Home Blog Page 8

NCAA D-III Men’s ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Hamilton v. Curry

By
-
Curry netminder Shane Soderwall looks to backstop Curry to the Frozen Four with a win over Hamilton on Saturday (Photo by Curry Athletics)

The only quarterfinal game that does note feature an east v. west matchup will be played on Saturday when top-seed Curry hosts Hamilton. The Colonels received a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed in the tournament while Hamilton traveled to Maine where they defeated UNE by a 4-2 score to advance to the quarterfinal round for just the second time in program history. While both teams feature skilled offensive talent, this game will likely turn on the ability for either team to solve two of the nation’s best goaltenders in Curry’s Shane Soderwall and Hamilton’s Charlie Archer.

“It was great to get the bye,” stated Curry head coach Peter Roundy. “We took advantage of the extra time to rest and get ready for Saturday. Earning the opportunity to play a home game in the NCAA quarterfinals is very special for our team as it is the first time in program history. Our fans have been very supportive all year and playing such a big game in front of them is something we are really looking forward to.”

Soderwall, the CNE Player and Goaltender of the Year, has been nothing short of sensational all season long for the Colonels. He enters Saturday’s matchup having played in twenty-six games with a paltry 1.47 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and eight shutouts while posting a 23-3-0 record in goal. Last year’s quarterfinal round saw Soderwall make and NCAA record 98 saves in a 4-3 quadruple overtime loss to eventual champion Hobart so the sophomore sensation will be looking for a better result on home ice on Saturday.

A balanced group of forwards includes senior Eelis Laaksonen (14G – 11A – 25 Pts; +20), junior Manny Cabral (9G – 14A – 23 Pts; +18), junior Gage Dill (6G – 15A – 21 Pts; +10) and first=year Karim Gayfullin ((11G – 10A – 21 Pts; +18). Laaksonen his also particularly effective at the face-off dot where puck possession may be an important element in determining a winner on Saturday.

Hamilton boasts the NESCAC Player of the Year in forward Luke Tchor as well as the Defensive Player of the year in senior goaltender Charlie Archer. Archer stopped twenty-one shots in the UNE victory and saw strong defensive support from seniors William Neault and  James Philpott, as well as sophomore Ryan Sordillo.

“I really love the way our team is playing right now,” said Hamilton head coach Rob Haberbusch. “Single elimination hockey is a different animal and we’ve just about seen it all by now. We are excited for the game.”

Coach Roundy noted, ”we have a mature group who continuously improved over the course of the season. We are focused on staying in the moment and enjoying the journey. Hamilton has had a great season. They are a well-coached, structured and skilled team. We are excited for the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Frozen Four.”

Saturday’s game will be played at the Canton Ice House in Canton, Massachusetts with the opening face-off slated for a 3 PM start.

 

 

Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey standout Kraemer wins Julie Chu Rookie of the Year honors for ‘24-25 campaign

By
-
Caitlin Kraemer took the college hockey world by storm as a freshman at UMD (photo: Minnesota Duluth Athletics),

Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Caitlin Kraemer has been chosen by the nation’s assistant coaches as the winner of the 2025 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year Award.

Kraemer had 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points this season, finishing third in scoring for the Bulldogs. She had seven goals on the power play and added two short-handed goals and four game winners. UMD advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals where their season ended in a 1-0 loss to Cornell.

Kraemer is the first Minnesota Duluth player to win this national award.

“We are incredibly proud of Caitlin for being named the national rookie of the year,” said UMD coach Laura Schuler in a statement. “It is an incredible honor that truly reflects her hard work, dedication, and natural talent. Caitlin is not only a standout player but also a student of the game, constantly pushing herself to learn and grow. Her speed, power, skill, and deep understanding of the game set her apart as one of the best in NCAA hockey. Off the ice, Caitlin is an amazing teammate—funny, caring, and always easy to connect with. Our team loves her, and her positive energy and leadership truly make her a joy to be around.

“This recognition is just the beginning for Caitlin, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.”

The WCHA rookie of the year was chosen WCHA’s rookie of the month three times and was the WCHA rookie of the week four times. Kraemer had two or more points in eight games, including her first collegiate hat trick on Nov. 30 against Vermont.

Kraemer, the all-time leading scorer for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, compiled 37 goals in 32 games played for a total of 53 points as a U-18 national team member. She helped Canada’s U-18 squads to a bronze medal in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where she scored a tournament-high 10 goals for a second-consecutive season after leading the tournament in scoring and Canada to a gold medal in the 2023 U18 Canada IIHF World Championship.

The runner-up for this year’s award was Connecticut’s Claire Murdoch, a freshman forward from Toronto.

The Julie Chu 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.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: St. Norbert v. Utica

By
-
Utica defenseman Ben Schultheis and his defense partners will need to bring their A-game against a highly skilled group of St. Norbert forwards (Photo by Michaela VanWormer)

In another powerhouse east vs. west matchup, last year’s Frozen Four participant Utica plays host to five-time national champion St. Norbert with the winner advancing to the final weekend of play. The Pioneers are coming off a comfortable 5-1 first-round win over Fitchburg State while the Green Knights advanced with a 3-1 win over the MIAC champions, Gustavus Adolphus. Both teams have skilled rosters and offensive skills that will challenge team defense and goaltending accordingly.

“We are excited to play one of the Goliaths in D-III college hockey,” noted Utica head coach Gary Heenan. “I have long admired St. Norbert and their head coach Tom Coghlin and his staff. This is a heck of an opportunity for our team. [Logan] Dombrowsky and [Liam] Fraser are special players that we will need to be focused on.”

The Pioneers have shown balance amongst their forwards including the production of graduate students Jakob Breault (15G – 17A – 32 Pts; +22) and Johnny Mulera (16G – 11A – 27 Pts; +16) who leads the team with eight power play goals. Last week’s offensive star, senior Matt Wood (9G – 21A – 30 Pts; +20) has shown big-game performance in last week’s win FSU and will be a presence in front of the Green Knights’ goal challenging the defense and goaltender.

Second semester transfer goaltender Ryan Piros (16G – 1.99 goals-against average – .923 save percentage – 3 shutouts) rebounded from the UCHC championship game loss to Geneseo with a tidy seventeen save, one-goal against performance in last week’s first round game and will need to continue his strong tournament play against a high-powered St. Norbert offense.

Dombrowsky (17G – 33A – 50 Pts), the NCHA Player of the Year and Fraser (21G – 22A – 43 Pts) are dynamic offensively skilled players while conference all-stars, defenseman Dayton Deics (5G – 12A – 17 Pts) and goaltender Hunter Garvey (25 GP – 2.09 goals-against average – .912 save percentage) will be critical elements to the Green Knights producing a big road win to advance to their thirteenth Frozen Four where they have claimed five national championships led by coach Tim Coghlin.

Saturday’s contest is scheduled to be played at 1 PM at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York with the winner advancing to the Frozen Four and a semifinal matchup with the winner of the Hamilton v. Curry quarterfinal game being played later in the day.

 

 

BRACKETOLOGY EXTRA: Late-night 2OT winner by Maine in Hockey East gives Quinnipiac, Penn State, Michigan increased NCAA tournament odds

By
-
TJ Hughes has led the Michigan offense this season (photo: Michigan Photography).

Many of you may have been asleep last night by the time that Nolan Renwick redirected Charlie Russell’s shot-pass at 11:02 of the second overtime period to send Maine past Northeastern to the Hockey East title game.

Three teams that began the weekend on the bubble actually saw their odds of making the NCAA tournament increase. Northeastern was one of the six teams that are bubble busters this weekend, so their elimination reduces the number of scenarios where team outside the PairWise bubble can win the championship (and the autobid) from three to two.

Arizona State or North Dakota can still win the NCHC tournament and Dartmouth, Clarkson and Cornell can all win ECAC in Lake Placid. Any of those two results would bounce Michigan from the field.

Should both tournaments deliver a cutline mover, the second team out varies.

If Quinnipiac beats Cornell this evening in Lake Placid, they’ll secure their bid. But a loss brings in a 7% chance for the Bobcats to miss the field.

While the hopes for Michigan, Penn State and Quinnipiac improved on Thursday night, Michigan won’t know its fate on Friday as the either Clarkson or Dartmouth, teams that could bump Michigan, will reach the ECAC final.

One other note from Friday: with the wins, both UConn and Maine keep hopes alive of being a number one seed. Should both team creep into the top four in the PairWise (that would require Western Michigan to lose in the NCHC tournament) and thus earn No. 1 seeds in an NCAA regional, that will eliminate a lot of the problems created in this week’s Bracketology that shifted the AHA champion away from Boston College, the top overall seed.

Plenty of still figure out and Friday will give us a lot of clarity.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Trine v. Hobart

By
-
Hobart defenseman Austin Mourar has been a big contributor offensively this season with nine goals and 20 points for the Statesmen (Photo by Adam Farid – Hobart and William Smith Colleges)

Following last weekend’s first-round bye, Hobart will begin defense of their national championship with a first ever matchup with Trine on Saturday night in Geneva, NY. The Statesmen are unbeaten on home ice this season and look to extend that streak against a strong challenger in a Thunder team that knocked off Oswego in the first-round last week by a 4-1 score.

