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NCHC announces change in playoff format, will move exclusively to campus sites beginning with 2026 postseason tournament

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Minnesota Duluth celebrates the 2022 Frozen Faceoff championship at the Xcel Energy Center (photo: Jim Rosvold).

Beginning with the 2026 conference tournament, the NCHC will be moving its playoffs entirely to campus sites.

The decision was approved unanimously by the NCHC’s board of directors on Monday.

The 2026 NCHC tournament and beyond will be played over three weeks. The biggest change sees the semifinals move to single elimination at two campus sites on the Saturday after the quarterfinals, with the championship game held at the highest remaining seed a week after the semifinals.

The new playoff format begins with a play-in game between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, which will start with the 2025 NCHC tournament when Arizona State becomes a member of the NCHC and was first announced in August. Also, the first week of the playoffs will be four best-of-three quarterfinal series, which have always been part of the NCHC tournament format.

Starting in 2026, all NCHC tournament games will be held at the higher seed, save for the No. 8 vs. No. 9 play-in game, which will be hosted by the No. 1 seed. As has always been the case, teams will be re-seeded following the quarterfinal round, which will determine the semifinal matchups and host sites. The champion of the NCHC tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“The NCHC Frozen Faceoff was introduced shortly after the inception of the conference as a destination tournament in the Twin Cities,” said NCHC commissioner Heather Weems in a statement. “As the membership discussed the future of the NCHC in an increasingly competitive NCAA Division I environment, the rest and recovery available to our student-athletes in the final weeks of the season became of paramount importance. The expansion to a three-week playoff immediately preceding NCAA regional play maintains the competitiveness of our Frozen Faceoff championship while providing our teams with a better schedule for travel and rest. NCHC member institutions are excited to battle for home-site seeding and to play in front of loyal fans and supporters as they chase the Frozen Faceoff trophy and automatic qualification into the NCAA tournament.”

In the first year of the new tournament format, the 2026 NCHC playoffs will begin on Wednesday, March 4 with the play-in game at the site of the No. 1 seed. The best-of-three quarterfinal series will take place from Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8, if necessary. The two semifinals will be held on Saturday, March 14 at the two highest remaining seeds, with the 2026 champion crowned on Saturday, March 21 at the highest remaining seed.

With the change in format, higher seeds advancing all the way to the championship game will play between four and five games in March leading into the NCAA tournament, with limited travel. Under the current NCHC schedule and playoff structure, NCHC teams can play up to seven games in March heading into NCAA regionals, with the potential for multiple weeks of travel.

“Prioritizing student-athlete and fan experience is paramount to the core of NCHC,” said Dr. Joanne Li, the chair of the NCHC board of directors and chancellor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. “Taking into consideration our student-athletes’ opinions, the NCHC is excited to take advantage of some of the top venues in college hockey and the incredible postseason atmospheres that will take place on our campus sites.”

Due to the extra week included in the NCHC playoffs, conference play in the regular season will start a week earlier than in the past beginning with the 2025-26 season (Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in 2025). The full 2025-26 schedule will be released in the spring of 2025.

The 2024 and 2025 NCHC playoffs and Frozen Faceoff events will continue as scheduled, with the semifinals and championship held at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. The 2024 NCHC tournament begins March 15-17 with best-of-three quarterfinal series on campus sites, while the Frozen Faceoff is set for March 22-23. All-session tickets to see the 2024 NCHC Tournament champion crowned at the Frozen Faceoff are now on sale. The 2024 and 2025 Frozen Faceoffs will once again be televised on CBS Sports Network. The 2025 NCHC Tournament will begin on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 with the play-in game at the No. 1 seed.

“The partnership we have enjoyed with Xcel Energy Center and Visit Saint Paul over the last six years has helped highlight the pinnacle of the NCHC season,” Weems said. “The experience fostered for our student-athletes at the Frozen Faceoff in an NHL facility set the bar high and was embraced by Minnesota Wild president Matt Majka, Xcel Energy Center general manager Kelly McGrath and their entire teams. While we may be changing our playoff format starting in 2026, we are very grateful and thankful for the amazing relationship we share and the commitment they have made to help showcase our signature event. We look forward to celebrating our next two championships at Xcel Energy Center and hope fans will join us in Saint Paul for all the fun and excitement.

“The Frozen Faceoff in the Twin Cities will always be a big part of NCHC history.”

The NCHC has historically held its championship at a neutral site since play began in 2013-14, either at Target Center in Minneapolis (2014-17) or Xcel Energy Center (since 2018). The lone year the NCHC held its championship on a campus site was in 2021, when the entire tournament was single elimination and held at North Dakota’s Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reviewing the first half of the 2023-24 season, looking ahead to the NCAA tournament: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 11

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Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger review the first half of the 2023-24 season in this semester break edition for December 18, 2023.

In this episode:

  • Who’s sitting where at the top of the PairWise Rankings and in each conference?
  • What’s the biggest story of the first half?
  • What’s the biggest disappointment?
  • What do we look forward to most in the second half?
Other second-half of the season questions include:
  • Can Hockey East maintain its dominance?
  • Will the CCHA have just one team in the tournament?
  • Will an independent qualify?
  • Will a team 20th or below currently in the PairWise qualify for an at-large?
  • Will we have a first-time national champion?
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit: ncaa.com/mfrozenfour

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

Find our podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

A look back at the first half of the D-III West men’s hockey season

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Filimon Ledenkov and the Saints are the No. 2 team in the nation and in contention for a MIAC crown. (Photo Credit: Cyndi’s Clicks Photography)

Before Santa makes his arrival and before players, coaches and fans start opening up presents, it’s time to take a look back at the first half of the college hockey season.

It’s been an interesting ride so far, one that has featured competitive games, big-time upsets as well as a glimpse of who might be the top contenders for conference titles.

MIAC

It’s been business as usual, at least when it comes to how tightly contested things are in this highly competitive conference.

There is one unbeaten, and that’s St. Scholastica, who are No. 2 team in the country in the USCHO.com poll but could easily make a case for being No. 1. The Saints, after all, have won their first nine games, including four in MIAC play, and find themselves tied in points (12) in the standings with Bethel.

The remaining teams in the conference are within seven points of each other, with St. Olaf, Augsburg and Gustavus rounding out the top five in the standings.

