Connor Kurth has been an offensive bright spot this season for the Gophers (photo: Kelly Hagenson).
The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Minnesota junior forward Connor Kurth to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season.
Kurth will report to the Syracuse Crunch and play the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an AHL tryout.
Kurth skated in 40 games with Minnesota this season, recording 18 goals and 39 points with a team-leading four game-winning tallies. The Lindstrom, Minn., native finished the campaign with a plus-31 rating, the highest among all Gopher skaters and tied for third in the NCAA. Among all Minnesota skaters, Kurth ranked first for plus/minus, second for goals and tied for second for points.
He appeared in 115 career games with the Gophers, logging 32 goals and 71 points with six game winners.
Kurth was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round (192nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Mike Schafer’s coaching career came to an end Saturday, and he acknowledged another longtime coach as he processed things (File photo)
TOLEDO, Ohio — Mike Schafer was going through the emotions.
He was angry after an overtime loss to Boston University on Saturday brought down the curtain on his 30-season head coaching tenure at Cornell.
He was contemplative about the state of college sports and his Big Red players’ spot in it as what he called “the truest student-athletes.”
He was self-deprecating in the admission of being “the best friggin’ coach going in the first round of the NCAA” who “just couldn’t get it done in the second round.”
And Schafer looked out into the group of people sitting in front of him in a news conference at Huntington Center, where the Big Red fell 3-2 to the Terriers, and spotted someone who knows all about the journey.
Bob Daniels, the coach at Ferris State for the last 33 years, also was on a retirement tour this season. Schafer announced this would be his last campaign at Cornell last June; Daniels made it public in January.
Daniels was on site at the regional as a member of the NCAA Division I men’s hockey committee.
“Good friend. Coached 33 years,” Schafer said from the dais. “We have a saying in our locker room and I put it on our T-shirt: ‘Only we know.’ Only we know as coaches what our wives go through, what our family goes through.
“And fans think they know; they have no idea. It’s everybody’s job, right? No one knows what an AD does or vice president or president. No one knows. So I’m grateful for our fans but I’m really grateful for the camaraderie of Bobby.”
Schafer’s career ended with a 561-300-117 record, putting him 22nd on the NCAA men’s hockey all-time coaching wins list. This year’s Big Red made an impressive run through the postseason to add to the total.
They finished sixth in ECAC Hockey after being decimated by injuries but had a lot of the pieces back in place by the postseason. Goalie Ian Shane was back in form as Cornell dumped Yale in the opening round, then went on the road to sweep Colgate.
A late rally led to an overtime win over Quinnipiac in the ECAC semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the Big Red capped off Schafer’s seventh playoff title by beating Clarkson.
Another frantic finish Thursday with a 4-3 win over Michigan State got them to the regional final, where it was heartbreak again. Cornell has lost its last eight times reaching the game before the Frozen Four since Schafer’s only trip to the NCAA semifinals in 2003.
Amid the appreciation Schafer expressed about a half-hour after the Quinn Hutson overtime goal went in, the competitor in Schafer also came through.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there wasn’t a lot of anger there for losing tonight,” he said.
Schafer played defense for four years at Cornell from 1982 to 1986. Then-Big Red coach Lou Reycroft gave him “the chance of a lifetime” with an assistant coaching position paying $14,000 right out of college. He stayed in that role for four seasons before going to a similar position at Western Michigan for five.
When he returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1995, the Ithaca Journal recalled a 1983 game against Harvard in which Schafer skated out after his name was called in pregame introductions and broke his stick over his head.
“The Lynah Rink crowd went berserk and Cornell ended up winning the game,” the newspaper reported.
It seems that Schafer has always been emotional in one way or another.
On Saturday, the last note was of appreciation.
“It’s given me everything,” Schafer said of coaching at Cornell. “It’s given my family everything. It’s given me joy. It’s given me security, a great place in Ithaca to raise my kids. It has done everything in life that I think any person would want. So it’s not bad: Good career and an unbelievable wife and family. That’s all you can ask for.”
Dane Jackson takes in the action during a recent UND hockey game (photo: Russell Hons).
North Dakota announced on Saturday night that Dane Jackson has been named the 17th head coach of the hockey program.
Jackson was chosen from a finalist field that included Matt Smaby, Jason Herter and Nick Fohr.
“Tonight, I could not be happier to announce Dane Jackson as our next head coach,” said UND director of athletics Bill Chaves in a statement. “Dane articulated a very clear plan in the modern landscape of Division I athletics and we look forward to supporting him in achieving the goals that he has set out for the program. Finally, I want to thank everyone who assisted and provided invaluable feedback along the way. Our candidate pool was tremendous as indicated by the four finalists but I believe this is Dane’s time to lead UND hockey.”
Jackson has spent the last 19 years on the bench for North Dakota, serving as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2015-16 season. He has primarily coached the team’s forwards and penalty kill, while also working directly with UND’s forwards and defense on individual skill development throughout the year.
“I am very humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to become the next leader of the North Dakota hockey program,” said Jackson. “I feel fortunate of all the things that I have learned from the UND culture, and it is this special place that has shaped my playing and coaching career. I am looking forward to getting right to hard work with our staff to make our program and great University proud. I want to thank Dr. Andy Armacost, Bill Chaves and Erik Martinson for having the trust in me to lead this program.”
During his time at UND, Jackson’s penalty-killing units have annually ranked among the best in the nation and have led their conference in PK percentage seven times. UND has also ranked among the top three in its conference in 12 of the last 15 years under Jackson.
