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Division I Women’s Hockey: Weekend Wrap, March 4, 2024 – Conference tournaments

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d1wCHA

Championship
Mercyhurst vs. Penn State

The Nittany Lions earned their second straight CHA Tournament title and NCAA bid thanks to a 1-0 win on Saturday. Mercyhurst goalie Ena Nystrøm made 45 saves, but it was Mya Vaslet’s goal just four minutes into the game that proved to be all Penn State needed for the win. They will have the week off and find out their NCAA opponent next Sunday.

ECAC

Brown at (5) Colgate

On Friday, Danielle Serdachny led the Raiders with two goals and an assist while Kas Betinol, Kaitlyn O’Donohoe and Dara Greig each scored to give Colgate a 5-1 win. Kayle Doyle was stout for Brown through the first 30 minutes, but the Raiders kept pushing and finally broke through. Ava DeCoste was the goal scorer for the Bears in the loss. Saturday’s game was much the same as Brown looked to be headed to the third down just 1-0 on a goal from Elyssa Biederman, but Sydney Morrow scored with less than 30 seconds left in the second and that seemed to break things open. Doyle had 50 saves overall – 38 through the first two periods. Allyson Simpson, Emma Pais and Neena Brick added third period goals. Cameron Sikich had the power play goal for Brown.

(12) Princeton at (3) Clarkson

In Friday’s most entertaining game, Clarkson forced overtime after pulling their goalie to even the score with about 90 seconds to play. They had scored first on a Jenna Goodwin goal later in the first period, but Princeton immediately responded with a Sarah Paul power play goal. Kate Monihan’s goal in the second had the Tigers up 2-1 before Clarkson’s late heroics. After a scoreless first OT period, with plenty of chances for both teams, Alexie Guay knocked in a rebound to give the Golden Knights the 3-2 win. On Saturday, the Golden Knights left no doubt. The teams fought back and forth to a scoreless first, but then Clarkson came out firing. Dominique Petrie, Haley Winn and Anne Cherkowski all scored in a five minute span in the middle of the frame to put Clarkson up 3-0. Sara Swiderski scored a minute into the third to extend it to 4-0. Emerson O’Leary responded a minute later to get Princeton on the board, but Goodwin scored shortly thereafter to make it 5-1 and Winn extended it to 6-1 with about 10 to go. Sarah Fillier scored twice to bring the score to 6-3 but Princeton couldn’t close the gap further and Clarkson took the win and sweep.

(14) Yale at (7) St. Lawrence

Emma-Sofie Nordström made 31 saves and Julia Gosling scored twice to lead the Saints to a 4-1 win on Friday. After a back and forth first, Gosling’s power play goal gave SLU a 1-0 lead in the second. The game broke open in the third as Katina Duscio and Anna Segedi extended St. Lawrence’s lead to 3-0. Gracie Gilkyson scored for Yale to make it 3-1, but they couldn’t complete a comeback and Gosling’s empty-netter sealed the win. Nordström was once again huge in game two, making 41 saves to stymie Yale. SLU used a goal in each period – from Sarah Marchand, then Aly McLeod and then Gosling – to stake a 3-0 lead. Jordan Ray’s late power play goal was all the Bulldogs could find and St. Lawrence took the 3-1 win and series sweep. They will face Clarkson in the ECAC semifinals.

(9) Quinnipiac at (6) Cornell

The Big Red had a 2-0 lead after the first period Friday thanks to a rebound putback by Georgia Schiff and a shot from the slot by Lily Delianedis. But Quinnipiac pushed back in the second as Kahlen Lamarche and Madison Chantler each lit the lamp to tie the game 2-2. The two teams pushed each other in the third, but could not find an equalizer. Annelies Bergmann made several point-blank saves in the final minutes of regulation to help force overtime. Cornell killed an early OT penalty and then Karel Prefontaine took advantage of a mistake by Quinnipiac goalie Logan Angers when she left her crease. Prefontaine’s shot from a sharp angle won the game for the Big Red. In the second game, Cornell left no doubt as Schiff scored twice while Delianedis, Mckenna Van Gelder and Avi Adam each added a tally to give the Big Red a 5-0 win and sweep. They will face Colgate in the ECAC semifinals.

Hockey East

Holy Cross at (11) Connecticut

Coryn Tormala’s power play goal had Connecticut up 1-0 after the first. Ashley Allard cleaned up a rebound from a Jada Habisch shot to put them up 2-0 midway through the second and then Habisch lit the lamp herself on a short-hander near the end of the frame to make it 3-0. After the power play expired but just five seconds before the intermission, Holy Cross pulled one back with a goal from Lilly Feeney. Brianna Ware tipped in a goal two minutes into the third to put the Huskies up 4-1. Reghan Chadwick narrowed the gap for Holy Cross, but they ran out of time to mount a comeback and Connecticut took a 4-2 win to advance to the Hockey East Semifinals on Wednesday.

Merrimack at (14) Northeastern

After a scoreless first, Merrimack opened the scoring with a goal from Alex Ferguson to go up 1-0. That seemed to shake things loose for Northeastern, who went on to score four unanswered to take the 4-1 win. Skylar Irving carried the puck in by herself to even the score 1-1 and Katy Knoll’s game-winner came later in the second. In the third, Ella Blackmore pushed the lead to 3-1 and Irving’s empty-netter secured the win.

Vermont at New Hampshire

Rookie goalie Sedona Blair made 15 saves, giving her 889 saves, which breaks the UNH program single-season saves record. She also earned the shutout as the Wildcats took a 3-0 win. Chavonne Truter deflected a shot in while screening the goalie to make it 1-0 New Hampshire midway through the second. Tamara Thiérus forced a turnover and wrapped the puck around the net to make it 2-0 and Annie Berry added an empty-netter to give UNH the win. They will travel to Northeastern to play the Huskies in the Hockey East semifinal on Wednesday.

Providence at Boston College

The Friars outshot the Eagles 47-35, but Boston College skated away with a 2-1 overtime victory on Friday. Grace Campbell made 46 saves for the Eagles to keep her team in the game as after a back and forth first, Providence took a 1-0 lead in the second on a goal from Audrey Knapp. In the third. Kate Ham pounced on a rebound in front of the net and hit away until it found the back of the net. The two teams needed overtime to find a winner and then Sammy Taber called game with an absolute snipe. BC will head to UConn for a Hockey East semifinal on Wednesday.

NEWHA

Stonehill at Saint Anselm

Two of the best games of the weekend happened in NEWHA. First, Stonehill took the win in overtime when Saint Anselm took back to back penalties. The second was a too many players infraction when the player left the box before the expiration of her first penalty. The Hawks killed the first penalty, but could not stop Alexis Petford’s shot from the slot that gave Stonehill their first ever berth into the NEWHA Championship game. Before the climatic ending, all the scoring came in the second frame. Natalie Tulchinsky put Saint Anselm up 1-0 four minutes in. Petford equalized a few minutes later with a slap shot after some gorgeous passing by her teammates. Brooke Schneiderhan put the Hawks up 2-1 on the power play, but the Skyhawks responded with a gorgeous backhander from Bailey Feeney.

Franklin Pierce at LIU

The postseason brings out the best in the Franklin Pierce Ravens. When they played LIU in the semifinal last season, they scored in the final 90 seconds to force overtime. On Saturday, that same resilience came back to serve them well. That and having Grace Schuck on their team. LIU opened the scoring on a goal from Ryane Kearns, who took a turnover straight to the net. But Schuck replied 22 seconds later with a turnover and goal of her own to make it 1-1. Ashley Morrow pushed LIU ahead with a gorgeous solo effort before the end of the first to make it 2-1 and Maggie Culp hit Mikayla Lantto with a stretch pass she turned into a goal to extend the lead to 3-1. But the Ravens don’t give up. LIU held the shot lead heading into the final frame 22-12, but FPU outshot them in the third and OT 21-15. Franklin Pierce pulled their goalie with three minutes left and Schuck scored twice in 33 seconds to tie the game and force overtime. LIU just missed on a shot from distance at the empty net that might have put the game out of reach. It took most of the overtime period that was chaotic and back and forth with stellar goalkeeping from both Jill Hertl and Tindra Holm keeping their teams in the game. The game winner from Claire Casey came as Holm made a stop at the post but the puck was uncovered. Casey kept hitting at it until it popped up and over Holm’s shoulder and into the net. The goal was reviewed for offside, but eventually called good. FPU advances to the NEWHA championship game to face Stonehill. FPU last won the NEWHA Tournament in 2021, the year before the conference received an NCAA autobid.

WCHA

Bemidji State at (1) Ohio State

OSU scored three times in the first six minutes of game one, which set the tone for the series. Jenna Buglioni led the Buckeyes with two goals and two assists while Cayla Barnes added two goals and an assist. They put 62 shots on net and cruised to a 10-1 win. The victory secured their third-straight 30-win season – the third in program history. An 8-0 win on Saturday secured the sweep. Jenn Gardiner had two goals and an assist while Joy Dunne added a goal and two assists and Kiara Zanon had three helpers in the win.

St. Thomas at (2) Wisconsin

A quiet first period had the teams scoreless at intermission. Kirsten Simms opened the scoring less than a minute into the second. Lacey Eden tapped in a rebound to double the lead midway through the frame, but St. Thomas’ Lauren Stenslie had a gorgeous solo effort to cut the lead to 2-1. In the third, it was again Simms that put the Badgers ahead, but Stenslie had another special play to close the gap to a single goal. The junior had an outstanding game and kept her team in it throughout. But it was Simms’ game, as she set up Britta Curl with just more than six to play to push the lead to two goals. Wisconsin won 4-2. On Saturday, the Badgers came out with more power to take down the Tommies 9-1 and sweep the weekend. Britta Curl and Casey O’Brien each scored twice, while Lacey Eden, Anna Wilgren, Vivian Jungels, Laila Edwards and Katie Kotlowski also lit the lamp. Maddie Jurgensen was the goal scorer for St. Thomas in the loss.

Minnesota State at (4) Minnesota

On Friday, the Gophers skated to a 2-0 lead by midway through the 2nd thanks to goals from Lauren O’Hara and Ella Huber. Just 17 seconds after Huber, Kennedy Bobyck knocked in a rebound from Alexis Paddington’s shot off the post and that set the tone for the rest of the game. Jamie Nelson tapped in a back door pass from Kamryn Van Batavia to send the teams to the third frame tied 2-2. Mankato’s third line in particular was relentless in this game. Madison Mashuga gave the Mavericks their first lead on a breakaway. Huber responded for Minnesota to tie the game 3-3 with just under 15 left in the 3rd. Nelson got her second with some pretty puckhandling through the defense to make it 4-3 MSU, but Huber completed a hat trick with about six to play, tying the game 3-3. The Mavericks showcased more speed on the game-winner as Charlotte Akervik and Van Batavia took off and Van Batavia put home a rebound from Avervik’s shot to give Minnesota State the 5-4 advantage and eventual win – her first career game-winner. On Saturday, the Gophers came back with a decisive 7-1 win led by Josefin Bouveng’s two goals and three assists. Madeline Wethington, Abbey Murphy, Madison Kaiser and Huber also scored in the win. In the deciding third game, Huber put her team up 1-0 early in the first, but Mankato was tough on defense, blocking 24 shots. They struggled to get much going on offense, getting just 11 shots on goal. Bouveng scored with five to play to extend the lead to 2-0 and added an empty-netter a few minutes later to secure the 3-0 victory and series win. The Gophers will face Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinal.