Anything is possible in the second half. The Saints are the best team as of now and that very well may remain the case from here on out as they are not only capable of winning a conference title but are capable of contending for a national title as well.

It’s no surprise the Saints are in this position because of the talent they have back, and they have added motivation after how last season went down when they won the regular-season MIAC title but lost in the conference final to Augsburg, which is a team you can’t count out either. That loss kept the Saints out of the NCAA tournament.

The fight for a tourney spot in the MIAC is going to be tight all the way up until the final weekend, and the thing about this conference is that any of the teams that make it in are capable of winning the tournament and making noise in the NCAA tourney as well.

NCHA

Adrian started the season as the favorite and skates into the second half still looking like it’s going to live up to the hype. The No. 4 Bulldogs are 9-3-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

But if you think anything will come easy for Adrian, think again. The NCHA is no joke. Two other teams are tied for first at the moment with the reigning national runner-up.

You’ve got traditional power St. Norbert at 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference while Trine, a team on the rise, sitting at 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

A lot can happen between now and the end of the season, but go circle the final two weekends of the regular season right now. Because that’s when we’ll find out if Adrian can seal the deal on another title.

They face St. Norbert and Trine in back-to-back weekends. One thing is for sure. The regular-season NCHA title will be decided then.

The remaining teams in the conference are all close to each other, with the exception of Dubuque, a first-year program still searching for its win, though the belief is its bound to get it at some point before the year is over.

Aurora sits just two points behind the three first-place teams and MSOE is only a point behind the Spartans. Concordia, Lawrence and Marian are all tied with six points apiece.

The second half of this season is going to be fun to pay attention to. Adrian, St. Norbert and Trine are all pretty much locks to make the conference tourney. The remaining five spots are up for grabs. It’s one of those deals where anyone is capable of beating anyone on any given weekend. 

WIAC

Two top 10 teams currently reside in this conference as UW-Stevens Point is ranked eighth and UW-Eau Claire is ninth.

Both are capable of winning the conference title and going to the NCAA tournament. But for now, the Pointers seem to be the favorite to do both.

They won all three games against the rival Blugolds and could see them again with a conference tourney title on the line.

Then again, don’t overlook UW-Superior, which has flipped the script after a rough start. The Yellowjackets started 1-5 but have turned things around to the point where they sit at 7-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference, good enough for second place. Speaking of the conference standings, the Pointers are 6-1 overall and the Blugolds are 4-3.

Keep an eye on the second weekend of February. The Pointers and Yellowjackets square off in a two-game set that weekend and the regular-season title and top seed in the conference tournament could be on the line.

UW-Superior will aim to make another statement in that matchup after beating the Pointers 3-1 on Dec. 2. UW-Stevens Point will be hungry for revenge.

Up Next: The season resumes the final weekend of 2023. And here’s hoping it’s as exciting as the as the first half entertaining as the first half.

The focus on the second half will come soon enough. Until then, enjoy the holiday season and let us all hope it’s Merry Christmas for all and a new year in hockey that will be one for the ages.

 

Looking at movement of national championship futures, revisiting Colorado College’s wins: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 8

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USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin and Ed Trefzger look at 2024 championship futures – money lines on teams winning the national championship – and compare them to where they stood in late October. They also revisit last weekend’s wins by Colorado College over North Dakota, which paid off handsomely.

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.

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D-III Women’s West Week 7 Recap: River Falls rolling along, Featured Games, & more!

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#1 UW-River Falls vs #2 Gustavus in Saint Peter, MN. (Photo by Piper Otto, GAC Sports Info)

The winter break has now begun, but we had some great action including another matchup between #1 & #2. Let’s go through your recent week out west!

#1 UW-River Falls vs #2 Gustavus – Saint Peter, MN (UWRF 3-2)

It seems like every week these two find themselves in an intriguing matchup, but for the second time this season we got to see the two top-ranked teams in D-III women’s hockey go at it in another playoff-like game, in a playoff-like atmosphere.

Earlier in the season, all of eight days ago, River Falls overtook Gustavus as the #1 team, handing them their first loss of the year and taking the top spot in the weekly polls.

Last night, the two faced once again and gave all who watched quite the show of hockey. Gustavus had a good night of attendance as they usually seem to do, while the teams gave us a back-and-forth exciting night of hockey.

UW-River Falls came out of Minnesota with a 3-2 win to move to 12-0-0, while Gustavus fell to 9-2-0, their only losses coming to the Falcons, once at home and once on the road.

In this game, the Gusties got on the board early, Hailey Holland, who scored both Gustie goals, scored at 6:38 of the 1st period, which held until the 2nd period. Hopefully you were in your seats or at your screens as soon as the puck dropped, because River Falls’ Megan Goodreau scored a whole eight seconds into the period (00:08), tying the game up for her Falcons.

Later in the 2nd, Gustavus would take a penalty, which involved two goals being scored on this penalty kill. Hailey Holland scored her second goal of the game while being shorthanded at 5:26 of the 2nd, but that didn’t hold up long. Maddie McCollins, who continues to rack up meaningful points, scored exactly forty seconds later on the remaining power play, canceling out the shorthanded goal. Her goal added to her assist on the Falcons’ first goal by Goodreau.

#1 UW-River Falls vs #2 Gustavus in Saint Peter, MN. (Photo by Piper Otto, GAC Sports Info)

We headed into the final period tied at two goals apiece, shocker. At the midway mark of the 3rd, (10:07), Madison Lavergne scored the game-winner for River Falls, holding up the rest of the way after UWRF had to kill off a too-many-players-on-the-ice penalty late in the period with less than four minutes remaining.

Goaltender Jordan O’Connor was credited with the 22-save win, while Katie McCoy made 13 saves in the loss.

Will we see a second-straight title won by a west team? UW-River Falls is making that seem like a real possibility… For everyone who forgets there’s a western side of D3 hockey, you might want to peek at it…

There were no conference games played out west last week, only east, so let’s look at some of the featured games of the week:

#9 UW-Eau Claire vs St. Scholastica (UWEC 4-1)

The Blugolds of Eau Claire entered this game 8-3-0, capping off their tough stretch of games, concluding their trip out east, where they faced Plattsburgh & Endicott.

