mitton is ineligible to play Jan. 31 against Northeastern and is able to return to the Black Bears lineup on Feb. 2 against UMass.
Michigan State players celebrate a goal in the Spartans’ 4-1 win over Michigan last Saturday night (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Michigan and Michigan State split home-and-home series
Fans went home happy as the top-ranked Spartans and No. 10 Wolverines each won in front of their home crowds.
In Friday’s 3-2 overtime win, Michigan was able to erase two Michigan State leads, eventually forcing extra time and winning the game on Garrett Schifsky’s eighth goal of the season exactly one minute into overtime.
Michigan State earned the split with a 4-1 win on Saturday at Munn Arena. Charlie Stramel had two goals and an assist, and Isaac Howard, who leads the nation in scoring, picked up three assists.
Saturday’s game was the 350th meeting between the two schools with Michigan holding a 182-144-24 advantage all-time.
2. Boston College sweeps Providence
We may have a new No. 1 team on Monday. While Michigan State lost on Saturday, Boston College completed a 3-0, 4-1 sweep over sixth-ranked Providence.
On Friday, Eagles goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped all 24 shots he faced for his fifth shutout of the season, tied with Bentley’s Connor Hasley for the most so far.
Boston College never trailed on Saturday. Ryan Leonard scored in both games, and his tally on Friday was his sixth game-winning goal of the season.
3. Western Michigan sweeps North Dakota
The Broncos took five of six points in Grand Forks, defeating the Fighting Hawks 3-2 in overtime on Friday, followed by a convincing 5-1 victory on Saturday.
Alex Bump scored twice on Friday for Western Michigan, including the game-winner just 14 seconds into OT.
Saturday’s game featured two more goals from Bump, who now leads the team with 11. Goalies Cameron Rowe (29 saves) and Hampton Slukynsky (24 saves) picked up wins.
The third-ranked Gophers cruised past the Irish in Friday’s 5-1 win, but Notre Dame picked up a pair of points on Saturday after a 3-2 overtime victory.
The Irish scored first on Friday, but then it was all Gophers behind Jimmy Snuggerud’s pair of goals, his team-leading 13th and 14th of the season.
Snuggerud would score again on Saturday, but the hero of the game was Notre Dame’s Blake Biondi, who got the game-winner 3:46 into overtime.
Black Knights coach Brian Riley, in his final season behind the Army bench, picked up his 250th career win in Friday’s 3-2 win over arch-rival Air Force.
The Black Knights, who scored 22 goals last weekend against Mercyhurst, picked up where they left off, scoring the game’s first three goals, and then held off a comeback attempt by the Falcons.
Saturday’s game saw Air Force leading 3-1 after two periods, but the Black Knights scored the final three goals, including Jack Ivey’s overtime tally.
It was the first Army sweep over Air Force at Tate Rink since 2008.
6. Michigan Tech and Minnesota State split
The No. 12 Mavericks won the opener, 5-2 behind 16 saves from Alex Tracy and five different goal scorers.
On Saturday, Michigan Tech picked up two points with a 1-0 overtime win.
After a scoreless 60 minutes, Isaac Gordon got the game-winner with a power-play goal 1:45 into OT. Rookie goaltender Ryan Manzella stopped all 31 shots he faced for his fourth win without a loss this season. It was the second Saturday in a row he posted a 1-0 shutout win.
This was just the second loss for Minnesota State since Nov. 1.
7. Arizona State moves into first place with a sweep of St. Cloud State
The Sun Devils’ first season in the NCHA is going well. Thirteenth-ranked Arizona State finds itself in sole possession of first place after a 6-3, 5-3 road sweep of Saint Cloud State.
The No. 15 Huskies led 3-1 on Friday before ASU scored five consecutive goals to seal the win.
On Saturday, a major penalty proved costly for the Huskies as Arizona State scored three goals on the ensuing power play.
Lukas Sillinger had a goal and an assist in each game, and is now three helpers away from the school record for career assists. He has scored multiple points in five straight games.
8. Sacred Heart solidifies first place in Atlantic Hockey
The Pioneers, which have never won an Atlantic Hockey regular season title, picked up six points in a convincing 5-2, 6-3 home sweep over American International.
Sophomore goaltender Cullen DeYoung was in net for both games for Sacred Heart, making a combined 49 saves, while nine different scorers lit the lamp for SHU with Felix Trudeau and Tyler Ghirardosi scoring twice.
With Bentley’s two losses this past weekend, Sacred Heart now leads Atlantic Hockey by seven points over the Falcons, who have two games in hand.
9. Stonehill upsets UMass Lowell
Junior defenseman Evan Orr scored the game-winner in overtime to lead the Skyhawks to a 3-2 win over ninth-ranked UMass Lowell.
It was the first victory for Stonehill over a ranked opponent in program history. The Skyhawks (8-19-0) are now 3-3 against Hockey East Schools this season.
Lowell held a 3-2 lead in the final minute before Teddy Lagerbeck tied the game with 38 seconds to go.
10. Nothing settled between Cornell, Quinnipiac
In the final of two meetings between ECAC contenders, Quinnipiac and Cornell skated to a 2-2 tie, followed by a Big Red shootout win.
The Bobcats held a 2-1 lead over two periods but Nick DeSantis’ goal midway through the third knotted things up, leading to a scoreless overtime and eventual shootout win for the visiting Big Red.
Quinnipac, which defeated Cornell at Lynah Rink back on Nov. 22, took four of six points in the season series.
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review games of the weekend and news of the week.
They look at Boston College’s impressive three-win week leading up to challenging games ahead, Western Michigan’s excellent form, and BU’s return to form are examined in depth. The analysis extends to the disappointing weekend for Providence and the need for a quick recovery. They also touch on Minnesota State’s prospects, Arizona State’s climb, and the Cinderella story of Stonehill’s upset win. The episode concludes with a buy-or-sell segment on potential NCAA rule changes, including a fifth-year eligibility discussion and whether a Major Junior player could win next year’s Hobey Baker Award.
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction
01:12 Boston College’s impressive week
03:11 Providence’s tough weekend
05:19 Western Michigan’s winning streak
11:31 Arizona State’s surprising success
18:01 UConn’s rise in Hockey East
20:51 Stonehill’s upset victory
24:35 Historic Weekend for Army hockey
26:38 Celebrating the Army/Air Force rivalry
28:35 Buy or Sell: NCAA tournament predictions
32:19 Debating conference strengths
35:31 Perennial powers in the NCAA tournament
38:37 CHL Players and the Hobey Baker Award
41:29 Fifth Year eligibility?
47:24 Conclusion and wrap-up
Austin Mourar and Hobart established a new NCAA unbeaten streak over the weekend as they moved to 15-0-0 with wins over Buffalo State and Fredonia (Photo by Adam Farid – Hobart and William Smith Colleges)
It was quite the weekend in the east as a new NCAA win streak record was established by Hobart, teams like Norwich, Trinity and Anna Maria displayed their game as they try to move towards the top of their conference standings and, of course, there were the requisite number of overtime and come-from-behind thrillers across the region. The end of January is upon us and teams look like they know that now is the time to ramp up the performance on the ice. Here is the wrap-up for a lot of exciting action in the east:
CNE
The league leading Curry Colonels played only once over the weekend and recorded a resounding 6-0 shutout win over Nichols to maintain their position at the top of the standings. Six different players scored goals in support of goaltender Shane Soderwall who stopped all 31 Bison attempts on goal for the shutout win.
Following a one-goal road loss in a non-conference game against Wesleyan on Tuesday, Endicott rebounded with a strong offensive showing in a 7-3 road win over Wentworth on Friday night. Primo Self led the attack with a goal and two assists while Jackson Sterrett, AJ Martinelli, Jack Costanzo, and Dominic Garozzo all chipped I with a goal and an assist each for the Gulls.
UNE kept pace with the league leaders by capturing a 4-2 win over Suffolk on Friday night at home. The Nor’easters and Rams were tied at 1-1 entering the third period before the home team broke out with three unanswered goals, including two on the power play, to ease to the win. Ryan Kuzmich paced the offense with one goal and two assists as the Nor’easters scored three times with the man advantage.
Johnson & Wales picked up an important conference win as the Wildcats erupted for five goals in the second period on Friday to capture a 5-2 road win over Western New England. Cam Martin, Sam Band and Bret Beale each scored a goal and added an assist in the win while goaltender Jake Inzirillo made 39 saves for J&W.
With just five weeks remaining in the regular season the CNE standings find Curry, Endicott, and UNE separated by just three points while teams four through six (Suffolk, J&W and Wentworth) are just two points apart heading down the stretch.
Independent
Keene State lost their first three contests coming out of the break to fierce competition in Plattsburgh, Amherst, and Curry before getting back on the winning side of hockey with a 3-0 decision over Nichols. On Saturday, the Owls extended the win streak to two with a hard-fought 2-1 win over WNEU. Peter Unger scored what proved to be the game-winner on the power play in the final minute of the second period and netminder Ben Skelton stopped 33 of 34 shots including twelve in the final period to preserve the one-goal win.
MAC
Stevenson and King’s played a two-game series where goals were very hard to come by for both teams. On Friday, Blake Benson gave the Mustangs a 2-1 lead midway through the third period, but Teodor Benno Vaage scored to tie the score at 2-2 with just 75 seconds remaining in regulation. No goals for either team in overtime led to a shootout where the Mustangs prevailed. If goals were few and far between on Friday night, then Saturday saw the drought deepen as neither team could find the back of the net until Graeme McCrory netted the game’s only marker with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation for a 1-0 win over the Monarchs. Goaltender Ford Deloss made 20 saves to earn the shutout win for Stevenson.
League leading Wilkes traveled to face Neuman in a two-game series and each team came away with important points and a win apiece. Friday night saw the Colonels jump out to a 4-0 lead with a pair of goals in each of the first two periods before the Knights fought back late in the second period and early third period. Three goals for the home team closed the gap but netminder Jack Perna held off the Knights making 29 saves in the win. On Saturday, Miles Harrington scored twice to help the Colonels rally for a 2-2 at the end of two periods of play but PJ Demitrio’s late goal and Tyler Inlow’s empty-net goal helped seal a 4-2 win for the Knights and split of the weekend series.
Arcadia returned to MAC play hosting a two-game series with Alvernia and swept the Golden Wolves for some key conference points. First period goals from Michael Hertzberg and Donnie Feldman would be all that goaltender Ryan Burgess would need in a 2-0 win. Burgess made 31 saves including 15 in the third period to pick up the shutout. On Saturday, neither team scored in the opening period before the Knights tallied three times in the second period with Connor Dennis, Drew Iannucci, and Feldman building a comfortable lead. Jude Cole sealed the 4-1 win and weekend sweep with an ENG in the third period.
Wilkes remains comfortably on top of the MAC standings with an eight-point lead over second place Stevenson. The Mustangs, Arcadia and Neumann are just three points apart while Lebanon Valley and Alvernia are tied just three points behind the Black Knights entering the final five weeks of league play.
MASCAC
Plymouth State extended their win streak and remained unbeaten in league play with wins over Worcester State and MCLA. On Thursday, the Panthers scored four times in the second period including two from Cameron Patton to ease to a 5-2 road win over the Lancers. Donte’ Diponio also scored a pair of goals while Will Redick chipped in with three assists for the Panthers. Returning home on Saturday, David Matousek, Brendan Doyle, and Colin Tracy provided all the offense senior goaltender Jameson Bourque would need in a 3-1 win over the Trailblazers. Bourque picked up the win in his first career start for PSU making 16 saves.
