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SATURDAY COLLEGE HOCKEY ROUNDUP: No. 4 Minnesota shuts out No. 6 Michigan for second straight night; No. 1 Michigan State rallies from 2-0 for OT win at Wisconsin; UMass PP puts away No. 11 BU; No. 2 Denver gets OT win for series split with No. 7 WMU

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For the first time since 1943, No. 4 Minnesota shutout No. 6 Michigan on back-to-back nights, completing the weekend sweep with a 2-0 blanking of the Wolverines (Photo: Jim Rosvold)

Certainly Michigan, one of the nation’s top college hockey programs, doesn’t get shutout on back-to-back nights too often. Well, the last time that rival Minnesota did that, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the president.

Eighty-one years after, the No. 4 Gophers once again completed that feat, shutting down the No. 6 Wolverines for the second-straight night, 2-0, blanking a Michigan team that two weekends ago scored 16 goals in two games against Penn State.

The year was 1943 the last time Minnesota whitewashed a weekend with the Wolverines. After Saturday’s 6-0 victory, Saturday required a first-period goal from Sam Rinzel on the power play and an empty-net tally by Jimmy Snuggerud for the decisive weekend sweep.

Minnesota improves to 8-0-0 in Big Ten play.

Goaltender Liam Souliere 22-save shutout on Saturday followed crease mate Nathan Airey’s 32-save blanking on Friday.

Minnesota improves to 15-2-1 overall, while Michigan drops to 10-5-1 having lost three of four games.

POLL | PAIRWISE | SCOREBOARD | STANDINGS

No. 1 Michigan State 3, Wisconsin 2 (F/OT)

The top-ranked Spartans rallied from 2-0 down and Isaac Howard scored with 2:00 remaining in overtime to help Michigan State split the weekend series at Wisconsin, 3-2.

Wisconsin still earns four-of-six points on the weekend against the nation’s newly-minted No. 1 team after Friday’s 4-0 victory.

The Badgers seemingly were writing a similar script to Friday early in the rematch. Owen Lindmark gave Wisconsin a 1-0 lead on the power play with 3:42 remaining in the first and Christian Fitzgerald extended that advantage at 3:16 of the second.

Michigan State finally struck on the power play in the second when Charlie Stramel, a transfer from Wisconsin, scored in the building he used to call home.

Joey Larson knotted the game at 2:24 of the third to set up Howard’s heroics.

Massachusetts 4, No. 11 Boston University 0

UMass took advantage of a penalty-plagued game by No. 11 Boston University, scoring three times on the power play to post a 4-0 shutout of the Terriers to win the opening game of a two-game home-and-home series.

They two clubs will faceoff again in Amherst on Wednesday.

Boston University was whistled for 46 minutes worth of penalties, including majors to both Cole Hutson and Brandon Svoboda. The Svoboda major proved most costly for the Terriers, who allowed two power play goals during the five minutes at the end of the second period to give UMass a 3-0 lead.

Daniel Jencko, Lucas Olvestad and Kenny Connors all notched power play tallies for the Minutemen and Ryan Lautenbach, who gave UMass the 1-0 lead early in the first, scored what turned out to be the game-winner.

Michael Hrabel earned the shutout by making 32 saves.

No. 20 Clarkson 3, No. 13 Dartmouth 2

It was a lost weekend for No. 13 Dartmouth, which followed up a loss at home on Friday against St. Lawrence with another defeat at the hands of No. 20 Clarkson, 3-2. Dartmouth has now lost three straight games after staring the season 5-0-1.

Clarkson finished its ECAC weekend with back-to-back wins having defeated Harvard, 4-3, on the road on Friday.

The Golden Knights never trailed on Saturday jumping to leads of 1-0 on Tristan Sarsland’s goal at 12:01 of the first and a 2-1 advantage when Ellis Rickwood scored at 9:45 of the second.

Dartmouth drew even late in the middle frame when Hayden Stavroff scored.

But Aryton Martino’s goal with 2:55 remaining in regulation was the game-winning goal.

Clarkson improves to 5-1-0 in the ECAC and sits just a single point behind first-place Quinnipiac, which posted a pair of 3-1 victories over Rensselaer and Union on the weekend.

No. 2 Denver 3, No. 7 Western Michigan 2 (F/OT)

Second-ranked Denver rallied from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 with Samu Salminen tying the game with 1:06 remaining in regulation and Carter King netting the overtime game-winner as the Pioneers avoided a weekend sweep in Kalamazoo with a 3-2 victory.

Western Michigan won in regulation on Friday, 3-2, thus taking four of the six NCHC league points against the defending national champions over the weekend.

Alex Bump and Grant Slukynsky tallied for the Broncos while Zeev Buium had the remaining goal for Denver.

 

November HCA men’s awards go to Boston College’s Leonard, Michigan’s Hage, Colorado College’s Mbereko, Minnesota State’s Tracy

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From left, Ryan Leonard, Michael Hage, Kaidan Mbereko, Alex Tracy (photos: Boston College Athletics, Michigan Athletics, Colorado College Athletics, Minnesota State Athletics).

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its monthly men’s honors for November.

Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard is the player of the month, Michigan forward Michael Hage is rookie of the month, and Colorado College junior Kaidan Mbereko and Minnesota State junior Alex Tracy are co-goaltenders of the month.

While playing the hardest schedule in the NCAA, Leonard led the country in goals (8), game-winning goals (4), and shots on net (52), while powering the Eagles to a 7-2-0 record. His 13 points were second in the nation and he was third with a plus-nine rating. No player in Hockey East had more goals, points, or game-winning goals.

Hage led all rookies in the nation with 1.43 PPG as the Wolverines went 7-1, playing against ranked squads, including Boston University and Western Michigan. Had the game winner vs. WMU.

Mbereko averaged 28 saves per game in a 5-2-1 month for No. 8 CC. Had a .941 save percentage and 1.71 GAA.

Tracy had great numbers of 1.23 and .955 while averaging 26.5 saves per game. Allowed zero or one goal in six of eight games. Had 43 saves in only loss in the month (1-0 at Bemidji State).

Princeton’s Wunder, Alexander, Northeastern’s Jönsson, Wisconsin’s McNaughton garner November women’s honors from Hockey Commissioners Association

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From left, Issy Wunder, Mackenzie Alexander, Lisa Jönsson and Ava McNaughton (photos: Princeton Athletics, Northeastern Athletics, Wisconsin Athletics).

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its monthly women’s honors for November.

Princeton junior forward Issy Wunder is the player of the month, Princeton forward Mackenzie Alexander is rookie of the month, and Northeastern junior Lisa Jönsson and Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton are co-goaltenders of the month.

Wunder racked up a phenomenal 12-10-22 line in nine games (2.44 PPG) for the Tigers. Keyed a 4-3 win over No. 5 Colgate with 1-1-2 and finished the month with a five-goal effort at Stonehill.

Alexander went 5-17-22 in nine games, going 3-5-8 in four games against top-15 opponents. Had six assists in final game at Stonehill.

Jönsson went 4-1 with numbers of .980 and 0.60, with three games against ranked opponents. Currently leads the nation with .964 and 1.01 on the year.

McNaughton’s line: 6-1, 1.20, .956. Includes two shutouts against No. 8 St. Cloud State and a 31-save, 4-2 win at No. 2 Ohio State.

FRIDAY COLLEGE HOCKEY ROUNDUP: Wisconsin blanks No. 1 Michigan State, No. 7 Western Michigan edges No. 2 Denver, No. 10 Providence downs No. 8 Colorado College, No. 14 UMass Lowell ties No. 3 Boston College, St. Lawrence beats No. 13 Dartmouth

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Wisconsin players mob Owen Mehlenbacher after his goal Friday night on home ice against Michigan State (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).

Down goes No 1.

Wisconsin used a 26-save shutout from goaltender Tommy Scarfone to help defeat top-ranked Michigan State 4-0 Friday night at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Quinn Finley scored twice for the Badgers, while Owen Mehlenbacher and Tyson Dyck also scored.

https://www.twitter.com/BadgerMHockey/status/1865225389783515271

The loss snaps the Spartans’ nine-game winning streak.

Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine finished with 22 saves in the loss.

POLL | PAIRWISE | SCOREBOARD | STANDINGS

No. 7 Western Michigan 3, No. 2 Denver 2

Western Michigan took a 3-0 lead into the third period and while Denver scored twice in the final stanza, the Broncos held on for a 3-2 win at Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.

https://www.twitter.com/TheNCHC/status/1865210617071648815

Tim Washe, Matteo Costantini and Zack Sharp scored for the Broncos and Cameron Rowe made 29 saves in goal.

For Denver, Jake Fisher and James Reeder scored and goalies Matt Davis and Freddie Halyk combined on a 24-save effort.

No. 3 Boston College 3, No. 14 UMass Lowell 3 (OT, UMass Lowell wins shootout)

Mirko Buttazoni scored twice as UMass Lowell played to a 3-3 tie with Boston College at th Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass.

The River Hawks won the subsequent shootout.

https://www.twitter.com/RiverHawkHockey/status/1865206401813168131

Girts Silkalns also scored for UMass Lowell and Beni Halasz made 16 saves between the pipes.

Andre Gasseau, Mike Posma and Gabe Perreault netted the BC goals and Jacob Fowler stopped 26 shots in goal.

No. 4 Minnesota 6, No. 6 Michigan 0

Matthew Wood scored two goals and goaltender Nathan Airey stopped all 32 shots he faced as Minnesota shut out Michigan 6-0 at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn.

https://www.twitter.com/GopherHockey/status/1865217673904140434

Jimmy Snuggerud, Aaron Huglen, August Falloon and Connor Kurth added goals for the Gophers.

Michigan netminders Logan Stein and Cameron Korpi made 33 saves.