St. Scholastica entered at 2-6-1, looking to gain some form of momentum, but fell short.

In this one, Eau Claire got out early to a 2-0 lead, scoring at 14:53 & 16:45 of the 1st period, (Ava Bullert & Ellie Anderson). They added another in the 2nd period, it was Bullert once again. Scoring just over halfway through the period at 13:25 to give the Blugolds a 3-0 lead headed into the 3rd.

Women’s Ice Hockey: The College of St. Scholastica Saints vs. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds

In the 3rd, both teams added a goal. Anderson scored her second of the game at 11:35 of the 3rd, then in the last minute of play, Abby Pohlkamp got the Saints on the board with her power play goal at 19:05.5.

UWEC goaltender Josie Mathison made 8 saves in the victory, Saints’ Mackenzie Cole made 35 in the loss.

Eau Claire has their eyes set on some important games in the second half, a series with St. Norbert at home, a game with Augsburg, and then their rivals who’re on top at the moment, #1 UW-River Falls twice.

Augsburg vs St. Norbert (Augsburg 1-0)

 Both teams are trying to get some momentum this season, St. Norbert entered the game 10-2, but holds two losses that they wish they got back, while Augsburg is trying to string some wins together, entering at 6-4.

Augsburg defeated St. Norbert 1-0 on 12/9/23. (Photo by Don Stoner)

In this one, the lone goal was scored at 15:48 of the 2nd period by Augsburg’s Claire Jenkins Coffman.

The Auggie’s outshot the Green Knights 34-25, penalties were even, three minors per team.

Goaltender Chloe Stockinger was credited with the 25-save shutout victory, while Brynn Waisman had a good night despite the loss, making 33 saves.

Other non-conference scores:

Thursday 12/7/23:

St. Norbert 3-0 UW-Stevens Point

Friday 12/8/23:

#1 (at time of game) Gustavus 5-0 Aurora

St. Olaf 5-0 UW-Superior

Augsburg 5-0 UW-Stevens Point

Concordia (Wis.) 3-1 Lawrence

Trine 7-0 Hilbert

Bethel 2-0 Marian

Saint Benedict 8-0 Dubuque

Saturday 12/9/23:

#1 Gustavus 1-0 Aurora

#2 (at time of game) UW-River Falls 5-0 St. Scholastica

St. Olaf 4-3 UW-Superior

Trine 8-0 Hilbert

Concordia (Wis.) 5-2 Lawrence

Saint Benedict 6-0 Dubuque

Bethel 3-1 Marian

This Week in NCHC Hockey: ‘Absolute rock star’ West, former national champion with Minnesota women’s team, fitting in as Colorado College’s director of hockey operations

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Emily West enjoyed her time playing at Minnesota from 2007 to 2012 (photo: Minnesota Athletics).

It was only a month ago when Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte found out that Emily West, the Tigers’ first-year director of hockey operations and video coach, had scored a NCAA national championship game-winning goal on a penalty shot.

“No (way),” Mayotte said, shortly before seeing YouTube footage of West’s goal for Minnesota in the 2012 Women’s Frozen Four title game against Wisconsin. And then that moment came up, however casually, in a private conversation at CC’s Ed Robson Arena.

“I walked into the coaches’ room one day, and we all hang out after practice and discuss players, plays, just coaches’ talk, but Kris approached me and was like, ‘You didn’t tell me you won the national championship on a penalty shot.’” West said. “‘Oh. Where’d you hear that?’”

Full disclosure: Mayotte heard it from me. I covered that game, the last of West’s redshirt senior season with the Golden Gophers, on-site in Duluth, Minn., for NCAA.com. Her penalty shot, the first one ever in a women’s Frozen Four final, happened with 1:32 left in a five-goal first period. Minnesota went on to win 4-2.

“We talked about it for a while, and I told him it’s not the first thing I tell people when I meet them, but he was super stoked about it and supportive, and we got a few good laughs out of it,” West continued. “I know the players knew, and when I first got here, they were HockeyDB’ing me and looking at some stuff, and I know one of them found a video of the play.

Emily West celebrates at the Minnesota bench after scoring on a penalty shot in the 2012 women’s national championship game (photo: Matthew Semisch).

“I knew they knew, but I feel like I’m old now, I don’t know, but it’s a very memorable moment and I’ll never forget it, and that it happened in a national championship game is rare, so that’s something that will always stick with me, but I dropped the ball on letting Kris know about that one.”

After graduating from Minnesota, West worked for USA Hockey as an American Development Model manager for female hockey, before taking an assistant coach position with Ohio State’s women’s team. She had a part in the Buckeyes’ 2022 national championship success, then moved back to Colorado later that year to spend more time with family.

“I had somebody reach out to me around then about Emily, and we had introductory conversations last year, gauging interest and getting to know each other a little bit,” Mayotte said. “This summer, when staff opportunities expanded, we were looking for someone that we thought could be a great office person but also help with video and have that hockey background and work ethic.

“When you talk to people about her, everybody raves about her, and she has been an absolute rock star. She is the best that we’ve had, for sure, and she has been a huge contributor to our staff. Hiring her felt like a no-brainer. She’s always on the ice, too, and she can play. She’s a better skater and a puck-mover than I am.”

She had long honed her craft. Born and raised in Black Forest, Colo., just outside of Colorado Springs, West played on boys hockey teams growing up. Her family had season tickets at Broadmoor World Arena, the 8,000-seat, off-campus facility that CC long called home before Robson opened in 2021.

“We’d get there and sit in the nosebleeds, but I didn’t care,” West said. “I just wanted to be there. I had a silk gold CC jersey I got for Christmas, with green eyes on the Tiger logo. I grew up coming to these games, and to be able to now participate and help with the program is amazing.

“The facility we have now is beautiful, it has everything you need, and to be able to have it on-campus and closer for students has made it a community deal. You don’t have to make that longer drive, and students can walk across the street to get there, and the fans are amazing and have been super supportive. We’ve sold out most games this season, and to see that and have it at the heart of the college is a really cool transition from what I grew up with.”

West isn’t behind the Tigers’ bench for games, but is no stranger to the ice, as she goes out for practices to skate in a non-coaching role.