Anna Maria picked up two important league wins including a very exciting a dramatic 7-6 win over Fitchburg State on Thursday before ending Salem State’s six-game win streak on Saturday. Against the Falcons, the AmCats built a 6-3 lead by the end of the second period led by a pair of goals each from Matthew Gilbert and Matthew Byrne. In the third period, the Falcons fought back with three goals to tie the score at 6-6 with less than three minutes remaining. Gilbert saved the day completing his hat trick in the final minute of regulation for the dramatic 7-6 road win. On Saturday, two goals from Guillaume Coulombe and one from Derek Raposo helped the AmCats to a 3-0 lead on the way to a 5-1 win over the Vikings. Cole Johnston outdueled Will Nepveu in goal stopping 31 of 32 attempts by the home team.
After dropping a 5-3 decision against MCLA on Thursday where Eaton Moore scored one goal and added two assists for the Trailblazers in the upset win, the Corsairs rebounded with a 5-2 win over Rivier on Saturday. Three third period goals in just a six-minute span broke open a 2-2 game as Alex Walker, Brennen Pecararo, and Tyler Stewart put the Corsairs comfortably in front to seal the win.
While PSU remains atop the MASCAC standings by a wide margin, the gap between second place Anna Maria and sixth-place, Westfield State is just six points with a lot of key matchups yet to play over the next five weeks.
NE-10
St. Anselm returned to NE-10 play following an 8-2 loss against Cortland on Tuesday and the Hawks found their scoring touch totaling seventeen goals in a pair of wins over Franklin Pierce. On Friday, Hunter Brackett scored two goals and added one assist in a 7-3 win over the Ravens. Brackett was far from done as he added a hat trick on Saturday in the Hawks’ 10-2 rout over FPU. Mark Blaney added three assists while Max Burum and Conor Kelly each scored a goal and added two assists to help St. Anselm extend their lead in the standings.
Southern New Hampshire also lost a mid-week non-conference game to Cortland but rebounded with a weekend sweep of Assumption to help their position in the NE-10 standings. On Friday, Bryan McLachlan’s second period power play goal and Tyler Murray’s ENG in the third period was enough for goaltender Collin Berke who made 32 saves in a 2-0 shutout win over the Greyhounds. There was a lot more drama on Saturday as Jonathan Surrette scored his second goal of the game for Assumption with just seven seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime with a 2-2 tie. The visitors’ excitement was short lived as Ryan Kayser scored just 44 seconds into the extra session to give the Penmen a 3-2 win and weekend sweep.
Following a 4-3 win over FPU on Tuesday, Post and St. Michael’s split a weekend series in Vermont. On Friday, the Eagles surrendered Jack MacDonald’s shorthanded goal in the first period before scoring three goals in a row and holding a 3-1 lead after two periods of play. The Purple Knights scored once more as the Eagles held on for a 3-2 win with goaltender Benjamin Cunneen making 28 saves for the visitors. On Saturday, the Purple Knights rebounded with a 3-0 win as Evan Plunkett stopped 30 shots to earn the shutout.
While St. Anselm holds a five-point advantage over second place, Southern New Hampshire, Assumption and St. Michael’s, are only separated by one point with Post just four more points behind fourth place.
NEHC
Hobart established a new NCAA record win streak as the Statesmen downed Buffalo State and Fredonia over the weekend to move to 15-0-0 on the season. Ironically, the win streak started against Buffalo State back in November of 2023 and was broken in Friday’s game against the Bengals where the visitors started fast with two first period goals and cruised to a 3-0 win. Damon Beaver earned the shutout in goal, his third of the season for Hobart. On Saturday, Hobart downed Fredonia 5-0 with Bauer Morrissey and Austin Mourar each scoring a goal and adding an assist in support of Mavrick Goyer in goal who made 18 saves to help Hobart earn back-to-back shutout wins.
Norwich has picked up their game moving up to second place behind Hobart in the NEHC by extending their win streak to four games with a second sweep in a row downing VSU-Castleton, 8-3 and 3-2. On Friday, the Cadets took advantage of four unanswered goals to break a 2-2 tie with the Spartans. Cooper Bertrand scored two goals to pace the Cadet attack. On Saturday, the game was much more low scoring as goals from Johnny Johnson, Matt Harvey and Nick Cordeiro were just enough to hold off the Spartans in a 3-2 win.
Albertus Magnus took on a red-hot Babson squad in a weekend series that saw the teams playing each other for the first time. On Friday, Robert Barrasso’s late third period power play goal broke a 2-2 tie and Kyle Dann iced the contest with an unassisted ENG in a 4-2 win for the Falcons that ended the Beavers five-game win streak. On Saturday, the Falcons completed the sweep with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win. Barrasso scored the game-tying goal with less than forty seconds remaining in regulation time before Zane Kindrachuk netted his second goal of the game just two minutes into the extra session for the 5-4 win extending their win streak to a season high five games.
Southern Maine took a pair of 3-2 overtime wins over Salve Regina to earn their first conference wins of the season. On Friday night, the Huskies took advantage of a power play in overtime as Matt Sullivan netted the game-winner just over a minute after puck drop for a sudden victory. On Saturday, the script was similar with the regulation score tied at 2-2 and again it was Sullivan, this time in the final minute of overtime, providing the game winner for the Huskies.
While Hobart has a comfortable seven-point lead in the standings, Norwich (in second place) and Albertus Magnus (in sixth place) are separated by just six points with some interesting matchups on tap including the Cadets facing Hobart this weekend.
NESCAC
Hamilton continued their torrid play on the road as the Continentals downed Tufts and Connecticut College to remain five points clear of Trinity in the NESCAC standings. On Friday, six different goal scorers helped Hamilton to race to an early lead in a 6-1 rout of the Jumbos. Jackson Krock finished with a goal and two assists for the Continentals in the win. Against the Camels on Saturday, the scoring was less prolific as Liam Varmecky, Jacob Ierfino and Nick Kent provided all the goals in a 3-1 victory. Aksel Reid stopped 24 shots to pick up the win.
Trinity continued their torrid play with a pair of home-ice wins over Bowdoin and Colby to extend their win streak to four games. On Friday, three third period goals helped break open a tight 2-1 advantage for the Bantams with Spencer Korona scoring one goal and adding an assist in the win over the Polar Bears. In a key matchup with Colby, Richard Boysen scored a pair of unassisted goals in the third period to help the Bantams to a 5-3 win over the Mules. Chase McInnis also added a goal and an assist for the Bantams who moved into second place, five points behind the Continentals.
Middlebury split a pair of non-conference games with long-time rivals. On Tuesday, five-points from Jackson Morehouse helped the Panthers to a 7-0 rout of in-state rival St. Michael’s. On Friday, the scoring was limited to a single goal as Dmitiri Tzaferis tied the game late in the third period at 1-1 before Aaron Catron won the game for the Cardinals in overtime.
Williams took a pair of non-conference wins with decisions over MCLA and Plattsburgh. After downing the Trailblazers, 3-1 in the battle of Western Massachusetts on Wednesday, the Ephs raced to a 4-2 first period lead before seeing the Cardinals rally to reduce the deficit to a single goal on three different occasions before falling short in a 5-4 Williams win. Cal Sandquist earned the win in goal making 26 saves.
While Hamilton and Trinity have some separation at the top of the NESCAC standings, third place Colby is only five points ahead on ninth-place, Tufts.
SUNYAC
Oswego returned to SUNYAC action with a mid-week game against Canton and skated away with a 10-2 win over the Kangaroos. Travis Baker scored a hat trick for the Lakers while Matt McQuade added a pair of goals in the runaway win. On Saturday, a non-conference charity game with Cortland saw the offense continue to click as Oswego broke open a 4-3 contest with four goals in the third period for an 8-3 win over the Red Dragons. Ryan Burke led the attack scoring two goals and adding four assists in the win.
In a more unique game, Potsdam and Canton skated to a 0-0 overtime tie on Saturday. Canton’s Nate Hopkins (29 saves) and Potsdam’s John Werber (32 saves) were outstanding in goal for their respective teams as neither team could score at even-strength or on their two power play chances each.
The SUNYAC may have the most competitive race to watch as the separation between first place Buffalo State and seventh-place Potsdam is just six points.
UCHC
Geneseo played a home-and-home series with Nazareth and Friday night’s contest was a thriller. The Knights built an early 3-1 lead only to see the Golden Flyers rally to tie the score at 3-3 on a pair of goals from Logan Tobias in the second period. Neither team could score in the third period but Dakota Zarudny with an assist from Peter Morgan found the back of the net in the opening minute of overtime for a 4-3 Knights win. Back on home ice on Saturday, Geneseo found their scoring touch as Zach Purcell led the charge with two goals and an assist in a 7-2 win and weekend sweep.
Utica faced long-time rival Manhattanville in a weekend series and on Friday, the Pioneers raced to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 3-2 win over the Valiants with Anthony Cafarelli, Johnny Mulera and Eric Vitale providing the goals. On Saturday, newcomer Ryan Piros made Mulera’s second period power play goal stand up as the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout win for Utica. Piros stopped all 31 shots he faced in earning his first shutout with the Pioneers.
Geneseo and Utica remain just one point apart in the standings while just one point separates third place Chatham from fifth place Manhattanville.
Three Biscuits
Jackson Morehouse – Middlebury – scored a natural hat trick and added a pair of assists for a five-point game in the Panthers’ 7-0 win over St. Michael’s on Tuesday.
Matthew Gilbert – Anna Maria – scored his third goal of the contest in the final minute of regulation to give the AmCats a 7-6 win over Fitchburg State on Thursday in a game where the Falcons rallied from a four-goal deficit to tie the score at 6-6 in the third period.
Matt Sullivan – Southern Maine – scored overtime winning goals for the Huskies in back-to-back 3-2 overtime wins over Salve Regina this past weekend.
The final weekend in January is upon us and with just five weeks remaining on the schedule, the games just mean more coming down the stretch. Last week showed how both a good and bad weekend can move you in the standings so the races should be fun to watch over the next few weeks.
Lake Forest stunned Adrian over the weekend in an NCHA series. (Photo Credit: Daniel Zbarzh/Lake Forest Athletics)
Lake Forest came to play in Friday’s NCHA series opener against No. 6 Adrian, stunning the Bulldogs 5-2 on Friday night for its first win over a ranked team this season.
Dylan Kruss played a key role in the win, stopping 38 shots against the Bulldogs, who came into the night on an nine-game winning streak. He made 17 of his saves in the final period. It’s the first time since Nov. 16 that a team has held Adrian to two goals or less.
Trevor Faucher scored his eighth goal of the year in the win while Chase Freiermuth recorded a goal and two assists Hardy Wagner and Logan Kittleson each tallied a goal and assist..
The win was the second of the year at home for the Foresters.
Adrian battled back on Saturday and came away with a 6-3 win as the Bulldogs improved to 13-4 overall and 7-3 in the NCHA. The Bulldogs were coming off their first loss in two months and outscored Lake Forest 5-1 in the first two periods.
Ian Amsbaugh finished with three assists and Dershahn Stewart made 27 saves. Lake Forest dropped to 7-9-1 overall and 3-6-1 in league play.
Falcons knock off Green Knights
For the first time since the 2019-20 season, the Concordia Falcons defeated a ranked opponent, knocking off No. 4 St. Norbert.
The Falcons won the game 2-1, reaching a double-digit win total for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Concordia improved to 10-6 overall and 5-4 in the NCHA.
Noah Roitman scored the game winner at the 8:42 mark of the third period. Ben Pizzimenti tied the game at 1-1 four minutes earlier.
The win over the Green Knight was the seventh in a row for the Falcons, who notched their fourth one-goal win of the win streak.
St. Norbert bounced back in a big way Saturday, scoring all three of its goals in the final period for a 3-0 win.
Vaughn Maker made his first career start for St. Norbert and tallied 22 saves, with 16 of those coming in the final two periods.