“The only people ever to say a week off is a bad thing are the ones that lose the next game,” said Hobart head coach Mark Taylor. “ We had a week of rest, no injuries, no game or bad puck bounces so we will be ready to go on Saturday night in front of our very passionate fan base at “The Cooler” on Saturday.”

Hobart has a very deep lineup starting in goal where juniors Damon Beaver (15 GP – 1.13 goals-against average – .951 save percentage – 5 shutouts) and Mavrick Goyer (13 GP – 0.84 goals-against average – .956 save percentage – 7 shutouts) have combined for twenty-six wins and twelve shutouts this season.

The defensive corps is deep and productive on both ends of the ice led by graduate student Austin Mourar (9G – 11A – 20 Pts; +29), sophomore Bauer Morrissey (3G – 18A – 21 Pts; +22), sophomore Conor Lally (2G – 14A – 16 Pts; +17) and senior Cooper Swift (0G – 16A – 16 Pts; +29). The group is strong situationally and can play with physicality and speed.

Up front the Statesmen boast the NEHC Player of the Year in junior Tanner Daniels (18G – 21A – 39 Pts; +35) who has demonstrated a knack for scoring big goals including five game-winning goals for Hobart this season. Senior Luke Aquaro  (14G – 17A – 31 Pts; +29) has also had an impressive season along with a strong set of forwards that gives the Statesmen the depth to continuously roll four lines that are productive on the ice and the scoresheet.

“The tournament was obviously constructed well when see almost all of the top seeds advancing to the next round,” stated Taylor. Trine is a very good team and have a very good coach in Alex Todd who was successful at Castleton and then D-I before coaching at Trine. We know a lot of each other’s players from the recruiting battles, so we expect a challenging game on Saturday where we are ready and excited to play.”

“They are a very good hockey club,” said Todd. ”We are going to have to find ways to take some “inches” in the game that help us compete and be in a position to win. I thought we did a lot of those things in the battle with Oswego and will know look to be a even better in the quarterfinal matchup against Hobart. It will be a tough place to play but we are looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity for the program on the national stage.”

The Thunder face-off with Hobart on Saturday, March 22 at 7 PM at The Cooler in Geneva, New York with the winner advancing to the Frozen Four next weekend.

 

 

St. Norbert hockey standout Carter Hottmann ‘peaking at right time’

By
-
Carter Hottmann is having a solid senior season at St. Norbert. (Photo Credit: Patrick Ferron/St. Norbert Athletics)

Carter Hottmann is used to trips to the NCAA Division III tournament with St. Norbert.

This year marks his third time going with the Green Knights. And the feeling never gets old.

“It’s a very special opportunity,” Hottmann said. “I’ve made it three out of my four years and making it my senior year with this group of guys is even more special because of the relationships we’ve built.”

Hottmann and the No. 3 Green Knights (24-5-1) are headed into the national quarterfinal round Saturday against sixth-ranked Utica (22-4-2) on the road. The winner moves on to the Frozen Four. It’s a matchup worthy of the tourney, without question, as the two programs have combined for more than 1,000 wins.

And while a team must prepare for an opponent, St. Norbert has to focus on itself as well.

“We can only control what we can control,” Hottmann said. “We have to do our best to sharpen up our details. It’s a special moment playing in the tournament. Everyone is putting a lot of heart into it.”

For Hottmann, he’s having a strong senior year, He has 11 goals and 13 assists, ranking third on the team in points behind Logan Dombrowsky (50) and Liam Fraser (43). He credits those two for his own success.

“I think I’m starting to peak at the right time and I’m playing with two of the best in the nation. That has helped quite a bit,” Hottmann said. “And the whole team is playing well and doing things the right way. And that’s leading to my success, too.”

Hottmann’s goal total is a career high in college. His assist mark matches a career high.

Growing up in Wisconsin, hockey was something he always played. But he’s also a former football and lacrosse player, and really, the direction he ultimately went in came down to a big decision.

“I had some injuries in football in high school and I had to pick a stick in terms of hockey or lacrosse. I ended up choosing hockey,” Hottmann said.

He played in the NAHL for the Janesville Jets and then chose St. Norbert because of its tradition of success, which includes five national championships.

“Every kid dreams of playing D-I and going pro, but when St. Norbert reached out, I gave it a shot,” Hottmann said. “They have the qualities of a Division I program and a super rich history. I toured the campus and that was a big selling point for me.”

He hasn’t looked back, establishing himself as one of the program’s better players Looking back, he knows it was the right decision.

“This is a connected group. We’re best buddies and brothers,” Hottmann said. “We’re all on the same boat, pulling the same rope. We’re working together to do what we need to do to be successful.”

St. Norbert started the year 12-0, looking like a national championship contender out of the gate, but did hit a rough patch after that, dropping four in a row before getting back on track. The Green Knights enter the weekend unbeaten in their last 11.

“It was good for us to start 12-0. The rough patch took us by surprise, but we got back to the details and doing what we were in the first half. That’s what is driving our success now. The learning curve we experienced helped us as a team overall.”

St. Norbert plays in one of the nation’s top conferences, with four teams nationally ranked in the USCHO.com Top 15 and three of them are still playing hockey. The Green Knights beat rival Adrian to win the NCHA crown.

To say St. Norbert has been battle-tested is an understatement.

“You have to tip your cap to our conference,” Hottmann said. “We have three teams in the tournament and Adrian could have been another. It’s really special to do what we’ve done this year, to go back-to-back as conference champs.”

St. Norbert has been close to the Frozen Four during Hottmann’s time at the school. This year, the Green Knights hope to get over the hump. As for this run for Hottmann over the last four years, he’s thankful for it.

“I couldn’t do it without my coaches, teammates and family being in my corner. All the props to them,” Hottmann said. “I’ve worked to be the best I can be on and off the ice and have worked my tail off for these types of moments. It’s very special to be on this team.”

 

Wisconsin women’s hockey coach Johnson chosen national coach of the year for 2024-25 season

By
-
Mark Johnson is two wins away from another national title at Wisconsin (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).

For leading his Badgers to a 36-1-2 season and the top seed in this year’s NCAA National Collegiate Frozen Four, Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson has been chosen CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year.

It is the fifth such honor for Johnson and the first since 2011.

The Badgers are two wins away from their NCAA-best eighth national title, all earned under Johnson’s tutelage. They meet WCHA rival Minnesota in Friday night’s semifinal in Minneapolis, following the Cornell-Ohio State opener.

This year’s deep roster boats all three Patty Kazmaier Award finalists in Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Casey O’Brien. They also have this year’s national goaltender of the year in sophomore Ava McNaughton.

Johnson was voted the 2024-25 WCHA Coach of the Year by the league’s head and assistant coaches after his success in the regular season. Johnson guided the Badgers to their 10th WCHA regular-season title after recording a 25-1-2 record in league play. Wisconsin won its 11th WCHA Final Faceoff title after a 4-3 defeat of Minnesota in the championship game.

Most recently, the Badgers defeated Clarkson 4-1 in the NCAA Regional Final to advance to their 16th Frozen Four in program history, which is tied for the most appearances in NCAA history with Minnesota.

Johnson has a career record of 665-120-55 in seasons at Wisconsin. No stranger to success in Madison, Johnson was a two-time All-American for the Badgers and is the school’s all time goal-scoring leader (125 goals in 125 games). The son of coaching icon Bob Johnson, Mark was a key player on the 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle” team and then enjoyed an 11-year NHL career.

Johnson was assisted this season by Dan Koch, Jackie Crum, and Mark Greenhalgh.

The runner-up for this year’s CCM/AHCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year Award was Cornell’s Doug Derraugh, a three-time recipient of the award.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Frozen Four semifinal preview

By
-

(3) Cornell vs. (2) Ohio State
Saturday at 4 p.m. central on ESPN+

3 keys for Cornell

  • Balance. The Big Red play a spectacular defensive game from the goal out. They’re going to do a good job of forcing Ohio State to make plays if they want to win the game. But that can’t be at the expense of being offensive. This could be a 1-0 game like their win last weekend against UMD, but that seems unlikely. Cornell is likely going to have to pot more than one or two goals to win this game and Ohio State is going to try and really force turnovers and take off quickly in transition to put the stout defense on their heels. That can’t keep the Big Red from pressing forward. They have to find the right moments. 
  • Who steps up? Last season’s Patty Kaz winner Izzy Daniel was the team’s main playmaker and they haven’t had one individual player take on that role this season. At media day Ashley Messier said that the team has faith in each other that someone will always come through, but that’s easier said than done in these situations. The Big Red’s scoring has been really evenly dispersed and that should serve them well here, but when Joy Dunne has twice as many points as Cornell’s leading scorer, Avi Adam, it makes me wonder if the Big Red can keep pace. 
  • Controlling the nerves. All three of the other teams in Minneapolis have the benefit of Frozen Four experience and experience in Ridder Arena. Everyone will have butterflies of being on this biggest stage and the Big Red played in front of a big and loud crowd at home in the quarterfinals, but I think this is going to be a whole new environment. They can’t take a minute to get going, they can’t get overwhelmed and they have to be able to block it all out.