“That’s my favorite part of the day, when I’m on the ice and back in the game. I love that side of it, and to be able to go on the ice and be with the team is an amazing experience,” she said.

“I try to provide any sort of hockey knowledge I can, but at the same time, I’m still learning from our staff. The professionalism and the respect among our staff is amazing, and we all work in tandem very well together. I have different roles being in ops and planning travel and those things that go under that title, but I also feel like I get to contribute my hockey knowledge and experience, and it’s heard.”

And that respect is reciprocated by a CC coaching staff that highly values’ West’s contributions to their program, and what she offers for hockey on a wider scale.

“This is an environment where I tip my hat to Kris Mayotte and all the other coaches here, because they foster positivity and learning and change,” West said. “It’s really amazing, and if I’m lucky enough to continue being a part of this and move into a coaching role in the men’s world or women’s world, that’s something that crosses my mind, absolutely.

“And it’s really cool to be back in Colorado coaching and doing this at a place where I grew up and with a team that I grew up watching. I’m overjoyed, and I would be so lucky to be here again and again. I’m smiling ear to ear, and our staff here has really made me feel like I’m at home.”

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With holiday break approaching, conference still looks wide-open heading to flip of calendar to 2024

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Bemidji State players celebrate a goal last Friday against Lake Superior State (photo: Brent Cizek).

With the first half of the season in the books for most of the CCHA, there’s been one overarching question for the league on the ice: Does anyone actually want to win the MacNaughton Cup?

Obviously, that’s hyperbole.

League titles are league titles, and everyone wants to win some hardware. But in the CCHA this season, no single team has separated itself from the rest of the pack.

Only three teams (St. Thomas, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State) are above .500 in the conference, and of those three, only the Tommies are over. 500 overall. St. Thomas (7-5-0) is technically in first place with 21 points through 12 games, but both Tech (6-4-0, 19 points) and MSU (5-4-1, 17 points) have two games in hand on the Tommies.

The league standings are so jumbled at the moment that overall, just six points separate the first-place Tommies from the three teams currently tied for fifth (Northern Michigan, Bowling Green and Lake Superior State).

But the standings might not stay that way after this weekend. Although most conferences have stopped for the holiday break, CCHA teams will play three more conference games before stopping for the first semester: Bowling Green will travel to Bemidji State for a Thursday-Friday series, while Ferris State will host Lake Superior State for a single game on Saturday evening.

Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore put it best in his weekly media availability on Tuesday: League parity makes it tough to put together a consistent string of victories for everybody.

“I think probably if you look at us, probably our biggest hurdle has been ourselves,” Serratore said. “Just trying to get consistency. And I think the league is dictating that too. It’s the parity of our whole league. Somebody’s got to figure it out. We’ve all got to try to put back-to-back games together. It seems that whoever wins on Friday, Saturday is a dog fight. That’s just the way it is, and the other team has so much more desperation.”

Just take a look at last weekend’s results, which were pretty indicative of how the league as a whole has been playing. Serratore’s Beavers beat Lake Superior State 7-1 on Friday night in Bemidji but couldn’t win on Saturday despite outshooting the Lakers 28-23. Lake State won 6-1. Elsewhere, results were similar. Rivals Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan split their home-and-home series, as did St. Thomas and Minnesota State.

The lone team to actually pick up a sweep on the weekend was Bowling Green, who knocked off Ferris State, 1-0 and 4-3. It was their first sweep of the season and caps a solid eight-game stretch in which the Falcons have gone 5-3-0.

“We put ourselves in a position for the last month, four straight weeks of winning on Friday, which is a great way to start the week, don’t get me wrong. But we haven’t been able to do what we did (on Saturday), so for the guys to be able to do that, it was special,” BGSU coach Ty Eigner said after the Falcons completed the sweep on Saturday.

If the Beavers sweep this weekend, they will move into first place in the conference standings at the break. If the Falcons were to take all six points, they would move into a tie with the first-place Tommies at the break.

“These are big games,” Serratore said. “We are going to be saying that every series the rest of the year, especially in a 24-game season. In the second half of the year, we’re on the road more than we’re at home, so these are huge for us.”

A D-III East Men’s Hockey Letter to Santa

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What else would Santa have as a sporting pastime living at the North Pole? Hoping he can spread a little holiday magic for the great D-II/III teams in the East

Dear Santa – we really have already received an abundance of presents in the great first half of action displayed by D-II/III hockey in the east. So, with all due respect to songwriters Edward Pola and George Wyle and their holiday classic released back in 1963, let me lead into the hockey wishes with a familiar classic – please feel free to sing along:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – There’s been goals by the dozen, with forwards a buzzin’ and goaltenders stars of the show; there’s been upsets surprising’, conference battles exciting and fans are delighting, you know – It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – There’s been goal lights a glowin’, referees whistle blowin’  and fans pre-gaming with beer – It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!

The annual wish list for the season should benefit all the fans near and far looking for even more Puck Magic in the New Year, so, Big Guy in your resplendent red suit, here are some specific asks from all the good coaches and players looking for some added holiday magic in the second half to help their season goals and wishes come true!

CCC

With about half the conference games played just four points separate first place Salve Regina from fourth place Curry and just two points separating first from third. With head-to-head matchups abounding in the second half, this race figures to be very dynamic right to the last buzzer. Salve Regina is leaving the conference next season so they would love nothing more than to be the champions in their final year of competition but don’t expect the other key contenders to hand the Seahawks anything as this conference produced three NCAA tournament teams last season from the same four contending teams.

Matthew Fawcett and Johnny Mulera are among the leading scorers in the conference, and they have been a magical combination for Salve Regina so far this season. Let’s see some more of that chemistry in the second half along with the continued consistency of Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov who just produces points each and every game for the Gulls. Like you Santa these guys deliver on game night so let’s keep them healthy and productive.

Independents

No doubt that Christmas came early for all the Independents when their wish for league acceptance came true for all. Yes, we will see Anna Maria and Rivier joining the MASCAC, Albertus Magnus joining the NEHC and Canton finally a part of the SUNYAC so what more could be found under the tree this year? Well Santa, there is still this year and a second half that can showcase the talent infusion headed to all the aforementioned conferences on teams with winning records. How about all the squads finishing with records above .500 and maybe even 15 wins, or more.