Omaha 4, No. 9 St. Cloud State 3 (OT)

Sam Stange was the overtime hero for Omaha, scoring at 1:48 of extra time to lift the Mavericks to a 4-3 win over St. Cloud State from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

https://www.twitter.com/NCAAIceHockey/status/1865250599790370996

Zach Urdahl scored two goals, Jimmy Glynn one, and goalie Simon Latkoczy made 31 saves in net for the Mavericks.

Tyson Gross scored two goals for SCSU, Warren Clark the other, and James Gray turned aside 25 shots in goal.

No. 10 Providence 4, No. 8 Colorado College 3

Four different players scored as Providence picked up a 4-3 win over Colorado College at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I.

https://www.twitter.com/FriarsHockey/status/1865211419609706730

Trevor Connelly, Logan Sawyer, Hudson Malinoski and Tomas Machu scored for the Friars and Philip Svedebäck made 29 stops in goal.

For the Tigers, Drew Montgomery, Chase McLane and Gleb Veremyev scored and goalie Kaidan Mbereko finished with 25 saves.

No. 12 Cornell 3, Colgate 2 (OT)

Charlie Major’s goal at 2:58 of overtime completed a three-goal comeback and lifted Cornell to a 3-2 win over Colgate at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y.

https://www.twitter.com/CornellMHockey/status/1865241927697715473

Jack O’Leary and Ryan Walsh also scored for Cornell and Ian Shane made eight saves in goal for the Big Red.

For the Raiders, Brett Chorske and Ryan Spinale scored and goalie Andrew Takacs finished with 28 stops in the Colgate crease.

St. Lawrence 3, No. 13 Dartmouth 2

Nicholas Beneteau’s goal at 4:41 of the third period stood as the game winner as St. Lawrence held on for a 3-2 win over Dartmouth at Thompson Arena in Hanover, N.H.

https://www.twitter.com/SkatingSaints/status/1865211257642451007

Felikss Gavars and Tyler Cristall also scored for the Saints, while goalie Mason Kucenski made 29 saves.

For the Big Green, Hayden Stavroff and CJ Foley found the back of the net and Roan Clarke finished with 16 saves between the pipes.

No. 15 Minnesota State 4, Bowling Green 1

Minnesota State used four different goal scorers to defeat Bowling Green 4-1 from the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minn.

https://www.twitter.com/CCHAHockey/status/1865216643892154486

Adam Eisele, Brian Carrabes, Luke Ashton and Kaden Bohlsen scored for the Mavericks and goalie Alex Tracy made 20 saves.

Adam Zlnka scored for the Falcons and Cole Moore finished with 20 saves of his own in the Bowling Green net.

No. 16 North Dakota 5, Miami 4

North Dakota got third-period goals from Cody Croal (14:37), Jayden Perron (18:17) and Sacha Boisvert (19:37) to complete the comeback and down Miami 5-4 at Steve Cady Arena in Oxford, Ohio.

https://www.twitter.com/UNDmhockey/status/1865223533460107435

Jackson Kunz and Dalton Andrew added goals for the Fighting Hawks and TJ Semptimphelter made 13 saves in goal.

For the RedHawks, Raimonds Vitolins, Ryan Sullivan, Johnny Waldron and Michael Feenstra scored and Ethan Dahlmeir and Bruno Bruveris combined on a 33-save effort between the pipes.

No. 17 Ohio State 4, Penn State 2

Four different players scored for Ohio State as the Buckeyes took a 4-2 win over Penn State at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

https://www.twitter.com/OhioStateMHKY/status/1865233144560963923

Damien Carfagna, Riley Thompson, Jake Rozzi and Max Montes scored for OSU and Kristoffer Eberly made 27 saves in goal.

Penn State’s goals came from Dylan Lugris and Tyler Paquette and goalie John Seifarth finished with 29 saves.

No. 18 Quinnipiac 3, Rensselaer 1

Andon Cerbone, Travis Treloar and Jack Ricketts scored to lead Quinnipiac to a 3-1 win over Rensselaer at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.

Quinnipiac goalie Dylan Silverstein made 17 saves.

Jimmy Goffredo broke Silverstein’s shutout bid at 14:16 of the third period.

Rensselaer goalie Noah Giesbrecht recorded 32 saves.

No. 19 Arizona State 5, Minnesota Duluth 3

Ty Jackson and Dylan Jackson each scored as Arizona State dropped Minnesota Duluth 5-3 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz.

Cullen Potter, Ryan Alexander and Sam Court also scored for ASU with Luke Pavicich making 35 saves in goal.

Dominic James posted a pair of goals for UMD, Max Plante added a goal, and Klayton Knapp and Zach Sandy combined on a 23-save performance in goal for the Bulldogs.

No. 20 Clarkson 4, Harvard 3

Ayrton Martino scored two goals and Ethan Langenegger made 25 saves as Clarkson edged Harvard 4-3 at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Boston, Mass.

Talon Sigurdson and Luka Sukovic added goals for the Golden Knights.

For the Crimson, Casey Severo, Marek Hejduk and Cam Johnson scored and Ben Charette made 36 saves in goal.

Colorado College at Providence, Big Ten, NCHC games highlighted for Dec. 6: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 8

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USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger look at money lines and over/under for five games (plus our “pizza money” game) on December 6, 2024:

  • Denver -154 @ Western Michigan +120; over/under 6
  • Minnesota Duluth +150 @ Arizona State -195; o/u 6
  • Colorado College +114 @ Providence -145; o/u 5
  • Michigan +114 @ Minnesota -145; o/u 6.5
  • Michigan State -210 @ Wisconsin +160; o/u 5.5
Our “pizza money” game:
  • Colgate +270 @ Cornell -375; o/u 5

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Check out all of USCHO’s podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Spotlight, plus our entire podcast archive.

Continue

NCAA D-III Men’s Hockey Weekend Picks

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Trine takes on St. Norbert in a battle of unbeaten teams this weekend. (Photo provided by Trine Athletics)

Only a few weeks until Christmas. But for now, we have another week of hockey to unwrap. Let’s take a look at some of the games on tap and make some predictions.

St Norbert (11-0, 6-0) vs. Trine (9-0-1, 5-0-1)

This isn’t a national championship matchup, but boy, it might feel like one as the Green Knights come in ranked No. 2 in the nation while the Thunder are seventh in the USCHO.com poll.

St. Norbert is off to its best start ever, sitting at 11-0, and they have been nothing short of impressive. No team has scored more than a goal against it since Nov. 22, and offensively, St. Norbert has scored five or more goals seven times.

Liam Fraser has already scored 13 goals while Logan Dombrowsky has tallied eight to go along with 15 assists.

Trine has won its last five games and has allowed just two goals in its last three outings.

Michael DiPietra has helped lead the way offensively, scoring once and dishing out seven assists. Sam Antennucci has tallied four goals and three assists.

This is the first time these two teams have met as top 10 teams, and something has to give.

I expect two very close games. Could even see an overtime game in the mix. And while it won’t surprise me if Trine steals a game here, I’m going with the home team.
St. Norbert, 4-3 and 5-4

Adrian (5-3, 2-2) vs. Marian (4-4, 2-2)

This is a big matchup for both teams and Marian comes into this with a one point edge on Adrian in the standings.

The sixth-ranked Bulldogs have the luxury of playing this series at home and that might ultimately make the difference.

Adrian hasn’t played in two weeks and has won its last two. It will look to get the offense going early behind Ian Amsbaugh, who has scored four goals and come up with 10 assists.

The Sabres are looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Daunte Fortner has been a key player for them, tallying three goals and four assists. This should be an interesting series. Marian has a chance to make a statement here.
Adrian, 5-2; Marian 3-2

Lawrence (3-6-2, 2-3-1) vs. Aurora (6-2, 4-2)

The Spartans are looking to get back on track after dropping their last two and will open this series on the road. Landry Schmuck is having a great year for the Spartans, scoring seven times and dishing out two assists as well. Aurora comes in ranked fifth in the country.

The Vikings haven’t won in their last five games, so facing a ranked team might not be the easiest way to get back in the win column. But this team has played hard and has proven it can compete with anyone. It lost an overtime game to Adrian earlier this season.
Aurora, 4-1 and 3-0

WIAC

Friday

UW-Stout (4-3, 1-1) at UW-Stevens Point (4-3, 1-1)

The Blue Devils have yet to win away from home this year, dropping their last two, and they face a big test on the road against the No. 13 team in the country.

Nicolas Pigeon has been a go-to player for Stout, racking up seven goals this year while also recording three assists.

Stevens Point is unbeaten at home, winning all three of those contests, and is looking to keep that streak intact.

Dawson Sciarrino has played a pivotal role in the team’s success, tallying three goals and seven assists.
UW-Stevens Point, 4-2

UW-Superior (4-3-1, 1-1) at UW-River Falls (6-1, 2-0)

Ranked 10th in the nation, the Falcons come in on a three-game winning streak and look to keep that momentum rolling.

Brennan Boynton has played well in goal for River Falls and is a two-time WIAC Player of the Week. He has a 1.43 goals against average. River Falls has a chance here to maintain its hold on first place in the conference.

The Yellowjackets are 4-0 on Friday nights this season an hope that trend can continue as they take aim at an upset.
UW-River Falls, 5-2

Saturday

UW-River Falls 6-1, 2-0) at UW-Eau Claire (2-5-1, 1-1)

Six Falcons have tallied at least two goals this year, with Dylan Smith paving the way with five. That offensive strength should work in River Falls’ favor on the road.

