Tyler Wallace is averaging a point per game through six games this season with Niagara (photo: Niagara Athletics).
Parity continues to reign in Atlantic Hockey America.
Ask any coach about the league and they’ll tell you one of its strengths is that the margin between the top and bottom is small.
To date, there have been six conference series, with four resulting in splits, and two more that featured one team getting four of the six points.
One of the teams that managed four is Niagara, which battled Robert Morris last weekend in a home-and-home series.
The Purple Eagles won at RMU, 7-3 but settled for a 4-4 tie at Dwyer Arena, with the Colonials picking up the extra point in the shootout.
“They were good games,” said Niagara coach Jason Lammers. “We didn’t get home (from Robert Morris) until three in the morning (on Saturday), and I was impressed with the way we responded.”
There’s anticipation and excitement in the air at Niagara, a feeling that the Purple Eagles are ready to return to the top of the conference.
“We think we’re building something special,” said Lammers. “COVID really hurt us, [and] I feel like we lost two years of progress. But we have tremendous support from the university (including) $4.5 million in improvements to our rink.”
Niagara has also done well with recruiting. There are three NHL draft picks in Atlantic Hockey America, and two are on the Purple Eagles roster: defenseman Braden Doyle, a graduate transfer from Northeastern (a 2019 sixth-round pick by Los Angeles) and rookie Trevor Hoskin (a 2024 fourth-round pick by Calgary).
Hoskin was a late bloomer who found his way to Niagara after scoring 100 points in 52 games for Cobourg (OJHL). He’s currently third on the team in scoring with three goals and four assists in six games.
“He committed in November, ” said Lammers. “He had some connections to some of our players. We’re all about building connections and he felt Niagara was a good fit for that.”
Also on the roster are three players from Latvia: rookies Deivs Rolovs (goalie) and Rainers Darzins (forward) as well as junior forward Glebs Prohorenkovs. Rolovs and Darzins played for Latvia at last year’s World Juniors tournament.
“We’ve also got players from Norway and Japan as well as guys that speak French,” said Lammers. “It’s an eclectic group that learns from each other. It’s important for us in developing better players and men.”
Niagara lost nine players to the transfer portal at the end of last season, but brought in six new ones, including brothers Ross and Brett Roloson from Lake Superior State. It was a package deal that also included their father, former NHL all-star goalie Dwayne Roloson. He recently came on board as the director of hockey development for the Purple Eagles.
“We’re good friends through (UMass) Lowell,” said Lammers, who was an associate head coach for the Riverhawks from 2011 to 2015. Roloson was an All-American at UMass Lowell in 1993-94.
“We had the chance to take both boys, it was a no-brainer.”
Niagara hosts Rochester Institute of Technology tonight before taking on Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series this weekend.
“I like midweek games,” said Lammers. “It works well with local teams. I think it’s better for fans. I’d support more of an established deal where there’d be games on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of usually just playing on weekends. People are busy and can’t always spend their weekends at the rink. I think we’d get more hockey fans that way.”
Stevenson’s Liam McCanney, returns to help the Mustangs pursue a MAC conference title and NCAA bid (photo: Sabrina Moran/SKM Photography).
The MAC was largely played as a subset to the UCHC schedule in recent years with just a handful of teams competing in both conferences and all were dependent upon winning the UCHC for a shot on the national tournament stage. As we enter the 2024-25 season, the re-aligned MAC finds seven teams moving over from the UCHC and the addition of first-year program, Misericordia to make up the eight-team conference that will compete for a title and auto-bid to the NCAA tournament.
Arcadia announced new head coach Ryan Heickert last spring. Heickert brings experience from Bryn Athyn as well as Neumann who will be a familiar opponent this season. Misericordia will enter the D-III ranks this season under the leadership of head coach Kevin Cole.
The Favorites
Stevenson has been on the brink of championship hockey in recent UCHC seasons but were unable to topple Utica in championship games. This season, coach Dominick Dawes will have the team very focused on translating their past MAC success into a title that puts them on the national stage. Forward Liam McCanney leads a deep group of forwards that now includes transfers Dylan Florit (Arcadia), Jack Gough (Adrian) and Blake Benson (Endicott). Evan Beers leads a strong defensive group that will need to be on top of their game as the Mustangs look from their current stable of goaltenders to replace All-American Ty Outen who moved on to D-1 at Long Island University. If goaltending is consistent, this team has all the ingredients to win the Mac and first auto-bid to the national tournament.
Wilkes returns a very experienced roster led by a deep forward group including seniors Nick Swain and Max Cocchi. The blue line is also experienced with seniors Cole Jungworth, Luke Dobles and Joe Johnson providing experience in front of a pair of seniors in veteran goaltender Jack Perna and Salve Regina transfer Anthony Del Tufo. Many think that experience is a key to success and if that is the case, coach Tyler Hynes team should be in the hunt for the MAC championship in early 2025.
The Dark Horses
Alvernia coach Andrew Burke will need to find both leadership and point production form his roster to replace Logan vande Meerakker who has moved on to graduation. Goaltender Jackson Fellner enjoyed a very successful freshman season and will need to build on that foundation for a successful 2024-25 campaign. Issac Chapman and Hunter Alden both produced over twenty points next season and will need to lead a balanced group of forward lines to produce goals in front of Fellner. Don’t be surprised if the Golden Wolves emerge as contenders early in the MAC.
Neumann’s second-year coach, Michael Heddon will need to find some production from a roster that lost several key contributors up front. Yancy Whittaker and Luke Croucher will need to lead and produce a younger forward group in search of offense for the Black Knights.
Players to watch
Alvernia: Isaac Chapman – forward: Jackson Fellner – goaltender
Arcadia: Bryce Battaglia – forward; Brendan Dicker – forward
Misericordia: Justin Beers – defense; Jack Tos – forward
King’s: Ethan Hersant – forward; Kent Lee – forward
Wilkes: Cole Jungworth – defense; Nick Swain – forward
USCHO predicted finish
Stevenson
Wilkes
Alvernia
Neumann
King’s
Lebanon Valley
Arcadia
Misericordia
Arcadia and Misericordia both kick-off their seasons in the Western Massachusetts Invitational and Buffalo State Tournament respectively in search of early season hardware. Geneseo will host Wilkes, Stevenson plays host to Canton while Alvernia also hosts a SUNYAC opponent with Cortland playing the Golden Wolves.
Utica defenseman Brian Scoville returns to captain the Pioneers towards another conference title in the re-tooled UCHC (Photo by Kaleigh Sturtevant – Utica Athletics)
The UCHC was among the most impacted D-III hockey conferences moving from an 11-team league in 2023-24 to just a six-team conference in 2024-25 before further planned re-alignment for the 2025-26 campaign. Misericordia, with head coach Kevin Cole, will field its inaugural D-III hockey squad this season that enables an eight-team MAC league creating their own conference away from the UCHC with an auto-bid to the national tournament. Brockport and Geneseo have departed the SUNYAC to join the UCHC this season and the end result is a six-team UCHC featuring defending champion Utica, Chatham, Nazareth, and Manhattanville.
The Favorites
Utica reached the Frozen Four last season where they fell to eventual national champion Hobart. This season, coach Gary Heenan has a deep team that is expected to win the UCHC and pursue another opportunity at a national championship. The goaltending tandem of Bryan Landesberger and Ethan Roberts returns with All-American Brian Scoville leading the defense. An abundance of riches at forward includes Eric Vitale, Shane Murphy, John Gutt, Jakob Breault, Andrew Della Rovere and Matt Wood who showed productivity and versatility last season with different lines. Added firepower comes with the addition of transfer Johnny Mulera from Salve Regina who has proven to be a prolific point producer in his time with the Seahawks. Utica is the defending champion and will look to maintain their dominance in the newly configured UCHC.
Geneseo brings a championship pedigree to the UCHC as a direct challenger to Utica’s recent dominance. Coach Chris Schultz has seen his Knights’ teams dominate the SUNYAC in stretches and have success in reaching the Frozen Four. This year’s Geneseo squad will rely on some significant leadership in all facets of the game. The goaltending tandem of Adam Harris and Jacob Torgner is outstanding while the forward group features Peter Morgan, Stefan Miklakos, Alex Zameski, Cooper Fensterstock, and Zach Purcell. The defense is led by Diarmad DiMurro and Dakota Zarudny. A new league brings new challenges but Geneseo is familiar with most of these teams in prior non-conference battles that will have more meaning and points attached this year.
The Dark Horses
Manhattanville will rely heavily on the goaltending of Sebastien Woods and leadership and scoring of senior Artem Matiechenko. The majority of the roster (17 players) is made up of sophomores and freshmen which will need some gelling as a group for the Valiants to realize their full potential. Coach David Turco always has his team ready to go for a full sixty minutes of more so there will be no easy points taken from games against Manhattanville who will be looking to establish some dominant play at the their home rink in Rye, NY and the Playland Ice Casino.
Nazareth will be playing this season as a send-off to long-time coach and national championship coach, George Roll who has enjoyed an outstanding career with the game he loves so much. Coach-in-waiting, James McDonald will be a crucial element in how the Golden Flyers go this season noting that while the top three scorers from last season return (Anthony Quinlivan, Blake Frost and Logan Tobias) the team did not have a 20-point player nor a ten-goal scorer. Jump starting the offense will be essential to the team’s compete level in conference so look for some of the younger players to contribute where it matters most, on the scoreboard.