3 keys for Ohio State

  • Clean defense. As much as I’ve harped on Cornell’s need to find defense, I think you could say the same in the opposite direction for Ohio State. They’re so strong on offense and love to forecheck and push, but that does leave them more vulnerable on defense. I have no doubt Cornell will be trying to exploit that and get in behind. 
  • Momentum. The Buckeyes have a tendency to score in bunches, but sometimes that can start later in the game. It behooves OSU to get on the board early and try to get that downhill momentum that has served them so well this season. The longer Cornell can keep them from doing that, the worse the outlook is for Ohio State.
  • Goaltending. Cornell’s Annelies Bergmann is one of the top three goalies in the country and just pitched a shutout in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes have been so overwhelming on offense that they haven’t had to worry too much about giving up goals. Assuming Amanda Thiele gets the start, she hasn’t been as strong this season, with a .884 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average. That being said, Thiele is the goalie that came in late in the season and won the starting job and carried the Buckeyes to their first title in 2022. They need a strong showing from her here.

Quotable:

“It’s our fifth time representing the Buckeyes at the Frozen Four. We’re sitting amongst a small crowd that has done that, so I think it speaks volumes for what this program has accomplished over the years.” Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall

“I know we played Cornell, but that seemed like forever ago. I’ve told the ladies to erase that from their memory, because it’s irrelevant.” – Muzerall

“They have some very solid defensive play, systematic, great goaltending, and I think Doug is one of the best coaches in the country, and I have a lot of admiration for him and his style of hockey. So I think it’s going to be a fantastic Friday night.” – Muzerall

“Every team that is in the Frozen Four we have played before and we know how to beat them. We learned from our mistakes against them. So we’re just super excited and really confident.” – Ohio State F Makenna Webster

“We had to do a little bit of restructuring and rebuilding, and we’re just really excited and happy to be back.” – Cornell coach Doug Derraugh, on his top-ranked team missing out on the 2020 tournament due to Covid shutdowns and what it took to get back to the Frozen Four.

“It’s certainly a huge challenge because you’ve got to be solid defensively against Ohio State to give yourself a chance, but you’ve also got to score some goals. So it’s managing risk versus reward and being smart and managing the puck well.” – Derraugh

“We have such a great dynamic between the defensive core and the goalies, and we’re always communicating with each other. I think that’s really what’s carried us through. Each weekend gets bigger and bigger, and I think that our dynamic allows us to grow with that, which I think has been a key part of our success.” – Cornell G Annelies Bergmann

“Everyone gets nervous. We know that. I’m nervous. The other team’s nervous. We all are. But what makes me feel personally a lot better, is reminding myself I love this. I’m good at this. My team’s good at this. It’s not just me. It’s never just one person. I have 20-some other girls around me and an amazing coaching staff, and they’re all feeling the same way. They believe in me and I believe in them, and that’s a good feeling. That’s a good place to be.” Cornell D Ashley Messier

(4) Minnesota vs. (1) Wisconsin
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. central on ESPN+

3 keys for Minnesota

  • Abbey Murphy. Is it fair to put everything on her? Probably not, but you simply cannot escape that as she goes, this team goes. She has eight goals and five assists in the team’s six postseason games so far. BUT she has just two assists in the Gophers’ five games against Wisconsin this season. If the Badgers do keep Murphy in check, Minnesota still has to find a way to light the lamp. UW outscored the Gophers 27-9 over five games this season and overall, they average 5.4 goals scored per game. 
  • Utilize the tv timeouts. Wisconsin has more depth and will get last change to be able to work the matchups. But with longer tv timeouts, the Gophers can double-shift and worry a lot less about getting caught out against the Badgers.
  • Staying out of the penalty box. Wisconsin carries the nation’s best power play, scoring 36% of the time while Minnesota’s penalty kill is 23rd in the country at 82.40%. Minnesota simply cannot afford to give the Badgers any advantages.

3 keys for Wisconsin

  • Fast start. The Badgers can be slow out of the gate at times and in the past few weeks they’ve given up early goals and had to dig themselves out of a hole. They’ve been successful thus far, but despite being the top seed, it’s going to be an uphill battle against Minnesota on their home ice. 
  • Puck possession. Wisconsin’s biggest asset is its ability to keep the other team from having the puck. That means holding it in the zone and making smart choices, but it also means quickly shutting down zone entries and not letting Minnesota get set up. If Abbey Murphy is skating circles around the zone looking for a lane, it does not bode well for the Badgers. They have to close quickly on defense and not be reckless with the puck on offense. 
  • Depth. Wisconsin has all three Patty Kazmaier finalists, but three of their four goals in the WCHA title game were scored by second and third liners, including a defender. TV timeouts take away some of the advantage they have here, but ultimately, they have the ability to win most head to head matchups. While Minnesota has some uncertainties in terms of who scores if their top scorer is neutralized, the Badgers have seven players with more points than the Gophers’ number three scorer.

Quotable:

“At the beginning of the year, it was the goal of ours to be in the position that we’re in right now. The players fought through a lot of adversity and a lot of pressure to get here, and now we’re excited to drop the puck tomorrow.” – Gophers coach Brad Frost

“We’re going to have to execute at a really high level. [The Badgers] are super dangerous on turnovers. They’ve got some of the best offensive players in the history of the women’s game. We believe we can win, first and foremost, but it’s going to take a great effort. No shortcuts and no shifts off. But like our players said, we feel real good about how we’re playing and excited to show that tomorrow.” – Frost

“Obviously we’ve had pretty tough losses this year, but I think that honestly that adversity has been great for us. We’ve learned from it. And coming into this weekend, we almost like that we went through that adversity because now we know how to react if we face any this weekend.” Gophers F Ella Huber

“The WCHA Final Faceoff was the best we’ve played all year. I think after that weekend, we were like, ‘we can really do this thing.’ It brought a lot of belief into our locker room.” – Huber

“Both teams are playing at a high level right now. Both have difference makers. Both goaltenders are playing well. It just sets up for a great semifinal game. The place is sold I don’t know how much better it gets than that.” – Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson

“It’s irrelevant what happened the previous five games. That shouldn’t be in our mind. It should be about where our capability individually and collectively to play our best game. You get in that space and you hope it’s enough. It may not be enough, but you hope it is. Don’t look in your rear view mirror too long, because you’ll crash. I’m looking forward and ahead, and I hope everybody on our team is doing the same thing.” – Johnson

“Maybe in the back of your head, you know how they played last time, and maybe where you need to to improve to make sure that we play our best tomorrow. But I think looking forward is the most important aspect of tomorrow, because what happened in the past is in the past, and we’re just trying to win 60 minutes tomorrow.” – Wisconsin G Ava McNaughton

Renwick lifts Maine to Hockey East title game, scores double-OT winner to bounce Northeastern

By
-
Owen Fowler scored twice Thursday night to help Maine down Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals (photo: Matt Dewkett).

BOSTON — Growing up in Canada, Nolan Renwick said he didn’t even know college hockey existed.

So scoring a game-winning overtime goal in the Hockey East semifinals is more of a recent dream for the senior forward from Milestone, Saskatchewan.

Nolan Renwick’s goal at 11:02 of double overtime lifted Maine to a 4-3 win over Northeastern on Thursday night at TD Garden, plus a trip to Friday’s championship game.

“That’s the goal I dream of every night this year,” Renwick said. “Trying to help our team win games and trying to get to this moment.”

No. 2 Maine (23-7-6, 15-5-6 Hockey East) advanced to the Hockey East final for the first time since 2012, when it lost 4-1 to Boston College. Its opponent will be No. 4 Connecticut, a 5-2 winner over No. 3 Boston University in the evening’s first semifinal.

Sophomore forward Charlie Russell fired the puck from the right faceoff circle across the front of the goal and past Northeastern goalie Cameron Whitehead (57 saves) to the far side, where Renwick was stationed to redirect Russell’s pass into the net.

“We figured it was going to be a greasy goal to end it,” Renwick said. “I parked myself at the side of the net and (Russell) saw me and threw it to the back post, and I was lucky it went off me.”

Owen Fowler scored the only goal of the first period, which put Maine up 1-0 at 14:02. Coming out of the penalty box, Fowler scooped up a loose puck near the Northeastern blue line for a breakaway and went 5-hole on Whitehead for the lead.

“He finds a way to score big goals,” Maine coach Ben Barr said. “He’s done that this year for us in big moments. (I) think he enjoys playing in this building. That was big-time for him, getting those two (goals).”

Black Bears goalie Albin Boija finished with 33 saves.