Blake Ulve scored twice while Dayton Deics came through with a pair of assists.
Spartans sweep Sabres
Fifth-ranked Aurora finished off a sweep of Marian with a 4-3 win. Landr Schmuck came through with a goal in the final two minutes of play to lift the Spartans to their fourth consecutive win. Aurora is now 13-3 overall and 7-2 in the NCHA.
Schmuck scored a total of two times in the win and JaCob Mucitelli made 22 saves
In Friday’s game Hassan Akl came through with a goal and assist while Mucitelli made 24 saves. Aurora did not give up a goal in the final two periods.
Thunder roll
Seventh-ranked Trine won both of its games against Lawrence, winning 4-2 and 4-1 over the Vikings. Trine is 14-2-1 overall and 8-1-1 in conference play. Trine also remains perfect at home with a 7-0 mark.
Noah Marino racked up two goals in Saturday’s finale while Kyle Kozma recorded 20 saves.
Logan Ferstenau and Jack Cooper each tallied a goal and assist.
It’s a tie
MSOE and Dubuque battled to a 2-2 tie in the opening game of their NCHA series Saturday.
Zach Burfoot dished out two assists for the Spartans, who got a goal from Nikita Borodayenko at the 8:20 mark of the third to forge a 2-2 tie.
The Raiders won the finale 4-3 on Saturday, scoring twice in the third to secure the win and killing off the Spartans’ bid for their first win of the year.
Burfoot scored twice for Dubuque, giving the Spartans an early 2-0 lead. Burfoot also had an assist in the game.
Carson Jones and Ethan Mann both scored in the third to put the Raiders up 4-2.
MSOE improved to 8-7-2 overall and 3-6-1 in the NCHA. Dubuque is 0-14-3 overall and 0-8-2 in the league.
Cobbers with a big sweep
Concordia has won two in a row, sweeping St. Scholastica in a MIAC series. The Cobbers opened with a 4-0 win and won the finale 3-2 in overtime.
Tal Halliday scored the game winner in Saturday’s game, finding the back of the net with 33 seconds to play in OT as the Cobbers notched a big win and moved within a point of a tie for fifth.
The Cobbers never trailed and improved to 7-9-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the MIAC.
In Friday’s game, the second period was dominated by the Cobbers, who scored all four of their goals in the frame to snap a two-game losing streak.
Dane Couture stopped 29 shots to earn his first shutout win in conference play and the second of his career overall.
Caden Triggs, Tucker Skime and Blake Johnson all tallied a goal and an assist.
Good weekend for the Royals
Bethel won a shootout for an extra point in the MIAC standings in Saturday’s 3-3 tie with Augsburg after edging the Auggies 4-3 in overtime on Friday.
Bethel was up 3-1 going into the final period on Saturday but gave up two goals as Augsburg forced the extra session.
Bethel got the shootout win, however, and comes out of the weekend tied for second in the league standings.The Royals are 8-5-2 overall and 4-1-1 in the league.
Spence Kring was the hero in Friday’s win, scoring in OT. It was one of two goals for Kring in the win. Tyler Braccini finished with two assists. Austin Ryman came through with 32 saves.
Oles play well in MIAC-WIAC crossover series
St. Olaf went unbeaten in two games against WIAC opponents.
The Oles rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime against UW-Stout on Saturday, though the Blue Devils did win the shootout.
Tyler Cooper came through with a goal and assist to lead St. Olaf, which improved to 7-6-2 and it’s last four games have all been decided by a goal or less. The Oles are 5-0-2 in their last seven non-conference games.
Connor Kalthoff played in his 100th collegiate game in the win over Stout. He tallied an assist while Matthew Milan finished with 19 saves.
Kalthoff came through with a goal in Friday’s 3-2 win over UW-River Falls. Matthew Pointer and Jonathan Young also scored in the win.
Pointers still unbeaten in 2025
No. 12 UW-Stevens Point wrapped up non-league play with two wins, beating Hamline 8-3 on Friday and edging Saint John’s 6-5.
Matthew Falls helped lead the way in the win over the Johnnies, scoring twice for the first multi-goal game of his career.
Alex Proctor racked up 38 saves for the Pointers, who have won six in a row and and sport a 12-4-1 record.
Goals weren’t in short supply in Friday’s win over the Pipers as Stevens Point jumped in front 4-0 after one period and rolled to a win.
Peyton Hart finished with two goals and Chris Englebert tallied three assists. The Pointers have not lost since Dec. 14 and have scored four or more goals in each game of their games during the win streak.
Hat Trick Time
Eli Reimer had a big game against St. John’s, recording his first hat trick as UW-Eau Claire topped the Johnnies 6-4 on Friday. Reimer has four goals on the year.
Seven different players came through with an assist in the win while Matt Gutjahr made 29 saves as the Blugolds snapped a three-game losing streak. Eau Claire improved to 6-10-1 with the win.
Pipers end weekend with a win
Hamline capped its weekend with a 3-1 win over UW-Eau Claire. The Pipers improved to 6-11 and have won three of their last four.
Thomas Carls, Nikolai Dulak and AJ Carls all scored for the Pipers, who bounced back after losing 8-3 to UW-Stevens Point on Friday.
Falcons rally
Dylan Smith came through in crunch time, scoring less than two minutes into overtime as UW-River Falls beat Saint Mary’s 4-3 on Saturday.
Alex Atwill’s goal forced the extra session as the Falcons improved to 10-7. Smith’s game-winning marked his ninth goal of the season, the most on the team.
Smith and Burke Simpson each tallied two assists and Brennan Boynton made 24 saves.
Knight Time
Ryan Knight was on top of his game for UW-Stout in its 2-0 win over Gustavus Friday, recording his first career shutout along the way.
Knight stopped 21 shots and the Blue Devils stretched their win streak to three games.
Tristan Therrien and Kullan Daikawa provided all the offense the Blue Devils would need in the victory.
Casey O’Brien’s power play goal not quite seven minutes in had UW up 1-0. Lauren Stenslie replied with an extra attacker goal of her own to tie the game 1-1, but the lead lasted just 23 seconds as O’Brien lit the lamp again off a feed from Kirsten Simms. Cassie Hall and Ava Murphy each scored in the opening five minutes of the second period, making it a 4-1 game for Wisconsin. Hall added a second with a nice feint on the breakaway to make it 5-1 and Laila Edwards’ shot from a near angle closed out the scoring to make it a 6-1 win. O’Brien’s first goal was her 50th point of the season, making her the first player this season to reach that threshold. In the second game, Laila Edwards opened things with a natural hat trick and went on to score four goals on four shots to lead the Badgers to an 11-1 win. Sarah Wozniewicz scored twice in the second, while O’Brien and KK Harvey each lit the lamp once. In the third, Hall scored her third and fourth of the weekend, Claire Enright found the twine and Edwards closed out the scoring. Maddy Clough ruined the shutout, scoring for St. Thomas in the loss.
(2) Ohio State at (4) Minnesota Duluth
Defense was on display in Duluth over the weekend as Ohio State peppered 107 shots on net. Ève Gascon made 102 saves over the course of the weekend for a Minnesota Duluth team that was down to just 13 players on Saturday due to illness. On Friday, Jocelyn Amos scored in the opening minutes on the power play to put Ohio State up 1-0. Riley Brengman’s one-timer extended the lead to 2-0 by the midpoint of the first. Caitlin Kraemer replied with a power play goal for UMD less than two minutes later to make it 2-1 and that score would hold for 48 minutes until Kiara Zanon added an empty-netter to secure the win. The Buckeyes were relentless, putting 34 shots on goal in the second and 61 overall in the game. On Saturday, Joy Dunne scored in the opening minutes, carrying it in from her own blue line to make it a 1-0 game. Olivia Wallin’s power play goal midway through the first tied the game 1-1. In the second, Makenna Webster caught the Bulldogs on the change and scored what would prove to be the game winner late in the second to give OSU the 2-1 win and weekend sweep – just the fourth in program history in Duluth for the Buckeyes.
Minnesota State vs. (3) Minnesota (home and home)
Friday’s game started close. Josefin Bouveng scored 61 seconds into the game to put the Gophers up 1-0. The Mavericks replied at the midpoint of the first with a goal from Bella Shipley, but Emma Kreisz scored in the final minute of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. Minnesota struck early again, this time 20 seconds into the second as Abbey Murphy made it 3-1. Midway through the second, Kianna Roeske cut into the lead for Mankato to make it 3-2, but that’s as close as it would get. Ella Huber and Chloe Primerano each scored to make it 5-2 before the next intermission. Gracie Graham’s back-to-back goals in the third made it 7-2. Alexis Paddington scored on the power play to add one more for Minnesota State, but Peyton Hemp replied with a short-hander to secure the 8-3 Gopher win. On Saturday, Bouveng once again scored in the opening minutes, this time on the power play. It was the first of her three goals on the day – her second career hat trick. Allie Franco also scored later in the first to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes. Murphy and Bouveng’s second-period goals extended the Gopher lead to 4-0 before Paddington found twine on the power play to get Mankato on the board. JuliAnnaGazdik’s goal midway through the third made it 4-2, but the Mavericks couldn’t get it any closer and Bouveng’s empty-netter capped off the day and gave Minnesota a 5-2 win and weekend sweep.
(10) Quinnipiac at (5) Colgate
Hannah Murphy stopped a career-high 48 shots for Colgate and Madeline Palumbo and Kaia Malachino combined for two goals – one each – in 11 seconds late in the third to secure the 4-2 win for Colgate on Friday. After a back and forth opening period, Tessa Holk put Quinnipiac on the board first just 95 seconds into the second. But the lead lasted less than a minute thanks to some nifty skating and puck handling by Kalty Kaltounková to tie it for Colgate. Bryn Pier pushed the Bobcats ahead later in the frame, but Alexis Petford’s one-timer tied the game 2-2 before the second intermission. In the final frame, Murphy made 19 saves to keep the game tied and eventually first Malachino, then Palumbo scored on a feed from the other to put the game out of reach for Quinnipiac and give Colgate the win.
(13) Princeton at (5) Colgate
The game was scoreless after one, but the Raiders found their groove early in the second. Alexis Petford deflected the puck in at 3:03, then Kalty Kaltounková went between her legs 19 seconds later and Elyssa Biederman added a goal of her own a few minutes later. Kaltounková finished off a four point day with a goal in the third to give Colgate the 4-0 win.
(13) Princeton at (6) Cornell
Lindzi Avar scored twice while Claudia Yu, Katie Chan, Lily Delianedis and Gabbie Rud each lit the lamp once to lead Cornell to a 6-1 win on Friday. Lucia DiGirolamo scored for Princeton in the loss.
(10) Quinnipiac at (6) Cornell
Karel Prefontaine fed Lily Delianedis just 24 seconds into the game to give the Big Red a 1-0 lead. Quinnipiac responded with a goal from Jenna Donohue a few minutes later to tie the game 1-1. Grace Dwyer’s goal from the blue line had Cornell up 2-1 at the intermission. The second period was back and forth, but neither team found the back of the net. In the third, Cornell got an insurance goal from Katie Chan before Avi Adam added an empty-netter to secure the 4-1 win.
Yale at (7) Clarkson
After a cautious, scoreless first frame, Yale took the lead when Gracie Gilkyson wristed in a gorgeous pass from Mariya Rauf to make it 1-0 with under three to play in the second. Anna Bargman doubled the lead just more than a minute later, putting back a rebound to make it 2-0. Haley Winn’s power play goal with 70 seconds left in regulation got Clarkson on the board but they couldn’t complete the comeback and Yale took the 2-1 win.