(10) St. Cloud State at (8) Minnesota Duluth

Reece Hunt was involved in all five Bulldog goals (1g, 4a) to lead UMD to a 5-0 win over St. Cloud State on Friday. In the game, Mannon McMahon became UMD’s all-time games played leader with 169 games. Mary Kate O’Brien, Clara Van Wieren, Olivia Wallin and Ida Karlsson also scored in the win. On Saturday, Ève Gascon put up a 27-save shutout and McMahon scored twice to lead Minnesota Duluth to a 2-0 win and weekend sweep. The Bulldogs will play Ohio State in the WCHA semifinal.

Monday 10: Regular-season championships getting clinched as playoff pictures coming into focus across college hockey conferences

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Michigan State players celebrate their first-ever Big Ten regular-season championship last Friday night at Wisconsin (photo: Michigan State Athletics).

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.

1. Beavers batter Mavs to clinch MacNaughton
The last time a team other than Minnesota State had its hands on the MacNaughton Cup, the CCHA didn’t even exist. That was in 2017.

Since then, the Mavericks had won six in a row, straddling two leagues–the WCHA and the CCHA. And it just so happens that the last team to win the cup in 2017 is also the one to break Minnesota State’s six-season lock on the 111-year-old trophy.

This past weekend, Bemidji State emphatically battered their instate rivals to clinch their first CCHA title since 2017. The Beavers, who have taken points in eight consecutive games, came into the weekend needing one point to clinch a share of the cup and two to clinch outright. Instead, they took all six, winning 6-0 on Friday behind two goals and two assists from senior Jackson Jutting and a 28-save shutout by Mattias Sholl, then winning Saturday night’s game 2-0 behind yet another shutout–this time from senior Gavin Enright.

It was the first time in the 50-year, 145-game history of the Bemidji/Mankato rivalry that the Beavers have been able to sweep the Mavericks with shutouts in back-to-back games. The Beavers now have home-ice advantage throughout the CCHA playoffs, which begin next week when they take on No. 8-seeded Ferris State in a best-of-three quarterfinal matchup.

2. Fighting Hawks capture Penrose
The Beavers weren’t the only team in green to capture a league title this weekend. The second to do so was North Dakota, who swept Western Michigan 5-3 and 3-0 over the weekend to capture their sixth Penrose Cup in 11 seasons.

UND’s sweep, coupled with Denver’s sweep of St. Cloud State over the weekend, meant the Fighting Hawks were able to clinch the league title with a week left in the regular season.

Jackson Blake had two assists on Friday and a goal on Saturday to notch his 50th point of the season; he’s the first UND player since Brock Boeser and Drake Caggiula in 2015-16 to reach 50. Ludvig Persson was also huge for the Hawks, making 34 saves Friday and 35 Saturday to help his team lift the cup.

UND has one more weekend of regular-season play at Omaha before the NCHC tournament quarterfinals begin. They will take on Miami starting March 15.

3. Sparty wins first-ever B1G title
But wait, there’s more!

There was a third green-clad team to clinch a league title this weekend. Michigan State beat Wisconsin 5-2 on Friday night in Madison to win its first-ever Big Ten championship.

The Spartans used a pair of goals by senior Jeremy Davidson, a goal and two assists from Reed Lebster and 44 saves by freshman goaltender Trey Augustine to win their first regular-season league championship since they won the CCHA title in the 2000-01 season. The Badgers rallied to win 4-1 on Saturday night thanks to a pair of goals from both Sawyer Scholl and Carson Bantle.

MSU finished the B1G regular season with 52 points, just two ahead of the Badgers, and will have a first-round bye in the B1G playoffs, which begin next week. Meanwhile, the Badgers will host Ohio State in their best-of-three series.

4. Eagles clinch Hockey East
The final program to clinch a league title this weekend doesn’t wear green, but Boston College’s rivals are all green with envy following the Eagles’ 1-0 win over New Hampshire on Sunday night.

Senior defenseman Eamon Powell scored the game’s only goal midway through the third period and goaltender Jacob Fowler made 27 saves to help BC clinch its 18th Hockey East regular-season title and first since 2021 with a week remaining.

The Eagles, who have won 12 straight Hockey East games, have a seven-point lead over second-place BU and a 20-point lead over third-place Maine. BC takes on Merrimack in their regular-season finale next Saturday.

5. Colonials return to AHA playoffs with big upset
Atlantic Hockey playoffs started on Saturday, and they’re already off to a great start.

The highlight of the weekend (unless you’re a Bentley fan) was 11th-seeded Robert Morris knocking off seventh-seeded Bentley 4-3 in overtime late Saturday night. The Colonials, of course, are back on the ice this season after the school announced that the program would be shut down after the 2020-21 season. So when freshman Cameron Garvey’s goal with 10 seconds left in the first overtime period went into the back of the net, it was cathartic for RMU hockey fans, who are glad that the revived program is showing that it’s still committed to playing hard every week despite finishing last in AHA.

The Colonials will look to keep their Cinderella run going this weekend when they take on top-seeded RIT in the quarterfinals next week. In the other two AHA first-round games, the higher-seeded teams emerged victorious. Seventh-seeded Niagara beat 10th-seeded Army 4-1 while eighth-seeded Canisius topped ninth-seeded Mercyhurst 5-2.

This means that Canisius will travel to Holy Cross for their quarterfinal series this week, while Niagara will head to Sacred Heart in their series. The other AHA quarterfinal series will see fourth-seeded Air Force host fifth-seeded AIC.

6. ECAC playoff picture finalized
Even though Quinnipiac wrapped up the ECAC regular-season championship last weekend, there was still plenty to play for in the conference this weekend.

Coming into the final two games of the season, Dartmouth and Clarkson were tied for the fourth and final first-round bye in the ECAC tournament. In the end, Dartmouth managed to edge out Clarkson by a single point — Clarkson’s overtime win over Quinnipiac on Friday night opened up the door for Dartmouth, who took all three points from Brown on Friday then beat Yale in regulation on Saturday to clinch a first-round bye in the tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

The Big Green join Quinnipiac, Cornell and Colgate in the top four. On the other end, Clarkson, Union, St. Lawrence and Harvard secured quarterfinal home ice; they will play Princeton, Yale, Brown and RPI, respectively, in the single-game first round next Saturday..

7. CCHA separated by five points
Although Bemidji State, as mentioned previously, ended up winning the CCHA by nine points, the rest of the league was incredibly tight: Second through seventh places were separated by just five points and the three of the four playoff matchups weren’t officially determined until after the final games on Saturday.

In the end, St. Thomas tied with Michigan Tech for second place and earned the No. 2 seed thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker. St. Thomas will host its first-ever playoff series at the Division I level next week, taking on Lake Superior State in the quarterfinals, while third-seeded Michigan Tech will host Bowling Green, a team they just swept a week ago on the road, in theirs.

Minnesota State nearly missed out on home ice altogether but were helped by Northern Michigan’s sweep of Bowling Green; the Mavericks will host fifth-seeded Northern Michigan in a rematch of last season’s CCHA Mason Cup title game won by MSU.

8. Gophers take four from Wolverines to set up B1G tourney
Minnesota came into the weekend needing just two points to clinch third place in the Big Ten. They ended up getting four.

The Gophers dominated Michigan 6-2 on Friday night to secure the No. 3 seed in the B1G tournament. Then they staged a furious comeback on Saturday night to force overtime before ultimately losing 6-5. Although both the Gophers and the Wolverines already knew they had home ice for the first round of the playoffs — Minnesota will host Penn State and Michigan will host Notre Dame — the most important thing about this weekend was the Pairwise positioning.

Minnesota, at No. 7 in the Pairwise, is in decent shape to make the tournament but Michigan, who dropped to No. 15 after Friday’s game but moved back up to 13 following Saturday’s results, still has work to do to make sure they get in. A B1G tournament title would make that discussion moot.

9. Pioneers creep ahead in NCHC standings
Denver is basically a lock for the NCAA tournament at this point, but their sweep at St. Cloud State, the Pioneers’ first since 2007, helped them leapfrog ahead of the Huskies for second in the tightly-packed NCHC standings and lock in home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

The Huskies, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four and dropped to No. 14 in the Pairwise–firmly on the bubble. They head to Minnesota Duluth in their regular-season finale needing some wins to clinch both conference points and Pairwise positioning.

Elsewhere in the conference, both Colorado College and Omaha are alive for the fourth and final home-ice slot. CC is four points ahead of Omaha and takes on rival Denver in a home-and-home this weekend; Omaha hosts UND.

10. Sun Devils still alive, barely
Following their controversial weekend in Alaska, Arizona State seemed to have run out time to climb the Pairwise, but that doesn’t mean the Sun Devils have given up.

They swept Long Island 4-2 and 4-3 in their final home games of the 2023-24 season. And although their prospects for an at-large bid look nearly impossible–they are currently No. 18 in the Pairwise–they are still breaking records.

The victories against LIU gave them their 22nd and 23rd victories (a program record). The final two games of the season see ASU traveling to Alaska to take on Alaska Anchorage. As of this writing on Sunday night, the Devils have, according to some predictions, a less than 1% chance of making the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid.

The math seems like it’s not on their side, but it’s a possibility. But first, they must beat the Seawolves on the road to stay alive.

D-II/III East Men’s Hockey Championship Weekend Wrap-up – March 3, 2024

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Hobart successfully defended their NEHC title with a 5-0 win over Skidmore on Saturday and now look to a defense of last year’s national championship (Photo by Kevin Colton)

What a great championship weekend across the East! More than half of the nine games played were one-goal affairs that included a couple of overtime thrillers and one double-overtime marathon played. More surprising was the continued “upset bug” that saw Cortland take the SUNYAC with an overtime win over defending champion Plattsburgh. Hobart (NEHC), Plymouth State (MASCAC), and Trinity (NESCAC) won comfortably while Endicott (CCC), Utica (UCHC), and Assumption (NE-10) won nail-biters that also included some bonus hockey in D-II. Monday’s NCAA tournament announcement will be interesting based on at-large bids and seeding for this week’s first round games but here is the recap of some thrilling action that decided championships in the East:

CCC

The defending champions from Endicott played host to Salve Regina, who knocked off top seed Curry last week, looking to capture a CCC title in their final season in the conference.

The first period saw the Gulls break the ice with a goal from Cass Bowes for a 1-0 advantage after twenty minutes of play. Both goaltenders, Endicott’s Atticus Kelly and SRU’s Cayden Bailey showed they were on top of their game making key saves to keep goals off the scoreboard.

The second period saw the Seahawks tie the score off the stick of Damon Zimmer and the game looked like it would be tied at 1-1 after two periods of play before Endicott scored in the final minute to take a 2-1 lead. Andrew Kurapov’s one-timer from the top of the circle beat Bailey with just 57 seconds remaining in the period. Jackson Sterrett fed Kurapov beautifully after Zach Mazur had won puck possession deep in the Seahawk zone to start the play.

Kelly earned his keep in the Gulls goal in the final period stopping all 11 Seahawks shots on the way to thirty-two saves as the game ended with the 2-1 final for Endicott who became the first team in CCC history to repeat as conference champions.

Endicott receives the auto-bid to the NCAA tournament and will find out their opponent on

Monday during the NCAA selection and bracket show at 10 AM EST.