Maine doubled its lead at 2:03 into the second period on Fowler’s second goal, but the Huskies stormed back. Dylan Hryckowian made it 2-1 on a power-play rebound at 4:01, then Cam Lund tied it on a 2-on-1 right after a nifty pass from Jackson Dorrington with just 49 seconds to play in the frame. That’s where it stood after two stops.

Andy Moore scored his first career goal on a rebound at 4:29 of the third period to give Northeastern its only lead of the night at 3-2, but the Black Bears controlled the rest of the frame and got the tying goal off the stick of Luke Antonacci at 12:44.

No. 9 Northeastern (14-20-3, 9-15-3 Hockey East), the lowest seed ever to reach a Hockey East semifinal, saw its Cinderella postseason run come to an end. The Huskies earned wins at No. 8 Merrimack (3-2 in double overtime) and No. 1 BC (3-1).

“Just getting to the final four teams, losing in double overtimes, having two huge playoff wins, that’s something to be really proud of in this league,” Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe said. “I’m really proud of this group to get here.”

Maine twice lost to UConn during the regular season (4-2 at home on Jan. 17 and 3-2 in overtime on Feb. 21 in Storrs, Conn.). The teams skated to a 2-2 tie (with the Black Bears winning the shootout) on Jan. 18 in Orono, Maine.

Maine is seeking it’s first Hockey East tournament title since 2004.

Muldowney’s hat trick leads UConn past BU for berth in Hockey East championship game

By
-
UConn players celebrate a goal in Thursday’s Hockey East semifinal win over BU (photo: UConn Athletics).

BOSTON — Joey Muldowney had high hopes for his first time playing at TD Garden.

The Connecticut sophomore forward might not have had visions of hats raining down on him, however.

But that’s what happened Thursday night, as Muldowney led the way for the Huskies with a hat trick en route to a 5-2 win over Boston University in the Hockey East semifinals.

“It’s definitely pretty cool,” Muldowney said. “Honestly, though, it felt just like another game. I think that’s the kind of team that we have. We’re winning. It’s just become a habit and it’s pretty awesome.”

UConn advanced to the Hockey East championship game for only the second time in program history and the first since 2022. With its first-ever NCAA berth already wrapped up thanks to its position in the PairWise, fourth-seeded UConn (22-10-4, 14-8-4 Hockey East) now seeks its first Hockey East tournament title.

The Huskies scored three unanswered goals in the first half of the second period, including a highlight-reel strike by Muldowney, his first of the night. Picking up a rebound of his own shot to the left of BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov (19 saves), and with his skates firmly behind the goal line, Muldowney backhanded it into the net just under Yegorov’s glove. UConn led 3-1 at 8:42 of the frame.

“That stretch in the second period, in the first 10 minutes, I thought that was probably some of the best hockey we’ve played all year,” UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said.

Muldowney scored his second of the night just over five minutes into the third period to close the door on the Terriers. Muldowney slammed the puck past Yegorov’s left skate after Jake Richard snapped a backhanded pass across the front of the net to give UConn a commanding 4-1 lead.

Richard had four assists on the night, none prettier than a second-period pass from the Huskies’ left faceoff circle to a wide-open Ryan Tattle at center ice. Tattle scooped up the puck, skated uncontested into the BU zone and fired the puck past Yegorov for a 2-1 lead at 2:56.

“All I heard was Tattle screaming for the puck (and) I kind of just threw it there,” Richard said. “He was able to catch it nicely. Great finish.”

Tristan Fraser got UConn on the board less than a minute into the second period, following up a rebound of his own shot for just his third goal of the season to tie the game 1-1.

UConn goalie Callum Tung, making his 13th start of the year, made 25 saves, none prettier than a pad save on a one-timer by BU’s Cole Eiserman early in the third period during a Terrier power play with the Huskies clinging to a two-goal lead.

BU opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Quinn Hutson 9:32 of the first. Hutson faked out his defender high in the slot and fired the puck at ice level just past Tung’s left skate and into the back of the net. The Terriers took a 1-0 lead into the break.

“That was a good, old-fashioned (butt) kicking,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “That’s what that was. Out-competed, out-battled for every puck. Out-battled on the wall, out-battled in the slot. They played winning hockey. They wanted to win. They wanted it a heck of a lot more than we did.”

Muldowney completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 16:12 to make it a 5-1 game, and BU’s Kamil Bednarik scored with 10 seconds to play to account for the final score.

No. 3 BU (21-11-4, 13-9-4) was looking for its first Hockey East tournament title since 2023. The PairWise already had the Terriers as NCAA worthy. BU will aim for its third straight appearance in the Frozen Four and fifth since 2009, the last year it won the NCAA championship.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 43 – Frozen Four bonus episode: Hear from players on semifinal eve

By
-

On a bonus episode of the PodKaz from the Frozen Four in Minneapolis, Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com chat with players from three of the four teams.

Ohio State junior defender Emma Peschel discusses the Buckeyes’ search for a second consecutive NCAA championship.

Ashley Messier, a senior defender, talks about Cornell returning to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019.

And Minnesota freshman defender Chloe Primerano shares how the Gophers are preparing to play the Frozen Four at home.

Ohio State plays Cornell at 4 p.m. Central on Friday, with Wisconsin vs. Minnesota to follow at 7:30 p.m. Central. Both semifinal games stream on ESPN+.

The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for our mailbag? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email todd.milewski@uscho.com.

Find The PodKaz on:
Spotify
Spreaker
iHeart
Amazon
Apple

This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Holy Cross, Bentley meet this weekend for conference title, NCAA tournament automatic bid

By
-
Bemtley went 1-1-1 against Holy Cross during the 2024-25 regular season (photo: Bentley Athletics).

After three rounds of playoffs, the Atlantic Hockey America tournament is down to the final two teams: Holy Cross and Bentley.

They will play a single game on Saturday in Worcester, Mass., for the title and the right to represent the league in the NCAA tournament.

Previewing the finals

No. 3 Bentley at No. 1 Holy Cross

It’s 2006 all over again. That was the last time these teams met in the finals, and the only other time Bentley got this far.

The Falcons have won a program-best 22 games and are on a four-game winning streak, allowing a total of two goals over that span. Goaltender Connor Hasley has posted 11 shutouts so far this season, one way from the all-time record of 12 set by former Niagara goalie and current Mercyhurst assistant coach Greg Gardner in 1999-2000. Gardner played in 41 games that season; Hasley has appeared in 34 so far.

Bentley features two first-team all-conference players in forward Ethan Leyh (16-22-38) and defenseman Nick Bochen (8-19-27).

Hasley, a third-team all-star, is the main reason why the Falcons have allowed the fewest goals per game in the league (2.03).

Holy Cross is led by two first-team all-stars: forward Liam McLinskey and goaltender Thomas Gale. Defenseman Mack Oliphant (second team) and forward Matt Kursonis (all-rookie) were also recognized.

McLinskey is the repeat Player of the Year in Atlantic Hockey America, putting up 51 points so far. Gale has 24 wins this season in net, a school record.

Holy Cross boasts the top power play (23.7%) and penalty kill (90.4%) in the conference. The Crusaders PK is tied with Boston College for best in Division I.

As good as the Crusaders have been this season, they might have been even better. Holy Cross doesn’t have graduate programs, which means players looking for a fifth year due to the pandemic had to go elsewhere. Jack Ricketts has 28 points for Quinnipiac this season, and former teammates Tyler Ghirardosi and Matt Guerra each put up 19 points at Sacred Heart.

Bentley and Holy Cross met three times this season, with the Crusaders posting a pair of wins.

Awards season, final edition

Here is our final set of award winners. The league has published its finalists and winners, as voted by the coaches. The official AHA winners are in bold.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists:
Mac Gadowsky, So., D, Army West Point
Thomas Gale, Sr., G, Holy Cross
Liam McLinskey, Sr., F, Holy Cross
Our pick: McLinskey, who again leads the league in scoring (23-28-51). He’s the only player to win Atlantic Hockey POTY twice.

FORWARD OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Ethan Leyh, Gr., F, Bentley
Liam McLinskey, Sr., F, Holy Cross
Matthew Wilde, So., F, RIT
Our pick: McLinskey, who leads the league in goals (23) and assists (28)

BEST DEFENSEMAN
2024-25 Finalists
Mac Gadowsky, So., D, Army West Point
Nick Bochen, Gr., D, Bentley
Mack Oliphant, Jr., D, Holy Cross
Our pick: Gadowsky, who is leads the nation in goals by a defenseman (16).

GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Connor Hasley, Jr., G, Bentley
Thomas Gale, Sr., G, Holy Cross
Ajeet Gundarah, Fr., G, Sacred Heart
Our pick: Gundarah, who leads the conference in save percentage (.936) and GAA (1.90).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Jack Ivey, Fr., F, Army West Point
Trevor Hoskin, Fr., F, Niagara
Ajeet Gundarah, Fr., G, Sacred Heart
Our pick: Hoskin, a Calgary draft pick, who is currently tied with BU’s Cole Hutson for most points by a freshman (27).

