Home Blog Page 63

NCAA D-III Men’s Hockey Championship Picks – March 23, 2024

By
-
The “biscuits” are chilling for tonight’s national championship game between Hobart & Trinity – Drop the Puck! (Photo by NCAA productions)

The national championship game has a lot to live up to following Thursday’s outstanding semifinal games where hockey fans were treated with great action from start to finish and no overtime was required to decide the entrants for the championship contest. It is a great story with Hobart seeking to win back-to-back titles, the first team since 2011 and 2012 St. Norbert to do so. On the other side is the real “home team” in Trinity, who despite wearing their blue sweaters, will have  a raucous home following in their barn as they seek their first title since 2015. These two teams have met before this season, back in December, 2023 where Hobart eked out a one-goal win and not surprisingly, goaltenders Damon Beaver and Devon Bobak were stellar for their respective teams. A lot more at stake in this contest with a large NCAA championship trophy to be had to the winner of the season’s final contest.

The battle between the writers with NCAA picks currently stands with Brian Lester (8-3) at the top and in control leading myself (7-4) and Chris Sugar (5-6) with just Saturday’s title game remaining. The battle continues on the way to the 2023-2024 national championship. Here this week’s picks from the USCHO D-III writers with the outcome determining the final pool results:

Saturday, March 23, 2024

NCAA Semifinal Round

(3) Trinity v. (1) Hobart

TC – The Statesmen have been essentially the best team in the country all season and now have a hard 60 minutes, or more of hockey to hold the tangible evidence of their dominant season. The orange and white come in with focus and purpose and a familiar opponent who is dangerous in any rink but especially so in their own. Goaltending between two of the nation’s elite netminders (Damon Beaver & Devon Bobak) is going to keep the scoring low as been the case in each of the last two meetings between the two teams which were decided by 2-1 scores. Hard not to like the defending champs in this one but what fun would that be if all the writers picked it the same way. While I really like the Hobart pick, I will create some drama and go the NESCAC route with the Bantams in an “upset” that has been the theme of this entire season. Games like this always seem to be decided by someone you don’t expect to score the goal and this game is no different as Christian Hayes stuns Hobart with a huge goal in overtime for the win – Trinity, 2-1

BL – We are down to the last game of the year and Trinity is the only team standing between Hobart and a second consecutive national championship.

The Statesmen are the No. 1 team in the nation and have won 13 consecutive games. Trinity is No. 3 in the country and have won 13 in a row as well.

These two teams played once this season, and interestingly enough, it was in Hartford, where this national title game will be played. In that game on Dec. 9, Hobart prevailed 2-1.

The game is sold out and Trinity basically has home ice here as its in the title game for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.

I have a feeling this is going to be close. Maybe even go to overtime. Both team advanced here with 2-1 wins in the semifinals. This should be fun to watch, but in the end,

But I have to go with the nation’s top team here. Hobart hoists the trophy when it’s all said and done. Hobart, 3-2

CS – Trinity played a stellar game vs Adrian on Thursday, winning 2-1 over the Bulldogs who looked unbeatable as of late. The Bantams goaltender Devon Bobak is playing great, they’ll need him to continue to do so if they want to defeat Hobart who leads in nearly every main statistical category.

The Statesman played a close game with Utica, they could’ve had more than their three goals, but so could’ve Utica, so you can’t say what didn’t happen. They’ve done what they’ve had to do pretty much all this season, they’ll adapt to whatever they have to play against. Hobart 3-1

So, Brian and Chris have taken the Statesmen and I have become the contrarian, going with the home team and Trinity. This is the culmination of the 2023-24 season and the matchup is super enticing. If you are a fan of the game, then strap in for this one which is expected to be played at breakneck pace and skill to the delight of all fans regardless of affiliation. The only game left on the  D-III calendar decides the champions – “Drop the Puck!”

Cornell’s Daniel named winner of 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey

By
-
Cornell’s Izzy Daniel is the winner of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (photo: Nicole Haase).

Cornell senior forward Izzy Daniel has been chosen as the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner.

The honors were presented Saturday afternoon at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, NH as part of the women’s Frozen Four weekend hosted by the University of New Hampshire. The ceremony aired live on NHL Network. The award, which is in its 27th year, is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey by the USA Hockey Foundation.

Daniel is the first winner from Cornell University.

An award of the USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.

Daniel was selected from a group of three finalists that included senior forward Casey O’Brien (Wisconsin) and sophomore forward Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin).

When her name was called, Daniel said she was surprised and in the immediate aftermath of her win, she was struggling to describe how she felt.

“I think I just like blacked out to be honest. I was so shocked. It’s just a tremendous honor to hear my name called and have it associated with Patty Kazmaier and her legacy and her family and USA Hockey and everyone. It’s a surreal experience. I really don’t have any words right now,” she said.

Daniel mentioned some of the great players – Olympic medal winners – that have come through Cornell’s women’s hockey program and said she knows she’s representing them by finally bringing a Patty back to Ithaca. A player who didn’t always have confidence in herself or her abilities, the win is validation and a culmination of a career working to be better.

“This is a combination of all the hard work that I put in throughout my career and to finally hear myself recognize, it is a shock but I’m kind of like, you know what? I did it and I should be believing in myself because I can do it. This is definitely another confidence boost heading into the rest of my career,” said Daniel.

Having spent previous years focusing on hockey skills and strength training, Daniel put special emphasis on the offseason before her senior year on the mental side of her game – on trusting herself and the work she’s put in, on being confident and on using the highs and lows of a long hockey season to her advantage.

The result was a season where she helped lead the Big Red to a 25-8-1 record and a NCAA Regional Final appearance.

Along the way she was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and Forward of the Year. She was third in the nation with 1.74 points per game and amassed 59 points on 21 goals and 38 assists, which led her conference.

Daniel was not widely recruited out of college and did not play on the USA U-18 team. She’s a Minnesota native who chose to go far away from home for college and Cornell coach Doug Derraugh said he’s watched her progress throughout the years to become the player that won this award this season.

“Not being a part of your national team at a young age, I think that makes you start wondering whether you’re at that level and but to her credit, Izzy used that as fuel to get better and to work at her craft and now she is where she is,” said Derraugh.

It’s inspiring and should be a lesson to younger players to keep working hard, he said, describing the work Daniels put in not just on the ice and in the weight room, but studying game film and learning the game.

“I think it’s a good testament to show that you know, maybe you don’t get everything you want when you’re young but if you keep working out you keep studying the game, learning, getting better doing all those things. You can be up on the stage and win,” he said.

Daniel has the second highest GPA on the team, is one of the least penalized players among the Big Red and has become a leader on and off the ice. Derraugh has said she epitomizes the Patty Kazmaier Award from the moment she was in the running.

Holding the trophy after her win, Daniel took a moment to read the names of previous winners that were engraved along the bottom. It reinforced for her how monumental and important her win was. She has looked up to previous winners for much of her career, including 2022 winner Taylor Heise, who she was teammates with growing up in Minnesota.

“To have my name on the trophy with those types of players – it’s kind of like a ‘wow’ moment,” she said. “That I’m there with them in that elite company, it’s hard to put into words.”

Former New England College women’s hockey players Capolino, Moore killed in Miami in alleged murder-suicide

By
-
Sidney Capolino and Meghan Moore played hockey at New England College.

According to published reports, former New England College women’s hockey players Sidney Capolino and Meghan Moore were tragically killed last Saturday night.

Miami-Dade Police believe Luis Napoles, 40, shot the 25-year-old Moore, his girlfriend, outside her home before entering the apartment and shooting her roommate Capolino, 23.

Police have not disclosed the motive.

Napoles later turned the gun on himself.

Moore was originally from Centerville, Mass., and Capolino from Pawling, N.Y.

New England College president Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr. issued a statement Tuesday, posted to Twitter/X, to confirm the former students’ deaths.