Santa, you must love the competitive spirit that brothers bring to the fore in any game or sport, and it is even better when they are on the same team. How about seeing that the Kindrachuk brothers, Zane, and Zeth, increase their combined totals of 12 goals and 19 points to something higher than 20 goals and 30 points for the Falcons. And by the way, they may not be true relations but all the Matthews (Byrne, Gilbert, and Hennessy ) playing for Anna Maria have been quite good so far this season. Keep them healthy for coach McCauley in the second half where they face some tough teams from NESCAC and SUNYAC.

MASCAC

There are milestones and achievements and then there are big milestones, and such is the case for Fitchburg State head coach Dean Fuller who is a mere five wins from 600 for his career with the Falcons. Here’s hoping the jolly old elf, Santa not coach Fuller, (just kidding coach) can help the team get that accomplishment early in the second half so they can focus solely on pursuit their first MASCAC title since 2018.

Plymouth State has a record run going being unbeaten in MASCAC play for a season and a half. While winning another MASCAC championship is firmly on their radar screen, the big prize is showcasing the talent of MASCAC teams with a win or two in the NCAA tournament. Elusive so far for the Panthers, it would be great if some extra “puck-luck” could be sprinkled that way Mr. Claus.

Five teams sit within four points of each other from second to seventh place setting up a great race in the second half for playoff position. There is a lot of hockey to be played in conference action after the ringing in of the New Year. Some usual suspects are in the hunt so Santa, let’s make sure goaltender Kevin Chandler continues his hot start to the season in goal for Westfield State and keep Salem State’s Erik Larsson among the leading scorers in MASCAC as both will need to help push their teams towards the top.

NE-10

Assumption has been virtually unbeatable in the first half and completed sweeps of St. Anselm and St. Michael’s on the road while winning six one-goal games and three in overtime. That is a success formula for playoff hockey. Santa, please make sure the Greyhounds remain as excited to play as a young child waiting for your arrival on Christmas Eve. This league always sees end of year surprises, so no complacency wishes in every stocking for the boys who want the great first half to mean something at the end.

It’s not often you find a pair of defensemen amongst the leading scorers on a team but Case Kantgias and David Ciancio both have 13 points at the halfway mark with Kantgias chipping in with eight goals. The Purple Knights started hot and cooled quite a bit coming into the semester break so Santa fire up the blueliners and get the rest of squad ready for a great second half and playoff run.

NEHC

The top five teams including Skidmore, Babson, Hobart, Norwich, and Elmira are all just four points apart although three of the teams have games in hand at the break. No one is surprised who is in the mix, but some may see a once beaten Skidmore squad as a surprise in the league. Santa the second half is ripe with opportunities for dramatic hockey on a big scale with four teams already ranked nationally. Let’s let the talent on these teams decide the outcomes so no bad bounces or weird situations deciding games with all important points and positions in the standings. This race to the finish is setting up to be special so let’s add a little Christmas Spirit to all the players for a little added energy for when they need it most.

Hobart has been unbeatable on home ice and has shutout their opponent in seven of their first eleven games with terrific goaltending from Damon Beaver and Mavrick Goyer. Not sure that you can deliver a 63% shutout rate in the second half but it sure would be amazing to see these two guys continue to put up zeros in record fashion. So, Kris Kringle, how about some crease love for the Statesmen netminders to continue their stingy patrolling of the blue paint.

Twenty-six points in 13 games played including 12 goals is an amazing start for Elmira’s Nicholas Domitrovic. The Soaring Eagle forward does most of his damage at even-strength so Santa, please keep a fellow Nick highly productive in the second half to help his team battle in the NEHC race.

NESCAC

Three points separate first from third very early in the season and just four points separate fourth from ninth in what always seems to be a logjam of teams battling for points and position. Tufts has emerged with wins early in conference play have been competitive in every contest this season with their best roster in several years. Santa let’s make sure the Jumbos continue to play large and challenge in the top half of the standings for playoff position and a shot at a league title. Oh, and one more thing Jolly One, Tyler Sendlak keeping his point per game pace would be a big assist in the direction.

Trinity is off to a fast start in conference play and playing well overall. Last year’s NESCAC POTY, Gerard Maretta is off to a great start with five goals in nine games so Santa if No. 22 can keep his pace and leadership of the Bantams going towards a conference title, how about back-to-back POTY awards for a selfless player that probably only wants team success anyway. And speaking of team success, you know the Bantams are the host institution for this year’s D-III Frozen Four… Just saying it would be amazing if the host school was playing on the national stage…

SUNYAC

Four teams separated by just two points is where Geneseo, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Cortland find themselves entering the semester break. Along with the NEHC, this may be the best race to a conference championship in the entire country with three of the four teams having held national ranking and the defending champion Cardinals having held the top spot for several weeks. Santa, this is the last year of the SUNYAC as we have known and loved it so, please make a little magic with all these teams competing right to the end and overtime deciding every key matchup because regulation time isn’t enough hockey to claim victory.

While several of the Lakers, Cardinals and Knights may get more attention about their offensive prowess, oh man in the big red suit, how about a little love for another guy in the Red Dragon uniform who has had a stellar start to the season. Nate Berke already has 20 points on the season and is a key piece in Cortland’s contending in the upper half of the conference. Keep No. 18 healthy and producing another 20 points in the second half.

UCHC

While Utica is looking up in the standings at Wilkes, Stevenson, and Alvernia, the Pioneers have games in hand and more importantly already have wins against the rival Colonels and Mustangs. Gary Heenan’s squad is again unbeaten so far in UCHC play and it would be great if this year’s edition of Utica hockey can run the table towards a championship and long NCAA run. New pieces are contributing nicely to early success so Santa please help that hockey maturity develop in the second half that will make this team special in the post-season.

Goaltender Ty Outen has emerged as a big reason why Stevenson will continue to contend for the conference championship. He leads the league in virtually every statistic at the mid-point of the season. Santa, goalies need some attention too so about some holiday magic that helps Ty keep the puck OUTen the net.