Endicott celebrated back-to-back CCC championships with a hard fought 2-1 win over Salve Regina on Saturday (Photo by Endicott Athletics)

MASCAC

The top seed Plymouth State Panthers hosted No. 2 Fitchburg State as the Panthers were seeking a fifth straight MASCAC championship against the team other than them that last won the title in 2018.

In a dominant performance, PSU limited the Falcons to just three shots on goal in each of the first two periods of play while Payton Schaly, Connor Tait and Jeremey Rancourt scored all the goals Kalle Andersson would need in a 3-0 win. Andersson finished the contest with thirteen saves (7 in the final period) to earn the shutout while Schaly’s first period goal proved to be the game-winner for the Panthers who successfully extended their championship streak to five with the win.

Plymouth State takes the auto-bid with he MASCAC title and await the outcome of the selection show for their opponent in the NCAA tournament.

Plymouth State earned their fifth consecutive MASCAC championship with a 3-0 win over Fitchburg State on Saturday (Photo by PSU Athletics)

NE-10

The only game on championship weekend that extended beyond a single overtime featured No. 3 seed Southern New Hampshire looking to upset top seed Assumption for the only title available for D-II teams playing in the NE-10.

The Greyhounds scored first with Leo Piandes netting the first goal of the game on the power play in the opening four minutes of play. Ten minutes later, the Penmen leveled the score at 1-1 when Connor Ball beat Assumption’s Thomas McLarnon.

The second period saw power play goals from both teams with Shane Sullivan once again giving the advantage to the Greyhounds before Matt Amante scored just a couple of minutes later to level the score at 2-2 after two periods of play.

Both teams were seeing great scoring chances thwarted as McLarnon and SNHU’s Collin Berke were outstanding in goal turning back several Grade A opportunities. The shot totals mounted with both netminders stopping everything they saw in the third period to send the game to a full 20-minute overtime. Assumption held a 54-33 shot advantage at the end of regulation. In overtime both teams had several chances turned away as the Penmen held a 15-9 shot advantage but could not solve McLarnon for the game winning goal. A second overtime was needed to decide an NE-10 champion and in the seesaw battle of chances, first-year Jonathan Surrette took a breakout pass from Sean Corliss and rifled a shot high over Berke’s blocker for the game-winner just over thirteen minutes into the second overtime period.

Berke finished the game recording seventy-two saves while McLarnon made fifty-six saves for the champion Greyhounds who finished their campaign with a 25-7-0 record and their second NE-10 title in three years.

Assumption completed their domination of the NE-10 this season with a 3-2 double-overtime win over SNHU to capture the conference title (Photo by Julia Jacobsen)

NEHC

The NEHC title game saw No. 3 Skidmore travel to “The Cooler” to face top seed and the nation’s No. 1 team Hobart who has been unbeaten on home ice this season.

After a spirited opening nineteen plus minutes of play that saw Hobart dominate the shots on goal statistic, Tanner Hartmann gave the Statesmen a 1-0 lead in the final ten seconds of play in the first period. In the opening minute of the second period, Khalil Fontana extended the lead to 2-0 as the Statesmen scored twice in just over 40 seconds of game time not including the first period break.

Hartmann netted his second goal of the game with a shorthanded gem to send Hobart to the second break leading 3-0. Just 26 seconds into the final period, Artem Buzoverya gave Hobart a 4-0 lead and Chris Duclair closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal in a comfortable 5-0 win over the Thoroughbreds. Tate Brandon finished the contest stopping 51 of 55 Hobart shots while Damon Beaver earned his sixth shutout of the season stopping all 21 Skidmore attempts on goal.

“I thought from the drop of the puck our guys were locked in, playing the type of hockey we can play, and I couldn’t be happier,” said head coach Mark Taylor. “We came out and we played Hobart hockey. We played with real purpose and real focus and played together and win or lose that is all you can ask for – but it is nice when you win.”

Hobart earned their second consecutive league title and the NEHC auto-bid and likely will be the top seed in the NCAA tournament earning an opening round bye while Skidmore awaits and hopes to extend their season with an at-large bid in the national tournament.

A familiar scene for Hobart celebrating another goal in the pursuit of a second consecutive NEHC title (Photo by Kevin Colton)

NESCAC

The semifinal and championship game were hosted by top seed Trinity who opened semifinal action on Saturday against No. 7 Middlebury while No. 3 Tufts faced No. 4 Hamilton.

In the first semifinal, the Bantams got a late goal from Gerard Marretta and a power play goal from Spencer Korona in the final minute of play to post a 2-0 lead after the first period of play where Trinity outshot Middlebury by a 14-3 margin. The Panthers responded in the second period and two goals from Paddy Bogart sent the teams to the locker room tied at 2-2 after the second period. The Third period was all Trinity as Kyle Tomaso scored an unassisted goal to give the Bantams a 3-2 lead and Marretta and Connor Sedlak would add insurance tallies for a 5-2 win to earn their spot in Sunday’s title game.

In the other semifinal, opportunities were plentiful between Tufts and Hamilton as the teams combined for eighty-three shots on goal. Tyler Sedlak’s second period goal for the Jumbos proved to be the only goal of the game as Jack Grant (37 saves) and Peyton Durand (45 saves) were stellar in the crease for the respective teams. Durand stopped all eighteen chances sent his way by the Continentals in the third period and Tufts earned their first championship game appearance with a 1-0 victory.

In the championship game, Trinity took a lead on a goal by Richard Boysen assisted by Spencer Korona with just under five minutes remaining in the opening period. Boysen was not finished with his offensive contributions as he added his second of the period with just four seconds remaining on the clock and a 2-0 lead. There would be no other scoring until the final two minutes when Devon Tongue scored an empty-net goal and Boysen added another for a hat trick to ice a 4-0 win for Trinity. Tufts netminder Peyton Durand was outstanding in goal making thirty-four saves while Devon Bobak, supported by strong defense and shot blocking, made twenty-eight saves to earn the shutout win.

Trinity celebrates their 4-0 win over Tufts earning their seventh NESCAC championship overall (Photo by TrinColl Athletics)

SUNYAC

The SUNYAC championship featured defending champion Plattsburgh hosting No. 4 seed Cortland fresh off their upset win of top seed Geneseo last weekend.

Both teams had their skating legs in the opening period but neither team was able to get a puck past the opposing netminder in a scoreless first period. Just over the midway mark of the second period sophomore Colby Seitz gave the visiting Red Dragons a 1-0 lead that they took to the locker room after forty minutes of action.

A Cortland penalty right after the opening face-off in the third period gave Plattsburgh a power play and Ryan Bonfield made it count to tie the score at 1-1. Nate Berke, who assisted on Seitz’s earlier goal gave Cortland a 2-1 lead with under four minutes remaining, but Bonfield netted his second of the period with the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker to tie the score at 2-2 and just 31 seconds remaining in regulation time sending the game to overtime. In the extra session, last week’s hero at Geneseo emerged again for the Red Dragons as Anthony Bernardo took a pass from Cameron Knowlton and slipped a backhand shot through Jacob Hearne at 9:13 of overtime to give Cortland their first-ever SUNYAC championship with a 3-2 win. Goaltender Jack Riedell stopped forty-one shots in for Cortland who awaits their NCAA match-up on Monday earned with heir SUNYAC auto-bid.

Cortland won their first ever SUNYAC title with a 3-2 overtime win over Plattsburgh on Saturday (Photo by Gabe Dickens)

UCHC

The UCHC championship game featured top seed Utica hosting No. 2 Stevenson in a game loaded with skill and two teams that like to play fast.

In the opening period, Eric Vitale found the back of the net behind the Mustangs’ Ty Outen for a 1-0 lead that held up until the final two minutes of the period when Kyle Lightfoot scored a power play goal to tie the score at 1-1 at the end of the first period.

The second period saw the Pioneers engineer a pair of goals from Griffen Barr and a power play tally from Jakub Breault to take a 3-1 lead into the final period. Stevenson was in full attack mode and fired eighteen shots at Utica’s Ethan Roberts looking to equalize the score. Frank Vitucci’s goal midway through the period was the only shot to get by Roberts as the Pioneers held on for the 3-2 win and their third consecutive UCHC championship. Roberts stopped seventeen of his twenty-eight saves in the final period and earned tournament MVP honors surrendering just two goals in three games.

Utica earned the UCHC auto-bid and while ranked nationally at No. 2 await their placement in the national tournament on Monday, 3/4.

The Pioneers held off a determined Stevenson squad to capture their third consecutive UCHC title (Photo by Maxwell LeBuis – YSM Media)

Three Biscuits

Anthony Bernardo – Cortland – scored his second overtime winning goal in the SUNYAC tournament to give the Red Dragons a 3-2 win over Plattsburgh and their first conference title on Saturday night.

Richard Boysen – Trinity – scored a hat trick to pace the Bantams to a 4-0 win over Tufts to earn their seventh NESCAC championship on Sunday afternoon.

Jonathan Surrette – Assumption – netted the game-winning goal in the second overtime period as the Greyhounds took the NE-10 title with a 3-2, 2OT win over Southern New Hampshire on Saturday.

Bonus Biscuits

Andrew Kurapov – Endicott – scored the game-winning goal for the Gulls in their 2-1 championship win over Salve Regina on Saturday afternoon.

Kalle Andersson – Plymouth State – stopped all seventeen shots he faced in the Panthers 3-0 championship win over Fitchburg State on Saturday.

Tanner Hartmann – Hobart  – scored a pair of goals, including one shorthanded to pace the Statesmen to the second consecutive NEHC title with a 5-0 win over Skidmore on Saturday.

Ethan Roberts – Utica – stopped twenty-three shots including seventeen in the final period as the Pioneers downed Stevenson, 3-2 to earn their third consecutive UCHC championship.

What a great weekend of hockey with action from the opening puck drop to the final horn or in some cases “sudden-victory goal.” Just thirteen teams now remain in D-III in pursuit of a national championship starting on Saturday, March 9. The East will have Hobart, Utica, Trinity, Endicott, Plymouth State, Cortland entering the tournament auto-bids while Geneseo, Curry, and Elmira appear to be competing for any of the at-large selections.

Thanks to Russell Jaslow for post-game audio from the Hobart-Skidmore game.

 

 

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, March 1-2

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UMass scored a pair of overtime wins over the weekend with Ryan Ufko netting the winner in both games (photo: UMass Athletics).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll of Feb. 26 fared in games over the weekend of March 1-2.

No. 1 Boston College (27-5-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 1 Boston College 5 at No. 17 New Hampshire 3
03/03/2024 – No. 17 New Hampshire 0 at No. 1 Boston College 1

No. 2 Boston University (22-8-2)
Did not play.