Jackson joined UND in 2006 after serving as head coach and player personnel director for the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League. Prior to coaching at Adirondack, Jackson spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs. The Monarchs posted 102- and 109-point seasons during Jackson’s two seasons there.
A native of Castlegar, B.C., Jackson played for UND from 1988 to 1992 and registered 59 goals and 103 points in 150 career games, serving as an alternate captain as a senior. He was drafted in the third round (44th overall) by Vancouver in the 1988 NHL Draft.
After finishing his collegiate playing career, Jackson went on to enjoy an 11-year professional playing career that included stints in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.
He was a captain five times during his professional playing career and won community service awards in two separate cities (Syracuse, N.Y. and Hamilton, Ontario). He was also honored with the Rochester Americans’ (AHL) Leadership and Dedication Award in 2000-01.
Western Michigan struck twice during a major power play and held on for a 2-1 victory over UMass to advance to the program’s first Frozen Four (photo: Tim Brule)
FARGO, N.D. – You can now add “Frozen Four Participant” among the achievements of the most successful season in Western Michigan hockey history.
Two goals scored on a late second-period five-minute power play got the Broncos going after a slow start, and they were able to hold on for a 2-1 victory Saturday night at Scheels Arena in the West Regional final, sending the NCHC regular season and tournament champs to both their school-record 32nd victory and their first-ever Frozen Four.
“I could not be more proud of this group or happy for them, the way they care about each other, the way they came together and the way they succeeded all season,” said fourth-year Broncos head coach Pat Ferschweiler.
Dans Locmelis scored a goal for Massachusetts to help earn himself all-region honors and Michael Hrabal made 25 saves, but a late-season run for the Minutemen ended just short of a third Frozen Four berth; they won the national championship in their previous appearance in 2021.
“I’m so proud of what we have here at UMass,” said defenseman Linden Alger, a graduate player who had been the last remaining player on the roster from the 2021 championship team. “I couldn’t thank the program enough for what they’ve given me, stuff that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.”
“Always tough when your season ends,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. “Very proud of our kids.”
As the teams played each other tough throughout most of the first ten minutes, it was UMass breaking through first to go up 1-0 just over halfway through the first period. Locmelis, whose second of two assists Thursday came on Aydar Suniev’s overtime winner, continued his good play in the West Regional by scoring his eighth goal of the season. It was also the lone goal scored Saturday by either team at even strength, something that proved key at the end as Carvel noted.
“They were the better team, especially better special teams,” he said. “To me, that was the whole game.”
The Broncos looked lost offensively from that point on and when they badly needed a spark, it was Suniev who gave momentum back to the Broncos with two critical boarding penalties in the second period, the latter of which was successfully challenged by WMU into a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 18:14. Twenty-one seconds later, Liam Valente tied the game with a one-time blast from the top of the right circle. Then early in the third while still on the power play, Tim Washe camped in front of the net to tip home a shot from the top of the right circle by Brian Kramer to give the Broncos the lead.
“Power play this year has got to be able to decide the game,” Washe said. “And it did that for us tonight. We were able to score two. It was big.”
“Any goal lifts your team, you know, and you got to get that first goal. And then we really started to believe and come out,” Ferschweiler said. “The next one was big for us as well.”
Then came another big test in the quest for the first Frozen Four spot for WMU – killing a major themselves. Shortly after the Washe goal, Iiro Hakkarainen was penalized for contact to the head. But they were able to get the kill and keep momentum on their side.
“We want to help [Hampton Slukynsky] out and just kind of kill that clock down as much as we could,” Washe said.
The Broncos later held on with UMass pushing with the extra attacker for the final 1:49, sending the mostly WMU-pro crowd of 4,329 into a frenzy after the clock hit triple zeroes.
The Broncos will face Sunday’s Denver-Boston College winner in two weeks in St. Louis.
Hobart takes aim at a 3-peat on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Kevin Colton/Hobart)
Here we go. One final game left in what has been a sensational D3 hockey season.
Hobart and Utica will play for the title on Sunday night.
Hobart is looking to compete the 3-peat and join elite company. The Statesmen can end the year as the first team to win three in a row since Middlebury in 2006.
Utica, of course, is looking for its first title in program history.
Without further delay, here are the championship game picks from Tim and I.
Utica v. Hobart
TC – It only makes sense that the host team and defending champions should battle for the title after Friday’s dramatic semifinal round where a pair of 2-1 games determined the championship participants.
One can only hope we have a game like last year’s NCAA semifinal involving great flow and exciting hockey to cap off an amazing year of D-III hockey.
Damon Beaver will make it difficult to score for the Pioneers and the newly found defensive system in front of Ryan Piros has made it equally challenging for Utica’s opponents in the NCAA tournament so don’t think there will be offensive fireworks in this low-scoring affair.
Usually, it is a surprise player that scores the biggest goal and in this case, it might be a Shane Shell or an Austin Mourar who nets the game-winner for the three-peat for the Statesmen.
To be the champ you need to beat the champ but not on Sunday as the home team shows why they have been nationally ranked No. 1 all season and take the hardware again. – Hobart, 3-2
BL – I predicted Utica’s win over Curry in the national semifinal. Can the Pioneers pull off another surprise win? Perhaps. But it’s hard to bet against the reigning champions.
Ryan Piros has been impressive in goal and he’s going to give Utica a real shot to win this game.
Offensively, Utica has a lot of options and has scored 131 goals on the year.
Hobart has scored 125 goals and has a pretty good goalie of its own in Damon Beaver. I don’t expect a ton of goals getting scored and I can see this one being decided in overtime. In the end, Hobart wins and continues its impressive run at the top. Hobart, 2-1
That’s a wrap for picks for the season. And as Tim always says, Drop the Puck!