The Blugolds have lost two in a row and have had a challenging start to the year. They have dropped three of their last four overall, scoring only a goal in each of those three losses. But with Max Gutjahr in goal, Eau Claire is always going to have a shot, and he’ll have to be at his best against a strong Falcons attack.
UW-River Falls, 3-1

MIAC

Friday and Saturday

Augsburg (3-6, 1-3) vs. Gustavus (4-3, 3-1)

No team is hotter than Gustavus right now, which has won four in a row after an 0-3 start. The Gusties are atop the MIAC going into this home and home series, and Marko Belak has been a big part of the success, recording two shutouts.

The Auggies have lost their last four, but this is a team you can never count out. Graham Harris has had a lot of success early in the year, scoring three goals and dishing out six assists.

It won’t surprise me if Augsburg prevails here, but I’ll go with the team on a roll at the moment.
Gustavus, 3-2 and 4-3

Concordia (4-5, 1-3) at Saint Mary’s (4-3, 2-0)

Saint Mary’s has won its last three, outscoring the opposition 13-3 during that stretch. It looks to keep things rolling this weekend against the Cobbers.

The Cardinals have gotten a big boost from Colin Tushie, who has tallied either a goal or assist in every game this season. Look for him to play a key role again this weekend.

Concordia has struggled lately, dropping four in a row, and it won’t be easy trying to get back in the win column against a hot Cardinals team. The Cobbers need to get their offense going to have a chance as they’ve managed only 21 goals so far.
Saint Mary’s 5-2 and 4-1

 

 

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Not dwelling on sweep at hands of Arizona State, Denver moving ahead with Western Michigan series, ‘a great challenge’ for Pioneers

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Aidan Thompson has been an offensive juggernaut this season for DU (photo: Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography).

Not that Denver coach David Carle isn’t a sentimental person, but he’s generally more interested in looking ahead than back.

His Pioneers have had a week and a half to stew on their first two defeats of the season, at home to new NCHC member Arizona State. A last-minute ASU goal Nov. 22 snapped Denver’s recent 21-game winning streak, one victory shy of tying a program record from 1968. The Sun Devils then got hot over the final 40 minutes of the series, winning 5-2 in the rematch.

Coming out of that series, ASU coach Greg Powers told reporters he wished his team was playing again the following weekend, so as to help keep the Sun Devils’ momentum going. Second-ranked Denver was off last weekend, too, and by the time the Pioneers play again this Friday at No. 7 Western Michigan, Carle’s group will have handled its business as usual.

“You play the schedule that you’re given and you find a way to make it work, but certainly having to chew on (the losses to ASU) for a longer time, you can say that that’s good because it gave us more time to work on things, but also bad because you didn’t get an opportunity to make it right,” Carle said. “I’m indifferent to it. I don’t think it really matters.

“The guys have been good and engaged (in practice since then), and no different. We knew there would be bumps in the road during the year, and we’re just trying to use it in a way to propel our growth, and we have another good team we’re playing this weekend, and we’ll try and play better. Even if we play better and do everything right, we’re still playing a great hockey team in Western Michigan, so results aren’t guaranteed in this league, and you have to earn it every night and every weekend.”

In suffering its first home series sweep since January 2020, Denver couldn’t overcome the pace and intensity of an Arizona State team that had begun picking up steam following an early-season spell with injuries to several key players.

Many things went right for the Pios in that series, though. They’ve now scored power-play goals in 11 consecutive games, junior forward Aidan Thompson increased his career-best point streak to 14 games (10 goals, 12 assists) and sophomore Sam Harris’s 11th goal of the season placed him in a tie for first nationally with Boston College’s Ryan Leonard.

Denver might need that duo and many others to click this weekend if the Pioneers are to get back to winning ways against a WMU team that has won three of its last four games. The Broncos are fresh off a home-and-home split with No. 6 Michigan.

“They’re really good and they have no holes in their game, so it’s just living in the battle, shift-to-shift and period-to-period, and sticking to the script,” Carle said. “I think we got off-script a little bit against Arizona State in different moments, and they made us uncomfortable and forced us into those situations, and for us, it’s about staying connected with and without the puck.

“It’s going to be hard, and that’s our league. It’s a shift-to-shift challenge and being engaged physically and mentally throughout your whole game is going to be critical, so for us, playing in a tough environment, it’s going to be a great challenge.”

And for as much as Denver would be glad to start building a new lengthy winning streak this weekend, don’t expect Carle to keep count.

“We care about hanging national championship banners,” Carle said of his program, which has won a NCAA-record 10 national titles and two under him, including last season’s. “I don’t care about winning streaks.”

D-II/III East Men’s Hockey Game Picks – December 5, 2024

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Utica will look to carry momentum from winning their Thanksgiving tournament into a battle of ranked teams for the top of the UCHC on the road against Geneseo this weekend (Photo by CNY Hockey Report)

The action so far this season has been fantastic with games featuring lots of goals or very few, blowouts and overtime thrillers and some terrific tournament surprises as we saw last weekend in the east. It seems like the schedulers have also left some of the most interesting matchups for the virtual last weekend of the semester. Whether it is Hobart v. Elmira, Utica v. Geneseo, Wilkes v. Stevenson,  or Curry v. UNE there are a host of significant games to pay attention to as the first half winds to a close. Must play hard to the end and a win against a key conference rival, or two would be a great close to the semester.

My weekly picks finished last week at 9-5-0 (.643) which keeps me in the hunt for my goal of a 70% success rate overall. To date, my season numbers are 40-20-2 (.661) which is not bad but will face some challenges piking the tough matchups this week. I certainly would like to close my December picks (very few teams playing next week) with a solid slate of winners and may have my own request for Santa if I struggle to close on a high note. It has been a great ride for the first half and this weekend will just make the expectations for the second half so much higher – here are this week’s picks for the east:

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Plymouth State v. Massachusetts-Dartmouth

This game is going to be tight largely due to the rivalry and the home-ice advantage the Corsairs hold in the tight confines of Hetland Arena. This one comes down to the final five minutes of regulation and a much needed ENG for the final margin – PSU, 4-2

Framingham State v. Anna Maria

The AmCats are enjoying a terrific start to MASCAC play but shouldn’t take the Rams lightly. Ashton Collazo and the rest of the visitors can score when given the opportunity so all important for the hosts to be physical and pressure the full 200-feet – Anna Maria, 5-2

Friday, December 6, 2024

(8) Curry v. University of New England

This series comes on the heels of both teams looking for more over the Thanksgiving holiday. Home-and-home series will have significant implications on the CNE standings. Thinking a likely split for the weekend but the Nor’easters need an overtime session to take game one – UNE, 3-2

Stevenson v. (12) Wilkes

The Colonels host the Mustangs in a battle between two key contenders for the MAC conference title. Can’t win the conference in December but important points and potential tie-breaker considerations certainly matter before the end of the semester. Special teams make a difference in a veryfast and physical contest – Wilkes, 3-2

(11) Elmira v. (1) Hobart

This series has traditionally been played in the second half of the season and both teams have been playing great hockey so expect a very competitive contest between the in-state rivals. The Cooler is a tough environment for all opponents and the students will need a mental break from finals prep. Raucous crowd and early goals help Statesmen to a close win – Hobart, 3-1

Tufts v. Colby

The Jumbos certainly have the firepower upfront to play and score against anyone including the Mules. Key for Pat Norton’s squad will be in the blue paint where Gustave Bylin seems to be rounding into form after his MVP performance in the North Country Tournament. Big saves when it matters most help the visitors to the win and three-points – Tufts, 5-3

Potsdam v. Buffalo State

This SUNYAC contest features a pair of teams that really need to end the semester on a positive trend. That said, the Bengals are always very good and most comfortable at home and that makes the difference in a one-goal win – Buffalo State, 3-2

(3) Utica v. (4) Geneseo

The new challenger to Utica’s recent UCHC dominance is a very battle-tested Knights squad that loves playing on home ice. Why does this one feel like a playoff game? Because it is going to be played like one with both coaches wanting the best of their squads a sign for future opportunity down the road. Pioneers steal one in overtime – Utica, 3-2

Saturday, December 7, 2024

Arcadia v. Lebanon Valley

The Knights have had some time off over the Thanksgiving holiday while the Flying Dutchmen have been playing some very competitive hockey. Always good to be rested especially when you know you have to leave it all on the ice two more times before the break. Knights rally for the win – Arcadia, 4-2

Norwich v. Southern Maine

The Cadets have had a difficult time scoring goals this season as evidenced by a 1-0 win and a 2-0 loss last weekend in the LayerEight Shootout. The Huskies will be a very tough opponent but also suffer the brunt of the visitors finding their scoring touch in a much needed win – Norwich, 4-3

Albertus Magnus v. (9) Trinity

The Falcons love this matchup and have had some success in the past against the Bantams. Trinity seems to have found their game after a sluggish start in NESCAC play. Close game comes down to a timely goal, or two and a timely save, or two for the home team – Trinity, 3-2

Franklin Pierce v. Southern New Hampshire

The Penmen have played some very good hockey heading into December and would like nothing better than to capture some important NE-10 points from the visiting Ravens. Power-play goals come in bunches for the home team in a comfortable win – SNHU, 5-2

Oswego v. (14) Cortland

The Red Dragons certainly come into the weekend with some positive momentum having success in splitting games with Curry in last weekend’s series. Oswego continues to show the maturation of its young roster and while they score enough to win, the home team does them one goal better – Cortland, 5-4

Potsdam v. Fredonia

The Blue Devils look to continue their momentum from the Skidmore tournament against a Bears squad desperate for any points on the weekend. Home team finds some early goals for a lead that only gets bigger in the final period – Fredonia, 5-2

Manhattanville v. Chatham

The Valiants would love to find some road magic against the Cougars and earn some key points against a tough UCHC foe. Special teams are a big factor in this game where the visitors find success on the power play for the win – Manhattanville, 5-4

Nichols v. Wentworth

The Bison and Leopards both want to show the CNE is not just a three-team race and that the balance of the conference is deep. Key wins and points are a must in the final games of the semester where the visitors find some scoring magic to steal a big win on the road – Nichols, 5-4

The semester break is right around the corner, and this is the final weekend for many teams in the region. Such great matchups with significant implications for the New Year and rankings in the region. It really doesn’t get much better than this – “Drop the Puck!”