No. 3 North Dakota (24-8-2)
03/01/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 3 at No. 3 North Dakota 5
03/02/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 0 at No. 3 North Dakota 3

No. 4 Wisconsin (25-9-2)
03/01/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 5 at No. 4 Wisconsin 2
03/02/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 1 at No. 4 Wisconsin 4

No. 5 Denver (23-8-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
03/02/2024 – No. 5 Denver 7 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2

No. 6 Michigan State (22-9-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 5 at No. 4 Wisconsin 2
03/02/2024 – No. 6 Michigan State 1 at No. 4 Wisconsin 4

No. 7 Quinnipiac (24-8-2)
03/01/2024 – RV Clarkson 3 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)
03/02/2024 – St. Lawrence 1 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 8

No. 8 Minnesota (20-9-5)
03/01/2024 – No. 16 Michigan 2 at No. 8 Minnesota 6
03/02/2024 – No. 16 Michigan 6 at No. 8 Minnesota 5 (OT)

No. 9 Maine (20-10-2)
03/01/2024 – No. 9 Maine 1 at Vermont 2
03/02/2024 – No. 9 Maine 3 at Vermont 2

No. 10 Providence (18-11-3)
02/29/2024 – Merrimack 2 at No. 10 Providence 4
03/01/2024 – No. 10 Providence 1 at Merrimack 2

No. 11 Colorado College (19-10-3)
03/01/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 2 at No. 11 Colorado College 2 (OT)
03/02/2024 – Minnesota Duluth 1 at No. 11 Colorado College 4

No. 12 Western Michigan (18-13-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 3 at No. 3 North Dakota 5
03/02/2024 – No. 12 Western Michigan 0 at No. 3 North Dakota 3

No. 13 Cornell (17-6-6)
03/01/2024 – Union 3 at No. 13 Cornell 2
03/02/2024 – Rensselaer 1 at No. 13 Cornell 3

No. 14 Massachusetts (19-10-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 14 Massachusetts 2 at UMass Lowell 1 (OT)
03/02/2024 – UMass Lowell 3 at No. 14 Massachusetts 4 (OT)

No. 15 St. Cloud State (15-12-5)
03/01/2024 – No. 5 Denver 6 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2
03/02/2024 – No. 5 Denver 7 at No. 15 St. Cloud State 2

No. 16 Michigan (18-13-3)
03/01/2024 – No. 16 Michigan 2 at No. 8 Minnesota 6
03/02/2024 – No. 16 Michigan 6 at No. 8 Minnesota 5 (OT)

No. 17 New Hampshire (17-14-1)
03/01/2024 – No. 1 Boston College 5 at No. 17 New Hampshire 3
03/03/2024 – No. 17 New Hampshire 0 at No. 1 Boston College 1

No. 18 Omaha (18-10-4)
03/01/2024 – No. 18 Omaha 4 at Miami 3
03/02/2024 – No. 18 Omaha 2 at Miami 1

No. 19 RIT (22-10-2)
Did not play.

No. 20 Arizona State (23-7-6)
03/01/2024 – LIU 2 at No. 20 Arizona State 4
03/02/2024 – LIU 3 at No. 20 Arizona State 4

RV = Received votes

Gustavus Adolphus looking to defend women’s D-III college hockey national championship as one of 11 teams in 2024 field

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The Gustavus Adolphus women’s team celebrates its 2023 national championship win in Amherst, Mass. (photo: Gustavus Adolphus Athletics).

Eleven teams were selected to the NCAA Division III women’s hockey tournament after the field was announced Sunday night on NCAA.com.

Of the 11 teams, six teams will play in the first round and the remaining five will enter at the quarterfinal stage.

Seven teams qualify by earning an automatic bid as conference champions (CCC/Western New England, MIAC/Gustavus Adolphus, NCHA/Adrian, NEHC/Elmira, NESCAC/Middlebury, SUNYAC/Cortland, UCHC/Nazareth), while the remaining entrants (Amherst, Hamilton, Plattsburgh, Wisconsin-River Falls) were selected as at-large teams.

Teams from the same conference will not be paired to play each other in the first contest.

NCAA D-III Women’s Hockey Tournament Bracket

First-round games will be played on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. EDT (Hamilton-Nazareth, Middlebury-Western New England, Cortland-Elmira), quarterfinal games will be played on Saturday, March 9 at 3 p.m. EDT (Wisconsin-River Falls vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Adrian vs. Hamilton-Nazareth winner, Plattsburgh vs. Middlebury-Western New England winner, Amherst vs. Cortland-Elmira winner), and semifinal games will be played on Friday, March 15 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT, hosted by the highest-ranking semifinalist.

The championship game is scheduled to be played on Sunday, March 17 at 3 p.m. EDT, hosted by the highest-ranking semifinalist.

Gustavus Adolphus is the defending national champion after defeating Amherst 2-1 in triple-overtime to cap off an excellent 27-3-0 season and win its first-ever national championship in program history.

Beginning in 2002, the D-III women’s hockey tournament has been held every year except for 2020 and 2021, seasons that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plattsburgh has won a record seven championships, followed by Middlebury with four.

NCAA D-III West Men’s Hockey Championship Weekend Wrap-up

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St. Olaf won the MIAC title for the second time in three years. (Photo provided by St. Olaf Athletics)

‘We are the champions.’

Those four words are what St. Olaf, St. Norbert and UW-Stevens Point could say proudly after their respective conference tournament championship games Saturday night.

Two teams won the title as underdogs, with the Oles winning the MIAC crown over nationally ranked Bethel as the fifth seed and the No. 2 seed Green Knights going into Adrian and knocking off the top-seeded and reigning NCHA Harris Cup champs in a battle of nationally ranked teams.

Then there was UW-Stevens Point, which held serve as the No. 1 seed and claimed the WIAC crown.

All three champions are bound for the NCAA tournament, which begins Saturday with the opening round of action.

Road warriors win again

St. Olaf has made it a habit of winning the MIAC championship on the road. It’s what the Oles did two years ago when they went into Augsburg and won the title.

This time, they played at Bethel, facing off against the No. 15 team in the USCHO.com poll Saturday, and they owned the night in a 4-1 win.

St. Olaf lost twice and tied the second-seeded Royals once in the regular season but won the only game that really mattered on their way to their third title in program history.

Try Bowditch, Sean Walsh, Kelijah McElroy and Matthew Pointer all scored for the Oles (14-11-3) while Thomas Lalonde won his 10th game of the year on the strength of a 27-save effort. Bowditch also tallied an assist in the victory.

The goal the Royals (18-6-3) scored was the first given up in the MIAC tournament by St. Olaf, which outscored its three opponents 11-1, all three games coming on the road.

Speaking of the road, it seems to be where St. Olaf thrives best in the playoffs. They are 7-1 away from home in the MIAC tourney over the last three years, their latest win not only delivering a championship but also spoiling a remarkable season by the Royals, who were hosting a conference final for the first time since 2007.

Lalonde went more than 200 minutes in goal without giving a score up, a stretch dating back to Feb. 17, before Joe Westlund tallied the lone goal of the night for Bethel in the second period.

St. Olaf led 2-1 after two  periods of play and added two more goals in the third, including an empty netter by Pointer with just over a minute left in regulation.

The Oles will take a four-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament and look to keep this season going on the national stage.

Green Knights end title drought

The last time St. Norbert hoisted the Harris Cup it was 2019. The wait for another crown ended Saturday night as the Green Knights upset No. 1 seed Adrian on the road by a 3-1 score to win the NCHA tournament.

The title marks the 16th in program history for the eighth-ranked team in the country and gives second-seeded St. Norbert an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney for the 21st time, including the first since 2022.

The Green Knights are headed their having won seven in a row and 12 of their last 13 overall.

It was 1-0 after a goal by Curtis Hammond in the opening period. It was the fifth goal of the season for Hammond.

Adam Stacho then found the back of the net for the 19th time this season as the Green Knights extended their advantage to 2-0 over the No. 3 Bulldogs at the 3:54 mark of the second.

Jaden Shields cut the lead in half a little less than five minutes later but St. Norbert pushed its lead back to two on a goal by Carter Hottmann, the sixth of the season for him.

Hottmann and Stacho both added an assist to their stat lines while Hunter Garvey racked up 35 saves on his way to being named MVP of the tournament. He came up with a clutch save in the final minute of action to help the Green Knights seal the deal on the win.

Logan Dombrowsky, in the midst of a stellar freshman season, dished out a pair of assists.

Adrian held a 36-25 advantage in shots, including a 12-5 edge in the third. The Bulldogs’ goalie, Dershawn Stewart, made 22 saves.

St. Norbert (22-6) scored twice off the power play. Adrian (22-6-1) came up empty on all three of its chances.

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs could still make it to the postseason and they’ll learn their fate on Monday morning when the field is announced.

Pointers are champs again

For the fifth time in program history, UW-Stevens Point is the champion of the WIAC.

The title is the second in a row for the No. 6 Pointers, who dominated rival UW-Eau Claire in a 5-1 victory Saturday.

The tone was set early by the top-seeded Pointers (21-5-2). Just over five minutes into the action, Sean Bunting scored. Noah Finstrom made it 2-0 less than a minute later and David Hill pushed the lead to 3-0 after one period of action against the Blugolds (17-9-2).

UW-Stevens Point added two more goals in the second and UW-Eau Claire score its only goal in the period.

Bunting ended up scoring twice in the game and also dished out an assist on Fletcher Anderson’s goal, which capped the scoring. 

Alex Proctor got the job done in goal, making 41 saves. He also came through with an assist on Bunting’s second goal, getting him the puck on a breakaway opportunity. The Pointers have scored four or more goals in four consecutive games and are now 13-1-2 at home.

Max Gutjahr racked up 20 saves for the Blugolds.

Kyler Grundy scored UW-Eau Claire’s lone goal on a power-play opportunity. UW-Eau Claire went 0-4 against UW-Stevens Point this season.

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: No. 3 North Dakota sweeps No. 12 Western Michigan to claim Penrose Cup, No. 16 Michigan rebounds with OT win over No. 8 Minnesota, No. 5 Denver sweeps No. 15 St. Cloud State, Atlantic Hockey first round sees trio of winners

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North Dakota celebrates its sixth Penrose Cup championship after shutting out Western Michigan on home ice Saturday night (photo: Russell Hons).

Ludvig Persson stopped all 35 shots fired his way to help No. 3 North Dakota defeat No. 12 Western Michigan 3-0 and capture the Penrose Cup for the sixth time in program history on Saturday night from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

UND wins its 21st conference crown in program history and league-leading sixth Penrose Cup in 11 years. The Fighting Hawks have won four of the last five league titles.

Persson shined between the pipes once again to register his NCHC-leading fifth shutout of the season, stopping all 27 shots fired his way over the final 40 minutes to earn his 21st win of the season.

North Dakota jumped out to an early lead on a breakaway goal as Louis Jamernik V got sprung on a great feed from Dylan James to give the Fighting Hawks a 1-0 UND lead just over four minutes into the game.

UND held strong through the opening 40 minutes, carrying the 1-0 lead into the final period before Jackson Blake put his mark on the contest with a highlight-reel goal to extend the advantage to 2-0 with just over 13 minutes to play.

Owen McLaughlin put the finishing touches on the victory, dancing around Western Michigan goaltender Cameron Rowe and tucking it home on the breakaway to seal the 3-0 win.

Rowe finished with 24 saves.

SCOREBOARD | POLL | PAIRWISE

No. 16 Michigan 6, No. 8 Minnesota 5 (OT)

Michigan’s Seamus Casey scored the game’s first goal and then the last 1:31 into overtime on a power play as the Wolverines defeated Minnesota 6-5 Saturday night from 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn.

Casey also had an assist for a three-point game, while Gavin Brindley had two goals and two assists and Rutger McGroarty a goal and two assists to back Noah West’s 23 saves in goal.

Dylan Duke added three assists and Mark Estapa also scored for the Wolverines.

For the Gophers, Jaxon Nelson had two goals and an assist, Brody Lamb and Luke Mittelstadt a goal and an assist each, and Aaron Huglen a goal.

Justen Close and Nathan Airey combined to make 26 saves between the pipes.