Boston University celebrates Quinn Hutson’s overtime goal against Cornell in the Toledo Regional final Saturday (photo: Megan Milewski).
TOLEDO, Ohio — Quinn Hutson’s shot from the right point got the job done in overtime for Boston University.
Make it three Frozen Fours in as many seasons for the Terriers after Hutson delivered 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the extra session for a 3-2 victory over Cornell on Saturday.
Now the Terriers are looking to take the next step and get past the national semifinals.
Hutson got a pass back from Ryan Greene along the right boards and teed up a slap shot that eluded the block attempt of Cornell’s Tyler Catalano at the top of the crease and goalie Ian Shane.
“I just froze,” Hutson said. “I figured it went when everyone was celebrating. It was a great feeling.”
Boston University (23-13-2) is 3-for-3 in making the Frozen Four under coach Jay Pandolfo, who also appeared there four times in four seasons as a Terriers player in the 1990s.
BU will make its 25th Frozen Four appearance with a semifinal against the winner of the Allentown Regional, either UConn or Penn State, on April 10 in St. Louis.
“We have a special group of players, guys that have a lot of talent,” Pandolfo said. “Our young guys have played in big moments coming into Boston University, so that’s helped them. It’s fun to coach these guys. It’s a challenge sometimes but at the end of the day these guys are great players and they want to win and they want to do what’s right for the team. And you saw that tonight.”
Cornell (19-11-6) has lost eight straight regional finals since its last Frozen Four appearance in 2003, and this defeat ended the coaching career of Mike Schafer after 30 seasons. He announced last June that he was retiring after this campaign; Casey Jones is set to take over.
“I asked these guys are you willing to commit yourself fully … without knowing the end result,” Schafer said. “I think that’s the key to success and happiness as an athlete, as a person. Man, these guys did that.
“They got knocked out their sophomore year, knocked out last year, knocked out again this year. They didn’t get what they wanted, which is a national championship. Everybody wants it. But to absolutely do everything in your will — eat, train, compete — that’s an ideal team. And I have the ideal team.”
Jack O’Leary tied it at 2-2 with 5:30 remaining for the Big Red after Cole Hutson put BU ahead with a power-play goal in the opening minute of the third period.
Cole Hutson looped around the top of the zone to the left side and fired just before he got to the goal line. The puck snuck in the small window of space up high on the near side, next to Shane’s head.
“He called his number on that play, I’m just going to tell you right now,” Pandolfo said.
Cornell got a power play with 8:52 remaining after BU’s Matt Copponi was called for tripping. The Big Red’s Ondrej Psenicka set up for a deflection in the slot but it went just wide right.
O’Leary helped start the play that tied it a few minutes later, however, poking the puck free along the boards. He got it back from Tim Rego on the left side and spun into the slot for a shot that kissed the left post on its way in.
“I thought we played with some pretty good pace throughout a lot of our pushes,” Cornell defenseman Hank Kempf said. “Even in overtime, we had some good looks. Their goalie came up big a few times and sometimes the bounces just didn’t go our way.”
The Terriers regrouped after O’Leary’s tying goal, and Quinn Hutson said the team’s experience of pulling itself together goes back to November, when it rallied from a 3-1 deficit after two periods to beat Notre Dame for the Friendship Four title.
“We’ve been coming from behind in games all year,” he said. “We don’t get nervous when we go down. We’re always playing to the very end, and we did that tonight.”
Video replay had an impact on two calls in the opening period.
BU got a five-minute power play with two minutes left before the intermission after officials reviewed a post-whistle scrum during a TV timeout and ruled Ryan Walsh guilty of a face mask penalty. Under the wording of Rule 47, a major penalty without a game misconduct meant the referees saw Walsh’s open hand move back and forth against a BU player’s face mask; any grabbing or twisting is supposed to be a major and a game misconduct or disqualification.
The Big Red killed the first two minutes of the penalty before the intermission with six saves from Shane, one with his glove on Greene in front of the net. Cornell got a two-minute reprieve when BU’s Devin Kaplan was called for slashing at the end of the period. The Terriers attempted only one shot in the final minute after the power play resumed.
A Cornell challenge prompted a video review that gave the Big Red a brief first-period lead. BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov got his blocker on a Dalton Bancroft shot from the left side on a rush but the rebound popped into the slot.
Walsh, driving to the crease, had the puck bounce off his body and into the net. The goal was immediately waved off by the referee, who indicated a hand pass to score.
But the referees overturned the call after a lengthy review. Rule 83.6.2 allows goals off the body or hand to stand if they’re not directed in deliberately.
The Terriers had a quick response. Matt Copponi drove up the middle of the ice past Kempf and got off a shot that Shane turned away with his left pad. The puck rebounded in off Kempf’s skate, completing the pair of unusual goals in the opening frame.
Shane (40 saves) and Yegorov (37) were strong throughout a scoreless second period. Shane turned away Jack Hughes’ shot from close range just over six minutes into the frame and stayed with Jack Harvey on a final-minute breakaway to stop the shot with his right pad.
Cornell’s Jake Kraft got off a shot and a rebound try before he collided with Yegorov.
Boston University’s top line of Shane Lachance, Ryan Greene and Quinn Hutson was on the ice when Cornell equalized in the third period. It was no coincidence to Pandolfo that the same trio was responsible for the winner.
“That’s when you learn about our players and our team,” he said. “I knew they wanted to get that goal back, and they did.”