Quinnipiac’s Graf chosen ECAC Hockey player of year, Dartmouth’s Foley best rookie, Cornell’s Shane top goalie, Big Green’s Cashman takes home coaching honors

By
-
Collin Graf has been an offensive catalyst this season for Quinnipiac (photo: Rob Rasmussen/P8Photos.com).

ECAC Hockey announced its 2023-24 awards on Thursday.

Quinnipiac’s Collin Graf has been named the player of the year.

Graf amassed 14 goals and 19 assists through 20 games played, accounting for a career high 1.65 points per game average. With a total of 33 points, Graf leads the nationally-ranked Bobcats in goals and total points scored. Of his 14 goals, the junior forward netted five on the power play and potted three game winners. Graf registered 79 shots on goal and concluded with a positive plus-minus of 19.

He claimed four forward of the week and one forward of the month honors. In addition to the league awards, Graf was listed as a 2024 Hobey Baker nominee.

Dartmouth coach Reid Cashman is the Tim Taylor Coach of the Year.

In his third full season at helm, Cashman led the Big Green to a 9-6-7 conference record, more than doubling the team’s win column from the previous year and securing the team a bye into the quarterfinal round of the playoff tournament.

He garnered his first league win of the season on Nov. 4 in a 5-4 victory against Princeton. The Big Green tied four nationally-ranked opponents, and picked up the two shootout wins against Quinnipiac and Cornell.

Cashman came to Dartmouth after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

A former defenseman, Cashman graduated from Quinnipiac in 2007, where he was an All-American, first team all-ECAC, and a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist.

Clarkson’s Trey Taylor has been named best defensive defenseman.

In his sophomore season, Taylor showcased his abilities as a two-way defender, tallying three goals and 11 assists to lead the Golden Knights defense in scoring, while posting a favorable plus-minus of 14. He also registered 60 shots on goal and blocked 36 shots.

Through 22 games played, Taylor recorded three multi-point nights with a career high of three assists in the Golden Knights’ 5-3 victory at Yale. He recorded a season high of six shots blocked in Clarkson’s 4-1 victory over St. Lawrence on Jan. 26.

Quinnipiac’s Jacob Quillan has earned the best defensive forward award.

Quillan is coming off a career-best season with the Bobcats, recording an impressive 10 goals and 20 assists through 22 games for a 1.36 points per game average. A force on the power play, Quillan tallied three goals on the man-advantage. The junior forward registered 64 shots on goal and maintained a favorable plus-minus of 18.

In addition, Quillan earned two back-to-back forward of the week honors and two back-to-back forward of the month honors during the season.

Dartmouth’s CJ Foley is the recipient for the rookie of the year award.

Foley racked up 18 points through 22 games, good for fourth in scoring for the Big Green and leads all defensemen. With a line of 5-13-18, Foley managed to tuck one power-play, one short-handed, and one game-winning goal. The first-year defender registered 57 shots on goal and finished with a positive plus-minus of three.

He earned his first defender of the week honors in November with a three point performance, recording two goals and one assist in Dartmouth’s 5-4 victory against Princeton.

Cornell’s Ian Shane has been named the Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year.

Shane had a stellar junior year, posting a 12-4-4 record for the nationally-ranked Big Red. In 20 games, the netminder tallied two shutouts against Brown and Harvard. With 386 total saves in the regular season, Shane finished with a commendable 1.82 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

Over the course of the season, Shane claimed six goaltender of the week and four goaltender of the month honors, the most in a single season in the conference. In addition to league awards, Shane was selected as semifinalist for the 2024 Mike Richter Award and a 2024 Hobey Baker nominee.

Union’s Ben Tupker is the winner of the second annual Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award.

The award, inaugurated in Nov. 2022, is named in honor of the late Wayne Dean, the former Yale deputy director of athletics who played a significant role in the growth and success of ECAC Hockey and NCAA collegiate ice hockey. Beginning last year, the award will annually honor an ECAC Hockey student-athlete (men’s or women’s) who demonstrates the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship; displays the utmost respect for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials, as well as the game/sport; and encourages all individuals to demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical conduct inside and outside of the competition setting.

“I am extremely honored and thankful to receive the ECAC Hockey Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award,” said Tupker in a statement. “It has been a privilege to play alongside such a great group this season. They made it a ton of fun to come to the rink every day and compete. I am extremely excited for the future of the program and can’t wait to see what the group accomplishes next year.”

On the ice, Tupker was a two-year captain for the Garnet Chargers, and was a leader both on and off the ice. Tupker played the game the same way he goes through life: with honest, integrity, and a deep respect for others. This season, he registered a career-high 19 points (9-10-19) with two short-handed goals and a game-winning goal. As captain, he was not afraid to hold his teammates accountable, and worked to establish new pregame and postgame routines as part of changing the team culture.

“As a coach, I could not be prouder of Ben to receive this award,” said Union coach Josh Hauge. “His leadership has been instrumental in changing the culture both inside and outside of our locker room. Ben does things the right way and leads by example.”

Off the ice, Tupker embraced the mantra of the Union hockey family. He ensured that the team is present at other events on campus, cheering on and supporting other teams, and taking part in the larger campus community. He advocated on behalf of his teammates for a Mental Health Awareness Game, which quickly took off into a multi-department effort and turned into a week of initiatives. He was present at several planning meetings, pitching different ideas and ways that his teammates could be involved. He was asked to introduce Victoria Arlen, an ESPN host and Paralympian to the student body, and prepared diligently in order to make sure he did the best job possible. The team ended up raising over $600 for the local chapter of the American Society for Suicide Prevention.

In the classroom, he has one of the highest GPAs on the team and was a member of the 2022-23 ECAC Hockey all-academic team and a Dean’s List student. Under his leadership, the team put forth their highest in-season GPA this past fall term.

“I am very lucky to have played under such an incredible coaching staff who have done so much for me,” said Tupker. “I want to thank our amazing support staff including our strength and conditioning coach, Dan Gabelman, our equipment manager, Dave Baglio, and our head athletic trainer, Cheryl Rockwood. Union is a special place and I’ll forever be thankful to be a part of the Union hockey family.”

North Dakota’s Blake named NCHC player of year for ’23-24 season, Colorado College’s Mbereko top goalie, Denver’s Buium bags rookie honors, Tigers’ Mayotte best coach

By
-
Jackson Blake compiled 16 goals and 42 points last season for North Dakota and has bested those totals this season (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).

The NCHC has announced its 2023-2024 individual award winners.

Six different teams were represented among the winners, led by multiple award winners from Colorado College, Denver and North Dakota.

Taking home top honors on the night were North Dakota sophomore forward Jackson Blake, who earned player of the year and forward of the year, while Colorado College head coach Kris Mayotte garnered Herb Brooks Coach of the Year. Two other players also picked up a pair of NCHC awards in Denver freshman defenseman Zeev Buium and CC sophomore forward Noah Laba.

Blake, last year’s NCHC rookie of the year, was also the lone unanimous first-team all-NCHC forward selection in 2023-24. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick ranks second nationally and first in the NCHC with 57 points in 38 total games this season. He has 21 goals to tie for 13th nationally, while his 36 assists are fourth in the NCAA. Blake set an NCHC record with 37 points in conference play (24 games), including an NCHC-best 26 assists, topping the previous mark by two points. His 57 total points are only three shy of the NCHC record for overall points in a season (Brock Boeser with 60 in 2015-16), while he already has 99 career points in his two-year college career (77 games).

Mayotte collected his first Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award in his third year as the Tigers bench boss. This season, the former Union goaltender led Colorado College to its highest-ever finish in the NCHC, coming in a tie for third place, and in so doing earned CC’s first home playoff berth. The Tigers finished the regular season with a record of 20-11-3 overall and 14-8-2 in the conference. Mayotte guided CC to a top-10 national ranking during the second half of the season, reaching 10th for the first time since 2012. The Tigers’ 21 wins overall this season are the program’s most since 23 in 2010-2011.