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Mullahy finding groove in Michigan Tech crease, just wants to be ‘reliable rock back there in the net’ after replacing Pietila in junior, college

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Derek Mullahy has been strong in net this season for Michigan Tech (photo: Michigan Tech Athletics).

When Derek Mullahy arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for his first year of USHL junior hockey in 2019, he knew the Roughriders were going to be looking for a goaltender.

Their previous netminder had just been a workhorse for them in the previous, playing in 47 games and leading them to a Clark Cup playoff berth with a 2.30 goals-against average, but left to play for a college team in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

That goalie, if you haven’t guessed it already, was Blake Pietila.

Pietila would go on to become one of the top goaltenders in Michigan Tech history. In 141 games, his GAA (2.12) and save percentage (.920) are No. 2 on the Huskies all-time leaderboard.

But after five seasons in Houghton, Mich., Pietela graduated.

The Huskies needed an experienced goalie. Once again, Mullahy was ready to come into a situation where his team was in need of a goaltending option in the wake a of a departed Pietila. After exhausting his eligibility at Harvard, where he played in 30 games over three seasons, the Massachusetts native was looking for a place where he could step in and get a chance to compete for a starting job.

He found that place in Houghton.

“I wanted to play at a place that I would have the biggest chance to play, a program that had some history, and a [program] that was a national contender. The last three or four years they have been in the tournament, and they’ve had a really good history of goaltenders going to the next level, whether that be professionally in the United States or overseas,” Mullahy said in a phone interview on Tuesday. He added that having an opportunity to replace Petila twice is “coming full circle.”

“It’s definitely big shoes to fill, and I know the fans, after seeing him for four years, expect solid goaltending every night, and what I’ve been planning to do,” he said. “Blake was obviously a great goalie here, and I’m just trying to do my best to be that same kind of reliable rock back there in the net. Just trying to do whatever I can to stop the puck for my team.”

So far, Mullahy has done just that. In eight starts for the Huskies (who are now 7-4-1 overall), Mullahy is 4-3-1 with two shutouts, a 1.86 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. And although he was splitting time with junior Max Vayrynen early in the season, an injury to Vayrynen has meant that Mullahy has been Tech’s primary goalie for now, starting in each of the Huskies last four games (against Minnesota State and Bowling Green).

“He’s been solid. He didn’t give up one on Friday, and on Saturday, they didn’t beat him,” Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawhan said when asked about Mullahy in his weekly press conference. “They didn’t beat him with a shot all weekend except on the penalty shootouts. He got beat on a backdoor play that we were set to cover and didn’t… And then the other one was a goofy bounce off the boards.”

The Huskies beat Bowling Green 3-0 on Friday but then tied 2-2 on Saturday and lost the shootout.

“He never got beat with a shot on the weekend, and you can’t ask anything more out of a goaltender,” Shawhan said.

Mullahy said it took him a little while to settle in to the U.P. and life in Houghton, but he credits his experience with helping him finally find his rhythm.

“My first two years, I played a decent amount of games, but didn’t really have a chunk of the work until last year,” said Mullahy, who played in more games combined in 2023-24 (19) than he did in his first two seasons for the Crimson (17). “And then just being able to bring that experience over here, when we’re in a tight game, just having that experience behind me that I could close a game down.”

Mullahy’s numbers in 2023-24 weren’t great–a 3.14 goals against and a .897 save percentage–but he’s been able to be more calm playing for Michigan Tech this season.

“The preparation I had over the summer, being on the ice pretty much every day, allowed me to work very hard on my craft,” Mullahy said. “I’ve been trying to change my game into being a more athletic goaltender. I’ve also gotten better at calming down instead of hitting the panic button when things go wrong. I think all that work has been paying off.”

Mullahy is also still getting used to the CCHA. Figuring out some of the tendencies of opposing players and teams has been fun for him.

“I wouldn’t say the CCHA and the ECAC are too different, actually, but it’s been really cool to go into all these different rinks and play these teams I’ve never played before,” he said. “I would say the teams in the CCHA are definitely more physical and it’s more of a physical game out there than playing ECAC teams. But I think the CCHA is a great league for goalies. I think I see a lot of shots in games, and there are also a lot of skilled players.”

The Huskies host St. Thomas this weekend–another team Mullahy has never faced in his college career.

“I think sometimes playing a team for the first time can be maybe a benefit to the goalie, just because the other team hasn’t played me yet so they don’t know my tendencies and they don’t know, for example, that they might have scored on me a certain way the last game, and don’t know my weaknesses or anything,” he said. ”I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never played. St. Thomas before, so I’m so excited to do it and see what they bring.”

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 31 – Princeton’s 25-goal week and Ohio State’s Makenna Webster stops by

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The Dec. 5, 2024, episode of the PodKaz takes a look at a week in which Princeton outscored opponents 25-2 over three games, with Issy Wunder capping it off with a five-goal performance. Other results last weekend included Clarkson and Yale winning Thanksgiving weekend tournaments and Brown winning the Mayor’s Cup.

Ohio State forward Makenna Webster joins the show to talk about the challenges in playing both ice hockey and field hockey for the Buckeyes.

And we wrap up the show with a look ahead to a series between Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State plus other matchups to watch.

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].

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This Week in ECAC Hockey: Coming off sweep of Ohio State, Princeton overflowing with confidence as Tigers relying on determination, compete level

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Jake Manfre scored two power-play goals and added an assist in Princeton’s 3-1 win over then-No. 12 last Friday night (photo: Shelley M. Szwast).

Ben Syer had been around the block a few times.

The first-year head coach possessed no prior experience as the leader behind the bench of a college hockey program – or at any other level, for that matter – but his 20-year journey through ECAC Hockey rinks made him uniquely qualified for Princeton’s forefront position when it opened during this summer’s offseason window.

Once an untested and untrained assistant for an Atlantic Hockey-level Quinnipiac team, he’d burnished a reputation as Rand Pecknold’s recruiting coordinator during the team’s conference switch to ECAC. A later 2011 switch to Cornell subsequently continued a profile elevation as one of NCAA Division I’s best defensive wizards, so despite the perceived lack of head coaching experience, the Tigers found themselves with a hiring coup when they brought him aboard for the 2024-2025 season.

He possessed the rare blend of experience under both ECAC and Ivy League umbrellas, and he understood Princeton’s place within the Ancient Eight’s six-pack of hockey programs. He’d finally won the Whitelaw Cup with the Big Red after Mike Schafer’s 14-year drought ended in 2024, and he’d helped solder the foundation for Quinnipiac’s dynastic explosion over the past decade. All that remained was an anticipated step forward and, for the Tigers, a potential return to the glory experienced during 2017’s magical run to the conference championship.

This past weekend, a pair of wins over No. 12 Ohio State might have just planted the first flags and first seeds of that success.

“They have a great team,” said Syer of the opponent swept out of Hobey Baker Rink. “Just looking at that program and what they’ve done over a number of years, our guys knew the entire weekend would be a battle that [required] us to compete from start to finish. That was something that was evident within our group because it was trying at times and we had some adversity that we had to face, but that part of competing, that determination, never wavered from our guys.”

Princeton already had Syer’s first head coaching win in its back pocket when the Buckeyes arrived in New Jersey for a two-game stint at the century-old barn located a short walk’s distance from the university’s venerated greenspace at Poe Field and Pardee Field, but the two wins encapsulated the growth occurring in the aftermath of the four-point road trip to Yale and Brown.

On both nights, a hard-charging road team with nine wins in its first eight weeks charged at the Tigers’ multi-goal lead with limited successful supply, and on both nights, the late-game heroics from the scarlet-and-gray visitors required the historic orange-and-black team to dig its heels into its own end.

On Friday night, an early 1-0 lead in the first period waited until the closing seconds of the second before opening into a two-goal lead, but a mid-period goal from Ohio State’s Joe Dunlap closed halved the gap before Jake Manfre’s second power play goal of the game caused the comeback’s house of cards to collapse on itself.

One night later, the inverse occurred when the Tigers found themselves nursing a 3-0 lead before a five-minute major, 10-minute misconduct and subsequent holding penalty – all assessed to the same player – began a stretch that saw Princeton kill off approximately 11:30 worth of penalty-riddled game time before the third period’s horn.

“To be quite honest, 15 minutes [of power play hockey] is something that I’m not sure I’ve ever been a part of,” Syer laughed. “I told our guys that we prepare for a lot of things, but you don’t really prepare to kill 11 of the final 15 minutes [of a game]. I give our guys a lot of credit because they battled hard right down to the end. It was an interesting third, but they handled the ebbs and flows as things went along.”

That’s more or less the theme now emerging through a stretch that’s seen Princeton’s first eight games operate under a flag of remarkable consistency. It hasn’t always produced wins, but even the outlier performances of a pair of five-goal defensive performances were decidedly off-set by the team’s performances in its three wins.

Offensively, averaging two goals per game is nearly equal to the 2.5 goals per game allowed, and shot totals are neatly balanced between 25 shots taken and 27 shots allowed on an average basis. Power plays are aligned with five goals scored against six allowed, but one empty net goal places Princeton’s over-advantage analytics at a clean 50-50 break while special teams, even with the 17 minutes assessed on one play in one game, is borderline equal with five more penalties taken than given.