Karsen Dorwart leaves Michigan State after three seasons to sign with the NHL Philadelphia Flyers (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Michigan State undrafted forward Karsen Dorwart has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
Dorwart will report to the Flyers for the remainder of the season, according to Flyers general manager Daniel Briere in a news release.
Dorwart is an undrafted center who just completed his third season with Michigan State.
Dorwart skated in 35 games this season for the Spartans tallying 13 goals and 31 points. He ranked second on the team in scoring and was tied for the most power play goals (5).
Dorwart and the Spartans lost 4-3 in overtime to Cornell in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He had a goal and an assist in the game.
In three seasons at Michigan State, Dorwart had 38 goals and 54 assists for 92 points through 111 games.
Matthew Wood spent his junior season at Minnesota (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
After playing one season with Minnesota, junior forward Matthew Wood inked his first professional contract Saturday, signing a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
Wood was a first-round selection, No. 15 overall, of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft and played his first two NCAA seasons at UConn before joining the Golden Gophers for the 2024-25 campaign.
He finishes his NCAA career with 44 goals and 57 assists for 101 points in 109 games and landed on the all-Big Ten honorable mention team while playing for Minnesota.
The Nanaimo, B.C., product tied for second on the team with a career-high 39 points behind 17 goals and 22 assists and owned a plus-19 rating this season. He had a point in all four postseason games for the Gophers to end his tenure on a five-game point streak, his third streak of five games.
Wood burst onto the scene opening night behind a three-assist performance versus Air Force and closed the campaign with 12 points in his last 11 appearances, including a four-game goal streak from Mar. 1-9. He recorded 12 outings with multiple points for the year, while scoring all three of his power-play tallies in the final nine outings.
Minnesota sophomores Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel are off to the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks (photos: Minnesota Athletics).
Minnesota sophomore forward Oliver Moore and sophomore defenseman Sam Rinzel both inked their first professional contracts Saturday and will join the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks via three-year, entry-level deals.
The 19th overall selection in the first round by the Blackhawks in 2023, Moore took to the ice in 77 career games during his two years with the Gophers. He totaled 66 points on 21 goals and 45 assists, while amassing a plus-minus rating of plus-29.
The Mounds View, Minn., native was a Big Ten all-freshman team selection a season ago and twice named a B1G star of the week in his tenure. The center was given Minnesota’s Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award following the 2023-24 campaign and is the only player in program history to win two gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Moore put together back-to-back 33-point campaigns for the Gophers and had a career-best 12 goals this season, including a stretch of seven goals in 12 outings from Jan. 24-Mar. 8. He also scored both of his power-play goals during that span and closed the season with 13 points in the final 11 appearances. Thanks to seven multi-point outings this year, Moore recorded 16 for his college career with Minnesota winning all 16 contests.
Rinzel was a first-round selection, No. 25 overall, of Chicago in the 2022 NHL Draft before not missing any of 79 career games with the Gophers during his two years on campus.
From his spot along the blue line, he tallied 60 points on 12 goals and 48 assists and was a plus-43 in his career. Rinzel was an all-B1G first team selection this season after landing on the all-B1G second team and all-freshman team as a rookie. He earned a B1G star of the week honor in each of his two seasons and was chosen as Minnesota’s Frank Pond Rookie of the Year.
A product of Chanhassen, Minn., Rinzel had a breakout sophomore campaign, earning Big Ten defensive player accolades thanks to a career-high 10 goals and 32 points in 2024-25. He paced the conference and ranked sixth nationally for points and eighth in goals by a defenseman this year.
Rinzel became a power-play threat this season scoring three times, two of which went down as game-winning goals, and totaled 13 points on the man advantage. Rinzel also put together eight outings with multiple points as a sophomore, including a pair of multi-goal efforts, and closed his tenure with a point in each of his final four appearances.
Matt DiMarsico scored twice, including one of three Penn State goals in the first period as the Nittany Lions upset top-seeded Maine, 5-1, and will play UConn in the regional final (photo: Penn State Athletics/x.com)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Call it Pegula Ice Arena East, perhaps, but the Penn State Nittany Lions seem to enjoy playing at their second home of the PPL Center.
In front of a white-out audience of 7,358 that was largely made up of their raucous fans, host Penn State rebounded from an early deficit with five unanswered goals to punch its ticket to the Allentown regional final with a 5-1 rout of Maine tonight.
“There’s so many games at Pegula where we ride the Roar Zone, since its inception,” said Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky. “We had a big chunk of it in Allentown, and it was awesome to ride that wave and have their support.”
Maine, the fourth-ranked team overall in NCAA Division I, grabbed an early lead in a rough-and-tumble first period that saw no less than six penalties called, three per team. The scoring started when a puck popped up into the air in front of the Penn State net, then landed behind goaltender Arsenii Sergeev and slipped over the goal line to put the top-seeded Black Bears on top. Maine defenseman Bodie Nobes was credited with the goal at 4:08.
The Nittany Lions responded less than a minute later, and just eight seconds into their first power play, when JJ Wiebusch scored off a cross-ice pass from Aiden Fink following a face-off in the Maine end to tie the contest at 5:04. The Black Bears’ Thomas Freel had been called for boarding, one of three consecutive boarding calls whistled in the opening period.
Matt DiMarsico was later on denied on a rush by Black Bears netminder Albin Boija, but the Nittany Lions regrouped in their own zone and came back up ice, where DiMarsico shelved a shot at 14:26 to put his team ahead for the first time, and for good as it turned out.
“We play a speed game, looking to turn defense into offense,” said Dimarsico. “We had a couple of odd-man breaks, and finished in the net.”