No. 5 Denver 7, No. 15 St. Cloud State 2

Denver used six different goal scorers and was led by a 36-save performance from goaltender Matt Davis to earn a 7-2 victory and weekend sweep of St. Cloud State at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

Denver won its season-high fourth straight road contest and earned its first road sweep of SCSU in more than 16 years. The last time DU won both games in St. Cloud was Dec. 7-8, 2007 when it had a pair of 3-2 victories.

McKade Webster, Sean Behrens, Jack Devine, Tristan Lemyre, Aidan Thompson and Alex Weiermair all scored for the Pioneers.

Tristan Broz led Denver with three assists, Devine had two goals on the evening, Thompson and Weiermair each added an assist to their scores, and Zeev Buium registered a pair of helpers.

St. Cloud outshot Denver 10-5 in the period, but the Pioneers had the 1-0 lead at the break as Thompson scored an unassisted goal with 20.9 seconds left in the period during a 2-on-1 rush after forcing a turnover in his own end.

Mason Salquist ended Davis’ shutout at 13:48 of the third period and Veeti Miettinen also scored for the Huskies with 2:07 left.

St. Cloud State netminder Isak Posch finished with 16 saves.

No. 9 Maine 3, Vermont 2

Maine earned a 3-2 win at Vermont on Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.

Midway through the third period, Ben Poisson potted the game-winning power-play goal.

Nicholas Niemo put the Black Bears up 1-0 just over seven minutes into the contest before the Catamounts’ Joel Maatta tied it before the break. A Harrison Scott short-handed goal early in the middle frame was than answered by a Vermont power-play tally from Timofei Spitserov for a 2-2 game after two periods.

Albin Boija made 14 saves for the win, while Gabe Carriere collected 22 stops for Vermont.

No. 7 Quinnipiac 8, St. Lawrence 1

Sam Lipkin scored twice and Charles-Alexis Legault and Collin Graf each had a goal and two assists to lead Quinnipiac to an 8-1 win over St. Lawrence from the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.

Cooper Moore chipped in three assists and Vinny Duplessis made 24 saves befre giving way to Noah Altman and Matej Marinov, who played the final 8:51 but did not face any shots.

Christophe Tellier posted a goal and an assist and Iivari Räsänen, Travis Treloar and Andon Cerbone also scored.

For the Saints, Mason Waite scored and Mason Kucenski made 28 saves.

No. 4 Wisconsin 4, No. 6 Michigan State 1

Carson Bantle and Sawyer Scholl each scored twice to lead Wisconsin to a 4-1 win over Michigan State Saturday night from the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Kyle McClellan made 28 saves in net for the Badgers.

Karsen Dorwart scored for the Spartans and goalie Trey Augustine finished with 36 saves.

Atlantic Hockey Tournament – First Round

Canisius 5, Mercyhurst 2
Stefano Bottini, Kyle Haskins and Powell Connor all had a goal and an assist and David Fessenden made 22 saves for Canisius in the 5-2 win at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y.

With the win, Canisius coach Trevor Large becomes just the third coach in program history to reach 100 victories.

Niagara 4, Army West Point 1
Noah Carlin registered a goal and an assist for the Purple Eagles, while Jarrett Fiske made 42 saves between the pipes in a 4-1 win from Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, N.Y.

Robert Morris 4, Bentley 3 (OT)
Cameron Garvey was the overtime hero, scoring at 19:49 of extra time to lift Robert Morris to a 4-3 win at the Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass.

Rylee St. Onge added a goal and an assist for RMU and Chad Veltri stopped 29 shots in goal.

Nick Bochen and Garrett Horsager each posted a goal and an assist for Bentley, while goalie Connor Hasley finished with 28 saves.

Albertus Magnus, Anna Maria each collect pair of honors for 2023-24 D-III men’s hockey independent awards

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Logan Bateman starred in goal this season for Albertus Magnus (photo: Albertus Magnus Athletics).

Albertus Magnus goaltender Logan Bateman has been named men’s hockey Division III independent player of the year, Anna Maria’s Matthew Hennessey rookie of the year, and Albertus Magnus’ Kyle Wallack co-coach of the year with Anna Maria’s Dave McCauley.

Bateman had a stellar year in net, going 14-8-0 with 570 saves, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He also notched two shutouts on the season in wins over Nichols and Neumann.

Hennessey went 10-5-0 in goal for Anna Maria along with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

Wallack earned his honor for the second straight season, guiding the Falcons to a 16-9 record, including a 2-1 win over Salve Regina in overtime on Nov. 14. Over the last three seasons, Wallack has compiled a 49-24-2 record leading the Falcons.

McCauley led Anna Maria to a 15-9-1 record this season.

1st Team
F, Braeden McKinnon Anna Maria
F, Sam Anderson Albertus Magnus
F, Evan Pringle Canton
D, Derek Raposo Anna Maria
D, Harley Michaels Albertus Magnus
G, Logan Bateman Albertus Magnus

2nd Team
F, Tyler Ignazzitto Albertus Magnus
F, Guillaume Coulombe Anna Maria
F, Damon Kiyawasew Rivier
D, Tyler Duderstadt Rivier
D, Scott Cremen Canton
G, Matthew Hennessey Anna Maria

All-Rookie Team
F, Damon Kiyawasew Rivier
F, Liam Hennessy Rivier
F, Nico Schoner Canton
D, Will Lavigne Albertus Magnus
D, Eric Chamandy Albertus Magnus
G, Matthew Hennessey Anna Maria

Hobart garners trio of NEHC awards for 2023-24 college hockey campaign as Buzoverya top player, Morrissey rookie of year, Taylor best coach

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Artem Buzoverya has garnered the points this season for Hobart (photo: Kevin Colton).

The NEHC men’s division has announced the recipients of the league’s major award winners, all-conference and all-rookie teams as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches.

Hobart’s Artem Buzoverya was named NEHC player of the year after finishing conference play with five goals and 18 assists for 23 points. His 18 assists ranked second in the league and his 23 points ranked third in NEHC action. Two of his five tallies were game winners. Buzoverya’s 34 points overall helped Hobart lead the country in scoring offense with a 5.40 goals per game average. The senior forward also registered an impressive plus-26 plus/minus in NEHC play, helping to lead the Statesmen to a 16-1-1 conference record.

Skidmore’s Tate Brandon garnered NEHC goaltender of the year accolades after his impressive senior campaign. The Thoroughbred netminder led the NEHC in wins (12), posting a conference record of 12-3-1. Brandon also ranked first in saves with 400 while collecting three shutouts during NEHC action.

Hobart’s Bauer Morrissey was selected as NEHC rookie of the year after leading all NEHC defensemen in both conference points (21) and conference assists (17). His 23 total assists led all freshman defensemen in the nation and his .90 assists per game ranks 9th among all players in Division III. Morrissey helped anchor a blueline that led the country in defense, allowing just .96 goals per game.

The Statesmen’s Mark Taylor was voted NEHC coach of the year by his peers for the third straight season after guiding the program to a 16-1-1 conference record and the No. 1 seed heading into the NEHC postseason. Overall, the Statesmen are 22-2-1 and lead both the NEHC and the nation in winning percentage, goals per game, goals against average, scoring margin and penalty kill percentage, among several other categories. The Statemen finished the regular season ranked first in the national polls and will look to defend their 2022-23 national title.

FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Tanner Hartman, Hobart
Forward, Ignat Belov, Hobart
Forward, Artem Buzoverya, Hobart
Defense, Danny Magnuson, Skidmore
Defense, Colby Bailey, Babson
Goaltender, Tate Brandon, Skidmore

SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Kaeden Patrick, Skidmore
Forward, Nicholas Domitrovic, Elmira
Forward, Shawn Kennedy, Elmira
Defense, Jordan Gonzalez, Elmira
Defense, Kevin Sadovski, UMass Boston
Goaltender, Damon Beaver, Hobart

THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward, Luke Aquaro, Hobart
Forward, Andrew Stefura, VTSU Castleton
Forward, Clark Kerner, Norwich
Defense, Jared Patterson, Hobart
Defense, Matthieu Wuth, Hobart
Goaltender, Sami Molu, Norwich
Goaltender, Bryce Walcarius, Norwich

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forward, Chris Duclair, Hobart
Forward, Owen Sclisizzi, Norwich
Forward, Matt Sullivan, Southern Maine
Defense, Bauer Morrissey, Hobart
Defense, Cooper Betrand, Norwich
Goaltender, Bryce Walcarius, Norwich

Trinity boasts three NESCAC awards for ’23-24 as Bobak tabbed player of year, Blanchard top defensive player, Greason chosen best coach

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Trinity’s Devon Bobak has been a wall in net this season for the Bantams (photo: Trinity Athletics).

The NESCAC announced its men’s hockey awards for the 2023-24 season.

Trinity netminder Devon Bobak was selected as the NESCAC player of the year by the conference coaches. Bobak is the fifth Bantam to garner the honor and third in four seasons. Bobak anchors a defensive unit that has allowed the fewest goals this season in the NESCAC (32). The sophomore owns the best goals-against average (1.26) and top save percentage (.939) among the NESCAC goaltenders.

Trinity stands at 21-3-1 and will host the remaining rounds of the NESCAC tournament on March 2-3. The Bantams are making their sixth semifinal appearance in seven tournaments.

Fellow Bantam Ned Blanchard is the inaugural winner of the NESCAC defensive player of the year award which was established this season. The senior is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 17 points on two goals and a team-leading 15 assists. Blanchard has 13 blocked shots and owns a plus-27 rating heading into the semifinal matchup versus Middlebury.

Hamilton’s Luke Tchor was voted as the NESCAC rookie of the year. Tchor has played in 25 games and leads the NESCAC in points (34) and in assists (21) and ranks third in the conference in goals scored (13). The newcomer is second straight Hamilton player to garner the NESCAC rookie of the year honor and the fourth overall.

The Continentals own a 17-7-1 record as they make their fifth semifinal appearance in seven tournaments.

Trinity’s Matthew Greason was voted as the NESCAC coach of the year by his peers. Greason garners the honor for the second time in his 13th season behind the Bantams’ bench. As the leader of the Bantams, Greason entered the season with a career record of 223-77-21 and his 223 victories are the most among active Division III coaches with 12 or fewer seasons. Greason also ranks seventh among the active coaches in winning percentage (.727).

The conference also announced its all-NESCAC teams.

All-NESCAC First Team
F – Richard Boysen, Trinity, Jr.
F – Tyler Sedlak, Tufts, Jr.
F – Luke Tchor, Hamilton, Fy.
F – Ryan Tucker, Amherst, Sr.
D – Ned Blanchard, Trinity, Sr.
D – John Campomenosi, Trinity, Sr.
D – James Philpott, Hamilton, Jr.
G – Devon Bobak, Trinity, So.

All-NESCAC Second Team
F – Bryce Bollman, Bowdoin, Fy.
F – Jin Lee, Middlebury, Jr.
F – Max Resnick, Tufts, So.
F – Kyle Tomaso, Trinity, Sr.
D – Isaac Abbott, Bowdoin, Fy.
D – Sam Miller, Tufts, Sr.
D – Jack Sullivan, Colby, Sr.
G – Alex Kozic, Bowdoin, Sr.

Assumption leads way with quartet of Northeast-10 individual awards for 2023-24 college hockey season

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Ronny Paragallo has been an offensive catalyst this season for Assumption (photo: Julia Jacobsen).

Assumption junior forward Ronny Paragallo has been selected as the Northeast-10 player of the year.