Players to watch
Brockport: Josh Grund – forward; Chase Maxwell – forward
Chatham: Nick Cyprian – forward; Bekk McClaine – forward
Geneseo: Peter Morgan – forward; Adam Harris – goaltender
Utica: Johnny Mulera – forward; Brian Scoville – defense
USCHO predicted finish
Utica
Geneseo
Nazareth
Manhattanville
Brockport
Chatham
The start of the season brings the annual east-west rivalry of Utica traveling to face Adrian along with Nazareth traveling to Elmira, Geneseo hosting Wilkes and Brockport playing St. Anselm in the opening round of the Buffalo State tournament.
Arsenii Sergeev has been steady in goal this season for Penn State (photo: Alaska Athletics).
For the Big Ten, the season is starting and fast and, well, big.
With 37 games played collectively against nonconference foes, the Big Ten’s .703 win percentage in non-league play leads all conferences as November begins, with Hockey East (.628) and the NCHC (.627) not too far behind.
Last weekend, six of the league’s seven teams went 9-3-0 in nonconference play, and No. 11 Michigan earned a 5-4 overtime win against the U.S. National Team Development Program in exhibition play.
The early going feels more like predictor than mere prologue, with B1G teams seeming to settle into roles and places they may maintain all season, starting with the three losses from last weekend.
No. 19 Notre Dame split with visiting Long Island, beating the Sharks 4-1 Friday before losing 5-2 Saturday. In the loss, the teams were tied 1-1 with each scoring early in the second period, but the Sharks scored three unanswered by the early going in the third and the Irish never recovered. Through the first two periods, LIU outshot Notre Dame 35-13.
“That’s three games in a row that we haven’t been nearly as good as we should be,” said Irish coach Jeff Jackson after the loss. “When that happens, I have to take responsibility. I don’t think we were ready to play yesterday and I’m not sure we were much better prepared to play today.”
The Irish split with visiting Alaska the week before, losing 1-0 Oct. 19. Said Jackson, “I don’t think our respect level for Alaska or Long Island was where it needed to be.”
The other B1G team on the wrong side of the scoreboard last weekend was Wisconsin, who dropped two in a row to No. 1 Denver. While the Pioneers are capable of beating anyone in college hockey right now, Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings isn’t looking at anyone but the Badgers for the losses – and for Wisconsin’s 1-5-0 start to the season.
“At the end of the day, our entire game has to continue to grow,” said Hastings in his weekly press conference. “Last week, I thought that happened through four-and-a-half periods. I saw that growth. Last period-and-a-half, I thought we took a half a step back.
“Some of the things we’re encountering right now that we haven’t encountered in the past, we have to manage them and do it as a group.”
One factor in Wisconsin’s rough start is offense. The Badgers have scored just 10 goals through six games this season. In advance of Wisconsin’s road series against Notre Dame this weekend, Hastings talked about building confidence and encouraging players to “draw from those experiences when they’ve been able to work themselves out of a little bit of an offensive slump.”
Of the four B1G teams that swept opponents, two played against in-state rivals. No. 15 Ohio State won home-and-home games against Bowling Green, a rivalry that dates back to 1966 and includes 192 games played.
After Friday’s 3-1 home win, Steve Rohlik talked about the importance of overall team defense.
“If you’re good in your ‘D’ zone, you can create a lot of things offensively,” said Rohlik. “Our goaltenders are playing really well right now, but guys … are digging in and blocking a lot of shots. It’s kind of a team thing.”
Rohlik praised the Buckeyes’ defense and resilience after Saturday’s 2-0 road win. Through six games, the Buckeyes are allowing just 1.33 goals per game and Ohio State’s penalty kill is 16-for-18 this season. Logan Terness and Kristoffer Eberly are splitting time in the Ohio State net, and Eberly’s GAA in three games is 1.00.
The second team playing for home state bragging rights was No. 4 Minnesota, who beat St. Thomas 7-1 at home Friday before winning 6-2 in Xcel Energy Center Saturday. Minnesota leads the nation in goals with 33 through six games while holding opponents to 12 total.
While the Tommies and Gophers first faced off nearly a century ago, this a new potential rivalry between the teams whose rinks are about 14.5 miles apart as the crow flies. Minnesota is 4-0 against St. Thomas since sweeping them last season, the first meeting between the teams since the 1926-27 season.
And in spite of the disparity between the programs – St. Thomas in its fourth season of Division I play and building a program, Minnesota in the national title mix year after year – Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said that showing up well against in-state rivals is a point of pride for the Gophers.
“We addressed it this year with our guys at the start of the year,” he said. “It started with our exhibition game with St. Cloud. We wanted to really be on top of our game and take our nonconference against in-state teams seriously because they take it seriously against us and they want to come after us.”
Minnesota hosts Penn State this week in the first conference action for each team. The Golden Gophers ended the Nittany Lions’ 2023-24 season in the first round of the Big Ten playoffs with 5-1 and 3-2 wins. In the final two periods of that second game, the Nittany Lions outshot the Golden Gophers 35-7. “That was one of our best performances we had that year” said Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky, but he stresses that the Nittany Lions “aren’t there yet” as they return to Minneapolis.
“I think there are aspects of our game that are better right now than what we had then,” said Gadowsky. “However, as a whole, it takes a lot of lessons throughout the season to get to that level.”
One thing that’s working particularly well for Penn State is its penalty kill, which is a perfect 23-for-23 to start the season. Gadowsky credits assistant coach Juliano Pagliero for that. “He’s looked at [the penalty kill] all summer and has found not only what needs to improve but what we have done well.
“I will say that quite often, the most important penalty killer is your goaltender, and I think with Arsenii [Sergeev], we have great goaltending, and I think that really helps.”
No. 3 Michigan State’s only stumble this season was a 3-0 home loss to No. 2 Boston College Oct. 11, and the Spartans followed that with a 4-3 win for a weekend split. With a road sweep of Canisius, Michigan State extended its current win streak to three games.
The second win on the weekend came with Luca Di Pasquo in net, making his first start of the season.
“I thought he played great,” said Spartans coach Adam Nightingale. “He’s a really good goalie. We’ve said that all along.”
Nightingale said that Di Pasquo and starting goalie Trey Augustine are competitive with each other.
“It’s Luca’s job to be ready to go, and he did that,” Nightingale said.
Nightingale added that Canisius played hard and pushed the Spartans, and that Michigan State had to play better the second night to win, adding, “A sweep in college hockey on the road’s not easy.”
Everyone plays this weekend except for the Spartans, who take the ice again when they host the Buckeyes Nov. 8-9 for Michigan State’s first taste of Big Ten hockey this season. Ohio State is already 2-0-0 in B1G Hockey, having swept Wisconsin on the road Oct. 18-19.
Hosts Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com welcome Brown coach Mel Ruzzi, whose team defeated Quinnipiac and Princeton last weekend to improve to 4-0.
Those weren’t the only surprising results of the weekend, and Nicole and Todd discuss the key games. Plus: Some thoughts on news that the PWHL is looking to expand and a look ahead at upcoming contests.
The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for our mailbag? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email [email protected].
Vinny Borgesi has been an offensive spark plug for Northeastern this season (photo: Jim Pierce).30
Though its roster lacks a returning senior from last year, Northeastern will nevertheless be relying on veteran leadership for success this season.
While much has been made of the heralded freshman classes that highlight the rosters of crosstown rivals Boston College and Boston University, the Huskies’ top two scorers — forward Jack Williams (2-4-6) and defenseman Vinny Borgesi (1-5-6) — are both juniors. Coach Jerry Keefe said a lot is expected of Northeastern’s junior class, which is anchored by the aforementioned duo as well as forward Cam Lund and defenseman Jackson Dorrington.
“Our junior class is really important from a leadership standpoint,” Keefe said. “We’re relying on them not only for production on the ice but obviously driving our culture here. All four of those guys do a great job of that.”
Northeastern’s schedule so far has been anything but kind, with its last four games against a pair of teams in the top tier of the USCHO Division I men’s poll — No. 1 Denver and No. 7 Maine. The Huskies (1-3-1) came away with just one point during that brutal stretch (a 2-2 home shootout loss vs. Maine on Oct. 26).
Nevertheless, Keefe likes what he sees in his team so far this season, which opened with a 5-1 home win over Stonehill (Atlantic Hockey) on Oct. 12, which followed a 4-2 exhibition win over ECAC Hockey powerhouse Quinnipiac.
“We’re doing a lot of good things right now,” Keefe said. “We’re trying to just go game to game here, not focus on what happened last week or two weeks ago. We’re just learning from each game, moving on to the next one. But I think our team’s doing a lot of good things.”
Northeastern has struggled to score. The Huskies have been held to two goals or fewer in their last four games. Of course, they’ve gone up against two of the nation’s better goaltenders in Denver’s Matt Davis and Maine’s Albin Boija.
“We’re fighting to score goals right now,” Keefe said. “It’s not a lack of chances, they just have not gone in the net for us. So it’s not like we’re not creating offense. We have to finish better, simple as that. Sometimes, throughout the year, that just happens to your team a little bit and you give credit to the other team’s goaltender.”
Although it isn’t necessarily reflected on the scoreboard, the Huskies have gotten a solid effort from sophomore goalie Cameron Whitehead, who finished with a .914 save percentage over the weekend against Maine, recording back-to-back games with at least 30 saves. His 64 saves ranked first among all league goaltenders for the weekend.