Western Michigan senior forward Luke Grainger was selected the NCHC senior scholar-athlete award winner. The WMU captain was also a second team all-NCHC selection this season, tying for seventh in conference scoring with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 24 NCHC games. Grainger finished the regular season with 43 points, including 30 assists, both of which rank fourth in the NCHC this year. A finance major with a 3.71 grade-point average, Grainger joined the Century Club with 100 career points last weekend. He now has 102 points (38g/64a) in 139 games as a Bronco and is a four-time NCHC distinguished scholar-athlete.

Buium was unanimously chosen as the NCHC rookie of the year and was also selected the NCHC offensive defenseman of the year. The projected first-round NHL draft pick was also a unanimous first team all-NCHC and NCHC all-rookie team honoree this year. Buium led both NCHC freshmen and NCHC defensemen with 31 points in 24 conference games, a total that ranked second in the conference among all players. It also was the second highest point total for a blueliner in NCHC history behind only former Minnesota Duluth star Scott Perunovich (32 in 2019-20). His 25 assists in conference play were first among NCHC defensemen and second among all players. Overall this season, Buium is tied for first nationally among blueliners with 44 points (9g/35a) in 36 games. He also won a gold medal with the U.S. National Junior Team this winter at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Colorado College sophomore Kaidan Mbereko was voted the unanimous goaltender of the year, after also being a unanimous first team all-NCHC selection his year. In conference play, Mbereko led the NCHC with both a 2.15 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 24 starts. He also posted a record of 14-8-2 in NCHC action, with his 14 wins tying for first in the conference. Overall this season, Mbereko is also first in the conference with a .915 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA. In addition to his NCHC honor, Mbereko was tabbed a Mike Richter Award top-3 finalist on Thursday.

Mbereko’s teammate, Laba, took home two awards, winning NCHC defensive forward of the year and the NCHC three stars award. The sophomore claimed the goal-scoring title with 16 tallies in conference play, while his three short-handed goals and six game-winning goals also both led all NCHC players. The New York Rangers draft pick tied for third in conference scoring with 28 points to earn first team all-NCHC honors. Laba finished with a plus-19 mark in 24 NCHC games to lead all players. Overall this season, Laba leads the Tigers with 20 goals and 37 points in 36 games. He was named first star of the game seven times in conference play, tied for the most of any player, and earned 45 ‘three stars’ points to collect his three stars award.

Denver junior defenseman Sean Behrens was named the NCHC defensive defenseman of the year, joining his teammate, Zeev Buium, in winning NCHC defenseman honors. Behrens has been a stalwart on the Pioneers’ blue line and has anchored DU’s penalty kill all season. Offensively, the Colorado Avalanche draft pick scored three goals and posted 27 points while playing in all 36 regular-season games. Defensively, Behrens carries a plus/minus rating of plus-19 while ranking third in the NCHC with 57 blocked shots. He garnered honorable mention all-NCHC accolades this season, as well.

Winning the NCHC sportsmanship award was Minnesota Duluth senior defenseman Darian Gotz. Gotz has been an active volunteer in the greater Duluth community since arriving on campus. He serves as a coach in the Duluth Wild Special Hockey program that gives opportunities to play the game for kids and adults who are developmentally delayed. He’s also highly active in Courage Center Shoot for Fun, which raises money for individuals to participate in adaptive sports and recreation. A member of UMD’s SAAC, Gotz has helped support numerous programs on campus, as well, and earned UMD’s Pat Francisco Community Service Award last season. Gotz is a four-time member of the NCHC academic all-conference team and is currently working to complete his degree in marketing and professional sales.

The final award of the night went to Omaha Mavericks longtime radio broadcaster Terry Leahy, who received the 2024 NCHC media excellence award. Leahy has been a constant presence with Omaha hockey since the program’s inception in 1997. He is the only radio color commentator in the history of the program and in November of this season, he called his 1,000th Mavericks game. During his 27-year tenure, Leahy has been an enthusiastic and well-informed voice on the Omaha airwaves, and remarkably, has missed only four games during his time covering the Mavericks. Leahy was recognized by the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame with the Motto McLean Service to Hockey Award in 2017.

For eight of the individual awards, voting was conducted by the conference’s eight head coaches and one media member covering each school. Athletic directors at each NCHC institution had a vote on Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, as well, along with the coaches and media. The senior scholar-athlete award is voted upon by the conference’s eight faculty athletics representatives (FARs). The sportsmanship award is voted on by an awards committee consisting of NCHC chairs and conference staff from submitted nominations by member schools. The media excellence award is voted on by the conference’s sports information directors (SIDs). The three stars award is based on the highest point totals of ‘stars of the game’ points earned during conference games only (five for first star, three for second star, one for third star).

BRACKETOLOGY EXTRA: Fifteen spots have been filled in the NCAA field with Colorado College, Massachusetts left to claim the last with fractions of a decimal point separating the two

By
-
Alex Bump has compiled 13 goals and 34 points this season for Western Michigan (photo: Ashley Huss).

(This story has been updated to include all scenarios for tonight’s games)

With Friday night’s conference playoffs complete and one champion, Michigan Tech, crowned, we can confidently say that 15 of the 16 spots in the NCAA tournament have been filed.

In order:

1. Boston College*
2. Boston University*
3. Denver*
4. Michigan State*
5. North Dakota
6. Maine
7. Minnesota*
8. Wisconsin*
9. Quinnipiac*
10. Michigan
11. Omaha
12. Western Michigan
16. Michigan Tech (CCHA champion – 33rd in current PairWise)

Other spots will be claimed by the Atlantic Hockey champion, either AIC or RIT and by the ECAC champion, either Cornell or St. Lawrence.

Teams that have the asterisks above are locked into that exact spot, thus we know that Boston College, Boston University, Denver and Michigan State, in that order, will be the No. 1 seeds.

Quinnipiac losing in the ECAC semifinals throws a massive wrench in the at-large bids and crushed some hopes. But when all is said and done, there are only two teams bidding for the final at-large bid: Colorado College and UMass.

Had St. Cloud State advance on Friday past Denver (the Huskies never trailed and lost 5-4 in overtime), the final spot would be either St. Cloud or Colorado College. That would’ve been based on a single game result.

Often times when we get to championship Saturday, it’s that simple, and we can reference “if X wins this game, team A gets in; if X losses, team B gets in.”

In what has already been an incredibly complicated year for Bracketology, shocking that this won’t be anywhere near that clean.

UMass and Colorado College, when all is said and done, will likely be separated by less than .0004 percentage points in the RPI, which will be the final ties breaker. It is actually possible that the math will have to go past the typical fourth decimal place, i.e. we could be talking about the separation by .00001 or even .000001. How is that for close?

Entering Saturday, there are 32 total scenarios left. In 20 of those scenarios (63%) Colorado College will earn the final spot. In 12 of them (37%) UMass will take the final spot.

I’ve tried to identify the 12 scenarios UMass needs to make the tournament (easier than identifying the 20 for CC). Here is what I’ve come up with.

  • Most simply, if BOTH Denver and Cornell win, UMass is in (this accounts for eight different scenarios).
  • If BOTH Denver and Cornell lose, UMass is eliminated; CC receives final at-large bid
  • IF either Denver or Cornell lose, but not BOTH, here are the five winners in the four scenarios where UMass receives final bid:
    • Michigan-AIC-St. Lawrence-Boston College-Denver
    • Michigan State-RIT-St. Lawrence-Boston College-Denver
    • Michigan State-AIC-St. Lawrence-Boston College-Denver
    • Michigan-AIC-Cornell-Boston College-Omaha
  • All other combinations, Colorado College receives the final at-large bid

Basically, UMass is rooting for the top remaining seeds to win but can also benefit from wins by both AIC and Michigan teams UMass beat earlier this season. Colorado College is really rooting for Omaha, as there is only once scenario where Omaha wins tonight and CC misses the tournament.