It is the first time that an Assumption player has won NE10 player of the year since Cam Laughlin in the 2017-18 season.

Assumption – the NE10 regular-season champion – had three other major award winners to join Paragallo, as John Woernle was named co-defensive player of the year, Jonathan Surrette won rookie of the year and Michael Looney earned the Lance “Duke” Brady coach of the year honor.

Saint Michael’s David Ciancio was co-defensive player of the year and Saint Anselm’s Cam Carroll was voted goaltender of the year.

The league also announced two all-conference teams and an all-rookie team.

Paragallo tallied 23 goals and 44 points in 30 games this season for Assumption, which is the fifth-most goals and points by an NE10 player in a single season. He added 21 assists to his statsheet, as well as a plus-19 ice rating – the highest among all conference players. Paragallo helped Assumption to a 16-4 conference record (45 points) and the top seed in the NE10 championship.

Woernle and Ciancio become the first co-defensive players of the year in league history. Woernle accounted for 23 points – including a league-best 21 assists – in 30 games for Assumption, while contributing to the Greyhounds having the stingiest defense in the NE10 with a league-low 2.79 goals-against average. Ciancio tallied 19 points this season (eight goals and 11 assists) for Saint Michael’s, which was the fourth-most among NE10 defensemen. A junior captain, Ciancio led a backline for the Purple Knights that posted a 3.31 goals-against average and 82.2% penalty kill.

Carroll, a freshman goaltender, is the second Saint Anselm player to win NE10 goaltender of the year in the past three seasons, as Nick Howard won the award in 2021-22. He becomes the first rookie to win goaltender of the year since Saint Anselm’s Robert Kang in the 2010-11 season. He started 23 games for the Hawks, including 17 in NE10 play, and he posted a 2.77 goals-against average and .918 save percentage versus conference opponents. Carroll led all NE10 goalies with 737 saves, including five games with 40 or more saves.

Surrette was the unanimous choice for rookie of the year, as he recorded 32 points (21 goals, 11 assists) – the most by a freshman player since Saint Anselm’s Tucker Mullin in the 2009-10 season. He ranked second in the conference in goals, points and plus/minus rating (plus-18). Surrette logged six game-winning goals for the Greyhounds, who won the NE10 regular-season title.

It is Looney’s first time winning the Lance “Duke” Brady Coach of the Year award following a remarkable season for Assumption (23-7, 16-4 NE10), which won the NE10 regular-season title, claimed the top seed in the NE10 championship and will host the final this Saturday against Southern New Hampshire. Looney is the first Assumption coach to win coach of the year since Lance “Duke” Brady won it himself in the 2017-18 season. Brady passed away in February of 2019 and the award was named after him.

FIRST TEAM
F: Ronny Paragallo, Assumption
F: Matt Horan, Franklin Pierce
F: Brennan McFarland, Saint Michael’s
D: John Woernle, Assumption
D: David Ciancio, Saint Michael’s
G: Cam Carroll, Saint Anselm

SECOND TEAM
F: Shane Sullivan, Assumption
F: Hunter Brackett, Saint Anselm
F: Zach Taylor, Saint Michael’s
D: Ryan Cardow, Post
D: Luke Mix, Saint Anselm
D: Case Kantgias, Saint Michael’s
G: Thomas McLarnon, Assumption

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Leo Piandes, Assumption
Jonathan Surrette, Assumption
Todd Branish, Franklin Pierce
Cameron Craig, Post
Parker Norling, Post
Cam Carroll, Saint Anselm
Patrick DeMarinis, Saint Anselm
Ty Bloom, Saint Michael’s
Collin Berke, SNHU

St. Olaf goalie Lalonde credits personal success to team

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St. Olaf goalie Thomas Lalonde has played a key role in the Oles’ success. (Photo provided by St. Olaf Athletics)

Forget about the two shutouts in the MIAC tournament, the nine wins or the 2.05 goals against average.

All are impressive, but  St. Olaf goalie Thomas Lalonde deflects credit for his success the way he knocks away a puck during an action-packed game.

“I really believe my team deserves the credit,” Lalonde said. “We’ve worked really hard to have success in the postseason, and the team makes the job of a goalie easier night after night. And it extends to the coaching. This group works hard and deserves credit, too.”

Lalonde, who has shared goaltending duties this season with fellow talented goalie Lukas Haugen, said everyone on the ice plays a role in making he and Haugen look good.

He talks about the defense and its ability to keep opposing players on the outside, and credits the forwards for their ability to bring the puck out and help limit scoring chances. Lalonde also points to the time spent in practice working on striking that right balance between offense and defense.

“It’s a whole team effort,” Lalonde said.

Lalonde has started 14 games for the Oles (13-11-3) and it’s not necessarily anything he’s done on the ice that has helped him have success. A lot of it comes down to something that simply does not show up on the stat sheet.

“I’m focused on having as much fun as possible, and all of us on the team have bought into that,” Lalonde said. “I’m trying to enjoy every minute because it’s going to come to an end for all of us one day. I’m remembering to have fun playing hockey and that’s a big factor in playing well and having a great season.”

St. Olaf has had a great season. The fifth-seeded Oles play second-seeded Bethel for the MIAC championship tonight. The Royals (18-5-3) are hosting the game for the first time since 2007 and are ranked 15th in the country.

It’s the second time in three seasons that St. Olaf is in the final. And just like in 2022, the Oles will have to win on the road to be champs and punch a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The magnitude of the moment isn’t lost on Lalonde.

“Our goal all year was to give ourselves a chance to play a game for a conference championship. We aren’t taking it for granted,” Lalonde said. “We know how hard it is to get here and Bethel deserves to be here as much as we do. We recognize the moment is special and recognize we still have a lot of wood to chop to win a championship.”

Lalonde is from Canada and played his high school hockey in Minnesota. He fell in love with playing goalie the first chance he had to put on gear as a youth player.

“When you are 5 or 6, there is no automatic goalie. Everyone gets a turn,” Lalonde said. “I was a forward most of the year, but when it was my turn to be the goalie, I remember wearing the equipment around the house the night before and it looked cool. I won my first game 10-1, and I remember loving every minute of it. I’ve been a goalie ever since.”

It’s a position he enjoys because of everything that comes with playing it.

“Its one of hardest positions to play in all of sports,” Lalonde said. “I love the chaos during the game and you feel a real thrill every game. It’s not easy making saves and there is never a dull moment.”

This St. Olaf team is in the MIAC final, in part, because of the experience it has. Lalonde was part of a talented freshmen class that came in two seasons ago and has stuck together.

Connor Kalthoff, the points leader with six goals and 14 assists, is one of those juniors. Cody Sherman, who ranks second in points with seven goals and 12 assists, is also a junior. Jonathan Young, another junior, leads the team in goals scored (10) and ranks sixth in points (14).

But the Oles also have great senior leadership from players like Jonathan Panisa (5 goals, 11 assists), Troy Bowditch (7 goals, 8 assists) and Noah Heisler (1 goal, 14 assists). 

“We are a veteran group and the experience factor is really key this time around,” Lalonde said. “We feel like a well-rounded complete team, and even though we have been here before, we are as hungry as ever.”

And that’s the thing about Lalonde and the Oles. They aren’t satisfied with having experienced being a champion before.

“It was an amazing experience two years ago, but that can’t be the end of our goals. It has to be the beginning of something special,” Lalonde said. “Our hunger to achieve it again is what keeps us going. And the hunger to win it for the new guys is what inspires us to work hard and give everything we have night in and night out.”

FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Bemidji State blanks Minnesota State for MacNaughton Cup, No. 6 Michigan State downs No. 4 Wisconsin to claim Big Ten regular-season title, Clarkson knocks off No. 7 Quinnipiac in OT, No. 1 Boston College tops No. 17 New Hampshire

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Bemidji State players celebrate their 6-0 win over Minnesota State that gave the Beavers the 2024 MacNaughton Cup title (photo: BSU Photo Services).

Bemidji State has won the MacNaughton Cup outright as CCHA regular-season champions after a 6-0 shutout of Minnesota State Friday night at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.

Jackson Jutting posted two goals and two assists and goaltender Mattias Sholl stopped all 28 shots fired his way.

Kasper Magnussen added a goal and an assist, while Adam Flammang, Eric Martin and Donte Lawson also scored. Austin Jouppi and Rhys Chiddenton had two assists each.

Mavericks goalies Alex Tracy and Keenan Rancier combined on a 30-save effort.

SCOREBOARD | POLL | PAIRWISE

No. 6 Michigan State 5, No. 4 Wisconsin 2

Michigan State is the Big Ten regular-season champion for the first time after a 5-2 win Friday night over Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., at the Kohl Center.

Jeremy Davidson scored twice for the Spartans, while Reed Lebster added a goal and two assists.

Artyom Levshunov and and Tiernan Shoudy each had a goal and an assist and Trey Augustine finished with 44 saves.

Daniel Laatsch and Mathieu De St. Phalle scored for the Badgers, David Silye assisted on both, and goaltender Kyle McClellan made 21 saves.

No. 1 Boston College 5, No. 17 New Hampshire 3

Boston College pulled away late for a 5-3 win at New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center on Friday night in Durham, N.H.

BC never trailed in the contest, but the Wildcats had an answer for every Eagle score until the final lead change of the night.

Cutter Gauthier scored twice with an assist, Ryan Leonard popped two goals, and Jamie Armstrong also scored. Will Smith chipped in three assists for the Eagles.

For UNH, Nikolai Jenson, Kristaps Skrastins and Colton Huard scored and Alex Gagne posted a pair of assists.

Jacob Fowler totaled 28 saves in the win for BC, while Jakob Hellsten made 18 saves for the Wildcats.

No. 3 North Dakota 5, No. 12 Western Michigan 3

Five different players scored in North Dakota’s 5-3 win over Western Michigan Friday night from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

Carson Albrecht, Cameron Berg, Owen McLaughlin, Jackson Kunz and Louis Jamernik V scored for the Fighting Hawks and Jackson Blake put up two assists.

For the Broncos, Matteo Costantini had a goal and an assist and Samuel Sjolund and Daniel Hilsendager scored single goals.

Ludvig Persson made 34 saves for the win in goal, while Cameron Rowe notched 12 for WMU.

Clarkson 3, No. 7 Quinnipiac 2 (OT)

Mathieu Gosselin scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime as Clarkson defeated Quinnipiac 3-2 from the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.

Gosselin added an assist for a two-point game, while Tristan Sarsland and Erik Bargholtz recorded goals for the Golden Knights.

Cooper Moore and Zach Tupker scored for the Bobcats.

Austin Roden stopped 23 shots in goal for Clarkson and Vinny Duplessis made 26 saves for Quinnipiac.

No. 5 Denver 6, No. 15 St. Cloud State 2

Sam Harris scored two goals to lift Denver past St. Cloud State Friday night from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

Rieger Lorenz, Miko Matikka and Kieran Cebrian each went for a goal and an assist and Jared Wright also scored for the Pioneers.

Matt Davis earned the win in goal with a 32-save performance.

For the Huskies, Tyson Gross had a goal and an assist, Adam Ingram scored, and Dominic Basse and Isak Posch combined to stop 21 shots between the pipes.

No. 8 Minnesota 6, No. 16 Michigan 2

Jaxon Nelson had a hat trick and Oliver Moore scored two goals as Minnesota downed Michigan 6-2 from 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday night.

Luke Mittelstadt added a goal for the Gophers and Bryce Brodzinski tallied three assists.