Leading scorers are even harder to distinguish because the players atop the statistical scoring sheets aren’t necessarily scoring the biggest goals in any one game. Brendan Gorman still sits in the team’s top spot with three goals and three assists, but his goal from this past weekend’s Saturday game was his first strike since scoring twice in the opening three games. That said, his two assists in Friday’s game complemented Manfre’s scoring touch while David Ma and Noah de la Durantaye joined them as the team’s multi-goal scorers.

Six other players have at least one goal for a team that produced three 10-goal scorers last year, and both Arthur Smith and Ethan Pearson posted similar statistics in their near-even timeshare in net. They’ve each saved within range of one another with Pearson’s numbers skewing longer because of dueling 29-save performances against Harvard and Brown.

“You certainly know the type of student-athlete that’s here [at Princeton],” said Syer. “The commitment that’s required day-in and day-out to the complete student-athlete experience is something that was always very attractive, so getting to know these guys and their level of commitment [to this program] is something that’s been very, very attractive [to a coach].”

Yet nothing truly prepared the nation for the shock of watching Princeton score back-to-back victories over a mighty Big Ten powerhouse.

Maybe it was because last year’s schedule, albeit in a different era, opened with the Tigers inverting their results after sweeping Brown and Yale with a win over Cornell before losing both games at Ohio State, but the wins over the Buckeyes seemingly continued a conversation regarding the overall success of Ancient Eight programs within the ECAC power structure. They didn’t necessarily move Princeton up through the league’s standings, but the victories pushed the Tigers into the top half of college hockey despite a later start than literally every other team on the national landscape.

Along with Cornell and Dartmouth, the push to fill the void vacated by Quinnipiac’s .500 start landed the league two victories over a team currently situated along the national tournament bubble and centered another possible dark horse into a conversation that largely omitted it during last year.

“When you’re in something, it’s always going to be different than what you see as a perception,” said Syer. “Princeton isn’t vastly different from what I expected, but the day-in and day-out have probably changed it a little bit. Working at an Ivy League school for the past 13 years, you know there are different parameters that are in place, but having those understandings about the type of student-athlete that will have success, [finding what] motivates them is part of the differences [of different teams].”

Princeton returns to the ice this weekend when it hosts Union and Rensselaer in conference play before a three-week break into the holiday season. Three non-conference games then bookend the New Year’s Day holiday with a road trip to Army West Point preceding two home games against New Hampshire.

Michigan State’s Nightingale talks No. 1 Spartans, path to success: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 7 Episode 5

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Michigan State men’s hockey head coach Adam Nightingale joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger.

Nightingale discusses the promising start to the season and the factors contributing to the team’s early success. He highlights the unity and depth of the team, his approach upon taking over the program, and the importance of focusing on the present rather than past performances. Nightingale elaborates on the development of key players and addresses areas for improvement and upcoming challenges.

Nightingale also comments on broader changes in college hockey recruitment and the impact of Munn Ice Arena renovations on fan engagement. The episode concludes with insights into the support system and camaraderie within Michigan State’s athletic department.

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Check out all of USCHO’s college hockey podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Edge, plus our entire podcast archive.

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This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Scoring touch, lockdown defense coming to life as Holy Cross finding ways to build winning streak

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Mack Oliphant has been playing well on the Holy Cross back end this season (photo: Rob Branning Photography).

We’re past Thanksgiving, which means it’s OK to start looking at the PairWise rankings.

At least that’s what my friends say. Here’s some early analysis from the USCHO Weekend Review podcast as well as our Tuesday Morning Quarterback column.

If you follow Atlantic Hockey America, one quick peek is all you need. The highest-ranked AHA team is Bentley in 29th place. With the league’s dismal .242 winning percentage in non-conference games, it’s clear that for the 12th consecutive season, Atlantic Hockey will only send its playoff champion to the NCAA tournament.

That means the regular season takes on a larger role than for most other conferences because it’s all about getting the best seed possible in a winner-take-all postseason tournament to determine the lone NCAA tournament team.

Last weekend’s convincing 6-1, 4-1 Holy Cross sweep of Sacred Heart, the preseason coaches pick to win the league, could loom large for postseason seeding.

Bill Riga’s team had previously split a pair of 2-1 games with SHU, but only took 2 points in the series because the Crusaders’ win was in overtime. This sweep means Holy Cross took eight of twelve possible points from Sacred Heart this season.

“We had played twice before earlier and both were one-goal games,” said Riga. “We went through a stretch where we were kind of snakebit in terms of scoring.”

But the Crusaders have found their scoring touch recently, putting up 15 goals in their last three games, all victories.

The winning streak is indicative of the Crusaders playing their best hockey so far, but Riga says things started picking up in a Nov. 15-16 road series against Niagara, despite the results (3-3 tie and 3-2 loss).

“Even though we didn’t get the results, I liked the way we played in that series,” said Riga. “We’ve lost six games by a single goal so far, so I knew we were getting close.”

Senior forward Liam McLinskey scored three of Holy Cross’ five goals in the Niagara series and has stayed hot. The reigning player of the year in Atlantic Hockey had just two goals in his first nine games, but has scored at least one goal in his past seven contests and now has 10 goals and six assists to lead the team.

“Despite not scoring (early in the season), Liam has been our best player,” said Riga. “We knew his shooting percentage was going to improve, and it’s all about confidence. Sometimes you just need one to fall, an empty netter or a shot that goes in off a skate.”

It’s no coincidence that McLinskey getting hot has led to the Crusaders’ recent success.

“He takes the attention of the other team, allowing other guys to have more looks,” said Riga.

Junior forward Devin Phillips (11 points) and defenseman Mack Oliphant (12 points) are off to good starts.

“Devin Phillips has been awesome,” said Riga. “He was injured most of last year. We could tell when he wasn’t in the lineup. He’s scoring but also blocking shots and doing the little things.

“Mack Oliphant has been, day in and day out, one of our top defensemen.”

In net, senior Thomas Gale (2.51 GAA, .919 SV%) has played every minute so far.

“I’ve never been one to start multiple guys (in a rotation),” said Riga.

“He’s one of our best players. Why would I take him out? That said, I like our other two goaltenders and will be looking for opportunities to get them experience.”

Holy Cross travels to American International this weekend for a pair of matinée games. The teams split a series a month ago.

“They found a way to score a goal in the last minute to beat us,” said Riga. “With what they’re going through, it will be interesting to know where their heads are dealing with all this. Looking at them on tape, they seem motivated. They’re letting it all hang out. They have, can, and will be a tough team to play against.”

After that, the Crusaders will be on break until the new year, then play Long Island on December 31 before traveling to Palm Springs, Calif., for the inaugural Coachella Valley Classic Tournament on Jan. 3-4. Omaha, Michigan Tech, and UMass Lowell are the other participants.

“The same company (Oak View Group ) that runs that building (Acrisure Arena) also runs Lowell’s,” said Riga. “(Lowell coach) Norm Bazin and I went to Lowell together and he extended the invitation. It’s a chance to play some teams that we normally don’t see.

“And California in January sounds like a great experience for our players.”

Arcadia showing early ability to challenge in the MAC

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Arcadia forward Drew Iannucci is among the team leaders in points helping the Knights to some early season success in the MAC (Photo by Arcadia Athletics)

Following Arcadia’s impressive sweep of Stevenson in a pair of one-goal games on home ice before Thanksgiving, the Knights have just a weekend series remaining with Lebanon Valley College to close out the first half. A successful weekend would send the Knights into the break at 6-3-2 overall and 5-2-2 in league play which puts them right in the mix of a very competitive first season for the MAC hockey conference that includes a NCAA auto-bid to the national championship tournament.

“It was a great weekend for us against Stevenson,” said first-year head coach Ryan Heickert. “At practice before the Thanksgiving break, I told the team that it doesn’t mean anything if we go out an lose to LVC. We are trying to change the culture here with ethic and hard work becoming the standard. As we have introduced new systems, our execution and consistency in execution are the foundation of success on the ice. The season goes by quickly and we need to take advantage of the opportunities right in front of us if we want to compete for a championship. I think we let some opportunities get away in the ties with Misericordia and Neumann and even the overtime loss against Wilkes. Improving our consistency should help us to be focused against LVC and then being ready to go in the second half.”

Heickert takes over a Knights team having been a player and coach at Neumann where he played for Dominick Dawes and was a teammate and roommate with current Black Knight coach, Mike Heddon. While Arcadia’s proximity geographically in Pennsylvania was certainly an attraction to taking the job, so too was the opportunity to build a successful program at school where ice hockey is still a relatively new sport.

“I learned from coach Dawes that being even-keeled means having a big ability to stay calm and focused when things are not necessarily either,” stated Heickert. “He also said you never really know about your talent and the team until you get them on the ice in their first game. I think we are still a work in progress but getting better every practice and every game with the chance to end the first half of the season on a very positive run.”

Ironically, Arcadia’s only two home games of the first half schedule were the two 4-3 wins over Stevenson prior to Thanksgiving. While the home record is unblemished on the small sample size, there is room for improvement on the road where the Knights are 1-3-2 so far this season.

“It certainly is an unbalanced schedule when you look at the first half and our home vs. road games,” noted Heickert. “I think one of the keys for us after the semester break will be the first five games where we play four in a row at home against two SUNYAC opponents in Morrisville and Buffalo State before getting back to MAC play against Alvernia and then a mid-week game at Wilkes before coming home to face King’s. Just the five MAC games in a 10-day window will be really impactful on our record and trajectory in the conference. The part of the schedule is about 20% of the total so we want to be ready to play and get results to close the semester and then be in good shape to compete after the holidays.”