I’m not going to get into the brackets, yet. Once we know the 16 teams and which team finishes where – Saturday night around midnight barring a long overtime – I’ll share my final bracket prediction. Let’s just say it will likely be as difficult to seed the teams as it is to figure out the final at-large participant.

No. 3 Denver rallies four times, ends No. 17 St. Cloud State’s season in OT to advance to NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship

By
-
Denver players swarm Zeev Buium (28) after the freshman’s overtime winner lifted the Pioneers over St. Cloud State Friday night (photo: Jim Rosvold).

ST. PAUL, Minn. – It can be a very difficult task to end an opponent’s season – especially when you have to rally as many times as Denver did on Friday.

But the Pioneers’ high-powered offense blitzed St. Cloud State with 13 goals in a two-game road sweep three weeks ago, and they had enough offense in their conference tournament semifinal to rally and end their rival’s season earlier than it has ended in seven years.

Zeev Buium capped a three-point night with the game-winning goal, helping No. 3 Denver overcome No. 17 St. Cloud State 5-4 in overtime from the Xcel Energy Center to send the Pioneers to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game and ending the Huskies’ season in the process.

“Proud of our team’s effort tonight,” said Denver coach David Carle. “We have the utmost respect for St. Cloud, Brett Larson, their staff, the season they had and the effort they put in.”

Denver, who went 4-0-1 against St. Cloud State this season, fell behind by a goal four times Friday yet had an answer each time, and they had the final laugh in sealing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament by advancing to Saturday’s final.

“Our guys have executed offensively all year very well,” said Carle. “I think it was a great challenge for us.”

Four different players had go-ahead goals for the Huskies, but they couldn’t manage one more in regulation or in the extra session, and as a result they will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017, two seasons before current head coach Brett Larson took charge.

“It does sting right now for sure – for the older guys especially,” Larson said. “We were always right in there.”

Not much was expected after many key players departed last season’s team, but a young team still made it this far and pushed the nation’s best offense to the extra season in the final game, giving it everything they had in defeat.

“Obviously whenever you get the lead you don’t want to let them score, and get back into it and get the momentum,” said SCSU defenseman Josh Luedtke. “Unfortunately, they were able to answer every time we got the lead, so it stings but our guys left it all out there for sure.”

St. Cloud jumped ahead in the opening minutes as Cooper Wylie scored from the top of the right circle, then Denver tied it about seven minutes later when Buium, the NCHC rookie of the year, made a nice move weaving through SCSU skaters and scored from just out in front of Isak Posch. Nick Portz answered 1:17 later with a goal off an offensive-zone faceoff, but the Pioneers equalized it for the second time late in the first when McKade Webster showed brilliant awareness after winning a battle behind the SCSU net, skating back and tucking it in past Posch, who didn’t react quickly enough to cover the side.

“I just took it to the net and went in,” Webster said. “Nothing much to it, honestly.”

The Huskies took their third lead just a minute into the second period when Adam Ingram beat Matt Davis five-hole after Verner Miettinen found him on a centering feed. Once again, the Pioneers responded when Miko Mattika snapped one home from the top of the right circle, and after Barrett Hall restored St. Cloud State’s lead for the fourth time in the contest with a power-play goal on a rebound out front, Mattika had Denver’s fourth equalizer on a tip in front following a five-minute major in which the Pioneers could not cash in on.

The third period saw DU outshoot SCSU 9-3 and they had more scoring chances, but Posch made some big saves. The best chance for the Huskies came when a Tyson Gross backhand shot hit the pipe.
“I thought he really held us in there,” Larson said of Posch.

Buium finally finished things off in overtime with a nice move and a backhand goal, and the Pioneers advance to face a red-hot Mavericks team coming off a dominant 6-3 victory over North Dakota earlier Friday.

“I don’t know if there’s a hotter team in the country than Omaha right now,” Carle said.

Puck drop between Omaha and Denver is set for 7:30 p.m. CDT Saturday night.

Michigan Tech edges No. 20 Bemidji State to capture 2024 CCHA Mason Cup title, auto-bid to upcoming NCAA tournament

By
-
Michigan Tech is the 2024 Mason Cup champion (photo: Michigan Tech Athletics).

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Before a sold-out crowd of 4,373 at the Sanford Center on the shores of Lake Bemidji, Michigan Tech defeated No. 20 Bemidji State 2-1 to win their first CCHA Mason Cup championship and qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Dueling pep bands and a group of 100-plus Huskies fans, affectionately known as “Misfits,” made for a festive championship atmosphere. One could hear continuous chants of “Let’s Go Huskies” and “Let’s Go Beavers” throughout the game. The Tech fans never sat down and were rewarded with the victory.

“I just wanted to mention, that our guys felt the energy, the show, the atmosphere that was Bemidji,” said MTU coach Joe Shawhan. “The environment tonight was exceptional. It was fun.”

“I want to make sure I thank our fans,” added Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore. “What a night it was. What a memory. This environment was so special. It was exciting to play in this game.”

The Beavers fought hard in the third period, outshooting Tech 17-6, but Huskies goaltender Blake Pietila came up big allowing just one goal on 35 shots.

“This was just a one-shot game. Our goaltending was phenomenal, as always,” remarked Shawhan.

“It’s called desperation,” noted Serratore. “We are down 2-1 and you got to find it. You just had to find our juice. You have to and we did. But Michigan Tech weathered a few storms and they managed the hockey game. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Coming into the game, both teams were on a hot streak. The Beavers were 9-0-1 in their last 10 while the Huskies were 7-2-1. As expected, the game was closely contested where both teams controlled play at various times.

Michigan Tech took a 2-1 lead on a highlight-reel transition goal by Ryland Mosley at 9:20 of the second period. Mosley received a stretch pass from Matthew Campbell as he crossed into the attacking zone. Mosley put on the brakes and broke to the inside, pealing the defender and fired a backhand past Mattias Sholl.

Mosley was named MVP of the game.

“I just kinda through the puck on my backhand and luckily it went in,” commented Mosley.

The Huskies had the momentum early, outshooting Bemidji 10-4 in the opening 10 minutes.

“We were kinda chasing the game early on and they kinda dictated play,” Serratore said. “I thought as the game went on, we got better. It was just one of those games where they made one more play than us.”

The game opened up in the later part of the first as the teams exchanged goals just 52 seconds apart.

Bemidji started the scoring at 14:07 when Kasper Magnussen took a turnaround shot off a pass from Austin Jouppi from just inside left faceoff circle.

The Huskies answered quickly at 14:59 on a rebound shot that defenseman Chase Pietila cleaned up in front of Sholl from 10 feet out. Pietila lifted the puck on his backhand over the Beavers netminder.

Michigan Tech will be either the 15th or 16th seed in the NCAA tournament depending on if St Lawrence wins the ECAC Hockey tournament. There is a strong possibility the Huskies will head east to play Boston College or Boston University. It’s the third straight trip to the NCAA tournament for Michigan Tech.

“Not many players can say they went three years in a row to the national tournament,” Shawhan said. “They earned their way to three straight national tournaments. That’s a huge feat for them.”

The NCAA Selection show will be on Sunday, 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU where the Huskies learn who and where they will play next.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Wisconsin downs Colgate in national semifinal, will rematch Ohio State for 2024 national championship

By
-
Wisconsin players celebrate a goal Friday night en route to playing for a national championship Sunday afternoon (photo: Meg Kelly/UW Athletics).

DURHAM, N.H. — The Wisconsin Badgers will defend their title as they return to the national championship game to face Ohio State for a rematch of the 2023 final.

They defeated Colgate 3-1 Friday evening at Whittemore Center Arena on the University of New Hampshire campus to advance to their 11th title game in program history.

In a game between two teams known for their offensive prowess, it was Wisconsin’s defense that stood out and carried the program into the championship match. The Badgers blocked 24 shots and killed four power plays, including a massive 5-on-3 near the midpoint of the game. Colgate had just four shots on goal in the middle frame and three of them came during the 5-on-3.