“He gives us a chance every single night, it’s that simple,” Keefe said. “He’s been very good, and we’re going to need him to be very good. Any team that has goals of going far, you need great goaltending, and we feel we definitely have that here.”
Northeastern is off this weekend. The bye comes at an opportune time for the Huskies, who, in addition to getting a chance to recover from some injuries, will use the time to take a breather from a tough schedule that won’t get any easier — Northeastern returns to action Nov. 8, when it opens a home-and-home series at No. 12 Providence.
“It gives us a chance to work on some things this week that you might not have time to do throughout the year when you don’t have time (because) you’re always gearing up for the next opponent,” Keefe said. “This week we get to put a little more focus on our team and some of the things we can work on to finish a little bit better and take advantage of some special teams, which we need to get better at.”
Scott Swanson and Stan Jatczak are the Misericordia assistant coaches for the team’s inaugural 2024-25 season.
Scott Swanson and Stan Jatczak have been named assistant hockey coaches at Misericordia.
The Cougars will begin their inaugural season of competition at Buffalo State on Nov. 1.
Swanson served as a team captain of the Springfield Pics junior hockey team and was a three-time team captain in five seasons at Norwich.
He led Norwich to two NEHC regular-season championships and two playoff championships while compiling a plus-45 rating in 102 career games. Swanson was named and NSCA All-American and received the NCAA Elite 90 Award while leading Norwich to a runner-up finish in the 2019 NCAA D-III tournament.
After graduation, Swanson spent the 2022-23 season playing semi-professional hockey in Åmål, Sweden, and has spent more than 10 years as a coach at former U.S. Olympian Steve Jensen’s Heartland Hockey Camps.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management with a focus in financial economics along with a minor on entrepreneurship.
Jatczak, a graduate of Trine, earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his master’s in business administration.
He served as a team captain at Trine and went on to play three years of professional hockey in Germany and the Netherlands.
Jatczak previously served as a skill development coach for the Winnetka (Ill.) Warriors Hockey Club and the Paul Vincent Hockey School.
Endicott are two-time defending champions in the now named CNE but will face strong challenges from a number of conference foes (Photo by Endicott Athletics)
Gone is the Commonwealth Coast Conference as this season a re-brand re-names the 40-year old league to the Conference of New England or the CNE. While the eight-team league for hockey maintains the same number of competitors, two Rhode Island schools have swapped leagues for the 2024-25 season with Salve Regina moving to the NEHC while Johnson & Wales move to the CNE for the season.
Over the past few seasons, the top four teams (now minus Salve Regina) have been battling for the league title with multiple teams enjoying a championship and others with at-large berths in the NCAA tournament. With the number of at-large bids decreasing due to the addition of the MAC conference this year and Little East next year, the impetus to win the CNE is a must for any team with national championship aspirations.
The Favorites
Curry very nearly de-railed Hobart’s national championship run falling on the road in the quarterfinals in quadruple overtime, 4-3. The game saw freshman goaltender Shane Soderwall make 98 saves and the now sophomore netminder is back to help the Colonels in pursuit of an elusive conference title and national title run. There is a great supporting cast including Matt Connor on the blueline and Gage Dill bringing some dynamic skill at forward. The first four games may say a lot about Curry’s aspirations as they face Massachusetts-Boston and Norwich before opening the CNE schedule with a pair of games against rival Endicott.
Endicott returns to play as the two-time defending conference champions but without key offensive pieces who have graduated including Jackson Sterrett, but conference player-of-the-year, Andrew Kurapov returns to lead the attack. The strength of the Gulls is their goaltending tandem of Atticus Kelly and Ryan Wilson who enter their third season paired together having alternated games during each of the past two seasons. RJ Tolan teams have always been fast and deep so look for the Gulls to find some new names to be frequent contributors on the scoresheet.
The Dark Horses
UNE has lost a big contributor to their recent success in goaltender Billy Girard IV who has moved on to Boston University so look for a battle among Joey Stanizzi, Stefan Carney and Stefan Kulhanek as the main man in the crease for the Nor’easters. Leadership and skill upfront is still strong for coach Kevin Swallow’s squad with Ryan Kuzmich, Anthony Sciucco and Dylan Schuett expected to help bring this year’s edition of UNE hockey to success on the ice. Chip Hamlett and Jacob Pellerin lead an aggressive defensive group. If the goaltending steps up, look for the Nor’easters to be among the teams battling at the top of the standings.
Coach Alex Gacek has re-tooled the Nichols roster adding ten freshman to a roster dominated by sophomores (10) with a season under their belt. Leadership will come from senior forwards nathan Carl and Luke Harvie along with graduate student Joey Allegrini on defense. If the Bison gel quickly, they could be a very relevant dark horse come the playoffs.
Players to watch:
Curry: Matt Connor – defense; Gage Dill – forward
Endicott: Atticus Kelly – goaltender; Ryan Wilson – goaltender
Western New England: Sam Mitchell – forward; Justin Sullivan – forward
USCHO Predicted finish
Curry
Endicott
University of New England
Nichols
Johnson & Wales
Suffolk
Wentworth
Western New England
There are some interesting non-conference matchups slated for the opening weekend including Plymouth State visiting the University of New England, Norwich traveling to Curry and Endicott hosting Southern Maine. Nichols will play in the Worcester City Cup tournament looking for some early season hardware against a strong field of teams including Assumption, Anna Maria and Worcester State.
Goaltender Damon Beaver has never won a major conference recognition in the NEHC but his stellar play has led to two NEHC titles and back-to-back NCAA championships and Hobart is looking to extend their championship run (Photo by Hobart Athletics)
The 2024-25 season already brings us several conference re-alignments and a new playing league to the D-III mix that will impact conference races and national tournament bid opportunities next spring. In what will be the final season of the NEHC as we have seen it in recent years, the conference adds Albertus Magnus from the Independent ranks and Salve Regina from the CCC (Now CNE), replacing Johnson & Wales, for an eleven-team race to the league championship. No doubt the depth and skill of the teams will be on display as competitors, old and new, seek to unseat the two-time NEHC and national champions from Hobart.
The Favorites
While a couple of key offensive pieces have moved on to the D-1 ranks (Tanner Hartmann to Brown and Artem Buzoberya to Bentley), Hobart still has impressive talent that puts them among the best teams in the nation. Goaltenders Damon Beaver and Mavrick Goyer make it exceedingly difficult for teams to score and the defense led by Cooper Swift, Austin Mourar and Bauer Morrissey contribute on both ends of the ice. Up front Luke Aquaro, Matthew Iasenza, Chris Duclair, and Ignat Belov lead a deep group of forwards that will attack with speed. Hobart will be motivated by the intense competition as they pursue a final NEHC championship and a third consecutive national title.
Skidmore played for the conference championship last season against Hobart and has visions of winning that round this season to claim the conference title. There is a strong nucleus returning for coach Rob Hutchison starting with forwards Kaeden Patrick, Cooper Rice, and Jaden York. On defense Danny Magnuson and Will Dow-Kenny lead a mobile group that like to engage on the offensive end. In goal, the departure of Tate Brandon opens the crease to competition for senior Blaine Moore, junior transfer Joshua Seeley (Bentley) as well as sophomore transfer Tomy Aitken (Stevenson) and sophomore Alex Bonrouhi. If the Thoroughbreds can find consistent goaltending from the current stable of netminders, look for Skidmore to be in the hunt for a conference crown.
The Dark Horses
Norwich is always a team that will contend near the top of the standings and this year’s edition of the Cadets displays a lot of talent among the forward group led by Clark Kerner, Bryan O’Mara, Joe Johnson, and Alex Lewis. Strong defensive play is a hallmark of Norwich teams and this year’s squad sees a large and mobile group of defenders in front of a tandem of outstanding goaltenders in Sami Molu and Bryce Walcarius. The Cadets issues in recent years have been the ability to score goals so if Kerner & Company can light the lamp more frequently, the Cadets will be in the hunt in February.
Babson is always a threat in the conference and this year should be no different as the Beavers return a solid group who play a very up-tempo system and take advantage of opponents’ mistakes. The veteran group is led by fifteen juniors including forwards Egan Schmitt, Ian Driscoll, Cam Joslin, and Ryan Murphy. The Beavers have depth and play a very disciplined game that can frustrate the best of opponents. Do not be surprised to dee the Beavers in the mix come playoff time.
The Soaring Eagles of Elmira always seem to play themselves into contention at the right time of the year and this year’s veteran group led by forwards Ryan Reifler, Bailey Krawczyk, goaltender Kyle Curtin and defensive transfer Shane Miller give coach Aaron Saul some firepower to go with a goaltender known to steal wins. During the COVID year when the UCHC was one of just a couple leagues playing, Elmira found a way to win the title before joining the NEHC and would surely love to repeat that championship occurrence in this their final season in the NEHC.