Brown at (7) Clarkson
After a scoreless first, Olivia Fantino took a Margot Norehead pass right in front of the net and tapped it in to give Brown the 1-0 lead. Haley Winn tied the game for Clarkson a few minutes later. Anne Cherkowski’s power play goal early in the third gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the game. Unfortunately for them, it lasted less than a minute as Norehead scored a top shelf beauty in transition to make it 2-2 and eventually force overtime. In the extra frame, Cameron Sikich threw a backhander on net and in the chaos and traffic, India McDadi tipped it and it found the back of the net to give Brown the 3-2 win.
Brown at (8) St. Lawrence
After feeling each other out to start the game, the Saints took a 1-0 lead in the final two minutes on a breakaway goal from Abby Hustler. Kennedy Wilson doubled the lead early in the second putting a feed from behind the net by Hillary Sterling through the five hole to make it 2-0. Monique Lyons put Brown on the board midway through the second with a power play goal on a snipe from the far faceoff dot. SLU responded with an extra attacker goal of their own as Sarah Marchand ripped a one timer down low to make it 3-1 Saints. But the third period belonged to the Bears. Lyons scored her second of the game going down on one knee to rip a shot in the slot to make it 3-2. St. Lawrence pulled their goalie with about three left and it paid off about a minute later when Cameron Sikich’s shot from the blue line deflected through traffic and into the net to tie the game and force overtime. In the extra frame, Lyons capped off her hat trick when her attempt to center the puck went off a defender and into the net to give Brown the 4-3 win.
Yale at (8) St. Lawrence
Yale outshot the Saints 27-19, but Abby Hustler’s power play goal 6:35 into the second proved to be all St. Lawrence needed to take the win on Saturday. Hustler tipped the puck over the line on a shot from Kristina Bahl. Emma-Sofie Nordström earned the 27-save shutout, her sixth clean sheet of the season.
(9) Penn State at Syracuse
Friday’s game was a scoreless tie well into the extra frame thanks in large part to Syracuse goalie Allie Kelley making 41 saves, which helped her set a new record and become the NCAA all-time career saves leader. Penn State took the game in overtime as Katelyn Roberts ripped a shot from the bottom of the right circle to give the Nittany Lions the win. Saturday’s game featured a Penn State record as Tessa Janecke’s goal was her 138th career point, which set a new program record. Janecke is a junior. Grace Outwater scored twice and Nicole Hall added a goal to lead Penn State to a 4-0 win and weekend sweep.
Bemidji State at (11) St. Cloud State
On Friday, Alice Sauriol had three assists and Siiri Yrjölä scored her first career goal to lead SCSU to a 3-0 win. The Huskies scored twice on the power play to take the win. Emma Gentry and Sofianna Sundelin joined Yrjölä in lighting the lamp. On Saturday, Bemidji State jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Izy Fairchild put the Beavers on the board in the first and Isa Goettl doubled the lead early in the second. But St. Cloud seemed to find themselves in the second, outshooting BSU 14-3 as they pushed back. Yrjölä scored her second in as many games with a wrister on the power play to cut the lead to 2-1. With less than two minutes to go and on the power play again, St. Cloud tied it up as Grace Wolfe dashed up the right side and fed Laura Zimmerman, who deftly deflected the puck into the net. The game seemed destined for overtime, but Sundelin called game, scoring after some deft stickwork with 69 seconds left on a breakaway thanks to a stretch pass from Sauriol to give St. Cloud the 3-2 win and weekend sweep.
Vermont at (12) Boston College
Olivia Maffeo tipped in a Jade Arnone pass on the power play in the first to give BC a 1-0 lead that held until the opening minutes of the third when Alanna Devlin stepped up to pick off a puck and let loose with a bar down shot to make it 2-0. Julia Pellerin added an empty-netter to secure the 3-0 win for the Eagles.
(14) Boston University at New Hampshire
UNH goalie Sedona Blair was stellar in the third, withstanding a long extra-attacker stint when BU pulled their goalie to complete a 26-save shutout on Saturday. A loose puck in front of the net gave the Wildcats several chances and it was Shea Verrier that found the back of the net midway through the first to give New Hampshire the 1-0 lead. Sara Boucher doubled the lead early in the third with a backhander that rattled around and into the net to give UNH the 2-0 lead and eventual win.
Maine at (15) Connecticut
Claire Murdoch scored in the final minute of the first to give UConn the 1-0 lead. Maine took over in the second as Mira Seregely tied the game early and Mikayla Boarder’s power play goal late in the frame gave the Black Bears the 2-1 lead. Jada Habisch scored a power play goal of her own midway through the third to tie the game and an extra period did not find a winner as this game ended a 2-2 tie. On Saturday, Tia Chan earned her third shutout of the season, making 33 saves. Riley Grimley, Megan Woodworth and Livvy Dewar each scored for the Huskies to give them the 3-0 win.
(15) Northeastern vs. Providence (home and home)
The Friars used a three-goal first period to power themselves to a 5-1 on Friday. Mégane Quirion put away a rebound about eight minutes into the game and just a minute later, Kiara Kraft’s backhander made it 2-0. Hannah Johnson cleaned up a rebound with about six left in the first to extend the lead to 3-0. Northeastern outshot Providence in the second, but could not light the lamp and the score head into the final frame. Reichen Kirchmair scored just after a power play ended a few minutes into the third to make it 4-0. Northeastern got on the board during a major penalty power play as Taze Thompson made it 4-1. The Huskies pulled their goalie for an extra attacker during that extended power play and Lily Martinson’s empty-netter secured the win for the Friars. On Saturday, Kraft scored late in the first to second Providence to the lower room up 1-0. Some great puck movement from Providence ended in an odd-player rush. Ashley Clark laid the puck off to Kraft, who did not miss. Allie Lalonde responded for Northeastern just 28 seconds into the second with a power play goal to tie the game 1-1. Martinson’s wrister put Providence ahead 2-1 with six to go in the second and then Kirchmair’s deflection with her back to the net made it a 3-1 lead. Jules Constantinople cut into the lead early in the third to make it 3-2, but Providence’s defense shut down any further chances and the Friars had their first regular season series sweep of Northeastern since 2017-18.
Arizona State is now in sole possession of first place in the NCHC after sweeping St. Cloud State over the weekend (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Jan. 13 fared in games over the weekend of Jan. 17-18.
No. 1 Michigan State (19-3-2)
01/17/2025 – No. 1 Michigan State 2 at No. 10 Michigan 3 (OT)
01/18/2025 – No. 10 Michigan 1 at No. 1 Michigan State 4
No. 2 Boston College (16-4-1)
01/14/2025 – Harvard 1 at No. 2 Boston College 3
01/17/2025 – No. 6 Providence 0 at No. 2 Boston College 3
01/18/2025 – No. 2 Boston College 4 at No. 6 Providence 1
No. 4 Western Michigan (15-4-1)
01/17/2025 – No. 4 Western Michigan 3 at No. 14 North Dakota 2 (OT)
01/18/2025 – No. 4 Western Michigan 5 at No. 14 North Dakota 1
No. 5 Maine (15-5-3)
01/17/2025 – No. 17 Connecticut 4 at No. 5 Maine 2
01/18/2025 – No. 17 Connecticut 2 at No. 5 Maine 2 (OT)
No. 6 Providence (15-5-2)
01/17/2025 – No. 6 Providence 0 at No. 2 Boston College 3
01/18/2025 – No. 2 Boston College 4 at No. 6 Providence 1
No. 10 Michigan (14-9-1)
01/17/2025 – No. 1 Michigan State 2 at No. 10 Michigan 3 (OT)
01/18/2025 – No. 10 Michigan 1 at No. 1 Michigan State 4
No. 11 Boston University (13-7-1)
01/17/2025 – No. 11 Boston University 6 at No. 19 New Hampshire 3
01/18/2025 – No. 19 New Hampshire 1 at No. 11 Boston University 2 (OT)
No. 12 Minnesota State (16-6-2)
01/17/2025 – RV Michigan Tech 2 at No. 12 Minnesota State 5
01/18/2025 – RV Michigan Tech 1 at No. 12 Minnesota State 0 (OT)
No. 13 Arizona State (13-8-1)
01/17/2025 – No. 13 Arizona State 6 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
01/18/2025 – No. 13 Arizona State 5 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
No. 14 North Dakota (12-10-1)
01/17/2025 – No. 4 Western Michigan 3 at No. 14 North Dakota 2 (OT)
01/18/2025 – No. 4 Western Michigan 5 at No. 14 North Dakota 1
No. 15 St. Cloud State (11-11-0)
01/17/2025 – No. 13 Arizona State 6 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
01/18/2025 – No. 13 Arizona State 5 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
No. 17 Connecticut (12-8-2)
01/17/2025 – No. 17 Connecticut 4 at No. 5 Maine 2
01/18/2025 – No. 17 Connecticut 2 at No. 5 Maine 2 (OT)
No. 18 Colorado College (11-10-1)
01/17/2025 – Minnesota Duluth 2 at No. 18 Colorado College 7
01/18/2025 – Minnesota Duluth 4 at No. 18 Colorado College 1
No. 19 New Hampshire (10-8-3)
01/17/2025 – No. 11 Boston University 6 at No. 19 New Hampshire 3
01/18/2025 – No. 19 New Hampshire 1 at No. 11 Boston University 2 (OT)
No. 20 Clarkson (13-7-2)
01/17/2025 – No. 20 Clarkson 7 at Yale 4
01/18/2025 – No. 20 Clarkson 2 at Brown 4
Blake Biondi give Notre Dame the win in overtime against Minnesota (Photo: Jim Rosvold).
Blake Biondi’s first game-winning goal of the season lifted Notre Dame over Minnesota in overtime, earning the Fighting Irish a tough road split with the No. 3 Golden Gophers.
From the left slot, Biondi took a cross-crease feed from Cole Knuble and one-timed it past Liam Souliere at 3:46 in OT to win the game.
After Ian Murphy opened the scoring for the Irish at 7:43 in the first, the Gophers played catch-up for the remainder of the game. The score was tied 1-1 after one when Jimmy Snuggerud answered for Minnesota at 12:33, but the second period ended with a 3-2 Irish lead.
Landon Slaggert scored early in the second to put Notre Dame ahead by one again, with Luke Mittelstadt evening things up three minutes later. Knuble scored late in the second. Matthew Wood’s goal early in the third tied it again for the Gophers.
Each team went 0-for-2 on the power play. Owen Say made 30 saves in his sixth win of the season. Souliere had 27 stops in the game.
Gabe Perreault, James Hagens and Teddy Stiga combined for two goals and Jake Sondreal earned his third game winner of the season as the Eagles beat Providence on the road 4-1, sweeping the home-and-home series.
Jacob Fowler had 30 saves in the win, including this nimble move to preserve a one-goal lead with about a minute left in the second.
Fowler makes a huge save to keep the Eagles in front!
Perreault put the Eagles up 1-0 after one with assists by Hagens and Stiga. It was 2-1 after two on Sondreal’s goal at 2:06 and Will Elger’s goal on the Friars’ power play at 13:51.
The Eagles added two more in the third, Ryan Leonard’s power-play goal at 8:02 and Stiga’s goal from Perreault and Hagens at 14:03. Stiga also had the second assist on Leonard’s tally.
Philip Svedebäck finished the night with 20 saves for the Friars as Providence outshot Boston College 31-24.
No. 1 Michigan State 4, No. 10 Michigan 1
Charlie Stramel had two goals and an assist and Isaac Howard had three helpers as Michigan State beat Michigan 4-1 in Munn Ice Arena, earning a split in the home-and-home series.
With the Spartans leading 1-0 on Matt Basgall’s early power-play goal, Stramel’s first goal of the night at 18:03 in the first held up as the game winner.