Garrett Schifsky and Rutger McGroarty scored for the Wolverines, with Jake Barczewski and Noah West combining to stop 23 shots.

Justen Close made 19 saves in goal for the Gophers.

Vermont 2, No. 9 Maine 1

Chris Theodore’s goal at 11:46 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and Vermont held on the rest of the way for a 2-1 win Friday night over Maine from the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.

Isak Walther netted the other Catamounts goal and Gabe Carriere made 31 saves in goal.

Harrison Scott scored for Maine and goalie Albin Boija stopped 17 shots in his net.

Merrimack 2, No. 10 Providence 1

Mac Welsher and Marc Citara each posted a goal and an assist to lead Merrimack to a 2-1 over Providence Friday night from Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass.

Liam Valente scored the lone goal for the Friars.

Merrimack goalie Hugo Ollas finished with 46 saves.

Philip Svedebäck made 14 saves for Providence.

Oswego’s Bull claims SUNYAC player of year honors, Lakers’ Francis top defensive player, Geneseo’s Harris best goalie, Plattsburgh’s D’Addario rookie of year

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Shane Bull went for 22 goals and 42 points this season for Oswego (photo: Oswego Athletics).

The SUNYAC has announced the 2024 men’s hockey top awards which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.

The Herb Hammond Player of the Year is Oswego’s Shane Bull.

Bull led the league in goals and points with 17 goals and 29 points in conference play and 22 goals and 42 points overall. He was also first in the league with a plus-21 in SUNYAC play and is second with a plus-23 overall. Bull had two hat tricks, one when he scored a season-high four goals in a win vs. Brockport on Feb. 2. Bull helped lead his team to a No. 2 seed going into post season, but the Lakers lost to No. 3 Plattsburgh in overtime, 3-2, in the semifinal game. Oswego ended the season 16-9-1.

Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III Coach of the Year. From 1983-88, Hammond coached at Brown before leaving coaching to become a National Hockey League scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.

The defensive player of the year is Tristan Francis from Oswego. Francis helped the Lakers finish 12-4 in conference play to clinch the second seed and earn a bye into the semifinals. Francis started 14 of 26 games for Oswego and accumulated 17 blocks and 11 points with two goals and nine assists.

Geneseo’s Adam Harris has been named the goaltender of the year. Harris led the Knights to the No. 1 seed after regular season play. Over the 2023-24 season, he tied for No. 1 with nine conference wins (.900 win percentage) and was second with 12 overall victories (.800 win percentage) in goal. Harris had a goals-against average of 1.99 and a save percentage of .938 with 287 saves in league play. Overall, he stopped 425 shots for a .928 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average.

The rookie of the year is Tio D’Addario from Plattsburgh. D’Addario started 14 of 27 games so far in his first year with the Cardinals. He tallied 13 points in conference play with seven goals and six assists. Overall, he has 22 points with 10 goals and 12 assists. D’Addario has three game-winning goals and a plus-15 overall. He was also named the SUNYAC rookie of the week two times this season. Plattsburgh earned the No. 3 seed after regular-season conference play and won two games to advance to the final.

In addition, three all-conference teams and one all-rookie team have been announced.

First Team
Shane Bull, Oswego, F, Sr.
Tyler Flack, Oswego, F, Sr.
Bennett Stockdale, Plattsburgh, F, Sr.
Alex Wilkins, Geneseo, D, Gr.
Quinn Warmuth, Oswego, D, Gr.
Adam Harris, Geneseo, G, Jr.

Second Team
Nate Berke, Cortland, F, Sr.
Alex Dameski, Geneseo, F, So.
Peter Morgan, Geneseo, F, Jr.
Ryan Hogg, Plattsburgh, D, Gr.
Kevin Weaver-Vitale, Plattsburgh, D, Sr.
Jacob Hearne, Plattsburgh, G, Jr.

Third Team
Joe Glamos, Buffalo State, F, Jr.
Colby Seitz, Cortland, F, So.
Tyson Gilmour, Geneseo, F, Gr.
Johnny Facchini, Cortland, D, Jr.
Dakota Zarudny, Geneseo, D, So.
Cal Schell, Oswego, G, So.

2024 SUNYAC All-Rookie Team
Vadim Kiriakov, Buffalo State, F, Fr.
Luke Panchisin, Geneseo, F, Fr.
Jacob Torgner, Geneseo, G, Fr.
Sterling Wolters, Geneseo, D, Fr.
Tio D’Addario, Plattsburgh, F, Fr.
Lenny Perno, Potsdam, G, Fr.

Utica’s Scoville earns UCHC player, defensive player of year, Stevenson’s Outen named top goalie, Utica’s Vitale top rookie, Pioneers’ Heenan best coach

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Ty Outen had a phenomenal season between the pipes for Stevenson (photo: SKM Photography).

The UCHC has announced its 2023-24 men’s hockey award winners and all-conference teams.

The award winners were selected through a thorough survey of the league’s 11 head coaches.

Utica senior defenseman Brian Scoville was named both the 2023-24 UCHC player of the year and defensive player of the year. He becomes the first student-athlete in league history to sweep both awards in the same season. Scoville is currently second among all Division III defensemen with 30 points and 1.15 points per game. He has tallied nine goals and added 23 assists for 32 points in 28 games and has a plus-41 rating, which is among the best in the nation. Scoville has scored five power-play goals and added a pair of game-winning tallies. He excelled in league play recording seven goals and 20 assists in 20 UCHC contests. Overall, Scoville has tallied at least a point in 19 games and has six multiple-point outings.

Scoville is Utica’s fifth UCHC player of the year and the is fourth Pioneer to win UCHC defensive player of the year alongside 2018 All-American Dalton Carter, Daniel Fritz, and 2022 All-American and 2023 All-American Jayson Dobay.

Stevenson’s Ty Outen was named the UCHC goaltender of the year. Outen is in the midst of a tremendous season for the Mustangs, compiling an 19-5-1 mark, while recording a 1.77 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage to go along with four shutouts. Outen is fifth in the nation with 749 saves and seventh in save percentage. He has made at least 30 saves in 12 contests this season. Outen was a four-time UCHC goaltender of the week in 2023-24. It is the third straight season that a Stevenson goaltender earned this award.

Utica’s Eric Vitale was named the conference’s rookie of the year. Vitale has tallied 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists in 26 games played, while recording a plus-19 rating. He has two power-play goals on the year and has eight multiple-point games. Vitale, the UCHC rookie of the week on Feb. 5, has excelled over the last 10 games, registering eight goals and seven assists over that span, including his first collegiate hat trick on Feb. 2. Vitale is Utica’s third UCHC rookie of the year, joining Conor Landrigan (2017-18) and Brandon Osmundson (2019-20).

Utica head coach Gary Heenan was named the conference’s coach of the year by his peers for the third consecutive season and fourth time overall. Heenan has led the Pioneers to the No. 2 ranking in the USCHO.com Division III national poll, a current record of 22-3-2 and a 19-0-1 record in conference play (58 of 60 possible points) for a team that won the UCHC regular-season title for a seventh straight year. Utica, who is riding a 16-game winning streak, has advanced to the conference championship game for the sixth time in seven seasons.

First Team All-UCHC
Forward: Logan vande Meeraker, Alvernia
Forward: Liam McCanney, Stevenson
Forward: Matt Wood, Utica
Defense: Brian Scoville, Utica
Defense: Cole Jungwirth, Wilkes
Goaltender: Ty Outen, Stevenson

Second Team All-UCHC
Forward: Shane Murphy, Utica
Forward: Billy Berry, Wilkes
Forward: Nick Swain, Wilkes
Defense: Jack Karlsson, Stevenson
Defense: Kimball Johnson, Utica
Defense: Joe Johnson, Wilkes
Goaltender: Ethan Roberts, Utica

UCHC All-Rookie Team
Forward: Rhett Evjen, Stevenson
Forward: Aiden Hughes, Utica
Forward: Eric Vitale, Utica
Defense: Justin Fernet, Manhattanville
Defense: Griffen Barr, Utica
Goaltender: Jackson Fellner, Alvernia

ECAC Hockey women’s conference announces three all-league teams, one all-rookie squad for ’23-24 season

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Izzy Daniel has collected 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points this season for Cornell (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).

ECAC Hockey has announced its three all-league teams and one all-rookie team for the 2023-24 season.

First Team All-ECAC
Izzy Daniel, F, Cornell, Sr.
Danielle Serdachny, F, Colgate, Gr.
Sarah Fillier, F, Princeton, Sr.
Nicole Gosling, D, Clarkson, Sr.
Mae Batherson, D, St. Lawrence, Gr.
Michelle Pasiechnyk, G, Clarkson, Sr.

Second Team All-ECAC
Julia Gosling, F, St. Lawrence, Sr.
Abby Hustler, F, St. Lawrence, Jr.
Elle Hartje, F, Yale, Sr.
Haley Winn, D, Clarkson, Jr.
Sydney Morrow, D, Colgate, So.
Emma-Sofie Nordström, G, St. Lawrence, So.

Third Team All-ECAC
Elyssa Biederman, F, Colgate, So.
Anna Segedi, F, St. Lawrence, Sr.
Dominique Petrie, F, Clarkson, Gr.
Kendall Cooper, D, Quinnipiac, Sr.
Kate Reilly, D, Quinnipiac, Gr.
Hannah Murphy, G, Colgate, Jr.

ECAC All-Rookie Team
Emma Pais,* F, Colgate, Fr.
Kahlen Lamarche, F, Quinnipiac, Fr.
Karel Prefontaine, F, Cornell, Fr.
Andrea Trnková, D, Rensselaer, Fr.
Keira Hurry, D, Clarkson, Fr.
Annelies Bergmann,* G, Cornell, Fr.

*Denotes unanimous selection

WCHA unveils three all-league teams, one all-rookie squad for 2023-24 college hockey season

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Cayla Barnes has made a major impact on the back end this season for Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).

The WCHA has recognized its 25 student-athletes on the 2023-24 all-WCHA teams and all-rookie team.

First Team All-WCHA
Hannah Bilka, F, Grad., Ohio State
Casey O’Brien, F, Sr., Wisconsin
Kirsten Simms, F, So., Wisconsin
Cayla Barnes, D, Grad., Ohio State
Caroline Harvey, D, So., Wisconsin
Sanni Ahola, G, Sr., St. Cloud State

Second Team All-WCHA
Britta Curl, F, Grad., Wisconsin
Lacey Eden, F, R-Jr., Wisconsin
Abbey Murphy, F, R-Jr., Minnesota
Hadley Hartmetz, D, Grad., Ohio State
Nelli Laitinen, D, So., Minnesota
Hailey MacLeod, G, So., Minnesota Duluth

Third Team All-WCHA*
Jennifer Gardiner, F, Grad., Ohio State
Emma Gentry, F, Sr., St. Cloud State
Joy Dunne, F, Fr., Ohio State
Laila Edwards, F, So., Wisconsin
Nina Jobst-Smith, D, Sr., Minnesota Duluth
Madeline Wethington, D, Grad., Minnesota
Raygan Kirk, G, Sr., Ohio State
*Four forwards due to ties in voting

WCHA All-Rookie Team
Joy Dunne, F, Fr., Ohio State
Cassie Hall, F, Fr., Wisconsin
Jocelyn Amos, F, Fr., Ohio State
Laney Potter, D, Fr., Wisconsin
Ava Murphy, D, Fr., Wisconsin
Éve Gascon, G, Fr., Minnesota Duluth

The 2023-24 WCHA forward, defender, goaltender, and rookie of the year are set to be announced on March 6. Coach of the year, outstanding scholar-athlete, and the WCHA player of the year will be announced on March 7.