Players to watch:
Albertus Magnus: Nick Durajlija – defense: Tyler Ignazzitto – forward
Babson: Wyatt George – forward; Egan Schmitt – forward
Elmira: Kyle Curtin – goaltender; ; Ryan Reifler – forward
Hobart Luke Aquaro – forward; Damon Beaver- goaltender
UMass-Boston: Evan Coogins – forward; Jazz Krivtsov – forward
New England College: David Novotny – forward; Kai Tomita – goaltender
Norwich: Clark Kerner – forward; Bryan O’Mara – forward
Salve Regina: Cayden Bailey – goaltender; Hoon Kim – defense
Skidmore: Will Dow-Kenny – defense; Jaden York – forward
Southern Maine: Austin Marini – forward; Matt Sullivan – forward
Featured matchups amongst the great non-conference games on opening weekend are: Curry vs Massachusetts-Boston; Plymouth State vs. Babson; Southern Maine vs. Endicott and Oswego vs. Hobart.
Adam Nightingale has helped turn around Michigan State’s fortunes in recent years (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Dan: I woke up this morning to the crispy feel of leaves under my feet and 30-degree temperatures in the air. It was fall in New England, the perfect time of year, and I 100 percent left the back door wide-open in my house. So my living room needs a leaf blower, and it was really cold.
But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.
It’s Tuesday, and that means it’s time to recap the college hockey weekend. I’m still buzzing over here about Boston College’s come-from-behind win over Western Michigan, but the Denver-Wisconsin series kept us once again ironed into Denver as No. 1 and BC as No. 2 – though BC lost its usual first place votes.
It’s early, but those two teams are playing head-and-shoulders hockey above everyone else (worth noting that Minnesota and Cornell had the two non-Denver first place votes).
As I welcome my cohost for the week, Paula, I know you kept a close eye on the DU series against the Badgers… what’s standing out about those two teams in particular, or maybe it’s just Denver?
Paula: Denver hasn’t lost a step since winning the 2024 national championship. Including their six wins this season, the Pioneers are riding a 15-game win streak, dating back to a one-goal loss to Colorado College Mar. 8. It’s extraordinary. They feel like a juggernaut already and the season isn’t a month old.
I’m impressed with every aspect of their game. Through six games, three players – Aidan Thompson, Carter King, and Sam Harris – have a combined 15 goals, each on track to hit 10 before the end of November. Thompson had 11 total last season, King had 15 and Harris 14. If they continue to score at this pace, they’ll each have career seasons.
Then there’s Jack Devine, with his single goal so far – but 13 assists. He’s everywhere on the ice. Devine had an amazing year last season with 27 goals and 29 assists. He’s already near half his assist total from a year ago, so he’s certainly upped his offensive game in specific ways. I can’t imagine what his season will be like when he starts to get the goals, too.
Matt Davis (1.67 GAA, .930 SV%) has been outstanding, and the team defense in front of him has been solid.
Some people might argue that the Pioneers’ schedule to start the season has been on the lighter side, but I am not among those folks. A trip to Anchorage to open play followed by two top-20 opponents is a good tune-up. They have Yale and Lindenwood before they face North Dakota on the road Nov. 15-16 to begin NCHC play, but even if the teams they’re facing early on aren’t as challenging as their NCHC competition surely will be, the continued winning builds confidence and helps the Pioneers work out some early issues.
They’re poised to make another national championship run.
Wisconsin. Ah, Wisconsin.
The Badgers are struggling to follow up their 26-win season of 2023-24, Mike Hastings’ first behind the Wisconsin bench. They lost four 10-plus goal scorers from a season ago as well as goaltender Kyle McClellan. They’ve scored just 10 goals through their six games (1-5-0) and they’ve allowed 20. That’s a losing recipe, and Hastings and his staff know it.
Here’s the thing, though: Mike Hastings has never coached a team to a losing season in his entire career. I’m confident that the Badgers will somehow muster and improve, but this slow start will bite them in the end.
I’m sure you didn’t expect a dissertation on Denver. I’m just so impressed with them. They’re not the only team that bedazzles me in the early going. Who’s on your radar?
Dan: Let me build this out from a foundational level because we all know I’m going with Boston College.
BC lost Will Smith and Cutter Gauthier from last year’s roster but returned nearly every major piece from a team that advanced to last year’s national championship game. Certain veteran leaders like Jack Malone graduated, but bringing back Jacob Fowler in net, Eamon Powerll on the blue line, Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, Oskar Jellvik, Aran Minnetian, and others made this team good enough to compete at a high level before it ever added presumptive No. 1 overall pick James Hagens and players like Teddy Stiga and Dean Letourneau.
Building off that baseline, there were still questions about how well BC could move past its magic from last season because the players fit so easily and so well into last year’s team, but this past weekend’s win over Western Michigan illustrated the pure height of the roster’s ceiling. This team trailed Western – which is a very good team – by two goals in the first period and spent roughly 35 minutes clawing its way back before Leonard scored the game-winning, go-ahead goal in the last minute. Watching replays, it’s not even about getting open for a wide-open goal mouth or the perfect pass from Perreault. To me, it was about the play that started at the blue line and brought BC from defensive neutral zone to forecheck to turnover to pass to 2-man break-in to pass to score. Gritty but agile, it was perfect.
I suppose I need to throw a quick disclaimer that I’m affiliated with the BC hockey program through the athletics department – something Chris Lerch likes to laugh about because I’m required to work for 84 different universities in the Greater Boston area.
I want to jump back to Wisconsin, though, because I’m not mashing the panic button about that team. Coach Hastings made a mention about needing to “tear it down” for a rebuild, but this week’s games against Denver wasn’t exactly the best time to reformat or retool a team on the fly. That’s not being critical of Wisconsin – I think it’s extremely difficult for teams to beat Denver when they’re playing top-flight hockey and aren’t facing tactical problems. So for Wisconsin to walk into Magness without its mojo in the right direction is an impossible ask.
I can’t remember a team changing its stripes on the fly, so I don’t want to read too much into his comments to see Wisconsin suddenly change its style, but are there programs in recent memory that you can recall changing their identity or altering their style on the fly to rapid success? For me, the prime example is always Robert Morris, which was 2-10-2 after tying Mercyhurst to end its first half. After losing both ends of the Three Rivers Classic, a 2-12-2 team went 17-6-3 over the rest of its season and won the Atlantic Hockey championship.
Paula: Rapid success? I guess that depends on how you define “rapid.” Also, the change of style usually accompanies a new head coach.
One rapid-ish success story is Michigan State under Adam Nightingale. The Spartans were an eight-win team in Danton Cole’s last season as coach (2021-22) and improved to 18-18-2 overall the following year in Nightingale’s first season. In Nightingale’s second season – last year – Michigan State was Big Ten regular-season and playoff champion, and the Spartans made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
That’s nearly as fast as it gets in college hockey, and it’s due to Nightingale’s and his staff’s holistic approach to player development. That model of player development is changing college hockey, and for the better.
A slightly less meteoric rise is Maine under Ben Barr. Red Gedron’s final season with the Black Bears was 2020-21, the season stunted by COVID, so it’s difficult to use that three-win year as a baseline, and Barr’s first season was rough. In his second season, Barr brought the Black Bears to a .411 win percentage, and last year Maine finished third in Hockey East with an overall record of 23-12-2 and the Black Bears’ first NCAA appearance since 2012.
Now look at Maine. It’s early still, but Maine’s one of four undefeated programs (4-0-1) and the Black Bears have averaged four goals a game. While it’s too soon to put much stock in the PairWise, Maine currently sits at No. 4. This early PWR success may make a huge difference next March, after the Black Bears have completed a really competitive Hockey East season.
Two under-the-radar teams I’m watching are Union and Ohio State, two teams that have started fast. In spite of a 6-1-0 record and only one game in which they’ve scored fewer than three goals (averaging 4.67 per game), the Garnet Chargers have yet to crack the USCHO.com Poll this season, although they did earn 59 votes this week including one from me.
Their only loss was 4-1 to Boston University, a game in which they were outshot 44-37 and gave up two power-play goals. They did start their season with an exhibition loss to another ranked team, Providence.
Union will face some tough competition when ECAC play begins, but – like Denver – this early tune-up will serve the Garnet Chargers well.
The Buckeyes surprise me more than a little. I thought I saw Ohio State improve a lot in the second half of last season without many wins to show for it. Now they’ve been building confidence as well, especially with a solid duo of Logan Terness and Kristoffer Eberly in net. The Big Ten is going to be wicked hard this season, so the early success – including in the PWR, where Ohio State stands at No. 8 – is encouraging.
Programs like Union and Ohio State and even Colorado College, another team undefeated so far, suffer from trust issues, I think. Even Maine, to some extent. If you’re not Denver, Minnesota or North Dakota, or if you don’t have a Boston in front of your name, there isn’t much benefit of the doubt given.
I like when the sleepers and underdogs prove everyone wrong.
Dan: Maine is one of those teams that makes college hockey better. When Maine is good, college hockey is good. Also… best jersey in the game.
Holistic coaching triggered something in my brain because I’m increasingly realizing how different the coaching game is becoming. Sure, there are newer elements in NIL and that stuff, but player development changed to include the whole person beyond just the ice rink.
Coaches taking that approach are going to succeed, and I’m excited to see how it continues to play out. I’ve talked to so many coaches who mention things like breathing, mental wellness, and stress-related parts of the game over simple tactics. It’s encouraging that we’re heading in that direction to know how to push, not just to push, our players and staff members.
Paula: We are witnessing a shift in approaches to coaching, and I think that in addition to leading to more success for teams at the college level, players developed in a program with a more holistic approach will be better prepared for professional hockey, if that’s where they want to go.
Back to Nightingale, part of his success at Michigan State is because of his success with player development for the U.S. National Team program and elsewhere.