Penn State then made it 3-1 when Dane Dowiak tipped home a feed by Danny Dzhaniyev from the left circle on a power play at 18:08. The play was reviewed for a potential offside infraction, but the goal ultimately stood.
“The power play was getting a lot of good looks that were not falling,” said Gadowsky. “Now they’re falling.”
DiMarsico then added his second goal of the night, and 16th of the season, at 5:41 of the penalty-free second stanza when Charlie Cerrato fed him in front for a one-timer from the high slot, for the only score of the middle frame. Cerrato finished with a game-high three assists on the night, and has clicked with DiMarsico and Wiebusch on his wings.
“We’ve been playing together a while now,” said Cerrato, who added that the trio’s rapport includes communicating, even on the bench.
“It’s also hockey IQ,” said DiMarsico. “We’re smart hockey players, and when we start clicking, it’s really good.”
Halfway through the third period, Sergeev made back-to-back stops in the slot off of Maine’s Taylor Makar and Nolan Renwick to keep Penn State’s three-goal advantage.
“Arsei’s a stud,” said Cerrato. “He’s the hardest worker and the most competitive kid, and that’s all we can ask of him.”
Penn State later had a brief two-man power-play advantage in the final frame, but nothing came of it in finishing 2-for-5 overall with the man advantage, while outshooting Maine, 34-27, on the night.
“They moved pucks fast, and we weren’t as aggressive,” said Renwick, who played his final game as a Black Bear. “We allowed them to skate freely, and it cost us in the end.”
The Black Bears pulled Boija for an extra attacker with roughly four minutes remaining in regulation, only to have Dowiak hit the empty net at 16:37.
“We kind of preach giving them nothing. We focus on ourselves, and play hard as a core,” said Penn State defenseman Jimmy Dowd, Jr. “We stick to our game plan and stay positive.”
The Black Bears, who won the Hockey East championship this season for the first time since 2004, finish the year at 24-8-6 overall.
“It’s a tough way to end our season,” said Maine head coach Ben Barr. “Credit Penn State, they were outstanding, and for whatever reason we couldn’t get any traction tonight.
“Our guys have accomplished a lot these last few seasons,” he added. “This is going to sting, but I’m proud of our team.”
Penn State (21-13-4), the last Big Ten team standing this season, will now face NCAA tournament newcomer Connecticut, a 4-1 winner over Quinnipiac in the first Allentown regional semifinal, on Sunday for the right to go to the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis in two weeks’ time.
Two years ago, the Nittany Lions were an overtime goal away in Allentown from making their first Frozen Four. Whoever wins Sunday’s contest will be a first-time national semifinalist.
“The atmosphere has been a big part of so many of our big wins,” said Gadowsky. “To have another huge crowd would mean the world, and we’ll take from this game and look at what we have to do against UConn.”
Eric Vitale’s goal at 4:25 of overtime sends Utica to the D-III national championship game where it will face Hobart (photo: Eric Gulseth)
UTICA, N.Y. — If the Utica vs. Curry game came down to a defensive, goaltending battle, prognosticators would say bet the house on Curry.
Utica said not so fast.
The Pioneers are heading to their first NCAA Division III national championship game after defeating Curry in a tight defensive, goaltending battle, 2-1, at 4:25 of overtime.
“Overtime period was the long change, and we enjoy that as our second period has always been our best period all year,” Utica coach Gary Heenan said.
Eric Vitale got the game winner when Curry goaltender, Shane Soderwall, uncharacteristically left a fat rebound.Brian Scoville’s initial shot went off the goalie’s pad to the right side.Vitale crashed in one-timing it into the wide open side of the net.
Vitale described it, “Coach was telling us to win battles.There was a loose puck behind the net.I was fortunate to win that battle and take it up and find Scoville out in the open there.As great as he is in shooting, that couldn’t have been more of a perfect shot on pad for me crashing the net to bury it home for Utica.It was a great feeling.”
Heenan said, “(Ryan) Piros is making saves when he needed to, tight checking team, not a lot of odd man rushes all night, their goalie obviously sensational.”
Curry had the better of play in the first period, outshooting Utica 9-7.
“I thought the first period, we got right to our game,” Curry coach Peter Roundy said.“I felt really good how we were playing.”
Curry would only get 11 more shots the rest of the game.
“It was a kick in the pants,” Heenan said of his team’s slow start.
That second period, which is Utica’s best, saw the Pioneers pour it on, with a 19-5 shot advantage.
“Utica made a hard push in the second,” Roundy conceded.
It finally paid off with just 59 seconds left in the stanza.Scoville from the left point passed it to Anthony Bax on the right point.Bax shot it through the crowd far side for the 1-0 lead.
“I thought (the first goal) was key,” Heenan said.“You believe your goaltender is just going to lock it down if they get a goal.”
Entering the third period, Roundy said, “The message in the locker room was we got one period left, let’s leave it all out there.”
After Utica took an inadvertent tripping penalty, Curry took advantage of the power play, knotting the score at 1-1 at 11:03.
Shane Carr from the middle up high took advantage of a complete screen on Piros, firing it past him.
The game headed to overtime, but unlike Curry’s last NCAA overtime game, a four extra period marathon at Hobart last year, this one ended relatively quickly.
Curry (25-4-0) once again ends their national run in overtime.Soderwall made 34 saves.
Utica (24-4-2) played perhaps their best, most disciplined defensive game of the season, which is why they defied the naysayers.They will need to do that again on Sunday in the championship game at 7:00 pm vs. Hobart, two-time defending national champions.
“They’re a monster,” Heenan said.“We played them in the national playoffs last year.We will certainly watch that game and know what worked and what didn’t work.We are going to have to be aware about what Hobart’s doing.They’re a special group.”