Penn State’s Janecke CHA player, forward of year, while Mercyhurst’s Pedersen top blueliner, Lakers’ Nystrøm best goalie, PSU’s Kampersal coach of year for ’23-24

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Sydney Pedersen has been a steady force on the Mercyhurst blue line this season (photo: Ed Mailliard).

College Hockey America has announced its award winners for the 2023-24 season.

Penn State sophomore Tessa Janecke is the only dual winner this year as she was voted the Meghan Agosta Player of the Year and the CHA’s first Vicki Bendus Forward of the Year by CHA coaches. This season, Janecke became the 28th player in CHA history to record a 50-point season and skates into this weekend’s CHA championship with 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists. Janecke also reached 100 career points during Penn State’s semifinal-clinching win over RIT on Feb. 24. Janecke took home the CHA scoring championship this season as the conference’s points leader in CHA contests. She tallied 35 points on 12 goals and 23 assists in 20 CHA games.

Syracuse senior Tatum White is the first winner of the CHA scholar-athlete of the year award, which recognizes a CHA student-athlete who excels in the classroom, community and on the ice. White has been a four-year contributor to the Syracuse program and ranks as one of the top faceoff specialists in the NCAA this season and throughout her career. A medicinal chemistry major, White has been named three times to the CHA all-academic team, AHCA All-America Scholar honor roll, College Sport Communicators all-district team and ACC academic honor roll during her career. At Syracuse, she is the co-chair of the SAAC Culture Committee, a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Student-Athlete Board and a Team IMPACT Fellow. White is also active in the community in Syracuse and her hometown of Kingston, Ont., volunteering at the Upstate Medical University Hospital, serving as a volunteer coach for minor hockey programs and provincial camps in Ontario and running her own youth hockey camp that she founded in Kingston in 2019.

Mercyhurst junior Sydney Pedersen is this year’s Molly Byrne Best Defenseman selection. Pedersen is the CHA’s active leader in defenseman scoring with 68 career points on 20 goals and 48 assists. This year, she has registered 26 points on seven goals and 19 assists while blocking 58 shots for the Lakers. She leads all CHA defensemen – and ranks No. 2 nationally among blueliners – in shots on goal this season with 124.

Mercyhurst graduate student Ena Nystrøm takes home her second consecutive Brianne McLaughlin Goaltender of the Year Award this season. She has posted a 20-15-1 mark in net for the Lakers this season with a 2.22 GAA and a .926 save percentage and is tied for third nationally in shutouts with six. She is one of three goaltenders nationally to surpass 1,000 saves this season (1,003) and enters the CHA championship with 2,577 saves in her Laker tenure to rank No. 6 on the CHA career saves list. Nystrøm also ranks in the CHA career top-10s for wins (fifth, 52), save percentage (sixth, .929), shutouts (tied for seventh, 14) and games (tied for ninth, 99).

Robert Morris freshman Alaina Giampietro takes home the Nicole Hensley Rookie of the Year Award, ending the season with 31 points on 19 goals and 12 assists. The goal total leads all CHA rookie is currently tied for the NCAA lead among freshmen. The Colonials forward was a two-time CHA rookie of the month selection and was tapped as the Hockey Commissioners Association national rookie of the month in October.

Mercyhurst junior Kylee Mahoney is the CHA best defensive forward this season as she won 55.3 percent of her faceoffs this season for the Lakers and has contributed 16 points on eight goals and eight assists to the Mercyhurst attack. She is the fifth Mercyhurst forward to win the award since its inception in 2010-11.

Mercyhurst junior Vanessa Upson is third consecutive Laker to win or share the CHA individual sportsmanship award. She has been whistled for just four minor penalties this season, including only one in 20 CHA contests, despite seeing significant ice time for the Lakers. Upson became the latest member of the CHA 100-point club during the Lakers’ CHA semifinal series as she turned in a seven-point weekend against the Colonials to move to 104 career points entering play this weekend.

Penn State’s Jeff Kampersal is the CHA coach of the year for the second season in a row and third time in his career. Kampersal led the Nittany Lions to a repeat performance as the CHA’s regular-season champion and has PSU poised to play for a second-consecutive CHA postseason title on Saturday. Penn State captured the CHA regular-season crown with a 14-4-2 mark in conference play and holds a 21-12-3 overall mark this season. In his 28 seasons as a head coach at Princeton and Penn State, Kampersal has amassed a career record of 445-339-98 (.560) and ranks No. 5 on the NCAA Division I career wins list.

Hockey East announces women’s all-rookie team, three all-star teams, five individual awards for 2023-24 college hockey campaign

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Northeastern’s Allie Lalonde has compiled eight goals among 17 points this season (photo: Jim Pierce).

Hockey East Association has announced the 2023-24 women’s all-rookie team, women’s all-star teams and five other season-long awards as voted by the league’s 10 head coaches.

All-Rookie Team
G: Sedona Blair, New Hampshire
D: Molly Jordan, Boston College
F: Ashley Allard, UConn
F: Audrey Knapp, Providence
F: Allie Lalonde, Northeastern
F: Kaylee Lewis, Vermont
F: Julia Pellerin, Boston College
F: Sammy Taber, Boston College *

First-Team All-Stars
G: Gwyneth Philips, Northeastern, GR
D: Megan Carter, Northeastern, GR *
D: Camryn Wong, UConn, GR
F: Jada Habisch, UConn, SR
F: Ida Kuoppala, Maine, GR
F: Natalie Mlynkova, Vermont, SR *

Second-Team All-Stars
G: Tia Chan, UConn, JR
D: Jules Constantinople, Northeastern, SO
D: Krista Parkkonen, Vermont, SO
F: Peyton Anderson, Northeastern, GR
F: Lacey Martin, Boston University, SR
F: Sammy Taber, Boston College, FR

Third-Team All-Stars
G: Sedona Blair, New Hampshire, FR
D: Rae Breton, New Hampshire, GR
D: Brooke Becker, Providence, SR
F: Skylar Irving, Northeastern, JR
F: Kira Juodikis, New Hampshire, JR
F: Katy Knoll, Northeastern, GR

*denotes unanimous selection

Also recognized for her efforts in the 2023-24 campaign is Northeastern’s Megan Carter, who has been named defender of the year for the second straight season. It is the fifth consecutive year that a Husky has been tabbed as the league’s best defender.

UConn senior Kathryn Stockdale has been honored as the best defensive forward during the regular season. She becomes the fourth Husky to win the award, following Jennifer Chiasson (2009-10), Leah Burress (2015-16), and Briana Colangelo (2017-18).

New Hampshire graduate forward Annie Berry was awarded the conference’s sportsmanship award for the second straight year. Berry has played 159 games in a Wildcat sweater and taken just 40 penalty minutes in conference play.

For the first time ever, two players share the league’s scoring crown as Maine’s Ida Kuoppala and Vermont’s Natalie Mlynkova (Zlin, Czechia) were honored as the highest point-getters in Hockey East play (15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points). Kuoppala is the first Maine Black Bear to lead the league in scoring, while Mlynkova is just the second Catamount to do so after Theresa Schafzahl in 2021-22.

Northeastern netminder Gwyneth Philips earned the three stars award, accumulating the highest total of points from first, second, and third star accolades during Hockey East league games over the course of the regular season.

Hockey East will announce finalists for the Player, Rookie, and Coach of the Year awards on Monday, March 4 at 3 p.m. EDT. The winners of those awards will then be revealed prior to the semifinals on March 6.

NCAA D-III West Men’s Hockey Championship Game Picks

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The Bulldogs are seeking anther NCHA crown. (Photo provided by Adrian Athletics)

Hello conference championship weekend.

This is what a lot of us have been waiting for, and it’s where NCAA tournament dreams are either going to come true or be dashed.

The MIAC, WIAC and NCHA all have automatic bids on the line Saturday, and I expect all three championship games to be competitive as can be. It’s a leave it all on the ice kind of weekend based on what’s at stake.

In the NCHA and WIAC, the final matchups are as expected. Adrian plays St. Norbert in a battle of the top two seeds, while the same is true in the WIAC, where UW-Stevens Point takes on UW-Eau Claire.

The MIAC has the most interesting championship game. Bethel faces off against St. Olaf. Bethel was expected to be here. St. Olaf is the one playing with house money.

Without further delay, here are the picks.

Bethel (18-5-3) vs. St. Olaf (13-11-3)

Winners of six in a row, the Royals are hosting the conference championship game for the first time since 2007. That’s the last time Bethel won the title.

The Oles are in the championship game as the fifth seed and are looking for their first title since 2022.

In the regular season between these two teams, two games went to overtime. One ended with Bethel prevailing in OT, the other finished in a tie before the Royals won the shootout. Bethel also notched a 3-1 win over St. Olaf.

Don’t expect a high scoring game. Goals are going to be at a premium. But don’t be surprised if this one goes to overtime to determine a winner.

Tyler Kostelecky leads the Royals with 13 goals and 13 assists. He’s the go-to player for this team, but he has a cast of talented teammates around him.

But the Oles have shown they can defend as well as anyone. They have yet to allow a goal in the tourney. Offensively, Connor Kalthoff leads the team in points with six goals and 14 assists.

This could go either way. And it’s hard betting against Bethel at home. But it’s even harder betting against St. Olaf on the road in the MIAC tournament.
St. Olaf, 3-2 OT

 No. 3 Adrian (22-5-1) vs. St. No. 8 Norbert (21-6)

This is a matchup worthy of the NCAA tournament. Maybe even a national championship game. As it is, these two teams are set to battle for the Harris Cup Saturday.

The Bulldogs and Green Knights split in the regular season, with Adrian taking a 4-1 win and St. Norbert winning 6-2.

Adrian has won the last two championships while St. Norbert is seeking its first crown since 2020.

Could we see a lot of goals Saturday night? Absolutely. Both of these teams are really good at putting the puck in the back of the net.

Adrian averages nearly five goals per game, led by Zachary Heintz, who has scored 17 this season. Mathew Rehding has scored 16. Goalie Dershawn Stewart has recorded five shutouts.

For St. Norbert, Liam Fraser and Adam Stacho are a formidable one-two punch, combining for 35 goals, including 18 from Stacho. And don’t forget about Logan Dombrowsky and his 14 goals and 21 assists.

Adrian has lost just once at home this season. So home ice means something.
Adrian, 5-4

No. 6 UW-Stevens Point (20-5-2) vs. UW-Eau Claire (17-8-2)

The Pointers take aim at winning another WIAC crown. This is their 10th straight appearance in this game and the sixth time in the last seven seasons they are hosting the Blugolds in the final.

UW-Stevens Point is 3-0 against UW-Eau Claire this season. The Pointers have scored 95 goals while allowing 65, with their offensive attack led by Fletcher Anderson, who has tallied 12 goals and 17 assists. Noah Finstrom has scored 11 goals and dished out 12 assists.

The Blugolds have managed 85 goals and have given up only 47. Kyler Grundy leads the attack with 11 goals and 19 assists.

All three meetings were decided by two goals or less. A hot start is going to be critical for UW-Eau Claire against an opponent that has just once loss at home this year.

This game should be entertaining from start to finish and could very well be decided late in the action.
UW-Stevens Point, 4-3

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