So far this season, the Knights have been getting contributions from several key players on the roster including senior defenseman Jake Frankenfield (5G – 1A – 6Pts), senior forward Donnie Feldman (5G – 4A – 9 Pts) and junior forward Drew Iannucci (4G – 3A – 7 Pts) along with solid goaltending from junior Ryan Burgess (2.78 GAA – .915 SP). While the upper classmen have been key contributors some of the first-year players are making a mark and earning key minutes of ice time as well through their solid play.

“We compete hard in practice and the players know it is an opportunity to show-up well and work hard to earn playing time,” said Heickert. “I think some of our young players have stepped into some quality ice time and important minutes and are developing well for us, particularly on the defensive end with players like Ryan Cunningham, Zach Garnsey, and Wes Sweitzer all working in with our more experienced defensive players. I don’t know that we have found our every-game lineup yet but as the team continues to work hard we have options with our roster that gives us flexibility for the remainder of the season.”

The Knights look to end the first half on a high note when they face the Flying Dutchmen for two games on Friday and Saturday that could send the team off to the break with a lot of positive momentum. Arcadia returns to action after the New Year when they host Morrisville and Buffalo State in their final non-conference games on the schedule.

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Notre Dame plays ‘best weekend of hockey as a team’ at Friendship Four in Belfast

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Notre Dame played well in the Friendshio Four last weekend, falling in the championship game to BU (photo: Notre Dame Athletics).

When Notre Dame opened Big Ten play against Wisconsin at the start of November, the Fighting Irish carried a 4-2-0 record into the series and improved to 5-2-0 with an OT Friday win.

The following night, the Irish lost 2-1, the first defeat in a string of seven that ended only when they traveled to Northern Ireland for the Friendship Four, where they beat Harvard 5-2 Nov. 29.

In the tournament’s title game, Notre Dame led Boston University 3-1 at the start of the third, but the Terriers scored three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes – two just 20 seconds apart late in the game – and the Irish fell 4-3.

“I thought we played well both games,” said Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson. “Slow start, both games, but I thought we came on as the games progressed.

“Just based on how things have gone for us in the first half here, it may have been the best weekend of hockey as a team. In that regard, it was just disappointing in how it finished.”

Jackson, set to retire in 2025 after completing his 20th season behind the Notre Dame bench, said that the season so far has been “frustrating.”

“I really like our guys,” said Jackson. “I like the group. I think we haven’t figured some things out on how we need to play, although this past weekend was probably the closest we’ve been to doing a good job managing the puck and not turning pucks over.”

The weeklong trip was more than just hockey, of course. Hosted by the Belfast Giants of the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League and held nearly every year since 2015, the Friendship Four has provided a rare opportunity to play abroad for 22 different men’s Division I teams since its inception. Notre Dame is the first Big Ten team to have participated.

“It was a neat experience for the guys, a cultural experience, fun for the staff, too,” said Jackson. “It’s a good event. They run it well. Great crowds.”

Jackson said that this tournament was part of why he wanted to come back for his 20th season at Notre Dame. In 2023, Jackson tried to take his team to Dublin when Notre Dame football traveled to Ireland to play Navy.

“We’d never gone overseas, as a team, and most of the Notre Dame teams go overseas quite regularly,” said Jackson. Had they been able to arrange it in 2023, the hockey team would have attended the football game and try to play an exhibition game or two, but Jackson said the timing was off. “It was the first week of school and we couldn’t miss that much academic time.”

Jackson, who turns 70 next June, said he started thinking seriously about retirement when he saw the way that the transfer portal and NIL were changing college hockey.

“I just knew it was probably going to be a bit of a challenge for us in a number of ways,” said Jackson. “We can’t get transfers in very easily. Grad transfers have been fairly easy [but] undergrad transfers almost impossible. We’ve got a few right now, but it’s a challenge. And the NIL thing.

“They say adapt or die, and I didn’t really adapt.”

Jackson has definite opinions about “the NIL thing.” At first, said Jackson, the university wouldn’t let the team raise money for the NIL, something that’s changed in recent years. Without the opportunity to capitalize on NIL, said Jackson, “We’ve had some really high-end recruits we’ve lost in the last few years,” adding that NIL impacted Notre Dame’s recruiting.

“For me, it’s pay-for-play and if you want high-end kids and you want first-round draft picks, you’re going to have to give them cash,” said Jackson, “and that’s just goes against everything I believe college athletics is supposed to be.”

Jackson supports student-athletes earning money from NIL, but not up-front fees for signing on with a program. “I totally believe that an athlete has the same right as any other student to use his name, image, or likeness to make money,” said Jackson, using former Irish goaltender Ryan Bischel as an example of how he thinks NIL can be used. “He did some bank commercials locally, he ran some camps, and that’s the way it should be.”

Before going to former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to discuss retirement, Jackson wanted to make sure that Notre Dame hockey would be in good hands. When looking around for “elite” coaching talent, said Jackson, he turned to Irish alum Brock Sheahan, who’d first been a volunteer assistant at Notre Dame in 2013-14 before spending four years as an assistant at Holy Cross. Sheahan spent four years coaching in the USHL before a year as head coach of the Chicago Wolves (AHL) in 2022-23. The following year, Jackson convinced Swarbrick to hire Sheahan as a third assistant, and when Jackson’s retirement was announced in June, Notre Dame also announced that Sheahan would replace him as the next Irish head coach.

“He’s got all the right tools to be an exceptional coach at this level,” said Jackson. “He’s 40 years old and he’s an alum. Notre Dame’s in his veins. He’s well respected by our guys.

“Part of the reason I did it this way, too, is that I didn’t want to say that I was going to retire at the end of the year and all of a sudden, we’d lose five guys to the transfer portal. It was much easier to make that transition without losing players.”

Jackson cautions that this season “isn’t a farewell tour.” He said, “I just want to get our team back to where we can be.”

The Fighting Irish have a bye week following their trip to Belfast, and the timing is perfect for helping some guys heal a little before Notre Dame travels to Ohio State Dec. 13-14.

“We’ve had three or four other key guys out up front and in the back end, we don’t have the same depth that we’ve had in the past and we’ve had a couple of injuries back there,” said Jackson. “I don’t think we’ve played a game where everybody slated to be in our lineup actually played in a game together since the start of the season.

“We’ve been dinged up and everybody goes through it and I’m not going to use that as an excuse, but it is a factor.”

It doesn’t help that Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Cole Knuble, has missed four games this season. “I think Friday night was the first time he was healthy all season,” said Jackson, “and he got hurt at the end of the game, a different injury.”

Also not helping is the number of penalties the Irish are taking. Notre Dame has averaged nearly 11 penalty minutes per game, 16th in the nation. Notre Dame’s penalty kill is 40th nationally (78.8%).

“It’s been frustrating from a penalty perspective, from a discipline perspective, and it’s been frustrating from a turnover perspective,” said Jackson.

With a 6-10-0 record and just one win in B1G play, Jackson said that the Irish “still have a chance to do something” this season.

“We’re getting the guys to be better,” said Jackson. “This is a group that shows potential. Against BU, they may have won the first and last 10 minutes of the game, but we won the middle 40. We just have to find a way to play for 60 minutes.”

This Week in Hockey East: Boston College runs the gauntlet, Carvel likes where UMass is at despite record, Maine’s Barr comments on Montgomery firing

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Cole O’Hara has posted seven goals this season for UMass (photo: UMass Athletics).

Checking in on a few trends around the league as the calendar flips to December.

—When Boston College assembled the non-conference portion of its schedule well before this season started, it could bank on some serious competition against traditional power programs like Michigan State (B1G) and St. Cloud State (NCHC).

But Western Michigan (NCHC) and Dartmouth (ECAC Hockey)? Few could have foreseen those two programs being among the country’s best in November of 2024. Yet the Eagles have made what turned out to be a tougher-than-expected non-league schedule look easy so far.

BC, ranked No. 3 in the latest version of the USCHO.com D-I men’s poll, is 10-3-0 on the season, including a 6-1-0 non-conference record.

“When you make the schedule, a lot of times you don’t know that everybody’s going to be this good,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “But it’s great to have tests. (Ours) has to be as tough a non-conference schedule as anybody’s. To have to sharpen your game and realize where you can improve, and also what is really working well for you several times in the first half of the year is great. I feel like we’ve learned a lot.”

Brown spoke after the Eagles’ 5-3 home win vs. No. 13 Dartmouth on Friday, capping a weekend where Hockey East went 11-2-1 over out-of-league competition, improving the Association’s overall record in such games to 42-19-2 for the season.

Brown, who for many years was an assistant to legendary BC coach Jerry York, said playing tough non-league games has always been in the program’s DNA.

“You want to be tested,” Brown said. “It makes you grow up quicker, it makes you improve faster. You learn immediately what your shortcomings are, and, hopefully, what your strengths are. It seems the best way to go for me.”

—It’s been an up-and-down season for Massachusetts, as its record shows — the Minutemen are 7-6-2 overall with just one win (1-4-2 record) in Hockey East play.

Coach Greg Carvel said the team was feeling really good about itself following a 5-1 win at Providence on Nov. 16, rebounding from a 2-1 loss to the Friars at home two nights earlier. A disheartening home loss to Vermont — the 3-2 final left UMass winless in three tries vs. the Catamounts this season — was sandwiched between a 5-3 win vs. Harvard (ECAC Hockey) and Army West Point (Atlantic Hockey America).

“We should be on a four- or five-game winning streak,” Carvel said. “It would be great to carry that. I don’t like our record, but I like this team. When we put it all together, we’re an NCAA-level hockey team. Just too many games this year, goaltending wasn’t there, the defense wasn’t there, or the offense wasn’t there. When we get them all together, we’re a good hockey team.”

Injuries have contributed to UMass’s lack of consistency. Freshman forward Daniel Jenčko’s return to the lineup helped spark the Minutemen in their win vs. Army. Carvel said Jenčko’s play this season has been a pleasant surprise.