Utica got to host the championship weekend, but not on their usual home rink, The Adirondack Bank Utica Auditorium, because of scheduling conflicts with other tenants.Instead, it’s on the brand new attachment, the Utica University Nexus Center.Nonetheless, being home is still nice for the Pioneers.
“I think it was a key being home,” Heenan said.“The crowd was electric.The support was there.”
Boston College, the tournament’s top overall seed, needed every ounce of effort to knock off a pesky Bentley team making its first NCAA Tournament appearance (photo: BC athletics)
MANCHESTER, N.H. — James Hagens knew tenacity was the key for Boston College.
After more than 58 minutes of hockey against a surprisingly stingy and sprightly opponent, Hagens scooped up a missed wrist shot by Aram Minnetian, took it himself from behind the net and wrapped it around the post and into the net with 1:17 to play in regulation. The goal helped lift overall top seed BC to a 3-1 past Bentley at the NCAA Manchester Regional on Friday.
“You have to stick with it,” Hagens said. “I think everyone on our bench knew that no matter what adversity you face, you have to be able to get past it together. It showed at the end.”
Ryan Leonard added an empty-net goal at 19:28 to account for the final score.
BC (27-7-2) advanced to the regional final for the second straight year and will face either conference foe Providence or Denver — the team it lost to in last year’s NCAA championship game — on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Bentley (Atlantic Hockey America), making its NCAA tournament debut, saw its season end at 23-15-2.
BC was the winner, but the story of the game was Bentley goalie Connor Hasley. The junior lefty finished with 41 saves and largely held the Eagles off the board, making a number of key saves to keep the Falcons in business until the final minutes.
“You just have to stay patient,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “And our guys did a good job of that. The defense didn’t get crazy and try to force the issue. They stayed with it.”
BC had a hard time getting anything past not only Hasley, but the entire Bentley defense, which finished with 20 blocks. The Eagles had only one goal to show for 28 shots through two periods. BC finally got one off the stick of Gabe Perreault when he buried a pass from Leonard at 16:45 of the first and took that lead into the locker room.
“Our whole year, when we’re in those types of games, we always find a way to come out on top,” Leonard said. “You look down the bench and you just see all the relief there. (We) all know it’s going to go in at some point. It’s just a matter of time. I mean, that goalie played an outstanding game. Their team was selling out, blocking shots. They played one hell of a game.”
Bentley, which managed only six shots in the first period, finally got on the board early in the second when Ethan Leyh got his 17th of the season (Stephen Castagna and Nick Bochen assisted) at 3:21. Leyh one-timed a pass from Castagna into the net to tied the game 1-1, which is where it stood after two frames.
“My heart could not be filled with more pride for our hockey team,” Bentley coach Andy Jones said. “We left every single thing we had on the ice. (I) don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of them than I am tonight.”
BC goalie Jacob Fowler had 20 saves.
Hasley did all he could to keep Bentley in the game, including a huge stop on an opportunity by Hagens late in the third period that had Hagens slamming his stick against in frustration after the puck was whistled dead.
“It’s kind of been that way all year, he’s been our anchor,” Leyh said. “Once again, he was fantastic, like he’s been all season long.”
Defending national champion Denver began its quest for a repeat on Friday with a decisive 5-1 victory over Providence in the Manchester Region (photo: Brian Foley/PC Athletics)
MANCHESTER, N.H. — One year after winning the NCAA championship by the skin of its teeth, Denver’s road to a possible second-straight title got off to a drama-free start.
The Pioneers made quick work of Providence on Friday, cruising to a 5-1 win to open the Manchester Regional.
“Some of those ‘drama’ games are a little more fun,” said Denver senior forward Carter King (goal, two assists). “I was really proud of the effort tonight. You can call it easy from the score, but it’s never easy playing in tournament games. (We) played the whole 60 and I think that showed up on the scoreboard.”
NCHC’s Denver — which won last year’s NCAA tournament with three one-goal victories — will face overall No. 1 seed and Hockey East regular-season champ Boston College (26-7-2) on Sunday at 7 p.m. with each team looking for its second straight trip to the Frozen Four. BC was a 3-1 winner over Atlantic Hockey champ Bentley (23-14-2) in Friday’s first regional semifinal.
Denver (30-11-1) wasted no time getting on the board when Connor Caponi pounded the puck into an open net following an unforced error on a clear attempt by Providence goalie Philip Svedebäck (15 saves). The Pioneers led 1-0 just 2:25 into the game and that’s where it stood after the first period.
“You’re never going to complain when you get to go up 1-0 on a goal like that in this event,” Denver coach David Carle said. “Personally I didn’t love our first seven or eight minutes of the game but we sort of managed the puck better beyond that.”
Goals by Zeev Buium (assisted by Aidan Thompson and King) and Sam Harris (assisted by Buium and King) staked the Pioneers to a 3-0 lead after two. Thompson, with Buium and Samu Salminen assisting, snuffed out any hope of a Providence comeback with a goal at 3:53 of the third to make it 4-0.
“They played a much more mature, simple game than we did tonight,” Providence coach Nate Leaman said. “Their experience really showed. Hopefully we can take that lesson and grow with it. We had some good opportunities throughout the game (but) I thought they managed the game and managed the puck really well.”
Denver goalie Matt Davis had 29 saves.
Providence finally broke its scoring drought at 11:39 of the final frame on a goal by Austen May (assisted by Logan Will).
“They were above us a good amount of the night,” Providence defenseman Connor Kelley said. “We couldn’t really figure out how to get it through the neutral zone. We didn’t play fast enough. We really just couldn’t get anything going until it was a little too late.”