The same thing can be said for Brandon Naurato, who ushered the Wolverines through a time that was genuinely awful for many players while maintaining an impressive level of hockey success. His background in player development with the Red Wings was key.
And that’s the thing: many NHL teams focus on player development now in ways that were unheard of even six or seven years ago, giving young players a place to succeed. It’s sound business, given the money invested in young players, but it’s also a more ethical thing to do.
That it’s trickled down to the NCAA level benefits both college and professional players plus the teams they play for. I hate the term “win-win,” but it really is.
Also, Maine’s jersey is sweet – and I have family roots in Maine, so I’m partial to the Black Bears – and I am especially fond of any jersey with an animal mascot, but since my days covering the old CCHA, always been enamored of Lake Superior State’s jerseys.
Dan, we’ll save the jersey talk for another time and place.
UW-Stevens Point goes into another hockey season as the favorite to win the WIAC. (Photo by Olivia Luther/UW-Stevens Point Athletics)
No surprise here. UW-Stevens Point is the favorite in the WIAC and a contender on a national level as well.
While the Pointers are the favorite, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout will take aim at being the team to beat in the conference. And you can never count out UW-River Falls.
Northland is picked last but the Lumberjacks should take steps forward.
UW-Stevens Point (21-6-2, 13-2)
The Pointers won the WIAC crown last season before falling in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Don’t be surprised if this team is contends against this year, especially with 17 players back, including Fletcher Anderson, a two-time player of the year in the WIAC.
One big addition is Peyton Hart, a former Stout standout who tie for the league-lead in goals last year. He scored 14. Anderson finished with 13, and that duo will make the Pointers tough to stop from an offensive standpoint.
Andrew Poulias also returns after scoring 11 goals and dishing out nine assists, while the playmaking ability of Dawson Sciarrino will be a huge asset as well. He dished out a team-best 19 assists last season.
It always helps to have experience in goal, and the Pointers have it with Alex Proctor, who fashioned a 2.13 goals against average in 26 starts.
The Pointers have won the last three regular-season championships and are the back-to-back league tourney champs.
UW-Eau Claire (17-9-2, 10-4-1)
The Blugolds can never be counted out in the WIAC. Among the offseason changes are the hiring of assistant coach Mike Janda, who had spent the last three years at UW-Stout.
UW-Eau Claire played for the league tournament championship last season and looks to get back there again.
It will have a shot to do it with co-league player of the year Max Gutjahr returning. The standout goalie fashioned a 1,80 goals against average and recorded seven shutouts on his way to notching 16 victories. He saved more than 92 percent of the shots he faced.
Kyler Grundy will provide plenty of firepower for the offense after being an All-WIAC selection last season. He led the team in goals (12) and tied for the team-lead in assists (19).
Leo Bacallao and Trenton Heyde are also back for the Blugolds. Bacallo was among the best in the league after coming through with nine goals and 13 assists. Heyde was top 10 in assists (15) and is a two-time All-WIAC pick.
UW-River Falls (16-10-3, 6-7-2)
More than 70 percent of the Falcons’ scoring is back this season, with Jonny Meiers and Dylan Smith leading the way. The two standouts combined for 20 goals, with Smith scoring a team-best 13. Meiers tallied a team-leading 14 assists.
Max Collette, Burke Simpson, Aidan Torres and Anthony Biniaris are also back for the Falcons, who hope to put themselves in the discussion for a league title.
Colette tallied six goals and eight assists and Simpson came through with four goals and seven assists. Those two will be among the players counted on in a big way for the Falcons.
Newcomers Alex Atwill, Reid Lune and Cole Teleki will have a chance to be impact players.
This team won 16 games last season and has a chance to hit that total and more this year. The Falcons open the year with five consecutive games against MIAC opponents, so they’ll be tested out of the gate.
UW-Stout (13-14-2, 8-7)
Big things appear to be ahead for the Blue Devils, who are led by Boyd Stahlbaum, the WIAC Newcomer of the Year and member of the USCHO.com All-Rookie team. He tied for the league league in goals, tallying 14, and dished out the third-most assists (18). He had the most points in the WIAC (32).
Stahlbaum is one of 16 returning letter winners back. The group also includes Nicolas Pigeon, the WIAC leader in assists and fourth overall in total points.
The Blue Devils also return one of the top scoring defenseman in hockey Noe Perez, racking up five goals in 14 assists.
This is a team with a lot of experience in goal as well as Tyler Masternak and Dawson Green return. Masternak started 15 and fashioned a 3.16 goals against average. Green sported a 2.76 goals against average.
Stout won 13 games last year, adds 11 newcomers and should once again be among the better teams in the conference.
UW-Superior (11-15-1, 6-8-1)
A total of 24 players return for the Yellowjackets, who have roster that features players from four different countries and 10 states, as well as six provinces in Canada.
Only four seniors are on the roster, and one of them is Gavin Rasmussen, who came through with six goals and eight assists. He was the second-leading scorer for the team last season.
Dusty Bergstrom is poised for a big year as well after racking up four goals and seven assists. He’s one of two All-WIAC selections from last season. The other is Jack Boschert, a netminder who started 12 games and recorded a 1.87 goals against average.
The Pointers have several newcomers expected to make a difference, including Ikki Kowaga, who hails from Japan and is the third player in program history from the country.
Superior ended last season on a five-game losing streak and will come in looking for a strong start to the season.
Northland (1-26, 0-15 WIAC)
There is nowhere to go but up for the Lumberjacks, who won only once and lost their final 26 games of the season. They went 0-14 on the road.
A total of 14 players are back and that experience should prove valuable to a team looking to turn things around. That group includes leading goal scorer Ben Stewart, who finished with four goals and seven assists.
Sam Holy, Evan Ilkos and Trey Taylor are also key returning players for the Lumberjacks, and they’ve added some experience at goal with Dakota Meyer transferring in from Dubuque. He made 320 saves last season and played more than 600 minutes in goal.
The Lumberjacks need some early-season confidence to help set the tone. If they can build that, there’s an opportunity for them to be a much better team than they were a season ago.
Sam Harris was part of Denver’s offensive output last weekend against Wisconsin (photo: C. Morgan Engel/Clarkson Creative Photography).
Denver is again No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, picking up 48 first-place votes in this week’s rankings.
Boston College remains No. 2, Michigan State is up one to No. 3, Minnesota, with a first-place vote, is up one to No. 4, and Boston University is down two to sit fifth this week.
North Dakota moves up one to No. 6, Maine falls one spot to No. 7, Colorado College is up one to No. 8, Cornell is down one to No. 9, also getting a first-place vote, and St. Cloud State moves up two to sit No. 10 in this week’s poll.
Michigan falls from No. 10 to No. 11, and previously unranked Penn State and UMass Lowell are ranked this week, 18th and 20th, respectively.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 18 others received votes this week.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.
Last season’s NE-10 Player-of-the-Year Ronny Paragallo returns to lead Assumption’s offense and hunt for another conference title (photo: Julia Jacobsen).
The Assumption Greyhounds took their second NE-10 championship in the past three years last spring with a thrilling double overtime win over Southern New Hampshire. While the Greyhounds dominated the regular season behind their high-powered offense, the playoffs proved to be much more challenging in the only D-II conference playing NCAA hockey. The pre-season poll usually doesn’t mean much in this conference especially where the playoff battle at the end of the season tends to always present some big surprises.
This year isn’t likely to be much different as there is great talent at the top of the league and hard-working rosters everywhere looking to take advantage when talent is not enough.
For Franklin Pierce, Ken Gernander brings a very polished playing and coaching resume to the Ravens who will look to assimilate new systems and players towards winning results in the NE-10.
The Favorites
Never count out Assumption in NE-10 play as they often emerge when least expected to compete for the championship. Ronny Paragallo, Jonathan Surrette and Ryan Decker all return for the Greyhounds who led the league in offense last season and are likely to do so again. John Woernle anchors the defense and goaltending will be a spirited battle for the crease among key contenders including Callum Welch, Michael Hauswirth and Clement Labillois. Coach Michael Looney saw the Greyhounds race out of the gate with a dominant first half of the season on the way to a wire-to wire championship run. Could we see it again? The talent is there and likely the focus too.
St. Anselm almost took down Assumption in the semifinals of the conference tournament last spring and in the process found their goaltender in Cam Carroll to backstop this year’s Hawk’s run. There is a strong leadership group including Luke Mix, Chase Reynolds, Luke Linart and Max Burum. The Hawks will need production from all their lines and better power play to generate some winning margin, but Carroll will keep them in any game and that makes St. Anselm a very dangerous team come playoff time.
The Dark Horses
Southern New Hampshire found their game in the second half last season and parlayed their winning formula to the title game where they fell short in double overtime. The key pieces all return for coach Sean Walsh including goaltender Collin Berke, forwards Kurt Watson and Jackson Aldrich and defensive leaders, Derek Flynn and Ethan Rodriguez. A slow start to last year’s season had the Penmen chasing the top teams so getting off to a good start this season could help build some all-important momentum for a playoff run that goes one win more this season.
Coach Damian DiGiulian and St. Michael’s are always a contender for the conference crown and this year’s team should be no different with strengths in all three facets of the game. Cole Manahan comes off a very strong season for the Purple Knights in goal while defensemen David Ciancio and Case Kantgias play a strong 200-foot game in all situations. At forward Brennan McFarland, Quinn McCarthy, Ryland Dukes and Ty Bloom lead a deep offensive group that should have balanced scoring. If everything comes together for a second half run, do not be surprised to see the Purple Knights playing for a title.