So Big Man with the Holiday Plan, I don’t think the asks are too big this year especially from someone of your stature and skill. We have thoroughly enjoyed the amazing play in the first half and will have to amuse ourselves with other games and activities until the teams return to the ice in late December. Make sure all enjoy a restful and happy holiday season with family and friends, so all are energized to return to the game we all love. The second half will be awesome and the race to the national title could be something special yet again.

Extending to all best wishes for the very best of the season and a joyous and healthy New Year!

 

 

 

 

This Week in ECAC Hockey: First-year commissioner Christiansen says ‘it’s been great to see the parity’ over first half of ’23-24 season

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Cornell’s Ian Shane is a two-time ECAC Hockey goaltender of the month this season (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).

College hockey was never built to stay in one place for an extended period of time, but the difficulty in finding stability over the past two decades was largely reinforced by two major sides of the same argument.

The unprecedented and positive expansion of teams exploded in recent years because of the unprecedented popularity of a growing sport in the United States, but it followed the occasional contraction of teams either left behind by their peers or by an expense report that couldn’t overcome individual barriers or hurdles.

ECAC Hockey bucked that instability by simply maintaining its heading. A conference viewed from the outside as a likely candidate for a split is instead in its second consecutive decade of continued, uninterrupted membership. No ripple effects from waters churning off the coastlines of every other conference ever touched the league, and it in turn celebrated a high-water mark last year when its four-team entry to the NCAA tournament equaled the Big Ten for most in the nation. Even in the league office, commissioner Steve Hagwell was seen as the perfect shepherd with his continued leadership.

Hagwell’s retirement in the offseason was the first timeline split in decades, but new commissioner Doug Christiansen is stepping into the role with a vision committed to building on the previous regime’s success. His implementation is only six months old, but the very core of ECAC remains unchanged as it begins its first steps into a future brimming with optimism and hope.

“I’m enjoying learning the challenges that come along with [the position],” Christiansen said. “By the same token, I think we’ve been able to make strides that build upon Steve Hagwell’s foundation. The institutions that we have, it’s a fantastic league, and it’s been great to see the parity. It’s also been fun to see the individual players and individual teams have some really great moments in the first half [of the year].”

Not everything is always rosy, but the league itself is staring at the future with a bright-eyed optimism that feels completely different from how things look to the outside. Only one team – league-leading Quinnipiac – is inside the bubble of the Pairwise Rankings as the first half comes to a close this week, but the Bobcats are the No. 1 overall seed in the mathematical algorithm and still represent the defending national champion crown with a nose pointed towards a possible repeat.

The women’s side, meanwhile, doesn’t necessarily match the top-ranked firepower of Ohio State, Minnesota or Wisconsin, but Clarkson received two first place votes in the most recent USCHO Division I Women’s Poll and still didn’t overtake No. 4 Colgate. The teams are a combined 32-2-3 to start the season while eighth-ranked Quinnipiac is 17-3 and ninth-ranked Cornell is 11-3-1. Two other teams – No. 10 St. Lawrence and No. 14 Yale – are well within the top-15 and are challenging for spots within the women’s Pairwise Rankings.

“I think the biggest piece about men’s hockey was how much the path to pro hockey has grown,” Christiansen said. “I was able to see it firsthand through the USHL, but even on the women’s side, the game has grown exponentially, evidenced by the fact that the [Professional Women’s Hockey League] is launching in about a month and a half. So, for me, coming back to college hockey, I’ve seen those things change, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the strength of the ECAC, which is the experience that the student-athletes have.

“We have great places for the people to live and be able to play and enjoy their on-campus life, and that part was really what drew me back. It allows me to have a clear focus on what we need to maintain, which is something that’s really important for the league. It’s been fun to come back and see how that’s [already] maintained, and then obviously there’s been incremental growth that’s happened and compounded over the past 20 years.”

The growth of the league’s internal structure, especially in the post-COVID era, is why there’s a parity that’s emerging in the aftermath of last year’s era of domination. Even as of this week, tenth place Harvard is one weekend’s worth of work away from second place Clarkson, and the bottom two teams are one point behind the Crimson with a two-game spread dividing them from fourth place and the last first round bye, while the women’s game had eight points separating first place Colgate from seventh-place Princeton, which is only four years removed from its most recent ECAC postseason tournament championship.

By this time last year, Quinnipiac and Harvard had all but sewn up the top two slots, and a full 10 points separated fourth from 10th place. The drop from fourth to fifth was five points from Cornell to Princeton, and the only drama at the end of the season came when the Tigers fell into a three-way tie for the final two home spots in the first round of the playoffs while Yale and Brown were at least four points back.

Signs of parity are an issue when the league only went 27-41-7 in the first half, but the large bulk of its .407 winning percentage is tempered between brutal losses to the three leagues with the most to gain from a marginal step backwards from last year’s push to near .500. Losses to Hockey East, the Big Ten, and NCHC essentially pushed a three-team bid back down to one with the limited spots, but the possibility exists of a second or third bid based on the second half of the year.

“I have a brother, and I can tell you that I never want to lose to him, but if he’s playing somebody else, I’m always rooting for him,” said Christiansen. “There’s an element of that, where we spend 12 months per year preparing to beat each other with recruiting and everything else that comes along [with the calendar]. But for that month of March and into April, you all coalesce and root on your teams.

“Quinnipiac winning a national championship is good for everybody. Clarkson winning national championships in women’s hockey is good for everybody. So we make sure that we do everything we can to support all of our teams in that tournament because we want to have a national championship to show for it.”

Christiansen’s first six months level set the league’s on-ice profile, but as the league moves forward, there’s an understanding that the infrastructure will, inevitably, change in a world where digital environments are faster and more necessary than ever to enlarging a league’s footprint. The added focus on individuals – the players and personalities that are part of winning teams – is part of the new landscape, and branding at every level is even more important when the conference is in a cast-iron skillet heated by the other leagues.

Everything is about availability, and with it, in the modern era, is an opportunity to open up even more revenue streams for a league that has 12 different avenues from which to apply pressure.

“The first thing is making sure the infrastructure is maintained,” Christiansen said. “And Steve did an outstanding job on that. That’s everything from the budget to the operational point of view with officials and all of those pieces. At the end of the day, that’s what you need to do. We, as a league, have really made sure that the foundation is built upon.