Stramel slams this one home for a 2-0 Spartan lead! West and Howard with the helpers. pic.twitter.com/F71UAsHQMu
Michigan State added two more in the second, Shane Vansaghi’s power-play goal at 5:43 and Stramel’s second of the night at 8:12, shorthanded. T.J. Hughes had Michigan’s only score on the power play at 18:50 in the third.
It was a spicy game, with the teams combining for 72 penalty minutes, 48 of which belonged to Michigan. The only goal of the night that didn’t involve special teams play was Stramel’s game winner.
Trey Augustine stopped 34-of-35. Logan Stein made 28 saves in the Michigan net. The Wolverines outshot the Spartans 35-32.
With the win and Minnesota’s loss, the Spartans reclaim the top spot in the Big Ten standings, one point ahead of the Golden Gophers.
No. 4 Western Michigan 5, No. 14 North Dakota 1
After scoring twice in Western Michigan’s Friday overtime win — including the game winner — Alex Bump led Western with two goals and an assist as the Broncos completed a road sweep of North Dakota, beating the Fighting Hawks 5-1.
The Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead after after the first period on Ty Henricks’ early goal and this game-winning snipe by Owen Michaels two minutes before the period ended.
Liam Valente gave Western a 3-0 lead at 6:31 in the second. Cameron Berg brought the Fighting Hawks to within two again at 14:24, but Bump’s first of the night with 16 seconds left in the second gave the Broncos a three-goal lead once more. Bump added his second goal on the power play in the third period.
Hampton Slukynsky had the win with 24 saves on 25 shots. T.J. Semptimphelter stopped 37 as the Broncos outshot the Fighting Hawks 42-25.
No. 17 Connecticut 2, No. 5 Maine 2
Down 2-1 and with netminder Callum Tung pulled for the extra skater, Connecticut’s Jake Percival scored from Kai Janviriya with 37 seconds remaining in regulation to tie Maine 2-2 in Alfond Arena and send the game into overtime.
It was 1-1 after the first on goals late in the period from Connecticut’s Ryan Tattle and Maine’s Oskar Komarov. After a scoreless second period, Taylor Makar gave the Black Bears the lead at 6:12 in the third.
Through 65 minutes, Maine outshot Connecticut 32-24. Tung had 30 saves for the Huskies and Albin Boija made 22 stops for the Black Bears.
Maine earned the extra shootout point. With the tie and Friday’s 4-2 win, Connecticut took four of a possible six points from Maine on the road.
No. 11 Boston University 2, No. 19 New Hampshire 1 (OT)
New Hampshire threw all it had at Boston University, outshooting the Terriers 35-21, but BU captain Ryan Greene ended the game a minute into overtime on a beauty of an end-to-end play, breaking in with Jack Harvey and giving the Terriers a home-and-home sweep of the Wildcats.
Nick Ring’s goal at 8:27 of the first period gave New Hampshire the early lead. At 7:45 in the second, Cole Eiserman tied the game on the power play. Harvey had the second assist on that goal, making him the only player of the night with a multipoint game.
Mathieu Caron made 34 saves on 35 shots for the win. Jared Whale stopped 19-of-21 for New Hampshire.
Cornell 2, No. 16 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)
Nick DeSantis and Tim Rego each had two points for Cornell as the Big Red came from behind to tie Quinnipiac in M&T Bank Arena, 2-2. DeSantis had the game-tying goal from Rego midway through the third period.
Cornell pushed hard in OT, outshooting the Bobcats 6-0 in the extra stanza. With less than a minute remaining, Dylan Silverstein saved the game for Quinnipiac on a scrambled play in front of the Bobcats’ net.
George Fegaras gave Cornell the lead from Rego early in the first period, but Tyler Borgula and Chris Pelosi scored in the second for Quinnipiac.
Ian Shane finished the night with 16 saves for Cornell and Silverstein had 17. The Big Red took the extra point in the shootout.
Brown 4, No. 20 Clarkson 2
Max Scott’s first career hat trick — including two scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation – propelled Brown to a 4-2 win over visiting Clarkson, giving the Bears their first season sweep of the Golden Knights in program history.
Scott’s first goal of the night at 8:12 in the second period gave Brown its second lead in the game.
Clarkson’s two goals in the game came on the power play, the first by Ellis Rickwood early in the second to tie the game 1-1 and the second by Ayrton Martino at 17:52 in the second, making it a 2-2 game after two.
Scott’s game-winning marker came at 18:35 in the third, followed by an empty-net goal at 19:33.
Lawton Zacher stopped 25-of-27 in the win. In net for the Golden Knights, Ethan Langenegger made 37 saves on 41 shots.
Michigan Tech 1, No. 12 Minnesota State 0 (OT)
After 61 minutes and 45 seconds of scoreless hockey, Michigan Tech’s Isaac Gordon scored on the power play to give the Huskies a 1-0 win over Minnesota State and a split on the weekend at home.
The Mavericks outshot the Huskies 31-25 and went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Ryan Manzella had 31 saves in his second shutout of the season. For Minnesota State, Alex Tracy stopped 24-of-25.
No. 13 Arizona State 5, No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
With the game tied 1-1 after two periods, Arizona State scored three times during a single five-minute power play early in the third on their way to a 5-3 win over St. Cloud State.
This is Ryan Kirwin’s game-winning goal, the third of that man advantage.
All told, the Sun Devils went 4-for-8 on the power play, starting with Lukas Sillinger’s goal at 7:38 in the first to give Arizona State the early 1-0 lead. The game was tied 1-1 heading into the third on Tyson Gross’s second-period goal for St. Cloud.
It was Gross in the box for five minutes for hitting from behind when the Sun Devils took the 4-1 lead. First Noah Beck scored at 2:33, followed by Ty Jackson at 3:18 with Kirwin scoring at 5:35.
St. Cloud answered with goals from Gavyn Thoreson and Daimon Gardner to make it 4-3 late in the third, but Artem Shlaine hit the empty net at 19:14 for the final score. Shlaine led all scorers with his goal plus three assists.
Gibson Homer made 31 saves in the win, and Gavin Enright stopped 20-of-25 for St. Cloud State.
The win gives the Sun Devils a road sweep of the Huskies and sweetens their record to 10-1-0 in their last 11 games. Eight of those 10 wins are in conference play, and the Sun Devils sit at the top of the NCHC standings, a point ahead of Western Michigan.
Ferris State 4, Bowling Green 3
Trailing 2-0 at the end of the first in Ewigleben Arena, the Bulldogs scored four straight goals as Ferris State bested Bowling Green 4-3, halting the Falcons’ unbeaten streak at eight games.
Quinn Emerson and Brody Waters gave the Falcons the 2-0 lead after one, but the Bulldogs tied it up 2-2 after two with goals by Kade Turner and Gavin Best. Turner and Best bookended the period, with Turner scoring his first collegiate goal at 3:21 and Best, who had the second assist on Turner’s goal, scoring with nine seconds left in the period.
Nick Nardecchia’s goal at 3:18 in the third gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the weekend series.
Nick Nardecchia gives @FerrisHockey its first lead of the night!
Tyler Schleppe’s goal at 5:06 was the game winner after Waters added a power-play goal for Bowling Green at 12:19. Waters leads the CCHA in power-play goals with nine.
Noah West made 38 saves for the Bulldogs. In net for the Falcons, Cole Moore stopped 34 as Bowling Green outshot Ferris State 41-38.
Bowling Green’s streak (7-0-1) dated back to a 3-2 overtime loss to Minnesota State Dec. 7. The win was the first for Ferris State since Dec. 7, ending a five-game losing streak.
Sacred Heart 6, American International 3
The Pioneers extend their unbeaten streak to four games and pad their lead at the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings with their 6-3 home win over American International.
Tyler Ghirardosi had two goals and two assists in the game. Matthew Guerra also had a four-point effort with a goal and three assists. Ghirardosi’s game-winning goal came on the power play at 13:08 in the second.
The third period began with the game tied 2-2 before Sacred Heart scored three unanswered, beginning with Cole Galata’s at 6:50. Following Ghirardosi’s game winner, Hunter Sansbury gave the Pioneers a 5-2 lead on the power play at 13:48.
With less than four minutes remaining in regulation, Danny Weight cut the Pioneers’ lead to two goals again, but Guerra hit the empty net from Ghirardosi at 18:28 to cap the scoring.
Cullen DeYoung had 27 saves for the Pioneers. For the Yellow Jackets, Peyton Grainer left the game after the 2:43 mark, stopping all four shots he faced. Chase Clark played the rest of the game for AIC, allowing five goals on 18 shots.
Michigan’s Garrett Schifsky nets the overtime winner Friday night against Michigan State (photo: Michigan Photography).
Garrett Schifsky scored one minute into overtime to give No. 10 Michigan a 3-2 win over No. 1 Michigan State Friday night at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TJ Hughes forced overtime for the Wolverines with his goal at 14:25 of the third period.
Will Horcoff also scored for Michigan and goaltender Logan Stein made 35 saves.
It’s also two consecutive contests in which UM took No. 1 MSU to overtime, following the “Cold War” going into the books as a 3-3 draw on Oct. 6, 2001.
Karsen Dorwart and Joey Larson scored for MSU and Trey Augustine stopped 29 shots between the pipes.
The rivalry continues Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
Cal Thomas, John Mittelstadt and Mason Nevers added goals for the Gophers and Nathan Airey finished with 13 saves between the pipes.
Paul Fischer and Jimmy Jurcev scored for Notre Dame and goalies Nicholas Kempf and Owen Say combined on a 41-save outing.
No. 4 Western Michigan 3, No. 14 North Dakota 2 (OT)
Alex Bump scored the game-tying goal at 2:46 of the third period and then won it 14 seconds into overtime on a Western Michigan power play as the Broncos downed North Dakota 3-2 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
Maine’s Charlie Russell and Nolan Renwick scored and Albin Boija finished with 21 saves in goal.
No. 11 Boston University 6, No. 19 New Hampshire 3
Ryan Greene netted two goals and Cole Hutson and Quinn Hutson each scored as Boston University doubled up New Hampshire 6-3 at Agganis Arena in Boston.
Luke Ashton, Rhett Pitlick, Adam Eisele, Jakob Stender and Kaden Bohlsen found the back of the net for the Mavericks and goalie Alex Tracy made 16 saves.
For MTU, Stiven Sardarian and Nick Williams scored and Derek Mullahy and Ryan Manzella combined to make 29 stops in net.
No. 13 Arizona State 6, No. 15 St. Cloud State 3
Down 3-1 early in the second period, Arizona State rallied for five unanswered goals and defeated St. Cloud State 6-3 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
Ryan Kirwan scored twice for the Sun Devils, while Cullen Potter, Lukas Sillinger, Benji Eckerle and Kyle Smolen added one each to back Gibson Homer’s 30 saves in goal.
Adam Ingram, Gavyn Thoreson and Mason Salquist scored for SCSU and goalie Gavin Enright finished with 22 saves.
No. 16 Quinnipiac 6, Colgate 3
Andon Cerbone registered the hat trick as Quinnipiac doubled up Colgate 6-3 from the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.
Travis Treloar, Jack Ricketts and Aaron Schwartz added goals for the Bobcats and Matej Marinov and Dylan Silverstein teamed up to make 19 saves between the pipes.
Robby Newton, Max Nagel and Reid Irwin recorded goals for the Raiders and netminder Andrew Takacs made 31 saves.
No. 18 Colorado College 6, Minnesota Duluth 1 (in progress)
At the end of the second period from Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., Colorado College holds a commanding 6-1 lead over Minnesota Duluth.
The Aurora Spartans take on Marian this weekend. (Photo by Steve Woltmann, Aurora Athletics)
It’s the middle of January and the action on the ice isn’t slowing down. We’ve got a handful of MIAC-WIAC crossover games and a full slate of NCHA games, with all three ranked conference opponents in action. Here’s a look at this week’s picks.