Players to watch
Assumption: Ronny Paragallo – forward; Jonathan Surrette – forward
Franklin Pierce: Austin Pick – forward; Tyson Springer – forward
Southern New Hampshire: Collin Berke – goaltender; Kurt Watson – forward
St. Anselm: Cam Carroll – goaltender; Chase Reynolds – forward
St. Michael’s: David Ciancio – defense; Brennan McFarland – forward
USCHO Predicted finish
Assumption
St. Anselm
St. Michael’s
Southern New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce
Post
St. Anselm will play in the Buffalo State Tournament to open the season while St. Michael’s will host Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in their opener. Franklin Pierce is looking for a fast start in the Western Massachusetts Invitational against Westfield State while Assumption looks to take bragging rights in the Worcester City Cup where they open against a strong Anna Maria team.
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review games of the weekend and news of the week.
They discuss Denver’s impressive 6-0 start and dominant performance over Wisconsin, raising concerns about the Badgers’ ability to recover. Boston College’s comeback victory over Western Michigan, driven by standout players Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, is highlighted, along with the increasing fan engagement under coach Greg Brown.
The episode also reviews key performances by Ohio State, Maine, and Long Island University, noting Denver’s persistence. The challenges faced by independent teams in scheduling are also covered. Additionally, the hosts provide analysis on the performance of various NCAA hockey conferences in non-conference play, predicting potential NCAA tournament bids and the significance of non-conference records.
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and hosts
00:27 Denver’s dominance and Wisconsin’s struggles
02:48 Upcoming challenges for Denver
08:32 Boston College’s comeback victory
14:56 North Dakota vs. Boston University
17:39 Maine’s win, tie at Northeastern
21:37 Fact-checking
21:49 LIU’s first win over a Big Ten team
25:48 Ohio State’s unexpected success
29:21 Big Ten Teams on the Rise
32:32 Analyzing Non-Conference Records
37:32 The Struggles of independent teams
42:03 Concluding Thoughts and Future Predictions
On Thursday, Claire Enright, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Marianne Picard each scored once to carry the Badgers to a 4-0 win. Edwards’ power play goal to open the scoring midway through the first was the junior’s 100th career point. In the second game, Lacey Eden lit the lamp twice while Kelly Gorbatenko, Cassie Hall and Kirsten Simms each had a goal and two assists. Edwards added a second on the weekend to round out a 6-0 win and sweep. Fifth-year forward Casey O’Brien had three assists on the weekend, bringing her career total to 132 career assists, just shy of Sara Bauer’s school record of 138 career assists.
(3) Clarkson at Boston College
In all honesty, if you didn’t watch these games and have ESPN+, it’s worth it to go back and watch the replays. In the first game, the teams felt each other out to start the first period before Julia Pellerin was able to reach up and knock down a clearing attempt from Sidney Fess. Pellerin corralled the puck with her skate and shot near side to put BC up 1-0. Baylee Kirwan tied it up for Clarkson with under a minute to play in the first. A late penalty had the Eagles on the PP to start the second and they quickly capitalized as Sammy Taber tipped in Abby Newhook’s pass. Gabby Roy’s third period breakaway goal was a beauty that secured the 3-1 win for Boston College. On Sunday, Jenna Goodwin put Clarkson up 1-0 midway through the first, but Molly Jordan pounced on a rebound a few minutes later to tie the game 1-1 heading into the first intermission. A scoreless second gave way to a fast-paced third. Rhea Hicks took advantage of BC’s inability to clear the puck to give the Golden Knight’s their first lead of the weekend. Anne Cherkowski struck just over a minute later on the power play to extend it to a 3-1 Clarkson advantage. It lasted 30 seconds before Katie Pyne pulled Holly Gruber out of position, cycled behind the net and took advantage of the confusion to make it a 3-2 game. Gaby Roy showed off some great balance, strength and puck handling to gather a pass from Alanna Devlin and put it in the net to tie the game 3-3 with just under ten minutes left in regulation. Showing shades of her goal the day before, Pellerin was on the forecheck, this time in the neutral zone and jumped on a misplayed puck, once again playing it to herself with her glove as she took off and beat Gruber five-hole to earn Boston College a 4-3 win and their first sweep of a top-5 team in the 18 years Katie Crowley has been at the helm.
(4) Minnesota at Minnesota State
The Gophers won a decisive 8-2 game on Friday, which made them the first WCHA team to reach 500 conference victories. Natálie Mlýnková led Minnesota with two goals and an assist, while Abbey Murphy, Josefin Bouveng and Ella Huber each added a goal and two assists to lead the Gophers. Taylor Otremba and Whitney Tuttle scored for the Mavericks in the loss. It was a different story on Saturday. Payton Hemp had Minnesota up 1-0 at the end of the first thanks to a power play goal, but the second period belonged to Minnesota State. Madison Mashuga and Audrey Garton each scored to give Mankato the 2-1 lead heading into the third. Midway through the third period, goalie Skylar Vetter earned an assist as her pass to Sydney Morrow was then sent the length of the ice to spring Ava Lindsay at the blue line to tie the game 2-2 and force overtime. Mlýnková cycled behind the net, drawing the defenders, giving Hemp room in front of the net to receive the pass and easily end the game, giving Minnesota the 3-2 OT win.
(6) St. Lawrence vs. RIT
Abby Hehl, Taylor Lum, Aly MacLeod and Sarah Marchand each scored on Friday to put the Saints up 4-0 before the end of the second. Bronwyn Khangsar pulled one back for RIT early in the third, but they couldn’t complete a comeback and SLU took a 4-1 win. On Saturday, RIT junior goalie Sophia Bellina made 40 saves to keep her team in the game despite being outshot 42-23 as the Tigers won a hard-fought tie from St. Lawrence before dropping the shootout. MacLeod scored midway through the first, but Kyle Aguaro responded with a power play goal to send the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1. Early in the second, RIT was on the power play and won a faceoff in their offensive end, but Abby Hustler forced a turnover and took the puck the length of the ice to score short-handed and give SLU the 2-1 lead. Early in the third, the Tigers tied it when Nicole Ness forced a turnover of her own behind St. Lawrence’s net and scored on the wraparound. No winner could be found in overtime, but Marchand and Kennedy Emerson scored for the Saints and Emma-Sofie Nordström saved two of three shots from RIT to give SLU the shootout win.
Maine at (7) Colgate
In game one, the Raiders scored four straight in the first to immediately put the game out of reach. Georgia Sambrano scored the first of her career before Kalty Kaltounková, Alexia Aubin and Emma Pais each extended the lead. Stephanie Jacob pulled one back for Maine, but the Black Bears went to the locker room down 4-1. Madeline Palumbo extended the lead 26 seconds into the second and Kaia Malachino added the first of her two goals in the middle frame to make it 6-1. Pais scored her second before Alyssa Wruble scored shorthanded for Maine to make it a 7-2 game. Malachino’s second goal closed out the 8-2 win. With an assist on Pais’ second goal, junior Elyssa Biederman reached the 100 point mark for her career. She’d add to her total on Saturday, leading the Raiders with two goals and an assist in their come-from-behind 4-1 win. A goal from the Black Bears’ Mikayla Boarder was the only tally for the first two periods and Maine’s Kiia Lahtinen did a great job keeping the game close. But Colgate’s offensive power came out in the final frame as Neena Brick tied the game on the power play early on and then the Raiders scored three times in the final six minutes to put the game out of reach and take the weekend sweep.
(8) St. Cloud State vs. St. Thomas
Two stout defenses were on display in the first game of this series as St. Cloud racked up 16 blocks and the Tommies had 13. Maddie Brown’s goal early in the second put St. Thomas on the board and SCSU wasn’t able to equalize until late in the third on an unassisted goal from Avery Farrell. Overtime couldn’t find a winner, but St. Thomas took the extra point in the shootout as Maddy Clough, Chloe Boreen and Haley Maxwell each scored. In the second game, Abby Promersberger scored against her former team in the first as she was alone in the slot for a pass from behind the net from Breja Parent. Laura Zimmerman doubled the lead in the second when St. Thomas wasn’t watching for her to exit the penalty box and she took a Greta Henderson pass with nothing but clear air between her and the net to make it 2-0. Henderson lit the lamp herself in the third, gathering a loose puck from the neutral zone and going in alone on the net, scoring five-hole to make it 3-0. Boreen scored on the power play in the final 10 seconds of play to ruin the shutout and get St. Thomas on the board, but the Tommies were out of time and SCSU took the 3-1 win.
(9) Quinnipiac at Brown
Freshman Monique Lyons had a career night, scoring her first two collegiate goals to lead Brown to a 2-1 win. Quinnipiac got on the board first as Jenna Donohue scored her first career goal, going down to one knee to one-time a pass from Maddy Samoskevich to make it 1-0 midway through the second. Lyons’ first goal actually looked quite similar, though her feed came on a spinning pass from Margot Norehad that she hit one-time from a knee to tie the game 1-1. Rory Edwards made a career-high 38 saves in net for the Bears, none bigger than a penalty shot save with about eight to play in the third, keeping the game tied. Despite plenty of opportunities for both teams, neither could find the advantage. The game looked destined for a shootout as the Bobcats had Sam Broz tied up with two players along the boards with about 10 seconds left in OT. But Brown was not ready to settle for the tie and Broz came away with the puck and skated along the blue line as Lyons slipped unnoticed behind the defense. Her shot from just inside the faceoff dot went over Kaley Doyle’s shoulder, giving Brown the win with 2.4 seconds left on the clock.