COACH OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Brian Riley, Army
Andy Jones, Bentley
Bill Riga, Holy Cross
Our pick: Riley. It’s not a sentimental pick. All three finalists did an amazing job not just for this season, but for the past several years. Jones and Riga took struggling programs and turned them into contenders. But I think the best job this season was by Riley, whose team was under a microscope all season, Riley’s last. Picked to finish tenth, the Black Knights endured a nine-game losing streak in the middle of the season, and then proceeded to go 12-5-2 the rest of the way, earning a bye and then upsetting Niagara in the quarterfinals before giving Holy Cross all it could handle in their semifinal series.

With gratitude

This is my last column of the season, my 26th at USCHO.com and my 19th covering Atlantic Hockey.

This is where I thank the editors, coaches, players and SIDs that have given me their time and attention this season. It’s also where I thank my family for tolerating me during hockey season and continuing to encourage me to continue writing.

This time, I also want to thank a pair of coaches that are moving on — Brian Riley and Eric Lang. I have known both since I started covering the league in 2006, and I am forever grateful for the hours I have spent talking with them, gathering their insights and sometimes just talking about life. I’ve had some health challenges this season and felt comfortable sharing that with them. They were positive and encouraging as always.

Brian is retiring, and I wish him the best in whatever the future holds. Lang will land on his feet at a school that will be very lucky to have him. Eric learned from some of the best: Gary Wright at AIC, and Riley, with whom Lang worked as an assist for four seasons before taking the AIC job.

I hope our paths cross again.

And thank you, dear reader. The season isn’t over yet. I’ll see some of you in St. Louis in a few weeks. Until then, enjoy the hockey to come.

Union junior blueliner Prokop forgoes senior season, signs NHL deal with Maple Leafs

By
-
John Prokop played a key role on the Union back end his three seasons with the team (photo: Mary Gettens).

The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that the team has signed Union junior defenseman John Prokop to a one-year contract beginning in the 2025-26 season.

He will join the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an amateur tryout.

Prokop posted 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 36 games with Union this season. The Wausau, Wis., native skated in 107 career games with Union, posting 85 points (20 goals, 65 assists).

In addition, Prokop was named to the ECAC Hockey all-academic team (2022-23), All-America East second team (2023-24) and ECAC Hockey first team (2023-24).

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan State-Ohio State conference title game ‘going to be a great atmosphere’ in East Lansing

By
-
Michigan State went 3-1-0 during the regular season against Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).

Raise your hand if you predicted at the start of the 2024-25 season that Ohio State would be playing for the Big Ten tournament championship this weekend.

If your hand’s up, you’re either a diehard Buckeye fan or someone whose familiarity with honesty is questionable.

Picked to finish last in the Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll, Ohio State advances to this week’s conference title game against Michigan State after beating Penn State 4-3 in semifinal action last Saturday.

The difference between where they were picked and where they are now isn’t lost on this Ohio State team or Buckeyes head coach Steve Rohlik.

“To be honest, when you play in the best league in the country, someone’s one and someone’s seven,” said Rohlik. “We never really talked about it as a team, but you know, guys see it … and we said the only thing that matters is what happens and what we believe in that room.

“All the credit to our guys. They just wanted to continue to get better. They just want to be players here and they really believe in our development process.”

In the win against Penn State, the Buckeyes’ best players combined at just the right time. After Matt DiMarsico scored late in the third period to tie the game for the Nittany Lions, Ohio State outshot Penn State 6-1 in overtime, with Gunnarwolfe Fontaine finding the back of the net from Riley Thompson and Davis Burnside – Ohio State’s top three scorers – at 14:31 in OT.

That goal, the 16th of the season for Fontaine, gives the Buckeyes the chance to play for the B1G conference title for the third time. Ohio State remains the only team in the league that has yet to capture that crown.

“One, I’m just proud of the guys that we have an opportunity,” said Rohlik. “Again, every week’s such a grind in our league.”

No one knows that better than Rohlik, whose Buckeyes needed three games to get past sixth-place Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round Mar. 7-9. “I say the toughest weekend of the year is that best two-out-of-three weekend in the Big Ten,” said Rohlik, “and if you can get through that, then all of a sudden, the next game – and what a game it was here.

“Now we’ve got a chance, but we’re playing the best team in the country, the No. 1 team in the country. They don’t have a lot of holes, but you know what? This is playoff hockey. We don’t have to beat them twice. We’ve just got to beat them once.”

Now Ohio State faces off in East Lansing against Michigan State, the top team in the USCHO.com Poll and the No. 2 team in the PairWise Rankings. The Spartans are now regular-season champions for the second consecutive season, and on top of that, Michigan State is the defending Big Ten playoff champ.

“Excited about our guys getting the opportunity to play another game at Munn,” said Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale. “In order to do that, you’ve got to win the regular season, which we did, and you’ve got to win another game, so now we have a chance to play another game in front of our home crowd.”

To earn that right, Michigan State won their semifinal game last weekend against a very determined Notre Dame team. The week prior to that – when the Spartans were enjoying a first-round playoff bye week – the Fighting Irish knocked off Minnesota on the road in three games to advance to the semifinal round.

Given that the Irish finished last in the conference and the Golden Gophers were co-regular season champs, Notre Dame came into Munn Arena and gave the Spartans all they could handle. After a scoreless two periods of play, Isaac Howard scored the only goal of the game on the Michigan State power play 19 seconds into the third period, assisted by Karsen Dorwart and Matt Basgall.

And just as it was for Ohio State against the Nittany Lions, the Spartans needed that their biggest scorers to step up in a very hard-fought game. That win is a lesson that can only help Michigan State in the remainder of the post-season, said Nightingale.

“Obviously, Munn was rocking and we were playing a team that was hot [and] playing some really good hockey, and I think our guys stayed with it,” said Nightingale.

“I think that’s the message to our guys. Playoff hockey’s hard. You can’t expect offense to be easy. We had to work for it. We stayed with it and I don’t think we deviated, and that’s a good reminder for us down the stretch in how we need to play.”

The Spartans enter Saturday’s championship game battle-tested in ways that the Buckeyes are not. In addition to their conference success of these two most recent seasons, Michigan State has won on some big stages. In December, the Spartans captured the Great Lakes Invitational tournament in Van Andel Arena, where the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins of the AHL play, and in February, Michigan State won the annual Duel in the D, beating arch-rival Michigan in front of nearly 20,000 people in Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.

Even finishing on top of the conference standing demanded the Spartans play their best at crucial time. One week after tying and losing to Penn State at home, Michigan State traveled to South Bend for what were Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson’s final home games, ever. Jackson announced his retirement at the start of the season, and as the last-place team in the conference, the Fighting Irish finished their season after that weekend on the road in the Big Ten playoffs.

The Spartans beat the Irish by a score of 5-2 each night of that series (Feb. 28-Mar. 1), each night in front of more than 5,000 hostile fans.

“To win the regular season this year,” said Nightingale, “we went on the road to Notre Dame and we needed some help, but we needed to win both hockey games and we got the job done.”

Here’s a look at how Ohio State and Michigan State compare, by the overall numbers.

Scoring offense: Ohio State, 3.18 (18th); Michigan State, 3.49 (eighth)

Scoring defense: Ohio State, 2.47 (18th); Michigan State, 2.00 (fourth)

Power play: Ohio State, 17.9% (43rd); Michigan State, 23.3% (17th)

Penalty kill: Ohio State, 77.9% (40th); Michigan State, 82.1% (20th)

Points leader: Ohio State, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (16-23-39); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (24-23-47)

Top goal scorer: Ohio State, Riley Thompson (17); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (24)

Top goaltender: Ohio State, Logan Terness (2.25 GAA, .925 SV%); Michigan State, Trey Augustine (2.02 GAA, .927 SV%)

In addition to featuring the last two Big Ten teams standing, this series features a number of Big Ten postseason award winners.

Michigan State’s Isaac Howard is the conference player of the year and goaltender Trey Augustine is goaltender of the year. Howard is also one of the 10 Hobey Baker finalists, while Augustine is one of the four finalists for the Mike Richter Award.

“Both those guys have done a great job,” said Nightingale. “Trey’s obviously had a heck of season for us to win goaltender of the year, and then Ike player of the year, but I think with both those guys it goes back to what they really want – the root of it, why they do everything they do – is they want Michigan State to be great. They want Michigan State to win, and obviously they’re reaping the benefit of that with some individual accolades.”

Michigan State defenseman Matt Basgall was named to the conference first team as well.

No Ohio State players were recognized, but their coach earned coach-of-the-year honors. Rohlik credited everyone else around him for that accomplishment. “I’ve been very blessed to be around some really good coaches, a great support staff and some great players,” said Rohlik, “and they’ve all made me look good.”

As for any Ohio State players overlooked for year-end honors, Rohlik was philosophical about that, too.

“I think our team’s getting recognized because we’re playing in the Big Ten championship,” said Rohlik. “I think that’s the biggest thing I can say, and I think that every guy to a ‘T’ in there would give up any individual award to have a team award, and that’s why we go by team family and belief. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

There is no chance of Nightingale and the Spartans underestimating the Buckeyes, even though Michigan State took three of the four regular-season meetings between the programs, with the Spartans outscoring the Buckeyes 13-6 in those contests.