“The second thing is really taking a look at our branding and what it means to play in the ECAC for both the men and women,” he explained. “We’ve taken a significant amount of time and effort on that, and that’s something that’s tangible for people to see, whether it’s alumni or fans or prospective student-athletes or current student-athletes. We want them to be able to see our league in a different way and see it through their phones while understanding exactly what’s happening on campus throughout our league. And last, we want to really look at the budget and the championships of our league because those are areas where we, as a league, really want to grow.

“Being a student-athlete, you play for the end of the season, and we really want to deliver on that in every capacity from an experience point of view and a financial point of view.”

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 6 wraps up the season’s first half and looking ahead to the PWHL’s debut

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The final edition of 2023 has Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski reflecting on the games between ranked teams in last week’s schedule. Then PWHL Director of Player Experience Alexis Miller joins the show to talk about the new women’s hockey league. And we wrap up with Nicole looking ahead to the IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Switzerland.

Follow Nicole at @NicoleHaase and Todd at @ToddMilewski.

 

Make sure you like and subscribe to The PodKaz on your favorite streaming network to get access to new episodes as soon as they post.

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This Week in Big Ten Hockey: First half sees conference teams successful out of B1G, with upcoming second half chock-full of conference games

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Notre Dame and Michigan battle Dec. 1 in a game the Irish won on home ice (photo: Big Ten Network).

It’s midseason, and here’s what we know about the Big Ten. Overall, it’s pretty impressive – but that may not matter next March.

The league is 36-14-4 against nonconference foes for the best (.704) winning percentage among all leagues in interconference play.

More good news: the Big Ten is 4-2-3 against the NCHC (.681) and 2-2-0 against Hockey East (.669), the two other conferences seeing lots of success in nonconference play.

The bad news: Wisconsin and Michigan State are the only B1G teams among the top 10 in the PairWise Rankings. The Badgers are sixth, the Spartans are seventh, with Minnesota (13) and Michigan (15) the other B1G teams currently above 16th in the PWR.

As good as B1G teams are, the midseason PWR is concerning as there won’t be much of a chance for teams to move up in the second half. In holiday tournaments and early January play, Big Ten teams won’t be facing opponents strong in the PWR, and the league will beat up on itself throughout the second half.

Big Ten fans may be disappointed next March, as there is a very real possibility that only two B1G teams make the NCAA tournament.

What else do we know?

Playing the portal

The Spartans and the Badgers, separated by a point at the top of the standings, are outpacing the rest of the league so far. In second place with 24 points, Wisconsin is seven points ahead of third-place Minnesota and both the Spartans and Badgers have two games in hand on the Golden Gophers.

While there are several reasons for the success of each team so far, one piece that stands out is how well each program has used the portal to plug some gaps.

After two seasons at Miami, forward Red Savage transferred to Michigan State where he has six goals in 18 games. Savage, a fourth-round 2021 draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, adds to Michigan State’s balanced offense, which is third in the nation averaging 4.22 goals per game and first (4.20) in B1G play.

A year ago, the Spartans convinced goaltender Trey Augustine to decommit from Michigan and pledge to join this year’s Michigan State squad. Augustine, a second-round 2023 draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, has the second-best save percentage (.928) in conference play and third-best (2.55) league goals-against average.

Adam Nightingale, now in his second season behind the Michigan State bench, has history with both Savage and Augustine, having coached each at different points in his tenure with the U.S. Developmental Program.

Mike Hastings’ connection to three transfers is even more direct. When Hastings came to Wisconsin from Minnesota State, he brought three dynamic players with him.

Christian Fitzgerald (3-12—15), David Silye (2-10—12) and Simon Tassy (5-7—12) have been integral to a revitalized Wisconsin offense now averaging 3.80 goals per game in conference play. Two of Fitzgerald’s three goals have been game winners – one shorthanded – and four of Tassy’s five are on the power play.

The Badgers finished the 2022-23 season averaging 2.25 goals per game in B1G play.

Looking for some consistency

Six points separate the third-place Golden Gophers from the sixth-place Nittany Lions at the midseason mark. The four teams bunched together in the middle of the standings are looking for more consistency in their play, each in different ways.

Since beginning the season 4-0, the second-place Golden Gophers have put together back-to-back wins just once and they have yet to sweep a weekend in Big Ten play.

Here’s a telling stat: in conference play, the Gophers are allowing as many goals as they are allowing (3.17).

Fourth-place Notre Dame is 2-4-0 in its last B1G contests and 2-5-0 to end the first half when you count a 6-1 loss to Boston College Nov. 24. The Fighting Irish were held to one goal in four of those five losses in that span. The two wins in their last seven games were 4-2 over Minnesota and 6-1 over Michigan.

Since sweeping Lindenwood Oct. 27-28, fifth-place Michigan has yet to put together back-to-back wins in spite of the Wolverines’ ability to score. Michigan has the fourth-best offense nationally (4.00 goals per game) … and the fourth-best offense in the Big Ten (3.10).

In their last series in the first half, the Wolverines split with Notre Dame on the road Dec. 1-2, a 6-1 loss and 2-1 win.

Sixth-place Penn State has two conference wins – 5-3 over Michigan Nov. 18 and 6-3 over Minnesota Dec. 2 – and the Nittany Lions have been on the wrong side of some lopsided scores several times this season.

On the road against Wisconsin last weekend, Penn State lost 6-3 and 4-1 and the Nittany Lions – who average more than 40 shots per game – were held to less than 30 each night.

On the bottom, looking up

In last place, Ohio State has yet to win a conference game. The four points the Buckeyes have earned come from ties and shootout wins.

Through their first 10 conference games this season, the Buckeyes scored an average of 1.40 goals per game while allowing 4.30. Logan Terness (4.48 GAA, .878 SV%) has been Ohio State’s starter for most of the first half, and while he has struggled, he hasn’t had a lot of help from an inconsistent overall team defense.

Last weekend, though, the Buckeyes ended the first half on a semi-high note, and freshman goaltender Kristoffer Eberly had something to do with that. After losing 5-4 to Minnesota at home Friday night, the Buckeyes tied the Golden Gophers 1-1 Saturday and earned the extra shootout point.