Concordia (5-9-1, 1-4-1) at St. Scholastica (8-6-1, 3-3)
Both teams come in looking to gain ground in the MIAC standings.
The Saints will lean on Hunter Hanson, who is tied for the league lead in goals scored (10). The Saints have come through with 51 goals as a team.
Dane Coutre has played well in goal for the Cobbers, sporting a 2.62 goals against average, and he’ll have to be on top of his game against the Saints,who have three players ranked among the top goal scorers in the league.
Concordia aims to end a two-game losing streak. The Saints are hoping to do the same. St. Scholastica, 4-2; Concordia, 5-3
Augsburg (5-10, 1-5) vs. Bethel (7-5-1, 3-1)
Tyler Braccini ranks in the top five in goals scored in the MIAC, tallying nine on the season, while goalie Austin Ryman has been impressive in goal, racking up 270 saves. It’s also worth noting the Royals have won their last four games.
The Auggies are at the bottom of the conference and have lost their last two games. Things will need to change offensively for Augsburg, which has scored a goal or less in six of its last eight games. Bethel, 3-1 and 4-2
Saint John’s (6-7) at UW-Stevens Point (10-4-1)
A big opportunity awaits the Johnnies as they hit the road to take on the nationally ranked Pointers on Saturday. Jon Howe will have to be at his best against a team that is averaging four goals per game.
Dawson Sciarrino leads the way with 12 goals. The Pointers have won four in a row. The Johnnies had lost seven in a row against the Pointers before winning 3-1 in January of 2023. Stevens Point comes in with a 7-0-1 record at home this season. Stevens Point, 5-2
UW-River Falls (9-6) at St. Olaf (6-6-1)
Jonathan Panisa leads the Oles into action against the Falcons, who are playing their next six games on the road. River Falls has one of the top goalies in the game in Brennan Boynton, who has a 91.5 save percentage, the best in the WIAC.
The Oles are hoping to end a two-game losing streak. The good news is they have played well at home, going 4-1 this season. River Falls, 4-3
UW-River Falls (9-6) at Saint Mary’s (7-5-1)
The Falcons cap the weekend on Saturday with a game against the Cardinals. Dylan Smith will be looked upon to play a key role as he leads River Falls with 15 points. He’s scored eight goals on the season.
The Cardinals have dropped two in a row and are 0-2 against WIAC opponents this season. Colin Tushie, Nathan Solis and Gabe Potyk have been key players for Saint Mary’s, scoring seven goals apiece. Saint Mary’s, 5-4
Lawrence (3-9-2, 2-5-1) vs. Trine (12-2-1, 6-1-1)
The first place Thunder, who are ranked seventh nationally in the USCHO.com poll, look to keep their place atop the standings when they take on the Vikings.
Trine has great depth at the goalie position, with Cristian Wong-Ramos and Kyle Kozma both having the ability to rise to the occasion. Both sport goals against averages under two.
The Vikings come in having lost three in a row and are facing their third ranked opponent of the season. Trine, 4-1 and 5-2
Adrian (12-3, 6-2) vs. Lake Forest (6-8-1, 2-5-1)
Sixth-ranked Adrian is as hot as ever, winning nine in a row, and it won’t be easy for the Foresters to slow that momentum. Ian Amsbaugh is among the top threats for the Bulldogs, scoring eight goals, and Dershahn Stewart has been solid between the pipes with a 2.49 goals against average.
The Foresters begin a stretch of back to back weekends against ranked opponents. Justin Ross, Trevor Faucher and Colin Bella have tallied seven goals apiece for Lake Forest. Adrian, 5-2 and 6-3
Marian (6-9, 3-5) vs.Aurora (12-3, 6-2)
The No. 5 Spartans have won two in a row and look to keep pace in a highly competitive battle for the conference title. Aurora has cranked out 73 goals, the most of any team in the NCHA, and Landry Schmuck has helped fuel that attack, coming through with 11 goals.
Daunte Fortner has helped lead the way for the Sabres, tallying seven goals. Marian has lost three of its last four. Aurora, 5-1 and 4-1
Concordia (9-6, 4-4) vs. St. Norbert (12-3, 7-1)
The fourth-ranked Green Knights feature two of the top five scoring threats in the NCHA in Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky. They’ll look to get St. Norbert back on track after three straight losses. Fraser has tallied 14 goals while Dombrowsky has come through with nine goals.
Derek Humphreys leads the way for the Falcons, recording 11 goals. Two of the better goalies will be on the ice as well in Hunter Garvey for St. Norbert and Gabe Rosek for Concordia, which has won six in a row. St. Norbert, 5-3; Concordia, 4-3
Geneseo’s Dakota Zarudny is a big part of Geneseo’s balanced attack as the Knights prepare for the stretch run in the UCHC race (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)
After suffering their first loss of the season last weekend to a familiar antagonist in Elmira, the Geneseo Knights rebounded in a big way with a decisive win over Fredonia and now face their final twelve games of the season in their new UCHC affiliation looking for a conference title and more.
“Candidly, I was a bit surprised by our start,” stated head coach Chris Schultz. “We don’t load up a single line and have a pretty balanced top three groups in the lineup. Our goaltending has been really good with both Adam [Harris] and Jacob [Torgner] right around the .940 save percentage level. That kind of consistency will keep you in a lot of hockey games and definitely helps out on the penalty kill. Knowing if they can consistently keep at that level of play means I am still not sure how good we are or can be.”
Following their closing of the first half with a win and overtime tie with Utica, the Knights were off for a month before returning to game action last weekend for the first time in 2025. A Friday night loss at Elmira got the rust off before the offense broke out in a big way against Fredonia with eight different players scoring goals in a 9-2 rout of the Blue Devils.
“The break was like thirty-two days,” said Schultz. “Then we cam back to literally play our “kryptonite” in Elmira who we do not have a very successful history against. Next year they come into our league so maybe having the incentive of points to the winner may be a different motivator for our team but putting that one aside I liked how we rebounded the next night and got back to our game.”
The Knights do not have a 10-gaol scorer and only one player (Cooper Fensterstock) has double-digit assists on the roster. The balance goes up and down the lineup and largely with even-strength goals as the usually deadly power play is clicking only at 16% so far this season.
“We have become a very gritty team,” noted Schultz. “In the past we would send some flyers for the perfect play or individual zone entry where now the group is much more a “chip and chase” approach. We made this change a couple of seasons ago and have had good success with the players buying into the style. If we can get the power play going our fifth-ranked offense should only get better and we will need that to close out the regular season and heading to the playoffs in March.”
One of the players looking to breakout on the man-advantage unit is defenseman Dakota Zarudny. The junior has eight points on the season with a +10 rating and has the high reward skills his coach is looking to take advantage of in the attack.
“Dak grew up playing forward,” said Schultz. “I am not sure when he made the shift back to the blueline, but I have always recruited and liked the smaller, skilled defensive players especially that play that high risk-high/reward style of play. He is a great influence on the team and in the room because he is always yapping and having fun. I can call him out in front of the group, and he just laughs and gets energized by it all.
The Knights will be looking for their first UCHC title this season but have a difficult path forward including four games with Nazareth and two each with Chatham, Brockport, Manhattanville and Utica to close out the second half of the season. Nazareth bookends the remaining schedule starting with a home-and-home series this weekend that Coach Schultz wants to see his team ready to go.
“Any team coach by George Roll is going to be ready to play and very disciplined and true to their systems,” said Schultz. “They have been playing very well of late including wins over Hamilton and Cortland before a tough loss to Oswego. We need to keep our gritty style going and make some improvements in getting more pucks to the net and not looking for the perfect play particularly on the power play. It is going to be a tough road to the finish line playing some really strong teams and I hope we find out how very good we are before we have to play in March.”
The Knights travel to face Nazareth on Friday night before taking the ice at “The Ira” on Saturday in the back end of the two-game series against the Golden Flyers.
Ben Ivey posted two goals in Army West Point’s 9-1 win over Mercyhurst last Friday night (photo: Army West Point Athletics).
Scoring goals has been a challenge for Army West Point this season.
Before last weekend, the Black Knights (7-15-0) were averaging 1.65 goals a game, and hadn’t scored more than two in a contest since a 5-3 loss to Holy Cross on Nov. 22.
Brian Riley’s team came into last weekend’s series with Mercyhurst having scored seven goals in their previous eight games, losing all of them.
That all changed last weekend.
On Friday, The Black Knights defeated the Lakers 9-1 and then put up a baker’s dozen in Saturday’s 13-1 win.
Saturday’s game set an Atlantic Hockey America record for goals in a game and tied the record goals in a period (seven in the second period on Saturday). Every Army forward had at least a point in each game, led by Nik Hong and Nils Forselius with seven points each in the series.
“It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever been a part of,” said Riley. “Everything went in for us, all the goals that didn’t in our previous games. It was kind of a perfect storm. Nobody is that many goals better than the other team. Pucks just went in for us that hadn’t gone in for nine games. Mercyhurst had just played the (Minnesota) Gophers the week before and they were competitive games.”
Riley said that an impromptu team meeting held after an 8-2 loss to American International on Jan. 7 helped galvanize his team.
“For us, the weekend started after AIC beat us 8-2 on Tuesday,” said Riley. “I talked to the team and it turned into a team meeting. I asked the players to speak up. Everybody got to talk.
“We were so consumed with winning and scoring, that we forgot about the habits and details, which is the process.”
The offensive outburst came at the perfect time with the Black Knights welcoming rival Air Force to Tate Rink this weekend.
“We needed a confidence boost,” said Riley. “I think that this past weekend gave some guys that were struggling some confidence. It couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
Army-Air Force is a special rivalry unlike any other in college hockey, made extra special this year, Riley’s final one at Army West Point. He’s retiring after 21 seasons.
“I’ve been thinking about how much I’m going to miss being a part of the rivalry,” said Riley. “There are lots of great rivalries in college hockey, but this one is special because the of the players on both teams what they are willing to do for their country.
“After the game, we line up shoulder to shoulder for the alma maters. It’s unique.”
“How ironic is that?” said Riley. “We wanted ‘Langer,’ we wanted Brendan to be here for our final regular-season game. And now it’s the (second) last regular-season game in their history (the Yellow Jackets recently rescheduled their postponed game with Holy Cross as their last game of the regular season).
Riley says he’s starting to look back as the time nears.
“It’s winding down,” he said. “It’s coming fast for some strange reason. This season is flying by.
“Looking back, the best part isn’t the wins, it’s the relationships that were special. I’ve been very lucky, but it’s time.”
Buffalo State’s Joe Glamos hopes to keep the Bengals’ Cellys going as they face the nation’s No. 1 team this weekend when Hobart comes to visit on Friday night (Photo by Performance Sport Photography – Jennifer Meure)
Other than some mid-week games and the odd non-conference matchup to be found sporadically for the balance of the schedule, the action now turns to conference play and all-important wins and points. It is mid-January so if your team is going to make a run it would be best to bring maximum effort and execution to the ice for the sprint to the finish of the regular season.