“I think Rohls does a great job,” said Nightingale. “Their staff does a great job, I think they play team hockey, they’re well coached, they’re organized and anyone can beat anyone in our conference.

“When you have a smaller number of teams in your conference and you look at the pedigree of the teams in our conference, there are no nights off.”

Like the Spartans, the Buckeyes know what they’re up against.

“We understand the animal we’re playing,” said Rohlik. “They’re well coached. Adam’s done an incredible job. But our guys have a belief … and all we have to do is win one game.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere, playing in the Big Ten championship. What else can you ask for?”

Ohio State (24-12-2) faces off against Michigan State (25-6-4) at 7:30 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena. The game will televised by the Big Ten Network.

Looking at odds for Hockey East, ECAC, NCHC semifinals, CCHA, AHA, Big Ten finals: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 20

By and
-

USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger look at money lines and over/under for the Hockey East, ECAC, and NCHC semifinals, and the championship games in the CCHA, Atlantic Hockey, and Big Ten for March 20-22, 2025.

  • UConn +105 vs. BU -135; over/under 6.5
  • Northeastern +220 vs. Maine -298; o/u 4.5
  • Cornell +124 vs. Quinnipiac -160; o/u 5.5
  • Dartmouth +110 vs. Clarkson -140; o/u 5.5
  • Denver -175 vs. Arizona State +135; o/u 6.5
  • North Dakota +154 vs. Western Michigan -200; o/u 6.5
  • St. Thomas +180 @ Minnesota State -230; o/u 4.5
  • Bentley +135 @ Holy Cross -175; o/u 4.5
  • Ohio State +180 @ Michigan State -125; o/u 5.5
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour

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

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

Continue

This Week in Hockey East: There’s still something at stake for Maine, BU, Northeastern, UConn in conference semifinals at TD Garden

By
-
Cameron Whitehead made 30 saves in goal as Northeastern upset Boston College last weekend in the Hockey East quarterfinals (photo: Jim Pierce).

One could look at the Hockey East semifinals and assume there’s little at stake.

Only Northeastern, the No. 9 seed, is fighting for its survival beyond this weekend — the Huskies need to win the Lamoriello Trophy for a bid to the NCAA tournament. The other three schools — Connecticut, Boston University and Maine — are already in, based on their position in the PairWise.

But look again. UConn, with only two players who were on the team the last time it made it to Boston, would love to take some conference-championship vibes into what will be the program’s first NCAA tourney berth. Maine, having last year broken a 12-year semifinal drought, is itching to make it back to the final for the first time since 2012. And BU is looking to become the first Terrier team since 2009 to lift the Lamoriello Trophy and the Beanpot in the same year, and the first since Northeastern in 2019.

The 2022 tournament marked the last time UConn made it this far. That year Mike Cavanaugh’s club, as the No. 4 seed, beat top seed Northeastern 4-1 in the semifinals before dropping an OT thriller, 2-1, to No. 2 Massachusetts. Only forward Hudson Schandor and defenseman John Spetz remain from that team.

“We’ve got a group in there that’s really looking forward to competing,” UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “We know we have a great challenge in front of us. (There’s) not a lot of holes in the Terriers, so we’re going to have to play extremely well.”

TD Garden will be the venue on Thursday night starting with No. 4 UConn vs. No. 3 BU at 4 p.m., followed by Northeastern vs. No. 2 Maine in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader. The championship game is set for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. All three games will be on NESN-plus.

BU last skated on the Garden ice just five weeks prior, beating rival Boston College, then ranked No. 1 in the USCHO men’s D-I poll, 4-1 in the Beanpot final.

“I think it certainly helps that our group has experience playing in that building,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “It certainly can’t hurt you, that’s for sure. But I think once the game gets going, I don’t know how much it matters after that.”

After a breaking a dozen-year streak of zero appearances in either the Hockey East semifinals or the NCAA tournament, Maine was one-and-done in each in 2024. To go deeper in this year’s league tournament — and get a possible playoff rematch vs. BU, which eliminated the Black Bears in the 2024 semifinals — senior forward Harrison Scott said it will be important for his team to stay mentally focused.

“It’s just going to come down to the little things, the little details,” said Scott. “And it’s about managing the game in our head. We can’t get too worried about the external pressure, the noise. It’s fun, but it comes down to being locked in — being focused on what you need to do to win.”

Northeastern comes into this year’s Hockey East semifinals as the clear underdog/Cinderella story. With an 14-19-3 overall record and 9-14-3 conference mark, Northeastern pulled off a 3-1 win over conference regular-season champion (and defending tournament champ) BC in the quarterfinals.

The win was not an aberration to Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe, who noted his team has given up 10 empty-net goals this season, indicating it has played in a number of close games. The team has played in nine games decided by one goal, and one statistical analysis indicates it has endured the fourth-toughest schedule in the country.

“This time of year, that’s the goal — to try to flip those one-goal games,” Keefe said. “This group has some confidence right now. It’s not going to be easy (against Maine). It wasn’t easy (against BC), it wasn’t easy against Merrimack (in the preliminary round). We’re going to have to go into the Garden, stick to our plan, and win a close game.”

Hobey Baker Award candidates narrowed to 10 standouts for 2025 award as college hockey’s best player

By
-

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation has announced the top 10 candidates for the 2025 award honoring college hockey’s top player.

Alphabetically, they are Zeev Buium, Denver; Jack Devine, Denver; Aiden Fink, Penn State; Mac Gadowsky, Army West Point; Isaac Howard, Michigan State; Ryan Leonard, Boston College; Ayrton Martino, Clarkson; Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross; Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota; and Alex Tracy, Minnesota State.

The 10 finalists were selected by voting from all 64 Division I college hockey head coaches and online fan balloting. This year’s Hobey Baker winner will be chosen from this group by the 30-member selection committee as well as an additional round of fan balloting running from March 19–30 on the Hobey Baker website. Criteria for the award are displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship, and scholastic achievements.

The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 3, and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on April 11, during the Frozen Four weekend in St Louis. The announcement will be televised live from the Stifel Theatre on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 6 p.m. ET.

Following, in alphabetical order, is a look at each finalist.

Zeev Buium – Denver – Sophomore, Defense, San Diego, CA

A highly gifted skater with tremendous play making capabilities, Zeev Buium (Boo-yum) has proved to be one of the premier defensemen in college hockey. Tied with fellow Hobey nominee Mac Gadowsky for first in the nation in points by a D-man, the two are also tied for 14th overall in national scoring. Buium excels at initiating offense and is tied for second in assists amongst all players nationally. For the second straight year he has garnered First Team all-conference honors and is a finalist for NCHC Player of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year.

· Has 10 goals, 32 assists for 42 points in 36 games – secured points in 27 of 36 games played

· Has won two straight gold medals for Team USA at the World Junior Championships

· Draft of Minnesota (1st round, 2024) – Communications major

Jack Devine – Denver – Senior, Forward, Glencoe, IL

Back-to-back 50-point seasons by Jack Devine may very well lead to back-to-back national titles for the Pioneers. Devine heads into this weekend’s NCHC championship tournament as the nation’s leader in points and assists. Consistency is his trademark as he opened the season with points in 16 of his first 17 games and continued on a torrid pace throughout the campaign collecting points in all but seven games.

Claiming the NCHC Scoring Title, he was named First Team all-conference for the second straight year and is a finalist for Forward of the Year. Devine is a repeat Hobey Baker top ten finalist from last year.

· Has 13 goals, 41 assists for 54 points in 39 games – has had 16 multiple point games

· Average of 1.38 points per game is third best in the nation

· Florida draft (7th round, 2022) – Business Finance major

Aiden Fink – Penn State – Sophomore, Forward, Calgary, Alberta

A standout sophomore season has seen Aiden Fink become a prominent figure amongst the nation’s leading scorers. He currently sits second in the nation in scoring while topping all skaters with a 1.41 points per game average. A gifted goal scorer and playmaker, Fink was a unanimous selection as First Team all-conference in the Big Ten and was a finalist for the circuit’s Player of the Year.

· Has 23 goals, 29 assists for 52 points in 37 games – has produced 15 multiple point games

· His 8 power play goals are tied for 8th in the nation – is 6th in the nation in goals and assists

· Draft pick of Nashville (7th round, 2023) – is a Recreation, Park and Tourism Management major

Mac Gadowsky – Army West Point – Sophomore, Defense, State College, PA

Even though Army’s season ended last weekend, Mac Gadowsky left an indelible mark on Atlantic Hockey. He finished second overall in AHA scoring and is tied for the national lead in points by a defenseman. The circuit rewarded him as First Team all-conference, Defenseman of the Year, the AHA Sportsmanship Award and twice was named Defenseman of the Month.