(9) Quinnipiac at Yale
This close game was decided by a shootout as each team was only able to break through once. Naomi Boucher had Yale up 1-0 after one, but Taylor Brueske’s tip in tied the game in the second. Quinnipiac took the shootout 2-1 to earn the extra point.
(13) Princeton at Brown
Ava DeCosta had Brown up 1-0 just 1:49 into the game. Princeton responded on the rush as Issy Wunder fed Mackenzie Alexander in the final minute of the first to make it a 1-1 game at intermission. Jade Iginla’s wrister from the faceoff dot went five-hole late in the second to give the Bears a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Sarah Paul’s patience on the power play opened a lane and she tied the game 2-2 with about 13 left in regulation. Olivia Fantino did work along the boards and put several shots on net to no avail, but a weak clearance left the puck wide open for Jess Ciarrocchi to put Brown up 3-2 less than two minutes later. And less than two minutes after that India McDadi earned another turnover, feeding Iginla as she crashed in the slot, where she one-timed it to make it 4-2. Paul got her second by weaving through the defense to make it a 4-3 game with ten left in the third, but the Tigers couldn’t find the equalizer and Brown took the win. The Bears beat both Quinnipiac and Princeton in the same weekend for the first time since January 2009 and earned their first home sweep since January 2006. Brown is 4-0-0 through the first four games of a season since 1992-93.
(13) Princeton at Yale
Cami Bell had a career highlight game in just her second time on the ice for Yale, putting away a rebound for her first career goal to put her team up 1-0 in the final minute of the first. Princeton responded immediately as Issy Wunder took the puck through multiple defenders, behind the net and scored on the wraparound 17 seconds later to send the teams to the locker room tied 1-1. After a scoreless second, Bell scored her second of the day on a backhander as she deked the goalie to make it 2-1. Anna Bargman’s insurance goal secured the 3-1 win for the Bulldogs.
(14) Northeastern at Providence
The teams were scoreless through the first. Hannah Johnson got Providence on the board early in the second, putting back a rebound to make it a 1-0 game. Tuva Kandell scored her first career goal early in a major penalty power play for the Huskies to tie the game 1-1. The teams scrapped for an advantage, but neither could break the stalemate until Lily Hendrikson blocked a Northeastern pass attempt at the blue line, sending the Friars on a rush in the other direction where Sarah Davis scored her second game-winner of the young season to give Providence the 2-1 lead with under five to play. NU couldn’t find an equalizer and the Friars took the win.
Icebreaker Tournament
(12) Penn State vs. (11) Cornell
Penn State outshot Cornell 37-22, but Annelies Bergmann was perfect in net for the Big Red as they eked out a 2-0 win. Each team had a goal waived off in this one and Lily Delianedis’ goal in the final ten seconds of the first was the difference-maker. Rose Dwyer added an empty-netter to seal the win.
(2) Ohio State vs. Stonehill
Josie St. Martin and Joy Dunne each had two goals and two assists while Sloane Matthews had a goal and three assists to lead the Buckeyes in an 11-0 win. Lexington Secreto made her first start for OSU and earned her first win, making nine saves, including stopping a shootout attempt. Alexsa Caron made 61 saves for the Skyhawks. (12) Penn State vs. Stonehill (consolation game)
The Nittany Lions rebounded with an emphatic 11-1 win over the Skyhawks in the consolation game. PSU had 65 shots on goal and eight different players lit the lamp. Grace Outwater led Penn State with her first-career hat trick and two assists. Abby Stonehouse and McKenna Walsh scored their first career goals for the Nittany Lions. Mia Kenmore was the goal-scorer for Stonehill in the loss.
(2) Ohio State vs. (11) Cornell (championship game)
Jocelyn Amos led the Buckeyes with two goals and two assists as they took a 7-3 win over Cornell to win the Ice Breaker tournament. The game was close in the first as Sloane Matthews and Kiara Zanon scored first to put OSU up 2-0. But Katie Chan responded in the final 90 seconds to cut the lead to 2-1. Unfortunately for Cornell, Joy Dunne’s goal in the final ten seconds of the frame killed any momentum the Big Red may have gotten. Buglioni extended the lead to 4-1 early in the second before Avi Adam responded for Cornell to make it 4-2. Karel Prefontaine’s power play goal made it a one-goal game, cutting it to 4-3, but OSU once again responded in the final minute of the period. This time it was Amos, short-handed. She’d add another goal in the third alongside one from Brooke Disher as Ohio State took the 7-3 win.
Union celebrates a goal during its weekend wins over RPI to win the Capital Skates Trophy (photo: Paul Buckowski).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. No. 1 Denver still perfect after convincing wins over No. 20 Wisconsin
The Pioneers beat the Badgers in two games, 4-2 and 6-1, to improve to 6-0-0 on the season, one of four teams that remain undefeated. Wisconsin scored first in both games, but Denver answered those opening tallies each time with goals less than three minutes later and never trailed again in either contest.
REPLAY: Great passing started by goalie Matt Davis and ends with Jake Fisher finding the back of the net. #GoPiospic.twitter.com/QIbicqPsUB
Denver senior Matt Davis stopped 56-of-59 shots for a .949 save percentage. Senior forward Jack Devine registered his 120th career point, an assist on Aiden Thompson’s goal at 18:19 in the first period Saturday. Devine has an assist in each of the first six games of the season.
2. No. 19 Ohio State makes a case for being the team to watch
Ohio State, chosen in preseason by the Big Ten coaches to finish in last place, remains undefeated (5-0-1) after sweeping a home-and-home series with in-state rival Bowling Green, 3-1 and 2-0. Damien Carfagna led the Buckeyes with two goals on the weekend.
GOAL! Carfagna's second goal of the weekend – and third of the year – puts the Buckeyes up 2-0!
Two Buckeyes each earned wins in net, with Logan Terness stopping 25 in Friday’s win and Kristoffer Eberly turning aside 22 shots Saturday, his first collegiate shutout. Saturday’s game was a penalty-filled affair with the teams combining nearly evenly for 56 total minutes, yet the Buckeyes scored the only power-play goal in the game.
Through six games, Terness and Eberly have split time evenly in net, combining for a .952 team save percentage.
3. No. 6 Maine still undefeated after road win and tie
Maine is 4-0-1 after a 4-1 win and 2-2 tie at Northeastern during the opening weekend of Hockey East play. Friday’s win was the first for the Black Bears at Matthews Arena since Feb. 25, 2012, a span in which Maine was 0-14-2 on the road against the Huskies.
Maine and Northeastern combined for three goals in the final two minutes of that contest: Harrison Scott’s empty-netter for the Black Bears at 18:11, followed by Cam Lund’s goal for the Huskies at 18:39 and Maine’s second empty-net goal by Nolan Renwick at 19:33. The Black Bears came from behind in the tie on goals by Brandon Holt in the second and Sully Scholle in the third, and Maine took the extra shootout point. The 4-0-1 start to the season is Maine’s best record through five games since 2006-07.
4. No. 9 Colorado College sweeps Alaska Anchorage on the road
The Tigers remain undefeated after 2-1 and 2-0 wins over the Seawolves, starting 4-0-0 for the second straight season. Four different players accounted for Colorado College’s goals, and Kaidan Mbereko had a .979 save percentage in the series, stopping 18 shots in his seventh career shutout, his first since shutting out Denver in March of his rookie season.
5. No. 2 Boston College fends off No. 14 Western Michigan
Trailing 2-0 through the first 36:27 against the Broncos Saturday night, the Eagles scored four unanswered goals – two by Ryan Leonard in the final minute of the game – to give Boston College a 4-2 win over Western Michigan.
Andre Gasseau scored at 16:27 in the second to pull the Eagles to within one, and Teddy Stiga tied the game a minute into the third period. Leonard scored the game-winning goal at 19:09 and the empty-netter 19:37.
6. No. 5 Minnesota keeps the goals coming
Minnesota continues its offensive roll, outscoring St. Thomas 13-3 in two games and improving to 5-1-0 overall. The Golden Gophers have scored no fewer than five goals in each of their wins and currently lead DI teams, averaging 5.50 goals per game. Connor Kurth leads the Gophers with six goals through six games.
Brody Lamb – with 16 goals to his name through 80 previous collegiate games – netted his first career hat trick in Minnesota’s 6-2 win Saturday.
7. Splitsville for No. 3 Boston University, No. 7 North Dakota
On the road against the Fighting Hawks, the Terriers picked up a 4-3 win Saturday, but North Dakota dominated in a 7-2 Friday night.
In Friday’s win, the Fighting Hawks led 5-0 by the 13:12 mark in the first period on goals by five different players, then went ahead 6-0 on Jackson Kunz’s second goal of the game 40 seconds into the third period.North Dakota went 2-for-3 on the power play and Boston University 1-for-5 in a game that saw 19 penalties for 49 minutes.
A turnover led to Ben Strinden’s goal in the third, the final of the game.
Tom Willander’s power-play goal a few minutes later held up to be the game-winner.