“Especially at this time of the season, these teams are good, they have good players, they’re going to get scoring opportunities. How can you nullify those? If you have a group of players collectively willing to do those things, you can eliminate some of those scoring chances and the puck getting to your goaltender,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said about his team blocking shots.

After a back and forth start to the game, Kirsten Simms opened the scoring with a snipe from off a pass from Casey O’Brien. When there was little free ice throughout the game, Simms found herself with the puck in the slot and no one between her and the net.

“I just think the defense kind of cheated towards KK [Harvey] because she was up there. I did have a lot of time and I just kind of thought ‘shot’ in that moment because I knew the defense was cheating over and it was just me and the goalie,” said Simms.

Rookie goalie Ava Mc Naughton came up big again and again in the game, but in particular on the penalty kill, making a couple of point-blank saves and stopping one with her facemask. Wisconsin turned over the puck a few times in their own end early in the third, but McNaughton made the saves.

Midway through the third, defender Vivian Jungels, who had just four goals on the season coming into the Frozen Four, stepped into an offensive breakout and was open for a cross-ice pass from Britta Curl that she cushioned and then snapped back at the net to put the Badgers up 2-0.

Colgate came up short on a power play with about three to go and immediately pulled goalie Kayle Osborne to the bench. The move was successful as Colgate won the puck on the back boards. Neena Brick’s shot was blocked but the loose puck went to Kalty Kaltoukova on the back post and she cut the lead to 2-1 with 2:10. With Osborne back in net, the Raiders could not find the equalizer and Laila Edwards secured the win with an empty-net goal with 12 seconds left on the clock.

Though there were some miscues that could have led to goals, Johnson felt his team executed the game plan and did what the coaches asked of them so they’d be in a good position to win the game.

“I liked the way we defended. Being active blocking shots, having strong sticks, doing some of the little things that in these types of games can go a long way. When you’re challenged, you have to step up to the plate and do some of those things and for a good chunk of the game, we were able to do that,” he said.

“We got challenged and we accepted the challenges in a lot of different areas and came through strong.”

It was a disappointing end to the season for a Colgate team that has four fifth-year players and five seniors on the roster.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s effort tonight and all season long, frankly. I thought tonight’s game was really indicative of how our team has played all year. I think right from the very start, we went for it and I liked the way that we played. It was just a really good college hockey game tonight. And one team had to come out on top,” said Raiders coach Greg Fargo

Wisconsin owns the NCAA record with seven national championships. They have advanced to the title game four of the last five tournaments and won the title in each of their last three appearances in the championship. Ohio State won their first title in 2022. The two teams played five times this season – four regular season games and the WCHA tournament championship. Ohio State swept the Badgers at home with wins of 3-0 and 2-1. On the final weekend of the regular season, the teams split, with OSU winning 3-1 and Wisconsin taking the final game 4-2. The Badgers won their 10th conference tournament title with a 6-3 victory over the Buckeyes.

The national championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday and will air live on ESPNU.

Second-ranked Boston University beats No. 7 Maine, will play No. 1 Boston College in Hockey East title tilt

By
-
Lane Hutson scored for BU in the Terriers’ win over Maine Friday night (photo: Matt Woolverton).

BOSTON — An efficient attack and a steady goaltender were enough for Boston University on Friday night, and as a result the Hockey East championship game will be the matchup (most) fans wanted.

BU — the No. 2 tournament seed and second in the USCHO.com D-I men’s poll — scored a goal in each period (plus an empty-netter in the final seconds) and goalie Mathieu Caron stopped 33 shots for a 4-1 win over No. 3 Maine (No. 7 in the USCHO.com poll) in the Hockey East semifinals Friday night at TD Garden.

“At the end of the day our power play was pretty good,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “And our goaltender was excellent. At the end, we hung on there and did a good job of not giving them too many quality chances. And when they had them, Caron was excellent.”

BU’s win sets up a 1-vs.-2 showdown for the Lou Lamoriello Trophy, with the Terriers set to face crosstown rival Boston College (top tournament seed and No. 1 in the USCHO.com poll) on Saturday night (7 p.m., NESN and ESPN-plus).

It will be the fourth meeting of the season between the two schools and third as the nation’s top two teams. BC has won two of three previous meetings this season.

“I’m sure it’s going to be, obviously, a crazy atmosphere like it always is,” said BU’s Ryan Greene, who scored twice Friday night. “We’re going to be ready. It’s always exciting playing those guys. And playing in the Hockey East championship makes it even more special.”

Lane Hutson’s goal at 9:21 of the second period put the Terriers up 2-0 and proved to be the game winner. On the power play, Macklin Celebrini fed Hutson, who made a nifty move on Maine’s Thomas Freel and skated into the left circle to throw a wrister past Black Bears goalie Albin Boija (14 saves). BU led 2-0 after two.

Hutson’s tally had echoes of one he scored on the same sheet one year earlier, an overtime goal to lead the Terriers to a 3-2 overtime win over Merrimack in the 2023 Hockey East final.

“Being in this situation, being able to play at TD Garden, it’s really cool for our guys,” Hutson said. “Luckily, pucks have been going in, and hopefully it keeps going in.”

The Black Bears did not go quietly. Lynden Breen fed Ben Poisson right in front of the Terriers’ net, where Poisson popped it past Caron at 6:40 to cut BU’s lead to 2-1. It was a huge momentum swing for Maine, who appeared to go down 3-0 on an apparent goal by BU’s Shane Lachance just over two minutes earlier — that goal call was reversed after replay showed the Terriers were offside.

“Our guys played hard — they play hard every night,” Maine coach Ben Barr said. “I feel bad for them that they’re not going to get to play for a championship (but) hopefully we can use that to drive us in the big tournament next week.”

BU got the insurance it needed at 10:43 of the final frame when Greene scored his second of the night, pounding a perfect pass from Macklin Celebrini on the left wing past Boija and into the mesh. The sigh of relief from Terrier fans could be heard all the way to the BU campus.

“Our guys, they do a lot of the talking on the bench this time of year,” Pandolfo said. “They lead the group (and) they hold each other accountable. They said, ‘Hey, it’s not going to hurt us, let’s just keep playing.’ We ended up getting another opportunity on the power play and capitalizing.”

BU opened the scoring midway through the first period when Quinn Hutson found Green high in the slot for a 1-0 lead, which they took into the first intermission. Sam Stevens made it 4-1 with an empty-net goal with 27 seconds to go in the game.

Saturday’s contest will have no bearing on either BU or BC’s NCAA tournament status — BC is already set as the No. 1 overall seed while BU (24-10-2, 15-9-1 Hockey East) will be No. 2.

Maine (23-11-2, 14-10-1 Hockey East) was also assured of an NCAA tourney berth before entering the weekend. The remainder of the 16-team field will be announced Sunday night.

“It’s special, for sure,” Breen said about playing in the NCAA tourney. “We’ll realize that on Monday or Tuesday. Right now, it kind of stinks.”

BU and BC last met for the Hockey East title in 2006, a 2-1 overtime win for the Terriers.

No. 11 Omaha puts six on No. 4-ranked North Dakota to advance to NCHC championship game in inaugural Frozen Faceoff appearance

By
-
Omaha and North Dakota square off Friday night in the first NCHC semifinal (photo: Russell Hons).

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A regular-season-ending sweep of North Dakota put Omaha in great position to make the NCAA tournament.

The Mavericks all but ensured going there after advancing to the Frozen Faceoff, and another dominant victory over the regular-season champs has them within reach of a conference tournament trophy to go with it.

Zach Urdahl scored two of his three goals in the third period to help the Mavericks pull away to beat the Fighting Hawks 6-3 on Friday night in the first NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinal. A surging Omaha program making its debut in the conference semifinals sure left no doubt they belonged here by keeping UND off their game all night at Xcel Energy Center.