“I knew he had the skill set to do it,” Carvel said. “He had a really good summer off the ice. He got stronger. He’s got a better attitude than I thought, and what I mean is, he’s willing to compete harder than I thought he was going to. (He’s) got really good hands and really good instincts.”

The Minutemen look to enter their two-week winter break on a high note and have a great chance to do that this weekend with a pair of games against Boston University — in Boston Friday (6 p.m.) and at home Saturday (7 p.m., NESN).

—Maine coach Ben Barr commented recently on the firing of former Black Bears captain Jim Montgomery by the Boston Bruins.

Montgomery was fired after leading Boston to a 120-41-23 record in just more than two seasons. It didn’t take long for Montgomery to find a new job — he was hired by the St. Louis Blues just five days later.

“On the surface, it just seems ridiculous that a guy like that, with that kind of record, gets fired,” said Barr. “But it’s also great that he ends up getting to go (to St. Louis). It’s kind of his home there. Maybe things happen for a reason.”

Montgomery captained Maine to a record of 42–1–2 and the 1993 NCAA championship. He was an assistant coach for the Blues from 2020-22.

TMQ: With December here, no better time to delve into PairWise Rankings analysis across men’s Division I college hockey

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Maine captain Lynden Breen recorded his first career hat trick and added an assist for a four-point game in the Black Bears’ 6-0 win at RPI on Saturday afternoon (photo: Anthony DelMonaco).

Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

Jim: A belated Happy Thanksgiving, Ed. I hope you didn’t overdo it with the turkey.

But the fact that Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, I think that means this is as good a time as any to take a deep dive into the PairWise Rankings. At this point in the season, about 70 percent of non-conference games have been played, meaning the volatility in the PairWise will continuously lessen.

Right now, there is actually an excellent geographic divide between eastern and western teams that would be qualified for at-large bids in the NCAA field.

If the season ended today, this would be the breakdown of bids by conference:

Hockey East: 5 (Boston College, Maine, Boston University, Providence, UMass Lowell)
NCHC: 4 (Western Michigan, St. Cloud State, Denver, Colorado College)
B1G: 3 (Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota)
ECAC Hockey: 2 (Dartmouth, Cornell)
CCHA: 1 (Minnesota State)
AHA: 1 (Tournament champion)

Obviously, there is a lot of hockey left to be played. We also know that each conference tournament champion qualifies for the tournament and that could bump one of these teams. But right now, there are eight eastern teams and eight western teams. We don’t often see such a balanced group.

As you look at this list, which conferences seem to have the most upside? Is there one conference that seems to be most at risk of losing a team or two between now and mid-March when the field is announced?

Ed: Before I answer your questions, let me make one comment on volatility. The RPI – a component of the PairWise, and its tiebreaker – will be less volatile for individual teams, but PairWise positions will still be volatile right to the end. If previous seasons’ results are any indication, we’ll be looking at the fourth and fifth decimal points by the end of the six conference tournaments.

Speaking of previous seasons: that’s where I’m going to base some of my analysis. We’ve seen patterns over the past few years that we can couple with what we know about strength of schedule and non-conference winning percentages and how they affect where teams will end up.

I think Hockey East and NCHC are both more likely to lose a team than the other conferences.

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen Hockey East with five or even six teams inside the PairWise bubble in December. As league play continues on, members of that conference tend to cannibalize each other because the talent is so high and the rivalries are so strong. I would be bullish on all five you mentioned at this point, but Providence and UMass Lowell are close to the edge of where teams can get bumped by automatic bids.

The same reasoning applies to the NCHC. Conference play is tight, and right now Colorado College is even closer to the cutoff than the Friars and River Hawks.

I think the Big Ten and ECAC are well-positioned to get one more team in. At No. 16, Ohio State would be out of the tournament, and right below them is Quinnipiac. It would not take much to get either of those two back inside the PairWise bubble. Plus, the ECAC has seemed particularly wide open when it comes to conference playoffs, so an AQ from an ECAC team in addition to two at-large bids is in the realm of possibility.

The CCHA is certainly in a position to get two teams in if Minnesota State stays in at-large territory.

Atlantic Hockey America is not going to go up or down. I’m not going out on a limb to say it will be just an automatic qualifier and no at-large team for that conference again this season.

Do you concur?

Jim: I totally agree with your analysis. And there is something about Atlantic Hockey America that makes me upset.

This conference isn’t new. Sure, to many it feels like the actual conference members seem new to Division I but the reality is most teams have been around for more than two decades.

Think about the fact that both Penn State and Arizona State have both qualified for the NCAA tournament quicker than many AHA schools.

And I am not here to beat on that conference. But at some point the AHA teams need to find a level. How can this conference get its head above water? What kind of wins does it take? Do AHA teams need to attract more nonconference opponents?

At this point, I feel like the league’s struggles are mostly based on not attracting non-league opponents. Does that mean facilities are the issue? Many schools eliminated that problem. But there are still a small few where many programs won’t travel.

You spend more time in AHA than most. What do you see as the biggest challenge?

Ed: The biggest challenge – and I know some will not like this – is indeed facilities. Maybe you can come to a program with a new or revamped arena with great amenities, but you’ll also have to play some games in buildings that aren’t quite up to par.

Even some top tier programs have had to make upgrades and renovations to keep pace or build new buildings. Most of them have bigger budgets than the AHA membership.

I enjoyed a tour of Sacred Heart’s Martire Family Arena a couple of weeks ago with their head coach C.J. Marottolo. The player accommodations are first class. The fan experience is terrific. And it’s a huge, multiple-orders-of-magnitude improvement over their old home.

But for every Sacred Heart (and a few other buildings in the conference) there’s also the opposite. And a player will have to play much of his schedule in one of those.

I should also note that Robert Morris is working on getting a new on-campus arena and that’s huge for that program.

Still, I don’t want to come off as too negative. Atlantic Hockey America has excellent coaches and is a competitive league with some great players. If it weren’t, big programs wouldn’t be siphoning its top talent via the portal. The conference has come a long, long way in the last decade in upgrading buildings and funding.

Nevertheless, college sports has become an arms race of facilities, NIL, and revenue sharing. It’s harder than ever to catch up to the blue-chip programs. Maybe major junior eligibility and possible roster limits from the House vs. NCAA settlement will help level the field.

We’re still early in seeing what opening D-I hockey to CHL players will look like and how all the dominoes will fall. Any insights so far?

Jim: I don’t have a lot of personal contact with schools (or for that matter CHL teams) where players will make commitments to attend a D-1 institution. I hear they are happening every day.

Where I do have some anecdotes is at the U.S. junior level, more specifically the NAHL as well as U.S. prep schools where coaches have told their players to possibly change their expectations on where they might attend college.

I have been told that coaches have told players to temper expectations about possibly heading to a Division I school and think more about Division III because of the enriched player pool that come (at this point mostly from 20-year-old players) aging out of the CHL and desiring the college route.

As someone who has spent 33 years in this sport, I approach this with melancholy. I want to see Division I college hockey become the best is can be and having the best players at all 64 Division I institutions matters to me.

But I also see this influx of talent as a massive position for college hockey.

I may be too old to embrace change that many see as positive, and I know that I’m not talking to a younger person than I. But do you look at current situations and worry that allowing CHL players into college hockey might make the sport worse and not better?

Ed: In the long run – say after four or five years – I believe things will settle out and the players who belong at D-I will be there. I think there will be more of a shakeup in the USHL and BCHL and that will filter through Tier II and below.

In the short term, players who went to major junior and who are academically eligible may take the route of college hockey that they didn’t expect to have. That will have an impact on 2004 and 2005 birth year players and maybe for a year or two after that, from what those close to it tell me.

In the longer term, players who are headed to a D-I program will have more options and major junior will be a fit for many of them. College-bound players from Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes will have more options close to home.

So I’m approaching this in a more positive light. There will be more players with more choices.

I just hope we have enough D-I programs in which to place them.

Michigan State retains No. 1 ranking, collects 43 first-place votes in Dec. 2 USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll

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Michigan State players get ready to play Lindenwood over the weekend (photo: Michigan State Athletics).

Michigan State is again the No. 1 team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll, getting 43 first-place votes in this week’s rankings.

Denver stays No. 2 with four first-place votes, Boston College, up one to No. 3, garnered two first-place votes, Minnesota, down one to No. 4, bagged the last first-place vote, and Maine remains ranked fifth.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Dec. 2, 2024

Michigan stays sixth, while Western Michigan is again No. 7, Colorado College eighth, St. Cloud State ninth and Providence No. 10.

No new teams enter the poll this week.

In addition to the top 20 teams, 14 other teams received votes this week.

The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.

Looking at in-season tournaments, top 10 results, preliminary PairWise peek: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 7 Episode 9

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Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review games of the weekend and news of the week.

They look at two Thanksgiving tournaments with Boston University winning the Friendship Four and UMass Lowell claiming the Adirondack Invitational. The episode also covers significant games from Bemidji, Cornell-Quinnipiac, and Big Ten teams, evaluates current PairWise standings, and speculates on conference representations in the NCAA tournament. The hosts also touch on the implications of new CHL recruitments and upcoming roster regulations from the House vs. NCAA settlement.