My weekly picks finished last week at 8-5-0 (.615) on my “Baker’s Dozen” picks where, unfortunately, absolutely none of my upset picks came through – so unlike the first half of the season. Overall, my season numbers are now 70-37-6 (.646) which is basically hovering in about the same area as the past month or so. If I am going to reach my goal of a 70% success rate, now is the time for me to ramp up the accuracy and pick some winners. Here is this week’s prognostications for the east:
Thursday, January 16, 2024
Anna Maria v. Fitchburg State
The AmCats are certainly amongst the contending teams in the MASCAC this season but currently sit in a log jam of teams including Fitchburg State just three points apart and looking up at Plymouth State. The Falcons know the importance of playoff seeding and these points could be the difference next month. It is an overtime thriller for the home team – FSU, 5-4
Salem State v. Westfield State
The Vikings have been getting better every time out since their tournament win at the Boston Landing Invitational and a solid road win over the Owls will only build on the confidence for coach McInnis’ squad. Late flurry of goals including an empty-netter create some cushion for the visitors – SSU, 4-1
Friday, January 17, 2024
Wilkes v. Neumann
The MAC schedule finds these two teams licking their wounds after a tough week of losses looking to rebound and gain some important conference points. This one looks and feels like a playoff game because, well, both teams are going to play like it is one! No one wants to extend a losing streak and advantage goes to the home team only because it probably matters – Neumann, 3-2
(10) Endicott v. Wentworth
UPSET ALERT – The Gulls best not be looking past a very persistent Leopards squad who are coming off a big overtime win over Wilkes last weekend. Home ice fuels the fire for Wentworth who will come close but fall just a bit short in another upset bid in the CNE – Endicott, 3-2
Babson v. Albertus Magnus
The Beavers have been on a nice run over the past several games and look to extend their win streak against an explosive Falcon team fresh off a sweep of Southern Maine. Nate Mueller has been steady in goal and scoring is also balanced for the visitors who eke out another “W” on the road – Babson, 5-4
(9) Hamilton v. Tufts
The Continentals are perched atop the NESCAC standings with a handful of teams looking to take advantage of any stumble. The Jumbos are looking to get their game headed in the right direction and while special teams help keep this close, there is too much firepower for the visitors who use an ENG for added margin – Hamilton, 5-3
(1) Hobart v. Buffalo State
UPSET ALERT NUMBER TWO – When you are undefeated and the defending national champion you are going to get everyone’s best game when you face any opponent. Buffalo State has quietly taken the top spot in the SUNYAC standings and are very dynamic offensively. The Statesmen will need to play shutdown defense with some great goaltending. Thin k I have seen that formula before and it works in a close one here on the road – Hobart, 3-2
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Nazareth v. (3) Geneseo
The Golden Flyers will work hard for sixty minutes under coach George Roll and the Knights certainly like to feast on non-conference foes at home. Can’t get complacent with this opponent who keeps things close in a very entertaining contest at “The Ira” – Geneseo, 5-4
Franklin Pierce v. St. Anselm
The Ravens have struggled all season and have yet to pick up a win in NE-10 play so far. The Hawks will be wary and look to start fast to put the visitors on their back foot and playing catchup with the co-leaders in the league. Balanced scoring leads to a comfortable win – St. Anselm, 6-2
Williams v. Plattsburgh
The Cardinals play this back-end of a NESCAC double header looking to build some confidence before returning to SUNYAC play. Ephs have been up and down all season and this one finds them down as the visitors play it fast and physical for a nice home win – Plattsburgh, 3-1
(14) Cortland v. Oswego
These two teams expect to contend for the SUNYAC title and will be looking for a big win here for momentum in this non-conference affair. Game is at a neutral site in Skaneateles, New York with the Griffin’s Guardians charity being showcased. Hope the locals get out to watch a great hockey game that produces an overtime goal to win it – Cortland, 4-3
Elmira v. Massachusetts-Boston
The Soaring Eagles have started out strong in 2025 and will look to extend their strong results in NEHC play against the Beacons. Visitors have a veteran squad and find a way to down the expected challenge from the home team – Elmira, 4-1
Now we are getting to the games that really begin to matter on the schedule. No time like the present to get the results and points needed to contend – “Drop the Puck!”
The longstanding Michigan-Michigan State rivalry reignites this weekend in East Lansing and Ann Arbor (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
It’s a good week to be a sports fan in Michigan.
As the top seed in the NFC, the Detroit Lions host the Washington Commanders in NFL playoff action Saturday night.
After a coaching change, the Red Wings won their first seven games of 2025, putting them right there in the hunt for an NHL wild card playoff spot.
Even the Detroit Pistons are contributing to the Mitten glowup. As of this writing, the Pistons won seven of their first eight games in January.
For most Michiganders, this is a week of statewide pride, a love unified behind teams that represent the state in singular style.
But this week is also Rivalry Week, when the No. 10 Wolverines take the ice against the No. 1 Spartans, and no amount of geographic commonality can overcome the animosity created by a mere 65 miles of highway in southeast Michigan.
“Just growing up in the state of Michigan,” said Spartans coach Adam Nightingale, “you’re either green or blue.”
Nightingale knows.
The Cheboygan, Mich., native played his last two years of college hockey at Michigan State (2003-05), where he’s now in his third season as head coach.
“I think for our guys, especially the guys that are from the area or the guys that were here last year, [they] understand that it’s a special thing,” said Nightingale in his weekly press conference.
His counterpart, Brandon Naurato, knows all about it, too. Naurato hails from Livonia, Mich., and is a four-year (2005-09) Wolverine alum. He’s in his third year as head coach behind the Michigan bench.
“I say this with all due respect,” said Naurato on his weekly radio show. “We have respect for that team. It doesn’t mean that we have to like them.”
The rivalry between the Spartans and Wolverines is hot in every sport, but for hockey, it’s particularly sharp. Perhaps that’s because the history between the teams on ice is so long.
Both programs agree that the first game in this rivalry was a 5-1 Michigan win played Jan. 11, 1922, but there is a difference of opinion about the overall number of games in this all-time series. The Spartans count 348 with Michigan holding the all-time edge of 181-143-24. The Wolverines say it’s 343 games and that their record is 177-142-24.
In the years before Nightingale’s tenure in East Lansing and through his first season with Michigan State, the matches didn’t bring much joy to Spartans fans. From the start of the 2019 season through the first meeting between the teams last year, Michigan was 15-4-0 against Michigan State in their previous 19 contests. During that span, the Spartans saw three losing streaks that lasted from four to six consecutive games played.
The game that broke the last streak was Michigan State’s 7-5 win in Yost Ice Arena Jan. 20, 2024, just one day after the Wolverines crushed the Spartans 7-1 on Michigan State’s home ice.
The Spartans went on to beat the Wolverines in their next three meetings, including a 3-2 win Feb. 10 in front of more than 18,000 fans at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings, and their 5-4 overtime win to clinch the Big Ten playoff championship title in Munn Ice Arena five weeks later.
Michigan had the last word in last year’s series, however, when the Wolverines beat the Spartans 5-2 in the NCAA Midwest final, ending Michigan State’s season and sending the Wolverines to the Frozen Four. It was the first time in program history that the teams had met in the NCAA tournament.
“We don’t like that they beat us four times to our two last season,” said Naurato. “We don’t like that we lost the Big Ten championship in overtime in Munn. They don’t like that we ended their season.”
Regardless of the emotional nature of the rivalry – and it is emotional, as evidenced by the 168 penalty minutes in that 7-1 Michigan win in Munn last year – both coaches agree that there is a lot of respect between the teams. Players on each team who grew up in Michigan know each other pretty well, and Nightingale and Naurato moved in overlapping professional circles for years before becoming head coaches at their respective programs.
Each coach knows that there’s more on the line than Big Ten points when the Spartans and Wolverines meet, and Naurato also appreciates the renewed competitiveness in the series.
“We don’t want to play a last-place Michigan State team and they don’t want to play a last-place Michigan team,” said Naurato. “You want these games to mean something, and they do. Big Ten standings for sure, [but to] alumni, current players, future players, recruiting, this stuff matters.
“Every recruit we talk to, they’re talking to State and vice-versa. Well, it’s a better pitch when you’re the one winning that season series.”
“I think it’s great for the state,” added Nightingale. “We want young hockey players to aspire to play college hockey. You’ve got us and Michigan, Western Michigan’s doing an unbelievable job there. You’ve got three schools right in our state that are great examples. If you’ve got a dream of playing college hockey, you’ve got three great options.”
Nightingale said that this series is “one of the many special things about playing at Michigan State” and that the Spartans are looking forward to the first game.
Michigan State heads into the weekend after picking up four road points against Penn State. The Spartans beat the Nittany Lions 6-4 and tied 2-2, with Penn State picking up the extra point in the shootout. The Spartans are unbeaten in their last nine games (7-0-2), and their last loss – against Wisconsin Dec. 6 – was only their second loss of the season.
“At Penn State, I really thought the first night, we did a good job of showing some resolve,” said Nightingale. “We were down, came back and we had tied it, and it was good get the win there on the road.”
Penalties were an issue the second night, said Nightingale, when the Spartans took eight minors and a power-play goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation tied the game for the Nittany Lions. Nightingale said he liked the way the Spartans played “for about 52 minutes” in the tie.
“I thought the last eight minutes of the game, we got away from what we need to do to win hockey games,” said Nightingale.
With 28 points, the Spartans sit atop the Big Ten standings, one point ahead of Minnesota, five ahead of Ohio State and 10 up from fifth-place Michigan.
The Wolverines split on the road last against Notre Dame, and Michigan is 3-5-0 in its last eight games, all in conference play, but the Wolverines are still sitting at No. 12 in the PairWise Rankings.
“We’ve put ourselves in the position to be a tournament team,” said Naurato. “Our best hockey needs to be the rest of the season.”
Beginning with their series against the Spartans, said Naurato, the Wolverines will “see what we’re made of.” Michigan State is the top team in the country in both the USCHO Poll and the PairWise Rankings, while Minnesota is the fourth team currently in the PWR with Ohio State at No. 9.
Michigan has four regular-season games remaining against the Spartans, and two each against Minnesota and Ohio State.
“That’s real,” said Naurato. “Those are the teams you have to beat. They should know us better than anybody because they’re in our league, so it’s that much harder.
“There are no surprises. You have to earn it.”
“I think they’ve got a really good team,” added Nightingale. “I think we do, too.
“I think they’ve got a ton of talent. They’re very good on the power play. They definitely can score goals. I think it’s a very similar-type matchup, and I think regardless of where teams are at when they play, it’s going to bring out the best in everyone, and that’s what you want for your team.
“We want to see their best and they want to see our best and I think that’ll be the case Friday.”
The opening game in this series begins at 7 p.m. Friday at Yost Ice Arena. Saturday’s game at Munn Ice Arena begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be carried by the Big Ten Network.
Hudson Schandor wears the ‘C’ for UConn this season (photo: Clarus Multimedia Group).
Connecticut gave Hudson Schandor an opportunity, but he’s given plenty back.
Schandor, Connecticut’s 5-foot-9, 175-pound graduate student forward from North Vancouver, B.C., recently surpassed 100 career points with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win at New Hampshire last Friday, becoming the second-highest scorer in program history since it joined Hockey East in 2014.
“The biggest thing for me is, I’m proud to get this done as a Husky,” Schandor said. “I’m so grateful, really, for everyone here, for all that they’ve given to me and the opportunity they’ve given me. It’s hard not to get emotional when I talk about it. It’s a special place.”
Lightly recruited out of high school, Schandor has thrived in his time at UConn. His 104 career points as of this writing puts him one behind the school’s all-time leader in the Hockey East era, Jáchym Kondelík, who played forward for the Huskies from 2018-22 and now plays professionally overseas.
“These guys gave me an opportunity when I didn’t have a ton,” Schandor said. “I wasn’t in the best head space when they first reached out. (I) don’t know how high their expectations were of me, but the way they kind of brought me in and put their arms around me, everyone on the staff, it’s special. It’s truly a family here, and to be a part of it and to be able to be a leader here on this team now, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Schandor is currently third in Hockey East in scoring in conference play with five goals and eight assists. His goal against UNH, which came at 18:19 of the first period and put UConn up 1-0, was the Huskies’ nation-leading sixth shorthanded goal of the season.