“Really proud of our guys’ effort tonight,” said Mavericks coach Mike Gabinet, who brought this program into their first conference tournament semifinal since 2001 when they won a series at Colorado College last weekend. “I thought we played a really good game there start to finish.”

In large part that was thanks to the defense of North Dakota not playing very sharp, as a visibly annoyed coach Brad Berry acknowledged after the game. He thought his goaltender played well, but that he didn’t have enough help from his teammates after Omaha put 35 shots on goal.

“We’re gonna have to play a little tighter defensively,” Berry said.

The regular-season champion Fighting Hawks came out fast knowing what the Mavericks did to them in their last series. NCHC player of the year Jackson Blake found Jackson Kunz out front and Kunz banged it home just 1:18 into the contest, and it was 1-0 North Dakota. Omaha responded with heavy pressure over the next three minutes and eight shots but couldn’t beat Hobie Hedquist.

UND then countered with their forecheck and wouldn’t let UNO record another shot for over 10 minutes while the Hawks piled up shots on their own.

Then Omaha drew a tripping penalty from Keaton Pehrson, and Urdahl tied the game with a power-play goal from the doorstep late in the first, sending the teams into intermission in a 1-1 deadlock.

It turns out the action was just getting started.

It was the Mavericks’ turn to control play offensively for the majority of the period – Matt Miller buried one in front to give UNO the lead and Jimmy Glynn later added a low snipe from the high slot to make it a two-goal lead and seemingly continuing their dominance of the Fighting Hawks from two weeks ago. But Hunter Johannes reminded everyone the game wasn’t over just yet by re-directing in his 8th goal of the season in the dying seconds of the middle period to make it a 3-2 game.

The Mavericks kept it rolling in the third period as Brock Bremer restored the two-goal lead with a backhander that Hedquist couldn’t control. Jake Livanavage brought North Dakota back within one again on a power-play goal, but Urdahl scored two more goals before the end of the game to add insurance and complete the hat trick.

“The puck just did a good job finding me,” Urdahl said.

While the Frozen Faceoff didn’t go as planned for North Dakota, they have the NCAA tournament to prepare for to put this behind them.

“We gotta reset and get ready for next week,” Pehrson said.

The surging Mavericks will face the winner of St. Cloud State and Denver Saturday night.

St. Lawrence blanks No. 6 Quinnipiac, No. 14 Cornell doubles up Dartmouth to advance to ECAC Hockey championship final

By
-
Max Dorrington celebrates his goal Friday night for St. Lawrence (photo: C A Hill Photo).

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Tomáš Mazura, Max Dorrington and Ty Naaykens scored and Ben Kraws pitched the 22-save shutout as St. Lawrence defeated No. 6 Quinnipiac 3-0 in the semifinals of the ECAC Hockey championships at Herb Brooks Arena.

No. 14 Cornell downed Dartmouth 6-3 in the second semifinal.

“The boys played a complete team game and I’m extremely proud of them,” said St. Lawrence coach Brent Brekke “They committed to one another and played to our identity. That is one of the top teams in college hockey and it was a great game. Our boys earned it. I’m sure excited for them and the opportunity to play for a championship tomorrow night.

“Our fan support from the North Country was tremendous. They are always there for us.”

Quinnipiac goalie Vinny Duplessis finished with 22 saves of his own.

In the nightcap, Nick DeSantis had two goals and an assist and Dalton Bancroft, Kyle Penney and Ondrej Psenicka each had a goal and an assist for Cornell.

Ian Shane made 27 stops in goal.

Ryan Walsh also scored and Ben Robertson and Gabriel Seger posted two assists apiece.

For Dartmouth, John Fusco netted two goals and Sean Chisholm had a goal and an assist. Braiden Dorfman added two assists and goaltender Cooper Black turned aside 27 shots.

The ECAC Hockey title game is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Three late goals power Ohio State to 4-1 win over Clarkson as Buckeyes return to national championship game

By
-
Ohio State players celebrate a goal in Friday’s national semifinal win over Clarkson (photo: Ohio State Athletics).

DURHAM, NH — Ohio State will play in their third straight title game on Sunday after defeating Clarkson 4-1 Friday afternoon in Durham, NH.

Makenna Webster, Sloane Matthews, national rookie of the year Joy Dunne and Hadley Hartmetz scored for the Buckeyes to secure the win.

“What an exhilarating game. That’s a playoff game at its finest. A lot of credit to Clarkson. What a fantastic defensive side they have. Brilliant goaltending – a lot of credit to [Pasiechnyk],” said OSU coach Nadine Muzerall.

Clarkson came out strong against OSU and opened the scoring just 2:25 into the game when Brooke McQuigge brought the puck from behind the net and fed Anne Cherkowski, who turned and shot the puck past Buckeye goalie Raygan Kirk to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall said her team started the game playing not to lose instead of playing to win, but that early goal seemed to wake her team up as they started to hold possession. But Clarkson’s stout defense clogged up the middle of the ice, not allowing the Buckeyes to pick up speed or move through the neutral zone the way they would have liked. OSU started to build a lead in shots on goal, but most of them came from the edges as they struggled early to find space in front of the net.

“We knew coming into this game that we’re going to have to weather some storms throughout the entirety of the game. I thought we did a good job with it. We were able to keep some things to the outside. We know they are a shot volume team. They love to get a lot of pucks towards the net. So for us, it was just staying calm, you know, even though they had possession in our zone quite a bit in that first period,” said Clarkson coach Matt Desrosiers.

Makenna Webster tied things up for the Buckeyes with just more than six minutes left in the first as Ohio State’s forecheck kept Clarkson from easily exiting the zone. Jenna Buglioni’s poke check created a turnover that put Webster in alone on Pasiechnyk where she slid the puck through the goalie’s legs to make it a 1-1 game.

“We felt that we were making pushes but just not capitalizing in the tight spaces around the net. We had faith in the girls. They were working real hard to create opportunities,” said Muzerall.

Ohio State outshot the Golden Knights 24-5 in the first, but headed to the locker room tied. They continued to pepper the net, adding 16 more shots in the 2nd and 13 in the third for a total of 53 shots on goal. Clarkson finished the game with 29 blocks while national goalie of the year Michelle Pasiechnyk racked up 49 saves. She was the standout for Clarkson, as expected, stopping several point-blank opportunities and keeping her team in the game.

“There were saves that I think all of our jaws were dropped,” said Ohio State forward Joy Dunne.

The Buckeyes finally broke through with about seven minutes left in regulation as Riley Brengman’s shot was stopped, but the puck was loose in the crease and Sloane Matthews put the rebound away to give her team a 2-1 edge. That seemed to break things open as Joy Dunne came down the ice and put away a wicked shot from the faceoff dot for an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with three minutes to play.

Dunne said her team was not frustrated and even as they scored goals, were not letting up.

“You just have to keep chipping away. We just have to treat it like the first five minutes of a game every time we go out there. We trusted one another,” she said.

Clarkson pulled their goalie to play with an extra attacker just 20 seconds later, but Ohio State had prepared for that situation, knowing how lethal the Golden Knights had been 6 on 5 this season. Hadley Hartmetz’s empty-net goal with 1:54 to play secured the win for OSU, who will await the winner of the second semifinal between Colgate and Wisconsin.

Despite the final score, Desrosiers said he was happy and proud of the game and season his team had played. They were facing the top team in the country and kept them to one goal for more than 46 minutes of hockey.

“I liked the way our team played. We stuck to the game plan that was exactly the type of game that we needed to play and we wanted to play and I thought we executed pretty well,” he said.

The national championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. EDT and will air live on ESPNU.

Three times a semifinalist, Clarkson’s Pasiechnyk tabbed winner of 2024 Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award

By
-
Michelle Pasiechnyk was a Women’s Goalie of the Year semifinalist for the third straight season (photo: Gary Mikel).

The Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association has announced that Clarkson senior Michelle Pasiechnyk has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award.

Voting was carried out by a panel of coaches, administrators and members of the media from across the country.

A native of Ottawa, Ont., Pasiechnyk has been a pillar in goal for the Golden Knights this season and never more than in last week’s 3-2 4OT win over Minnesota in the NCAA quarterfinals. After giving up two goals in the first nine minutes of play, Pasiechnyk shut the door in a phenomenal 61-save performance that included 36 saves in the 65 minutes of overtime.

On the season, Pasiechnyk has started 31 games for Clarkson and has compiled a record of 25-4-1. She brings a 1.29 GAA and .945 save percentage into Friday’s semifinal match with WCHA regular-season champion Ohio State in Durham, N.H.

In addition to Pasiechnyk, the other finalists for the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award were Ohio State senior Raygan Kirk and Northeastern graduate student Gwyneth Philips, the 2023 Goalie of the Year.

After milestone season leading UConn’s women’s hockey team, MacKenzie named national Division I women’s coach of the year

By
-
UConn coach Chris MacKenzie led the Huskies to several milestones this season (photo: UConn Athletics).

For leading his Huskies to an historic season of firsts, UConn’s Chris MacKenzie has been chosen CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year.

Among UConn’s accomplishments: the first Hockey East regular-season title, the first Hockey East tournament crown and the first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.

MacKenzie was assisted this season by Casey Handrahan and Elizabeth Wulf.

Simply put, the 2023-24 season was the most successful season in program history. In addition to the milestones cited above, the Huskies set a program mark for most wins, most conference wins, and longest win streak. MacKenzie led the Huskies to a 25-8-5 overall record and a 19-4-4 record in Hockey East action.

MacKenzie just completed his 11th season in charge of the UConn women’s program and enjoys a record of 151-157-43 in Storrs. Counting two years as head coach at Niagara, his overall career mark is 175-188-53. He was named the second head coach in Husky program history in May of 2013.

MacKenzie coached on the Division I men’s side for eight seasons at UMass-Lowell and followed that experience with a year as an assistant with the Ohio State women’s program.

As a player and 2000 graduate at Niagara, MacKenzie served as a team captain for all four seasons upon the program’s inception in 1996. As a senior, he helped the Purple Eagles to a CHA regular-season and tournament championship as well as an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals. He set several records at Niagara, including most goals, assists and points in a career and season by a defenseman. MacKenzie received player of the year honor in 1998 and was a CHA all-star in 2000.

MacKenzie earned his bachelor of arts in commerce from Niagara in 2000, graduating Cum Laude, and earned a master of arts in psychology from UMass Lowell in 2003.

The runner-up for this year’s CCM/AHCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year Award was Clarkson’s Matt Desrosiers.

Ohio State freshman Dunne garners national honors, wins 2024 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year Award

By
-
Joy Dunne has had an exceptional first season with Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).

Ohio State freshman forward Joy Dunne has been chosen by the nation’s assistant coaches as the winner of the 2024 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year Award.

Dunne enters the NCAA Frozen Four with a line of 22-18-40 in 37 games for the Buckeyes. She was a major factor in Ohio State capturing the WCHA’s regular-season title and earning the top seed for the NCAA tournament. They bring a 33-4 record to Durham, N.H., for the Frozen Four, fresh off a 9-0 NCAA quarterfinal win over Minnesota Duluth.

Dunne, a native of O’Fallon, Mo., had a goal and an assist in the victory. Dunne carded two hat tricks this season (vs. Bemidji State on Nov. 3 and vs. Minnesota on Jan. 12) and had 12 multi-point games in 2023-24. Her stats also include 146 shots on goal and a remarkable plus-36 plus/minus.

The national women’s rookie of the year is chosen by a vote of the NCAA Division I schools’ assistant coaches, with one vote per staff.

The award is named after the former Harvard and U.S. Olympic standout who recorded 93 points as a freshman during the 2003-04 season, en route to a career in which she set an NCAA record with 284 career points. The names on the ballot are each conference’s rookie of the year.

The runner-up for this year’s award was Colgate forward Emma Pais.

The other finalists were Sacred Heart forward Isabel Chaput, Robert Morris forward Alaina Giampietro, and Boston College forward Sammy Taber.

NCAA Division III men’s hockey All-Americans revealed for 2023-24 season

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

NCAA Division II-III men’s head coaches have recognized the top 30 hockey players in their division by selecting them as CCM Hockey/AHCA All-Americans for 2023-24.

First Team East
Devon Bobak, SO, Trinity, Goalie
Danny Magnuson, JR, Skidmore, Defense
Brian Scoville, SR, Utica, Defense
Shane Bull, SR, Oswego, Forward
Tanner Hartman, SO, Hobart, Forward
Will Redick, SO, Plymouth State, Forward

First Team West
Samuel Vyletelka, JR, Augsburg, Goalie
Connor Kalthoff, JR, St. Olaf, Defense
Jaden Shields, SR, Adrian, Defense
Liam Fraser, JR, St. Norbert. Forward
Zachary Heintz, SR, Adrian, Forward
Adam Stacho, SR, St. Norbert, Forward

Second Team East
Ty Outen, JR, Stevenson, Goalie
Ned Blanchard, SR, Trinity, Defense
Alex Wilkins, GR, Geneseo, Defense
Ignat Belov, SO, Hobart, Forward
Artem Buzoverya, SR, Hobart, Forward
Andrew Kurapov, SR, Endicott, Forward

Second Team West
Dershahn Stewart, SR, Adrian, Goalie
Dayton Deics, SO, St. Norbert, Defense
Mick Heneghan, SR, UW-Stevens Point, Defense
Fletcher Anderson, JR, UW-Stevens Point, Forward
Tyler Kostelecky, SO, Bethel, Forward
Mathew Rehding, SR, Adrian, Forward

Third Team East
Tate Brandon, SR, Skidmore, Goalie
Cole Jungwirth, JR, Wilkes, Defense
James Philpott, JR, Hamilton, Defense
Tyler Flack, SR, Oswego, Forward
Liam McCanney, JR, Stevenson, Forward
Bennett Stockdale, SR, Plattsburgh, Forward

Hobart’s Taylor collects second straight Edward Jeremiah Award as top NCAA Division III men’s college hockey coach

By
-
Mark Taylor has won the Jeremiah Award in consecutive seasons (photo: Hobart Athletics).

For once again leading Hobart into the NCAA men’s Division III Frozen Four at Trinity, Mark Taylor has been named winner of the 2024 Edward Jeremiah Award as the CCM/AHCA Division III Men’s Coach of the Year.

Taylor becomes only the third Division II-III coach to win this award in back-to-back years. The others were Norwich coach Mike McShane in 1999 and 2000 and Bowdoin coach Sid Watson in 1970 and 1971, the first two years the award was presented.

Taylor, the 2024 NEHC coach of the year, guided the Statesmen to a 26-2-1 record entering the national semifinals. The 26 wins are the second most in a single season in program history. The Statesmen went 17-0-0 on home ice this season on its way to capturing their third straight NECHC regular-season title with a 16-1-1 mark in conference play. The Statesmen defeated Skidmore 5-0 to claim their second straight NEHC tournament title. Hobart has won an NCAA Division III-record 37 consecutive games at The Cooler.

The Canton, N.Y., native’s charges are first in the nation in penalty-killing percentage (.966), scoring defense (1.00), scoring margin (+4.38), scoring offense (5.38) and winning percentage (.914). They are sixth in the nation in power-play percentage (.288). He has guided the statesmen to five straight 20-win seasons and 20 consecutive winning seasons. His career record stands at 403-176-55. The Statesmen have been selected to nine straight NCAA tournaments and 13 overall. This is Hobart’s fifth trip to the national semifinals.