· Finished with 16 goals, 26 assists for 42 points in 38 games – added 4 power play goals

· His father Guy is the men’s head hockey coach at Penn State

· Is a Cyber Science major – had only three minor penalties all season

Isaac Howard – Michigan State – Junior, Forward, Hudson, WI

The Spartans have been at or near the top of the national rankings all season with key contributions from their prolific scorer Isaac Howard. Presently tied for eighth in the nation in points, his 24 goals are tied for third in the country. He became the Big Ten conference Scoring Champion, First Team all-conference and the league’s Player of the Year. Howard’s past accomplishments for Team USA include multiple medals in U-18 and World Junior Championship competitions.

· Has 24 goals, 23 assists for 47 points in 35 games – is 5th in the nation in shots on goal

· Tampa Bay draft (1st round, 2022) – had 13 multiple point games

· Played his freshman season at Minnesota Duluth – Communications major

Ryan Leonard – Boston College – Sophomore, Forward, Amherst, MA

A relentless competitor and clutch performer, Ryan Leonard has been a driving force in elevating the Eagles to the nation’s number one ranking. His elite scoring prowess ties him for eighth in the nation in scoring, but he leads the country with 29 goals and nine game-winners. A high-volume shooter, Leonard is second in the nation in shots averaging 5.2 per game. Leonard has garnered several Hockey East awards including Scoring Champion, First Team all-conference and Player of the Year.

· Has 29 goals, 18 assists for 47 points in 35 games – currently riding a 16-game point streak

· Communications major – his +29 is third in the nation – Washington draft (1st round, 2023)

· Won gold medal as Team USA captain at 2025 World Junior Championships

Ayrton Martino – Clarkson – Senior, Forward, Toronto, Ontario

Well known as an excellent playmaker, Ayrton Martino (Air-ton) ramped up his goal production this season bagging 24 tallies to almost equal what he had produced in his first three seasons combined (25 goals). That vaulted Martino to the top as the ECAC Scoring Champion while collecting First Team all-conference honors and being a finalist for the Player of the Year. Currently tied for third in the nation in goals, Martino is also second in the nation in game winning goals with eight.

· Has 24 goals, 25 assists for 49 points in 37 games – has points in 11 of his last 12 games

· Innovation & Entrepreneurship major – Dallas draft (3rd round, 2021)

· Is tied for fifth in the nation in scoring and his 1.32 points per game average is eighth

Liam McLinskey – Holy Cross – Senior, Forward, Pearl River, NY

Another repeat top ten Hobey finalist, Liam McLinskey, continues to thrive in producing offense. Helping the Crusaders to the AHA playoff title game, McLinskey currently is third in the nation in scoring, tied for sixth in goals and his nine power play tallies are tied for third best in the country. McLinskey has rounded out his game as an effective penalty killer, helping Holy Cross to tie Boston College as the nation’s best at killing penalties. For the second straight year, McLinskey is the AHA Scoring Champion, Player of the Year and First Team all-conference while also gaining Forward of the Year distinction.

· Has 23 goals, 28 assists for 51 points in 39 games – has 9 power play goals

· Economics major – active in a variety of community service and school initiatives

· Had a brief two-game stint as a freshman at Quinnipiac

Jimmy Snuggerud – Minnesota – Junior, Forward, Chaska, MN

An accomplished goal scorer with a deadly shot, Jimmy Snuggerud brought a more balanced approach to his game this past season as a terrific playmaker. During January, he bagged 11 goals and 6 assists in 9 games and was named National Player of the Month. Snuggerud became just the third Gopher to record 20 or more goals in each of his first three seasons. The Big Ten named him First Team all-conference and he was one of three finalists for the circuit’s Player of the Year.

· Has 22 goals, 27 assists for 49 points in 39 games – has had 16 multiple point games

· Nationally is fifth in points, tied eighth in goals and tenth in assists – average 4 shots per game

· Business and Marketing Education major – St. Louis draft (1st round, 2022)

Alex Tracy – Minnesota State – Junior, Goalie, Chicago, IL

Could another Maverick goalie win the Hobey like Dryden McKay did in 2022? The final line of defense for the Mavs has elevated his squad to the CCHA title game and a berth in the national tournament. Tracy will take a nine-game unbeaten streak into the CCHA championship game. A positionally sound and very consistent goalie, Tracy has soared to the top of the nation in both goals against average and save percentage. He is a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goalie and has already been named CCHA Goalie of the Year, Player of the Year and First Team all-conference.

· Current record is 25-8-3, goals against average 1.41, saves percentage .946, has 5 shutouts

· CCHA and National Goalie of the Month for both November and February

· Finance major with 3.94 GPA – very active in a variety of off-ice community activities

Hobey Notes

Candidates by conference: Big Ten – 3, NCHC – 2, AHA – 2, Hockey East – 1, CCHA – 1, ECAC – 1
By position: Forwards – 7, Defense – 2, Goalie – 1
By class: Senior – 3, Junior – 3, Sophomore – 4
By nationality: U.S. – 8 (Ill. – 2; 1 each NY, Mass., Penn., Wis., Cal., Minn.); Canada – 2 (Alb., Ont.)
Repeat Candidates: Jack Devine (’24), Liam McLinskey (’24)
Four schools have a finalist for the second straight year: Boston College, Denver, Holy Cross, Minnesota State
Seven of the ten finalists have been NHL draft picks with four selected in the first round (Buium, Howard, Leonard, Snuggerud)

The Hobey Baker website also has the top 10 video and in-depth bios. The Hobey Baker top 10 video is available in a high-definition format at www.hobeybaker.com/media

The 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner will be honored along with this year’s Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey, Dick Umile, at the annual banquet and golf outing to be held in August in Lake Elmo, Minn.

Boston College’s Leonard chosen ’24-25 Hockey East player of the year, BU blueliner Hutson best rookie, UConn’s Cavanaugh top coach, UMass Lowell’s Cole academic champion

By
-
BC’s Ryan Leonard has been an offensive catalyst this season for BC (photo: Meg Kelly).

Hockey East announced Wednesday that Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard has been awarded the honor of 2024-25 Hockey East player of the year.

Alongside Leonard, Boston University freshman defenseman Cole Hutson was named rookie of the year, UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh was voted coach of the year by his peers, and UMass Lowell’s Owen Cole has been honored as the 2024-25 academic champion.

All the awards except the academic champion were selected by the league’s 11 head coaches.

Leonard becomes the 15th Eagle to be named Hockey East player of the year and the first Boston College skater since Johnny Gaudreau was so honored two years in row from 2012-14. He paced Hockey East in a number of categories in league play, including goals (25), points (37), points per game (1.54), shots (116), game-winning goals (8), and plus-minus (+25). He is just the second skater to reach the 25-goal mark in league play since 2000-01 when Brian Gionta hit the milestone and Cutter Gauthier did so last season. He leads the nation in overall goals with 29 and is one strike away from becoming the first college hockey player with back-to-back 30-goal season since BC’s Cam Atkinson in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

The Amherst, Mass., native is first in the country with nine game-winning goals and sits eighth nationally with 47 points. His 181 shots on net are second in the nation and his plus-29 rating is third. He was twice named Hockey East player of the month (November, January) and national player of the month in November and collected four Hockey East player of the week accolades.

Hutson is the third consecutive Terrier to be named rookie of the year following Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson and is the 13th overall player from Boston University to claim top freshman honors, the most all-time. Hutson scored more points (29) than any other first-year skater in Hockey East play while his 21 assists were tops in the league. Among his classmates in 24 league contests, Hutson was third in shots on net (68), tied for second in power-play goals (3) and game-winning goals (2), and was third in blocks (23). No rookie in the country has more points than Hutson’s 39 overall points and 27 assists while his 96 shots on net sit 12th in the NCAA among all freshmen skaters. His four game-winning goals are also second-most of any rookie in the country.

Cavanaugh, the only UConn head coach in its Hockey East era, is the first Husky bench boss to win the Bob Kullen Award. He guided his squad to a fourth-place finish in Hockey East standings, tying the highest-ever finish for UConn after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll. The Huskies posted a 12-8-4 record in league play while scoring the third-most goals (76) of any Hockey East program through the 24-game season and the best power-play percentage in the league (28.4%). The Huskies also led the nation in shorthanded goals, scoring nine times while at a manpower disadvantage.

The academic champion award was created in 2024 honoring outstanding accomplishments from one men’s and one women’s player, both on the ice and in the classroom.

In 2024, Hockey East and Night Shift Brewing partnered to highlight both the academic and athletic success of student-athletes across the league. As a result, Cole will receive scholarship funds that include a portion of the proceeds of Hockey East Ale, the first-ever collaboration between the conference and a brewery for its own branded beverage.

“Hockey East is proud to honor Owen Cole as the 2024-25 Hockey East academic champion after a distinguished four years at UMass Lowell on the ice and in the classroom,” said Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf in a statement. “We are happy to provide Owen with means to continue his education when he is ready thanks to our partners at Night Shift Brewing and look forward to honoring him at our championship.”