Times are approximate:

00:15 Introduction and hosts
00:30 BU’s Friendship Four victory
03:06 Adirondack Invitational recap
08:14 Michigan State’s dominance
09:32 Minnesota’s weekend performance
12:06 Michigan vs. Western Michigan
13:46 Cornell vs. Quinnipiac at MSG
17:04 Princeton upsets Ohio State
19:16 Bemidji State’s historic wins
23:41 Arizona State’s journey in the NCHC
24:38 Travel challenges in college hockey
26:36 Cyber Monday and Pairwise Rankings
28:19 Hockey East Teams in the NCAA Tournament
31:40 NCHC and Big Ten tournament prospects
34:53 ECAC and CCHA Teams’ tournament chances
40:01 Atlantic Hockey’s tournament bid
41:48 Impact of CHL prospects on college hockey
44:43 Roster Size and House vs. NCAA
46:31 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Subscribe to this college hockey podcast on Apple podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Find our podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

D-II/III East Men’s Ice Hockey Weekend Wrap-up – December 2, 2024

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Utica finally found a way to beat UNE in a thrilling 6-5 win in the opening round of their Thanksgiving tournament (Photo by CNY Hockey Report)

Redemption and renewal are just great stories no matter how they come about and this weekend saw two big stories that included Utica and Bryan Landesberger finally defeating the University of New England on the way to winning their tournament and Middlebury capturing the LayerEight Tournament title for the first time in many years to the delight of the Chip Kenyon Arena fan base. There was a lot of other great action to recap this weekend as well that saw hockey with all the Thanksgiving trimmings. Here is the wrap-up for the east:

Delta by Marriott Thanksgiving Holiday Showcase

The field included the hosts Utica, Oswego, Stevenson and the University of New England. Friday’s first round games saw some great action that included Stevenson advancing to the championship game with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the Lakers. In what seems to be a pattern this season across D-III, the Mustangs built a 3-1 lead after two periods of play, but Oswego battled back with a pair of goals from Matt McQuade to tie the score at the end of regulation. Overtime saw several great chances at both ends but Stevenson’s Blake Benson scored the game-winner with just three-tenths of a second remaining in the extra session to advance the Mustangs to the title game.

In the other matchup, Utica was trying to overcome the demons of facing a UNE team that had beaten them on home ice four times in a row. The game proved to be a shootout much more than the usual defensive struggle between the two teams. Goaltender Bryan Landesberger was called off the bench to replace Ethan Roberts after he surrendered five goals to the Nor’easters. Landesberger was perfect in his 30 minutes of action and John Gutt’s third period goal stood up us the game winner in a wild 6-5 Pioneer win.

In the title game two former UCHC foes played for the title and the Pioneers skated away with the championship trophy on the strength of a pair of goals from Andrew Della Rovere and 27 saves from Landesberger who surrendered just one goal in the 6-1 win over Stevenson. Della Rovere finished with three points in the game and was named the tournament MVP.

LayerEight Championship

The tournament field included the three usual participants in Middlebury (host), Norwich and Plattsburgh and this year they were joined by Marian from the west. In the first round Norwich only scored one goal by Devon Thibodeau late in the third period but it was enough for goaltender Sami Molu who made 30 saves to earn the shutout win.

Middlebury fell behind Marian 1-0 in the first period but erupted for five goals in the second period to cruise to a 6-2 win. Wyatt Pastor scored twice in the middle period to lead the Panthers offensively with Jake Oblak also chipping in with a goal and an assist.

In the title game between two very familiar opponents playing for the 162nd time, goals were again hard to come by as goaltenders Andrew Heinze for the Panthers and Molu for the Cadets were on their game. Oblak scored what proved to be the game-winning goal late in the first period and captain Jin Lee iced the championship win with an empty-net goal in the final minute of the third period for a   2-0 Panther victory and the tournament title. Oblak’s two goals in the two games earned him the MVP of the tournament.

Terry Moran Invitational

Castleton played host to a field that included Keene State, King’s and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In the opening round the host institution skated away with a 3-1 win over the Trailblazers. The win was spearheaded by a pair of third period goals by Zach Papapetros and Avivi Tanasiyenko that earned the Spartans their first win of the season.

King’s needed an overtime goal by Denys Arkhypenko, after you guessed it, the Owls rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to send the game to extra time. The 4-3 win advanced the monarchs to the title game.

If you like offense, then the championship game was a fan’s delight as the two teams combined for thirteen goals with the Spartans emerging with the championship trophy following a 7-6  OT win. Luke Chakrabarti completed his hat trick by scoring the overtime winning goal to pace the Spartans attack to the win. Chakrabarti also added an assist and was named the tournament MVP.

Skidmore Invitational

On paper, yes that is why they play the games, one might have expected a Skidmore v. Hamilton final, but it was Lake Forest and Fredonia who emerged victorious in the first-round games and played for the championship at Skidmore. Against the Foresters, the Thoroughbreds got two goals from Zach Lindenwirth, but it was not enough to rally the hosts past the visitors from the west in a   5-4 Lake Forest win.

In the other first round contest, Hamilton faced Fredonia, and the Blue Devils rallied for the win behind goals from Ryan Bailey and Riley See in a2-1 win over the Continentals. Goaltender Jameson Kaine stopped 31 shots to earn the win and advance Fredonia to the title game.

In the championship match, the Foresters had too much for the Blue Devils as they scored twice in the opening period and twice in the third period to post a 4-0 win for the tournament title. Four different players scored for Lake Forest while goaltender Bobby McCloskey stopped all 24 Fredonia attempts to earn the shutout win.

North Country Tournament

The tournament featured Canton, Potsdam, Rivier and Tufts. Rivier played Potsdam in the opening round and took a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over the Bears. The teams exchanged goals in the opening period but could not find the back of the net for the remainder of regulation as both goaltenders were playing great. in the extra session, Nicholas Paolucci netted the game-winner for the Raiders with just over a minute remaining in the overtime period. Goaltender Luke Newell stopped 37 of 38 shots for the win.

Tufts played Canton in the other first round matchup and the Jumbos advanced to the title game with a 4-2 win over the Kangaroos. Max Resnick opened the scoring and netted the game-winning goal in the third period before Brennan Horn sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Goaltender Gustave Bylin stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn the win.

In the title game, Tufts jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Raiders on goals from Harrison Bazianos and a pair from Trace Norwell to secure the tournament championship with a 3-1 win over Rivier. Bylin was again solid in goal stopping 24 of 25 shots earning the tournament MVP honors.

Bowdoin/Colby Tournament

The round-robin event features the host schools playing two other teams which this year included Massachusetts-Boston and Southern New Hampshire. With a pair of wins against UMB and SNHU, Colby proved to be championship caliber as both Bowdoin and UMB finished 1-1-0 with SNHU dropping both games of the tournament.

The Mules opened against the Beacons and took advantage of four different goal scorers in a 4-2 win. Goaltender Adam Costley made 26 saves in the win. In game two against SNHU, Colby scored early and often with Bobby Landry chipping in with a pair of goals in a 7-1 rout of the Penmen. Javi Ubarri recorded three assists to lead all Colby scorers.

In what was maybe the most exciting game of the tournament, UMB downed Bowdoin, 2-1 in overtime on Sunday. Jack Mortson opened the scoring for the Beacons and provided the overtime winner in the final minute of play in the extra period.

Non-conference Action

Curry and Cortland split a two-game series in two games that were not as close as expected. On Saturday, The Red Dragons raced to a 5-0 first period advantage and cruised to an 8-3 win over the Colonels. Colby Seitz, Nate Berke and Garrett Krieger each scored two goals to pace the win. In Sunday’s second game it was Curry’s turn to show-off the offense in a 5-1 win over Cortland. The Colonels scored twice in each of the first two periods to establish a 4-0 lead and earned the split  of the series with a comfortable win.

Geneseo remained unbeaten on the season with a pair of wins over NESCAC teams over the weekend. On Saturday, the Knights needed an overtime goal from Peter Morgan to down Amherst, 3-2. On Sunday, four different goal scorers and 22 saves from goaltender Jacob Torgner helped Geneseo to a 4-0 win over Williams.

Trinity picked up a pair of non-conference wins over Plymouth State and Manhattanville to extend their unbeaten streak to five games. On Tuesday, before Thanksgiving, the Bantams got goals from Ty Broad and Ryan Panico were just enough for goaltender Devon Bobak in a 2-1 win. Bobak stopped 32 of 33 shots to earn the win. On Sunday, five different goal scorers and three assists from Teddy Griffin paced a 5-1 win over the Valiants.

Johnson & Wales picked up a pair of wins during the Thanksgiving week over Westfield State and Assumption. On Tuesday, the Wildcats rallied from a 2-0 deficit scoring three unanswered goals for a 3-2 win over the Owls. Chris Alexander scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the third period for J&W. On Saturday, the Wildcats kept their win streak intact with a 5-3 win over the Greyhounds. Two goals from Noah LaFleur and a three-goal third period combined to pace the offense in the road win.

Neumann remained among the unbeatens with a pair of wins in a two-game series against Morrisville. The Black Knights won 6-4 on Friday on the strength of four power play goals and one shorthanded marker to outpace the Mustangs. In the second game Tyler Kennedy scored two goals including one of two shorthanded goals for Neumann in their 5-2 win. The Black Knights now stand at 6-0-2 overall on the season.

Three Biscuits

Bryan Landesberger – Utica – the Utica goaltender came in relief to post a shutout in his 30 minutes of action against UNE in a 6-5 win over the Nor’easters before stopping 27 of 28 shots against Stevenson to earn the championship in their own tournament.

Luke Chakrabarti – VSU-Castleton – scored four points including a hat trick and an assist in the Spartans’ 7-6 overtime win over King’s to win the Terry Moran Invitational Tournament. Chakrabarti netted the game-winning goal in overtime to complete his hat trick.

Jake Oblak – Middlebury – provided the game-winning goal against rival Norwich to lead the Panthers to a 2-0 win in the championship game of the LayerEight Tournament.

If the action this week did not grab your attention, then I have to believe the incredible matchups in several conferences this upcoming weekend will certainly have fans everywhere excited and scoreboard watching. Tournament hardware has been won and now let us see who can carry that positive momentum into a strong finish to the first half.

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