Now in his 24th year, Taylor continues to add to his reputation as the most successful coach in Hobart hockey history. Entering the national semifinals, he has compiled a record of 404-176-55 (.680), while earning 13 NCAA tournament bids and five trips to the national semifinals (2006, 2009, 2019, 2023, 2024). He has been named the conference’s coach of the year nine times, earning recognition from the ECAC West six times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2015 and 2016) and the NEHC three times (2022, 2023, 2024).

Taylor is known as a tremendous motivator and recruiter of all of Hobart’s All-Americans. Six Statesmen have earned conference player of the year award recognition under Taylor’s leadership.

A 1985 graduate of Elmira, Taylor was the Soaring Eagles’ MVP and an All-ECAC selection as a senior. He transferred to Elmira after a pair of National Junior College Athletic Association championships at Canton, earning All-American defenseman honors for the Northstars.

The Edward Jeremiah Award is named in honor of the great Dartmouth College head coach and was first presented in 1970.

Taylor was assisted this year by Niko Kovachis. The runner-up for this year’s Jeremiah Award was Matthew Greason of Trinity.

Top-ranked Boston College routs No. 13 UMass for first Hockey East title game berth since 2019

By
-
Ryan Leonard celebrates one of BC’s eight goals Friday afternoon (photo: Joe Sullivan).

BOSTON — It was a blowout, pure and simple.

But officially, Boston College’s 8-1 win over Massachusetts in the Hockey East semifinals at TD Garden will be recorded as a come-from-behind victory for the Eagles, who actually trailed for a brief stint in the first period.

For BC coach Greg Brown, UMass’s opening goal at 6:33 of the opening frame set the tone for the rest of his team’s night, and in a good way.

“One of the very best parts of our game was when we gave up that first goal,” Brown said. “Bench energy was terrific. Guys stayed really positive. Not one person hung their head. (There) wasn’t any kind of desperation.”

BC responded with a four-goal outburst in the second period to clinch its first trip to the Hockey East championship game in five years.

Gabe Perreault and Andre Gasseau scored just over two minutes apart to open the middle frame to break a 1-1 deadlock. The Eagles scored twice more in the second and added three in the third to cruise to their 11th straight win on Friday night at TD Garden.

The Eagles, top seed in Hockey East and the No. 1 team in the USCHO.com men’s D-I poll, will face either No. 2 Boston University or No. 3 Maine in Saturday’s championship (7 p.m., NESN and ESPN-plus).

BC will make its first appearance in the conference final since 2019, when it lost 3-2 to Northeastern. The Eagles seek their first Hockey East championship since 2012, when it beat Maine 4-1 and went on to win the NCAA championship.

Will Smith and Cutter Gauthier lit the lamp for the Eagles (30-5-1, 21-3-1) 46 seconds apart in the second period to give BC a commanding 5-1 lead entering the final frame. In all, BC got scoring from 11 different players.

“That was just hard work there on the forecheck,” Smith said about his goal at 16:03 of the second. “We got a lucky bounce there. (Gauthier’s) goal was huge for momentum.”

UMass opened the scoring at 6:33 of the first period when Lucas Mercuri took a centering feed from Ryan Lautenbach on the right wing and fired a wrister past BC goalie Jacob Fowler (27 saves). BC erased that lead less than two minutes later when Ryan Leonard scored on a power play, his 27th of the season.

Any chance No. 5 UMass (No. 13 USCHO) had of asserting itself fizzled late in the first period when it failed to convert on a five-minute power play, awarded when BC’s Mike Posma was sent to the box for a major contact-to-the-head penalty at 14:34. The Minutemen took 12 shots during the major but were unable to crack Fowler’s code.

“That could have helped us out,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “We moved it around pretty well but all in all, it was pretty unfortunate for us tonight.”

UMass (20-13-3, 12-11-2), which was seeking its third Hockey East tournament title in four seasons, now must wait to see if it will qualify for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Minutemen entered the weekend 12th in the PairWise, the rating system used to determine tournament qualification. A ratings analysis before Friday’s semifinal put UMass as a 79 percent chance to make the 16-team NCAA field, which will be announced Sunday night.

“It will come right down to the wire,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “If we make it, great. If we don’t, we have only ourselves to blame.”

UMass provided the tournament’s only upset so far when it upended No. 4 Providence 3-1 in the semifinals.

Boston College put an exclamation point on their evening with two more tallies to open the third period, with Aram Minnetian scoring 3:00 in and Perreault notching his second of the night at 5:04. Gauthier made it 8-1 with a power-play goal at 17:29, his second of the night and league-leading 27th Hockey East goal of the season (34th overall).

The Eagles are assured of the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, regardless of how the rest of the Hockey East tournament unfolds.

“Those eight goals don’t come from super highlight reel plays,” Gauthier said. “They come from little details, like winning puck battles and making smart plays. I thought we did that for a full 60 minutes tonight.”

Trinity netminder Bobak winner of 2024 Sid Watson Award as best player in NCAA Division III men’s college hockey

By
-
Devon Bobak put up stellar numbers this season in the Trinity crease (photo: Trinity Athletics).

Devon Bobak, a sophomore goaltender from Trinity, is the recipient of the 2024 Sid Watson Award.

The award, voted on by the nation’s Division III head coaches, is presented to the best player at the men’s NCAA Division III level by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Bobak is the ninth NESCAC player to receive this award but the first from Trinity.

During his sophomore campaign, the Northwood, Ohio, native holds a 24-3-1 record with a career-best 1.25 goals-against average, a career-best .943 save percentage and a career-high 550 saves. Bobak logged a program-record seven shutouts on the season, including back-to-back shutouts against Tufts in the NESCAC championship and Elmira in the NCAA quarterfinals. Nationally, Bobak ranks third in goals-against average and eighth in save percentage. Bobak led the NESCAC in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts on the year.

Goaltending success is nothing new for Bobak. He was chosen all-NESCAC second team a year ago as a freshman. He was fourth in the nation for goals-against average (1.41) and posted a .934 save percentage, with five shutouts.

The runner-up for this year’s Sid Watson Award was Artem Buzoverya, a senior forward from Hobart.

Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Sid Watson Award honors the memory of former Bowdoin head coach and athletic director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA coach of the year, Watson served Bowdoin for more than 30 years, winning 326 games in 24 seasons as head coach.

1...626364...1,531Page 63 of 1,531

Latest Stories from around USCHO

‘A proud day’ as former Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey captain Brodt tabbed new head coach for St. Scholastica

USCHO Staff -

Denver sophomore blueliner, recent Wild signee Buium tabbed USCHO Player of the Year for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Western Michigan’s Ferschweiler leads Broncos to national championship, named unanimous USCHO Coach of the Year for 2024-25 campaign

USCHO Staff -

After 48-point freshman season with Boston University, Hutson adds to accolades with 2024-25 USCHO Rookie of the Year honor

USCHO Staff -

Wisconsin’s Simms, McNaughton, Minnesota’s Primerano take home final women’s hockey HCA monthly honors for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Final HCA men’s hockey monthly honors for ’24-25 season go to Western Michigan’s Washe, BU’s Hutson, Denver’s Davis, Bentley’s Hasley, Minnesota State’s Tracy

USCHO Staff -

Norwich grad Dawes named new men’s hockey coach for Cadets, leaves Stevenson after nine seasons behind Mustangs bench

USCHO Staff -

Trio of All-USCHO teams announced for 2024-25 NCAA Division I men’s college hockey season

USCHO Staff -

NHL’s Devils sign Boston University forward Lachance, who gives up last two years of NCAA eligibility

USCHO Staff -

Minnesota men’s hockey coach Motzko, who ‘knows what it takes to have success,’ named head coach of 2026 U.S. National Junior Team

USCHO Staff -

Kaplan inks NHL deal with Philadelphia, leaves Boston University after junior season

USCHO Staff -

After pair of seasons, national championship with Western Michigan, Bump leaves Broncos for NHL contract with Flyers

USCHO Staff -
©1996-2025 USCHO.com – U.S. College Hockey Online