Sunday’s regional final will be an NCAA final rematch — Denver beat BC 2-0 in last year’s national title game in St. Paul, Minn.
“We know they’re a really good hockey team,” Buium said. “We’ll play anyone, anywhere, so we’re excited for Sunday and the opportunity to do it again.”
In its first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Connecticut Huskies scored twice in the first and added goals in each of the final two periods to beat Quinnipiac, 4-1, in the Allentown Region (photo: UConn Athletics)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. —In a battle of dogs and cats, and old and new at the PPL Center, it was the Connecticut Huskies, in their first-ever NCAA Division I tournament game, getting the better of the Quinnipiac Bobcats by a 4-1 score in the first regional semifinal. The Huskies will now face the winner of the nightcap between top-seeded Maine and host school Penn State in the regional final on Sunday.
“We’re pretty excited to be moving on,” said UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh.”That’s a real battle-tested team over there, and for us to play as well as we did tonight, it’s a really good win for us.”
UConn broke through 8:25 into the first period, when Nick Carabin kept the puck in the Quinnipiac zone before Tabor Heaslip dished it back to Hugh Larkin above the circles. Larkin then wristed it past Bobcats goaltender Dylan Silverstein for the lead.
“He (Larkin) had some (NCAAs) experience with Western Michigan, which is invaluable for our guys,” said Cavanaugh.
UConn made it 2-0 just over six minutes later when Ethan Gardula pickpocketed a Quinnipiac defender inside the Bobcat blueline, then raced in to beat Silverstein with a backhand.
“I kind of read off the defense, and picked off the puck,” said Gardula.
Quinnipiac’s top-ranked power play (29.9 percent) got an opportunity after Jake Richard was sent off for cross-checking, but couldn’t convert.
“We take a lot of pride in defending our own zone, but we played in their zone most of our shifts,” said Cavanaugh. “Our defense was a by-product of our controlling the game in their zone.
“We pretty much rolled four lines tonight.”
The Huskies nearly made it 3-0 just 24 seconds into the second period, but Silverstein gloved Hudson Schandor’s point-blank attempt. He then made a pad save on Kaden Shahan’s backhander in tight just over a minute afterwards, before later thwarting Richard in-close on a power play after Quinnipiac’s Jeremy Wilmer was sent off for a face-off violation.
Wilmer got the Bobcats on the scoreboard shortly after, when he broke in two-on-one with Mason Marcellus to his right. Marcellus threaded a backhand pass to Wilmer, who deposited it upstairs on UConn freshman netminder Callum Tung at 10:11. The Huskies got that one back four minutes later, though, when Tristan Fraser slugged home the rebound of a shot by Jake Percival.
“We’ve faced a lot of challenges as a group, and Hockey East is all over this tournament,” said Schandor. “We felt really prepared mentally, which is half the battle, and our group did a great job focusing on the game.”
Tung had to be examined by a trainer after taking a skate to the chin midway through the third period, but he recovered to make a spectacular glove save on Andon Cerbone from the right circle to keep UConn ahead by two.
“It’s huge for me and the team ,” said Tung of the win. “We defend as a group, and our guys sold out and blocked shots and made it easy on me.”
Joey Muldowney ultimately shot a puck all the way down into an empty Quinnipiac net with 2:15 remaining to close out the scoring with his 28th goal of the season.
“We know what works for us,” said Gardula, “and we hope to keep it going Sunday.”
Shots on goal were even at 22 apiece, while both teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.
Quinnipiac (24-12-2 overall), which lost to Cornell in the ECAC Hockey semifinals, was back in the NCAA tournament for a fifth consecutive season, two years removed from a national title and playing in Allentown for the second time in four years. It is the first time in four appearances overall at the PPL Center that the Bobcats did not advance to the regional final.
“Congratulations to UConn,” said longtime Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold. “They were all over us. Tung made some big saves in the third, and we took too long to get going. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we still had a great season.”
Marcellus mentioned the older players and transfers on this year’s Quinnipiac roster, who will now be moving on with the season complete.
“As soon as they came here, they became Bobcats,” he said. “The amount I learned from them, I’m really going to miss everyone we lose this year.”
UConn (23-11-4), which fell to Maine in this year’s Hockey East title game, had earlier edged Quinnipiac in the first round of this season’s Connecticut Ice tournament, which was ultimately won by the Huskies. Now it’s UConn who moves on to Sunday, for a possible conference rematch with the Black Bears, and with a trip to St. Louis on the line.
“We’re playing for a chance to go to the Frozen Four, and that’s enough motivation for anyone,” said Cavanaugh. “Sunday’s game will be even more intense, whoever we face.”
Matthew Iasenza’s goal with 9:24 remaining in regulation broke a 1-1 tie and keeps Hobart’s chances of a three-peat as National Champions alive. The Statesmen will face the winner of Curry and Utica on Sunday in the finals (photo: Eric Gulseth)
UTICA, N.Y. — Hobart’s Matthew Iasenza may not play pool, but his banked shot off the back of the opposing goalie proved to be the game winner at 10:36 of the third period as the Statesmen defeated Geneseo, 2-1, in the NCAA Division III semifinal game.
Iasenza went deep on the right side, all the way to the goal line, before flipping it towards the net.Adam Harris left a sliver of an opening, and the puck bounced off his numbers and into the net.
“No, I don’t,” Iasenza laughed when asked if he plays pool.“I knew my line mates were going for a change and just wanted to bring the guy wide and bring it to the net.It ended up working out.”