“I don’t think we’ve had a penalty kill this aggressive, ever, in (my) time here,” Schandor said. “To be able to score as many shorthanded goals as we have this year is just a testament to the intelligence within our staff and within the guys on the kill. It’s like a special-operations unit we have going right now.”
Schandor earned high praise from Huskies coach Mike Cavanaugh, who noted Schandor started as a fourth-line player with a partial scholarship, working his way into a full scholarship.
“He’s the epitome of what I want in a UConn hockey player — on the ice, off the ice, he does all the little things,” Cavanaugh said. “Three-time captain — that should say enough about him as a player. (I) wish I had 30 of him. You’d be very successful if you had a lot of kids like Hudson Schandor.”
The Huskies currently sit in third place in the Hockey East standings and could be alone in first by the end of the weekend. UConn will visit league-leading Maine Friday and Saturday night (7 p.m. both nights on ESPN+).
Whatever happens to UConn the rest of the season, Schandor said he’s happy to be on the ride. While contemplating his hockey future after his senior season in 2023-24, Schandor said he weighed all options, but decided on one more year as a Husky.
“Something I’ve also learned here is the true power of loyalty,” he said. “Being a Canadian kid and coming to these American universities, you (find) out pretty quickly how much loyalty means to these guys. (It’s) a family. It truly is. And to be a part of the UConn family, for one more year, my last year, was something that outweighed everything.”
Northeastern’s Devon Levi is presented the 2022 Mike Richter Award by the award’s namesake during Frozen Four festivities (photo: Jim Rosvold).
The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) has announced a watch list of 35 goalies who will compete for the Mike Richter Award, given annually since 2014 to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey.
The 35 goalies come from the United States (16), Canada (12), Sweden (3), Slovakia (2) and one each from Czechia and Hungary.
Of the U.S. goalies, Michigan leads the way with four, followed by three from Florida and two each from Illinois and New York. There are five freshmen, 12 sophomores, 11 juniors, five seniors and two graduate students among those recognized.
A committee of voters — made up of a cross section of coaches, administrators, scouts and media — will pare this list down to approximately a dozen semifinalists within the next three weeks and then ultimately choose a winner from three finalists who will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four. A similar award to recognize the top female goalie in the NCAA is also presented by the HCA.
NOTE: Goalies qualified by meeting minimum GAA (<2.30) and save percentage (>.920) standards. Other names may be added for consideration before the first formal vote.
2024-25 Richter Award Watch List
Atlantic Hockey
J.J. Cataldo, Army West Point (FR – Stuart, FL)
Pierce Charleson, Niagara (GR – Aurora, ON)
Thomas Gale, Holy Cross (SR – Kirkland, PQ)
Ajeet Gundarah, Sacred Heart (FR – Richmond, BC)
Connor Hasley, Bentley (JR – North Tonawanda, NY)
Big Ten
Nathan Airey, Minnesota (SO – Cochrane, AB)
Trey Augustine, Michigan State (SO – South Lyon, MI)
Kristoffer Eberly, Ohio State (SO – Pinckney, MI)
Owen Say, Notre Dame (JR – London, ON)
Tommy Scarfone, Wisconsin (JR – Montreal, PQ)
Liam Souliere, Minnesota (GR – Montreal, PQ)
CCHA
Josh Kotai, Augustana (SO – Abbotsford, BC)
Christian Stoever, Bowlling Green (SR – Northfield, MI)
Alex Tracy, Minnesota State (JR – Chicago, IL)
ECAC Hockey
Ben Charette, Harvard (FR – Aurora, ON)
Ethan Langenegger, Clarkson (SR – Kamloops, BC)
Matej Marinov, Quinnipiac (SO – Nitra, Slovakia)
Dylan Silverstein, Quinnipiac (FR – Calabasas, CA)
Arthur Smith, Princeton (SO – Farmington, CT)
Lawton Zacher, Brown (SO – Buffalo, NY)
Hockey East
Albin Boija, Maine (SO -Sundsvall, Sweden)
Jacob Fowler, Boston College (SO – Melbourne, FL)
Beni Halasz, UMass Lowell (JR – Budapest, Hungary)
Michael Hrabal, UMass (SO – Prague, Czechia)
Philip Svedeback, Providence (JR – Vaxjo, Sweden)
Jared Whale, New Hampshire (JR – Calgary, AB)
NCHC
Matt Davis, Denver (SR – Calgary, AB)
Gibson Homer, Arizona State (JR – Grand Rapids, MI)
Klayton Knapp, Minnesota Duluth (FR – Waterville, OH)
Simon Latkoczy, Omaha (JR – Trencin, Slovakia)
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College (JR – Aspen, CO)
Isak Posch, St. Cloud State (SO – Umea, Sweden)
Cameron Rowe, WMU (GR – Wilmette, IL)
Hampton Slukynsky, WMU (FR – Warroad, MN)
Independents
Ty Outen, LIU (JR – Tampa, FL)
Past Richter Award Recipients: 2014 – Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 – Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 – Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 – Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 – Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 – Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 – Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 – Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota; 2022 – Devon Levi, Northeastern; 2023 – Devon Levi, Northeastern; 2024 – Kyle McLellan, Wisconsin.
Brady Risk tallied three goals and an assist as Omaha took both games last weekend on home ice over Colorado College (photo: Jaelle Johnson/Omaha Athletics).
If you’re an Omaha fan, there was a lot to like about the Mavericks’ home sweep last weekend over 13th-ranked Colorado College.
It was especially rewarding for some of UNO’s veteran players.
That includes graduate student forwards Brady Risk and Harrison Israels, a pair of Alaska transfers who, on a line with Myles Hilman, combined for 10 points in the series. Risk bagged three goals, Israels had a goal and two assists, and Hilman bagged a goal and three helpers.
Risk scored three times in UNO’s 5-2 win Friday, breaking an early scoreless deadlock with 7.7 seconds left in the first period before he made it 3-1 early in the second. His last goal of the night, 8:01 into the third period, clinched his second career hat trick and made him the sixth Maverick to record one inside Baxter Arena since it opened in 2015.
Israels set up two of Risk’s goals Friday, before the former scored Saturday’s eventual game-winner early in the third period. Putting away a centering feed from Hilman off a rebound, Israels had a wide-open net to fill. That put UNO up 2-1, before Hilman added an empty-netter to cap off a 3-1 victory.
Risk now has points in eight of his last 13 games, after not factoring into the scoring in his first seven games of the season. Israels’s recent form is similar. He didn’t record any points in his first six games this campaign but has points in four of his last five.
“That’s a great example of sticking with it,” UNO coach Mike Gabinet said. “Earlier on in the year, they were struggling a little bit there, and they’re just great individual people, high-character, work, work, work, work and work some more, and sure enough, getting rewarded with really contributing to the team’s success right now, which is great to see.”
Another big reason for the Mavericks’ success last weekend was junior goalie Simon Latkoczy. The Slovakian had 75 saves over the two games against CC, earning him NCHC goaltender of the week honors. No other starting netminder in the conference was busier last weekend.
“I thought he played really well this weekend,” Gabinet said. “I thought he was really poised and really calm in net, and didn’t have a lot of rebounds. I thought he played tremendously.”
He and his UNO (10-10-0) teammates have now won four of their last five games and will look to jump back above the .500 mark this weekend at Miami.
Liam Malmquist has been a go-to player this season for UST (photo: Nick Wosika).
After a trying end to 2024, the new year has been kind to St. Thomas.
The Tommies–who were picked by many observers to be one of the main contenders for the CCHA’s MacNaughton Cup this season–never seemed to find their footing in the first half of this season. They went 4-10-4 overall and just 3-6-3 in conference play over the first three months of the season, finding themselves in eighth place in the CCHA standings.
That’s not the start any team hopes for, but the new calendar year is a new opportunity to hit the reset button. It seems like that’s exactly what the Tommies have done. Since a 2-1 loss against St. Cloud State on Dec. 29, St. Thomas has reeled off four consecutive wins–two against non conference Lindenwood, followed by a pair against Ferris State. For head coach Rico Blasi, it’s gratifying to finally see some positive results after the early-seasons struggles.
“Anytime you come up with a couple of sweeps, that’s really important for the feeling in the locker room, the feeling on the ice and in practice. It’s a little bit different. Guys are feeling confident, and we should feel confident. We’re playing really well. Not that we weren’t playing well in the first half, we just weren’t getting results,” Blasi said Monday. “So it kind of weighs on you probably a little bit more than it should. So we’re in a good spot right now.”
The Tommies are now 8-10-4 overall and 5-6-3 in CCHA play, and all of a sudden they have found themselves back in position to make a run for home ice in the CCHA Mason Cup playoffs. The recent home sweep of Ferris State helped the Tommies leapfrog over the Bulldogs into seventh place in the CCHA standings. With a 0.429 points percentage, they’re in striking distance of Bemidji State (.500), Lake Superior State (.524) and Bowling Green (0.619). The Tommies play all three of those teams head-to-head in the coming month.
“We’ve got to continue to stay focused. Like I said on Saturday night after the game, the question was asked, are your guys confident? I said, why wouldn’t you be confident? You’re playing Division I hockey at the highest level. We’re at a great institution. Everybody’s healthy. There’s no reason for our guys not to be confident,” Blasi said. “Just go play every day and have fun and love each other up. The game goes by so fast, especially at this time of the year, when you start thinking about down the road, it’s only seven or eight weeks you’re done. So you’ve got to stay in the moment, you’ve got to enjoy it, and hopefully we play our best hockey at the right time.”
That time seems to be now–especially for the Tommies offense. The biggest key to beating Ferris State last weekend was finding a way to score goals. Boatloads of them. St. Thomas won 9-6 on Friday, setting the program’s record for most goals in a game. On Saturday, some clutch third-period goals by Lucas Whalin and Cooper Gay helped the Tommies rally for a 4-3 victory.
“I think you’ve got to go into every game focusing on the type of game that it is. And sometimes it’s high scoring, sometimes it’s a defensive battle, and so you have to adapt to what the situation provides itself. Sometimes you gotta score some goals, and Friday night was one of those nights, where no lead was safe, and you have to go up and down, and our guys did a nice job of executing and finishing off their chances,” Blasi said. “Saturday night, just a little bit more goal scoring than we would like in terms of our defense, but our guys did a nice job of coming through when they needed to.”
The Tommies also got some clutch goals against Lindenwood–3-2 and 4-3 wins, respectively–and now find themselves as one of the CCHA’s top-scoring offense (2.86 goals per game, just behind Minnesota State’s 2.90). Blasi noted that the Tommies have the CCHA’s top three players in shot attempts (Wahlin, Gay and Liam Malmquist). Those three are also in the top 10 in the league in scoring–Malmquist leads the way with 10 goals and 28 points, Wahlin is third with 10 goals and 22 points and Gay (who leads the league with 11 goals) is ninth in the conference in scoring with 19 points.
“Offensively, I think we’ve had our scoring chances over the course of the season. I think we have three or four of the top players in terms of shot attempts, but we weren’t really hitting the net as much as we wanted to in the first half, but guys seem to be finding it now, so hopefully we can continue that,” Blasi said.
The Tommies’ next two series are against the teams who are directly ahead of them in the standings. This week they travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to take on Lake Superior State before hosting Bemidji State in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, the following week.
Blasi said he wasn’t thinking too far ahead, however.
“Our message is the same: Make sure we’re getting better each and every day,” Blasi said. “Our process needs to be good. And when our process is not on a daily basis, it’s my job to make sure we come back to what we need to do. You know, everybody’s in the same boat. Everybody wants to play well going down the stretch, and we want to be in meaningful games at the end. The only way to do that is to take it a day at a time.”
Hockey East announced Monday that Maine graduate forward Ross Mitton has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 16:59 of the third period on Jan. 18 against UConn.