Cole, who served as captain of the River Hawks this season, has set a career high with 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists through 35 games.

Off the ice, Cole has maintained a 3.76 GPA while majoring in Exercise & Fitness Management, a course load that requires both lab and clinical hours in addition to UMass Lowell’s standard academic coursework. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Cole would lead his River Hawks in practice before commuting to Wilmington, Mass., for clinical rotations. He is scheduled to graduate this spring Magna Cum Laude.

Cole is also a visible presence on the UMass Lowell campus and throughout the community. The senior forward is active with the River Hawk’s Team Impact teammate, Owen, and founded a 5K charity race to raise awareness for the program and the work Team Impact does. He also participates in the UMass Lowell Pen Pal Program which pairs student-athletes with local elementary school children throughout the year.

Augustine, Boija, Fowler, Tracy announced as four finalists for 2025 Mike Richter Award as top men’s D-I hockey goaltender

By
-
From left, Trey Augustine, Albin Boija, Jacob Fowler and Alex Tracy (photos: Michigan State Athletics/Maine Athletics/Boston College Athletics/Minnesota State Athletics).

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the final four candidates for this year’s Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014.

A watch list of 32 was reduced to 10 semifinalists and now, with playoffs underway, the final four have been chosen: Michigan State sophomore Trey Augustine, Maine sophomore Albin Boija, Boston College sophomore Jacob Fowler, and Minnesota State junior Alex Tracy.

The 2024 winner was Wisconsin’s Kyle McClellan.

Mike Richter enjoyed a phenomenal playing career, highlighted by 14 seasons with the New York Rangers, leading them to the Stanley Cup in 1994, their first in 54 years. A member of the Hall of Fame, Richter was outstanding on a number of USA Hockey teams, most notably the 1988 Olympic Team, the 1991 Canada Cup Team and as the MVP of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Richter also played at Wisconsin and earned a degree from Yale.

Trey Augustine, Michigan State
(SO – South Lyon, MI)

Augustine has put Michigan State into Saturday night’s Big Ten championship game against Ohio State with outstanding numbers across the board: 2.02, .927, 18-6-4 and three shutouts for the Spartans. He was named the Big Ten goaltender of the year on Tuesday. MSU is No. 2 in the Pairwise Rankings.

Albin Boija, Maine
(SO – Sundsvall, Sweden)

The resurgence in Maine hockey rides on the shoulders of Boija. The Black Bears take on Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals on Thursday. Boija boasts a 1.75 GAA (fourth in the nation) and a save percentage of .930. His record is 21-7-6 with four shutouts, leading Maine to No. 3 in the nation Pairwise Rankings.

Jacob Fowler, Boston College
(SO – Melbourne, FL)

The only repeat finalist of the group, Fowler has picked up where he left off last year when he led the Eagles to the NCAA championship game. His 2024-25 stats: 1.64 (2nd in NCAA), .940 (3rd), 24-6-2 with an NCAA-best seven shutouts. BC is No. 1 in the Pairwise Rankings.

Alex Tracy, Minnesota State
(JR – Chicago, IL)

Tracy has led MNSU to the CCHA regular-season title and hopes to add a tournament crown when the Mavericks host St. Thomas in the CCHA final on Friday night. Tracy leads the nation in GAA (1.41) and save percentage (.946). He is 25-8-3, his 25 wins second best in the NCAA.

The winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award will be announced on April 11 during the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis.

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Arizona State has shot at NCAA tourney as Sun Devils ‘proving our followers right and proving the people who didn’t believe in us wrong’

By
-
Arizona State’s Charlie Schoen celebrates a goal in last weekend’s Sun Devils’ sweep over Minnesota Duluth (photo: Arizona State Athletics).

It’s tough to predict how much further Arizona State’s first season as a conference member can go.

The Sun Devils are 15th in the PairWise Rankings and will need to keep helping themselves as the NCHC playoffs progress.

But regardless of which side of the NCAA tournament bubble the Sun Devils land on, they already know what this season has meant for their program.

At 21-13-2, Arizona State has recovered well from a 1-4-1 start and has navigated admirably an injury-riddled season. Doing so as a first-year member of arguably the country’s strongest college hockey conference is no small feat. More than that, it has set the Sun Devils up for continued success and has informed coach Greg Powers’s recruiting process going forward.

“We knew it would enhance our student-athlete experience in every way,” Powers said during a NCHC media call Tuesday, when asked about ASU’s inaugural season as a league member. “In just the competitive nature of being in a league and developing rivalries and playing a team more than one weekend on the season, it’s unbelievable. To have standings to update and teams to chase or stay ahead of or whatever it is, it’s something we’d never experienced, but we experienced it this year.

“Usually, other than the year we made the (NCAA) tournament (in 2019) and the year we were going to but it got canceled (in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic), we’ve been done right now and watched the games on TV. Last year, I was at the Frozen Faceoff (the NCHC’s semifinal and championship rounds) and went up and watched it in person, and we watched all these conference tournaments where teams play on big stages, and I felt, a lot of times, that we were good enough to be there but just didn’t have the opportunity because we were an independent. Being in a league has changed the trajectory of our program in a really positive way.”

And it has helped draw top-tier talent to the Sonoran desert. Graduate student Artem Shlaine is one such player, having posted 16 goals and 37 points thus far in his fifth collegiate season, following stints at Connecticut and then Northern Michigan.

“The biggest sales pitch for me, knowing I’ve been in the portal twice already, it’s not about the bright and shiny new arena, or the other bonus stuff,” Shlaine said of what brought him to Tempe and ASU, which was picked in the 2024-25 NCHC preseason media poll to finish eighth in the nine-team league.

“For me, it’s about the coaches, the coaching staff, the staff and the players in the locker room. Looking at the roster, right away you could see the potential of that team and that we were going to be really good, and I don’t know how other people didn’t see it, and they missed it and it’s on them, but I think we’re proving people wrong. That’s what drives and motivates us: We’re proving our followers right and proving the people who didn’t believe in us wrong.

“Overall, when I just started talking to the coaches, (it was) that belief in me as a player that they would give me an opportunity, and I think they were honest and kind of gave me an opportunity and I think I ran with it, and I’m really happy with how this season has gone, but we’re not done yet and we’re going (to St. Paul, Minn.) to win this thing.”

That’s a feeling shared around the home dressing room inside Mullett Arena, ahead of ASU’s trip this week to the Twin Cities. The second-seeded Sun Devils will play Friday’s second NCHC semifinal game, facing defending national champion Denver.

No matter how this weekend and a potential NCAA tournament run will treat the Sun Devils, Powers believes his program will only move now from strength to strength.

“Kids want to compete for championships, and if we were not in the NCHC, in this specific league especially, the kid you just talked to, he wouldn’t be here,” Powers said of Shlaine, among ASU’s several gets from previous NCAA stops. “Ryan Kirwan wanted to play in the NCHC, so did Cruz Lucius and Bennett Schimek and Luke Pavicich and Noah Beck. It has changed the trajectory of our program on many levels.”

TTFN, kind of

This week marks my last conference column of my 18th season at USCHO.com. If my career in journalism (which began here) was a person, it could vote. Madness.

Thank you to all of my colleagues for all their amazing work this season. This also goes for Matt Mackinder, our managing editor who makes keeping everything here humming along look easy.

I won’t be attending the NCHC Frozen Faceoff or the Frozen Four (can we please have one of them renamed?), but I’ll still have a few more USCHO.com bylines this season. I have two Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist feature stories on the way, plus previews on NCHC teams playing for however long they make a run in the NCAA tournament.

Thanks for reading, everyone.

1...789...1,527Page 8 of 1,527

Latest Stories from around USCHO

Oswego’s Burke and Aurora’s Schmuck co-winners of USCHO D-III Rookie of the Year honors

Tim Costello -

Women’s Division I College Hockey: NCAA players at 2025 Women’s World Championships

Nicole Haase -

Defending national champion Denver has ‘taken a real growth mindset’ during 2024-25 season as Pioneers look to repeat

Matthew Semisch -

NCAA Division II-III players tabbed AHCA All-Americans for ’24-25 season as 31 outstanding men’s hockey performers earn honors

USCHO Staff -

Total of 32 standouts named NCAA Division III women’s hockey AHCA All-Americans for 2024-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Western Michigan’s plan for Frozen Four means Broncos ‘going to approach it like we do every other game – that our next game is...

Matthew Semisch -

2024-2025 D-III All-USCHO Teams

Tim Costello -

Penn State in first-ever Frozen Four after Nittany Lions decided on ‘absolutely refusing to let anybody get negative’

Paula C. Weston -

Fowler leaves Boston College crease after sophomore season, signs NHL contract with Canadiens

USCHO Staff -

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: Cornell’s Kempf all about giving back to local community with memory of late mother the catalyst for volunteering, helping,...

Dan Rubin -

NHL’s Bruins sign Cornell forward Bancroft, who forgoes last season of NCAA eligibility

USCHO Staff -

Connors leaves UMass after three seasons, inks NHL contract with Los Angeles

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