8. No. 4 Spartans sweep Canisius on the road
Michigan State shuffled off to Buffalo for a pair of wins over Canisius, 3-0 and 4-1.
The Spartans were zesty in Saturday’s win, charged with 48 penalty minutes in the contest including two five-minute major penalties, Mikey DeAngelo for hitting from behind and David Gucciardi for a facemask infraction.
The Griffins were able to generate five shots through 14 total minutes of man advantage, including the two major penalties. Dominic Payne had the only goal for Canisius on the weekend, a power-play tally in the second period Saturday.
Tanner Kelly had the game-winner at 10:10 in Friday’s shutout.
Here's a look at Tanner Kelly's goal that started below MSU's own blue line. Apples to Vansaghi and Geary. pic.twitter.com/79LIp5wKVd
Michigan State outshot Canisius 81-19 in the series. Trey Augustine made 15 saves Friday in his first shutout of season and fourth career shutout. Luca Di Pasquo had 18 stops in Saturday’s win, his first start of the season. Di Pasquo, a sophomore, had two wins in four starts last season.
9. Early hardware for Union in sweep of Rensselaer
Union has quietly amassed a 6-1-0 record to start the season, most recently sweeping a home-and-home series with local rival Rensselaer to capture the Capital Skates Trophy. The hardware is awarded to either team when they sweep the other, and it’s the first time the Garnet Chargers have captured the trophy since early in the 2017-18 season.
Ben Muthersbaugh led all Union players on the weekend with three goals, including the winner in Saturday’s 4-3 come-from-behind win at 16:53 in the third.
Muthersbaugh had two markers in Friday’s 6-3 win, as did teammate Colby MacArthur.
This is Union’s best start to a season since 1976-77, when the Garnet Chargers began the season with a seven-game win streak.
10. Congratulations, Coach Leaman, on win No. 400
No. 13 Providence rallied for three unanswered goals to beat Vermont in overtime Friday, 3-2, giving Nate Leaman his 400th NCAA win. Leaman is in his 13th season with the Friars, having served as Union’s head coach for eight previous seasons.
The Friars led 2-0 on Will Elger’s goal early in the second, but Joel Maatta answered six minutes later for Vermont, and Simon Jellus’ goals with 40 seconds left in regulation sent the game to OT. Nick Poisson scored at 1:29 in overtime for the win.
Providence came from behind in Saturday’s 4-4 tie, with Poisson’s goal at 19:37 in the third to knot the game.
Providence took the extra shootout point when Zachary Borgiel stopped all three Vermont shooters and Hudson Malinoski found the back of the Vermont net.
Greg Moore has been named the Lawrence women’s hockey head coach.
Moore takes the reins from Kevin Dessart, who coached the Vikings for the past two seasons. Dessart is now the associate head coach at Vermont. Julia Dessart, who was already serving as the team’s assistant coach, will be a part of Moore’s staff.
“I am thrilled to announce the hiring of Greg Moore as our new head coach for the women’s ice hockey program,” Lawrence director of athletics Jason Imperati said in a statement. “With an extensive background in ice hockey, Greg brings a wealth of experience that will greatly benefit our team. His impressive track record not only showcases his skills as a coach but also reflects his deep commitment to fostering the growth and development of student-athletes both on and off the ice.
“I want to thank Julia for taking charge of the program while we searched for the next head coach. She was so valuable in guiding our student-athletes through this transition period.”
Moore comes to the Vikings from Lawrence Tech in Southfield, Mich., where he started the women’s hockey program in 2020. Competing in the ACHA, Moore led the Blue Devils to a 16-9-2 record a season ago.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to build the tradition of Lawrence women’s hockey,” Moore said. “I’m grateful to Jason, (VP for student life) Chris (Clarke) and (president) Laurie (Carter) for giving me the opportunity to lead this program. I can’t wait to get started on the ice and work with the group of young women to build on the successes of previous seasons.”
Moore began his coaching journey at Saint Mary’s. A 2010 graduate of Saint Mary’s and goaltender during his playing days for the Cardinals, Moore was the assistant women’s hockey coach from 2010 through 2017. Moore was the head women’s coach at Saint Mary’s for two seasons and collected 18 victories over that span.
He then moved to the University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont., to serve as the head women’s and assistant men’s coach. Competing in the ACHA, Moore helped the men’s team to a 22-win season, the Mountain West Conference championship and a berth in the ACHA Division II tournament. Moore then moved to Lawrence Tech in 2020 to establish the new women’s program at that Detroit-area school.
“At Lawrence, we prioritize creating an environment where our student-athletes can thrive academically, socially and athletically,” Imperati said. “Greg’s dedication to developing the student-athlete experience aligns perfectly with our mission, ensuring that our players receive the support they need to excel in all areas of their lives.”
Moore received a bachelor’s degree in biology at Saint Mary’s and went on to earn a master of arts degree in organizational leadership from Saint Mary’s in 2015. Moore also is working toward a master of business administration from Lawrence Tech in 2025.
No. 2 Boston College (3-1-0)
10/26/2024 – No. 14 Western Michigan 2 at No. 2 Boston College 4
No. 3 Boston University (4-1-0)
10/25/2024 – No. 3 Boston University 2 at No. 7 North Dakota 7
10/26/2024 – No. 3 Boston University 4 at No. 7 North Dakota 3
No. 4 Michigan State (5-1-0)
10/25/2024 – No. 4 Michigan State 3 at Canisius 0
10/26/2024 – No. 4 Michigan State 4 at Canisius 1
No. 5 Minnesota (5-1-0)
10/25/2024 – RV St. Thomas 1 at No. 5 Minnesota 7
10/26/2024 – No. 5 Minnesota 6 vs RV St. Thomas 2
No. 6 Maine (4-0-1)
10/25/2024 – No. 6 Maine 4 at RV Northeastern 1
10/26/2024 – No. 6 Maine 2 at RV Northeastern 2 (OT)
No. 7 North Dakota (3-2-0)
10/25/2024 – No. 3 Boston University 2 at No. 7 North Dakota 7
10/26/2024 – No. 3 Boston University 4 at No. 7 North Dakota 3
Boston College rallied from down 2-0, scoring the game’s final four goals as the No. 2-ranked Eagles defeated No. 14 Western Michigan on Saturday, 4-2 (Photo: Boston College Athletics)
It was in no way easy, but No. 2 Boston College survived its single game against No. 14 Western Michigan, registering the game’s final four goals including Ryan Leonard’s game winner with 51.5 seconds remaining to overcome a 2-0 deficit and win 4-2 at BC’s Kelley Rink.
Leonard ended the game as the hero, not just scoring the game-winning goal late but tacking on an empty-net tally with 23.4 seconds remaining.
Western Michigan grabbed an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Owen Michaels and Robby Drazner.
The host Eagles struggled to find the net early and only cut into the lead with 3:33 remaining in the second period, when Andre Gasseau’s shot deflected off the leg of a Western Michigan defender and into the net.
Teddy Stiga evened the game at 1:00 of the third when he cut in from the right side and tucked the puck past goaltender Hampden Slykynsky (32 saves).
The game remained tied until Leonard’s give-and-go goal with Gabe Perreault in the game’s final minute.
Jacob Fowler earned the win for Boston College with 20 saves.
No. 3 Boston University 4, No. 7 North Dakota 3
A night after getting whitewashed at North Dakota, 7-2, No. 3 Boston University rebounded with a 4-2 victory over North Dakota in Grand Forks.
The Terriers scored twice on the power play, including Tom Willander’s eventual game winner with 3:52 remaining in regulation. Jack Harvey and Devin Kaplan (shorthanded) each registered a goal and an assist for the Terriers while Cameron Berg notched the same stat line for the Fighting Hawks.
Mattieu Caron earned the victory making 29 saves for Boston University.
LIU 5, No. 17 Notre Dame 2
Long Island University earned arguably its biggest program win on Saturday, scoring three second-period goals en route to a 5-2 victory over No. 17 Notre Dame.
It was the program’s third win over a nationally-ranked opponents having previously beaten Ohio State when the Buckeyes were ranked 12th and Alaska when they were ranked 20th.
On Saturday, five different Shark players recorded goals, including Chris Pappas who scored the eventual game-winner at 11:36 of the second.
Goaltender Noah Rupprecht stopped 25 saves to earn the victory in a game that LIU outshot the Fighting Irish, 42-27.
New Hampshire 3, No. 11 Quinnipiac 2
One night after getting waxed on the road, 8-2, by No. 11 Quinnipiac, New Hampshire responded with a 3-2 road victory behind goals by Cy Leclerc, Nick Ring and J.P. Turner.
J.P. Turner with his first goal of the season! Wildcats lead 3-1!
The Wildcats never trailed in the game, taking a 2-0 lead through two on second-period goals by Leclerc and Ring.
Quinnipiac scored on the power play at 7:56 of the third when Travis Trealor scored, but UNH’s quick response, a Turner goal assisted by Leclerc, gave the Wildcats the edge they needed.
Hockey East announced today that Vermont sophomore forward Mateo Dixon has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 17:36 of the first period on Oct. 25 against Providence.
On the play, Dixon was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct.
Dixon is ineligible to play Oct. 26 against the Friars and is able to return to the Catamounts lineup on Nov. 2 at UConn.
Hosts Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com welcome Brown coach Mel Ruzzi, whose team defeated Quinnipiac and Princeton last weekend to improve to 4-0.