On the opposite side, Harris described the goal, “It was one of those plays you’ve done a million times in your life.I just slipped a little bit and gave a little bit of a hole and the puck found it.”
The game opened up strong for Hobart, which brought a relentless forecheck that had Geneseo back on its heels most of the first period.Hobart had numerous scoring opportunities — a point blank shot from the slot which sailed over the net, cutting across the net but having the puck roll off the stick, a shot going behind the goalie but dribbled along the goal line — but couldn’t light the lamp.
Despite getting outshot 17-4 in the first, Harris was the key reason the game remained scoreless.
“If it wasn’t for Adam, it could have been much different after one,” Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said.“Just an incredible student-athlete.3.98 GPA.It doesn’t surprise me one bit he was the best player on the ice.”
Hobart finally broke through at 5:39 of the second period.Calum Chau’s shot from the top of the left circle sailed in through a crowd.It was the speed of the shot which seemed to fool Harris.
Chau said, “It was a bit of a knuckle puck.As long as it gets on net, right?”
Hobart thought they made it 2-0 less than two minutes later.Easton Ryan knocked his own rebound in with his leg as he was falling in front of the net.However, the refs immediately ruled it was a kicking motion which allowed it to go in.
Hobart coach Mark Taylor challenged the play, but the official review upheld the on-ice decision.
A breakaway by Hobart late in the period never got anywhere because the puck rolled off the stick.
“Hobart came out extremely strong,” Schultz said.“I think we gave them a little bit too much respect early in the game.Got better as the game went along.Third period I was happy with.Had some chances in the third.”
One of those chances tied the game at 2:16 of the final stanza.Captain Peter Morgan stole the puck at Hobart’s point, raced down the right boards, and upon entering the zone, fired a shot up high, opposite corner over Damon Beaver’s glove.
Eight minutes later came the billiard shot by Iasenza.
Geneseo pulled their goalie with about two minutes left, but were unable to sustain any strong pressure.
Taylor said, “I knew we were going to have to earn it from the start all the way through 60 minutes.We stayed with our game plan the whole way, and it worked out.I thought we had to earn our goals.”
Chau added, “As long as we play solid defensively, we don’t need to score too many, and we have the best goalie in the league.”
Geneseo’s season ends at 24-5-1.Harris finished with 38 saves.
Beaver stopped 20 shots enabling Hobart (28-1-1) to move on in their quest for a three-peat, facing the winner of the Utica vs Curry nightcap.The championship game is Sunday at 7:00 pm.
Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud had seven multi-point efforts in a nine-game stretch during the month of January (photo: Brad Rempel).
One day after seeing his junior season end at the hands of Massachusetts in the NCAA men’s D-I hockey Fargo Regional, Minnesota captain Jimmy Snuggerud has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL St. Louis Blues.
Snuggerud will join the Blues for practice on Monday.
The twenty-year-old Snuggerud was originally drafted by the Blues in the first round, No. 23 overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Snuggerud led the Golden Gophers with 24 goals, 27 assists, and 51 points overall in 40 games. Nationally, he shared sixth in goals and fifth in points, earning Big Ten First Team All-Star honors for the second consecutive season and receiving a selection as a Top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Snuggerud finished his tenure at Minnesota as one of only three players in Gophers history to score 20 or more goals in three consecutive seasons to begin his collegiate career.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native also represented the United States at the 2025 U-20 World Junior Championships, tallying eight points in six tournament games.
Overall, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound forward dressed in 119 career NCAA games, totaling 135 points (66 goals, 69 assists) and 113 penalty minutes. He is also a three-time medalist with Team USA, winning silver at the 2022 U-18 WJC, bronze at the 2023 U-20 WJC and gold at the 2024 U-20 WJC.
Brett Riley was named head coach at Ferris State after serving in the same role since 2020 at LIU (file photo: LIU athletics).
Ferris State has named Brett Riley its next head coach, succeeding Bob Daniels, who retired after 33 years behind the Bulldogs bench.
Riley comes to the Bulldogs after serving as head coach at Long Island University since 2020. He will become the sixth head coach in the 50 years of hockey at Ferris State.
“Brett brings a tremendous passion for the game of hockey and outstanding energy,” said athletic director Steve Brockelbank in a statement. “He also has displayed the ability to attract and develop talented players both on and off the ice, which is essential in today’s game.”
“I am incredibly honored and excited to become the next head hockey coach at Ferris State University,” Riley said. “I can’t wait to start working with our student-athletes.”
Riley said he wanted to recognize Daniels and his 33 years of dedication and leadership that have shaped this program into what it is today.
“Coach Daniels has built a strong foundation both on and off the ice and I am committed to carrying that legacy forward, honoring the work he’s done and continuing to elevate this program on and off the ice,” he said.
This past season, Riley led LIU to its winningest season in program history, finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a 20-12-2 record. He was named NCAA Independent Hockey Coach of the Year.
Riley came to Long Island from Colgate University, where he spent the 2019-20 campaign as an assistant coach. Riley also previously built the Wilkes University program from the ground up, going 16-8-2 in the Division III team’s first year, earning conference coach of the year honors.
Riley graduated from Hobart College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in History. He was a three-time ECAC West All-Academic Team selection in his four-year career with the Statesmen.
Riley, a South Hampton, Massachusetts native, is part of a legendary college hockey family, with his father, uncle and grandfather all having head coaching experience.
Riley’s father, Rob Riley, served as head coach at Army West Point for 19 years and is currently an amateur scout for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Jack Riley, Brett’s grandfather, also coached at Army for more than 35 years after leading the United States to the gold medal at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics.
A press conference introducing Riley is planned for 11 a.m. on Monday, March 31.