Eberly made his first collegiate start Saturday, stopping 23-of-24 through regulation and overtime, and shutting down the Gophers in the shootout. In 123 minutes of play through three games this season, Eberly has a 1.47 GAA and .935 SV%.

Holiday tournaments

Only two Big Ten teams are playing in traditional midseason tournaments.

Michigan State as always cohosts the Great Lakes Invitational with Michigan Tech (Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 28-29). The Spartans face off against Ferris State the first night and will play either Tech or Alaska the second night.

Wisconsin returns to action Dec. 28 against Air Force in the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff in Milwaukee. The Badgers will take on either Minnesota Duluth or Northeastern the following night.

World Junior preliminary rosters

Fourteen Big Ten players have been named to the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The tournament takes place Dec. 26, 2023 to Jan. 5, 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State
Gavin Brindley, F, Michigan
Seamus Casey, D, Michigan
Ryan Chesley, D, Minnesota
Quinn Finley, F, Wisconsin
Patrick Geary, D, Michigan State
Isaac Howard, F, Michigan State
Rutger McGroarty, F, Michigan
Oliver Moore, F, Minnesota
Frank Nazar, F, Michigan
Denny Nelson, F, Notre Dame
Sam Rinzel, D, Minnesota
Jimmy Snuggerud, F, Minnesota
William Whitelaw, F, Wisconsin

Minnesota associate head coach Steve Miller will be an assistant coach for Team USA.

Additionally, two Spartans have been invited selection camps in their home countries, forward Tommi Mannisto (Finland) and defenseman Maxim Strbak (Slovakia).

Big Ten in 2024

While a number of Big Ten teams will play see nonconference action the last weekend of December and first weekend of January, the first league series of the new year is Notre Dame hosting Wisconsin, Jan. 5-6.

Maine’s Barr talks Black Bears at the semester break, building culture, areas to improve: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 8

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Maine head coach Ben Barr joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to talk this year’s Black Bears, building a culture and work ethic, recruiting, today’s players, and areas for improvement.

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

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

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This Week in Atlantic Hockey: What each team is hoping Santa leaves under their Christmas tree this holiday season

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Sacred Heart players celebrate a goal against AIC on Dec. 1 at the Jennings Fairchild Ice Rink in Avon, Conn. (photo: Maddie McCall).

This is my final column before the holidays, so in the spirit of the season, let’s take a look at what each team could ask Santa for this Christmas.

Air Force: Some WD-40
The Falcons will need to shake off some rust before diving into what should be a challenging tournament after Christmas. Air Force played its most recent game on Dec. 2, and is off until Dec. 28 when the Falcons square off again No. 6 Wisconsin at the Holiday Faceoff tournament at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Based on the results in the semifinal, Air Force will face either Northeastern or Minnesota Duluth the next day.

American International: Some nice luggage
AIC has had the benefit of lots of home cooking so far, playing 10 home games in the first semester, including seven of their last eight. They’ll end the semester with a pair at Canisius and then after Christmas will play four of their next five on the road, for a total of 10 road games in the second half of the season. AIC currently sits in third in the AHA standings.

Army West Point: Some more saves
The Black Knights have a pair of capable goalies, but have struggled with inconsistency, accumulating a team save percentage of .870, currently 62nd in Division I. Army West Point is back in action on Dec. 29 when it hosts 16th-ranked New Hampshire.

Bentley: Better accuracy
The Falcons have taken 555 shots on goal so far, the second most in the conference, but have the second-lowest success rate at 7.7%. Getting to a league average of around 10% would have meant an additional 11 goals scored or a 25% increase. Bentley is off until Dec. 29 when it hosts Union.

Canisius: Stronger starts
A stat that stands out for the Golden Griffins this season is scoring by period. Canisius is averaging only 0.64 goals in the first period, tied for 53rd nationally. But the second period has been Canisius’ best, with 1.20 goals on average. The Golden Griffins are averaging exactly one goal for the third period. They’ll host AIC this weekend to wrap up their first-semester schedule.

Holy Cross: Continued non-conference success
The Crusaders are an impressive 5-0-1 out of league, including a pair of wins over Connecticut and a win and a tie against UMass Lowell. Up next is a big challenge when Holy Cross travels to No. 3 Quinnipiac on Dec. 30.

Mercyhurst: A shorty
Currently, the Lakers are one of 13 Division I teams without a short-handed goal, and the only team in Atlantic Hockey without a SHG. Their next opportunity comes on Dec. 30 when Mercyhurst travels to Ohio State.

Niagara: Home cooking
Niagara has the opposite schedule from AIC – The Purple Eagles’ games at Dwyer Arena are mostly backloaded. So far, they’ve played just five home games and are looking forward to 10 in the second half of the season, starting off with a series against Miami on Dec. 29-30.

Rochester Institute of Technology: 58-minute games
The Tigers are currently 11-5, 9-3 in league play and 16th in the PairWise. RIT has given up goals in the final two minutes of a pair of games that forced a tie and lost both of those games in overtime. Win those and the Tigers are better than a bubble team. The Tigers are off until Dec. 29-30 when they travel to Dartmouth for the Ledyard Classic, where they will meet No. 8 Maine in the first round and either the host Big Green or Lake Superior State in the second game.

Robert Morris: Goals, goals, goals
Christmas came early for the Colonials, who recorded a sweep of Niagara last weekend, snapping a 10-game winless streak. But RMU should also ask Santa for some goals – the Colonials have had a hard time lighting the lamp so far, averaging 1.94 goals per game, last in the conference. The Colonials finish the semester by hosting No. 13 Arizona State this weekend.

Sacred Heart: More penalties by opponents
A key reason for the Pioneers’ success so far this season has been their power play, which is clicking at a rate of 24.1%, the best in the conference by a wide margin. SHU next hosts New Hampshire on Dec. 30.

And finally, for Atlantic Hockey: More conference wins
Currently, the conference sits at 21-37-3 (.369) ahead of the CCHA but below the .400 threshold that’s usually needed to get a second team into the NCAA tournament.

D-III Women’s East Week 7 Recap: East-West Classic, The Roos make program history, & a top-10 matchup in Hamilton!

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Norwich defeats Plattsburgh to advance to the Norwich East-West Classic Title game. (Photo by Jasmine Olson)

What a weekend out east, we saw a team get their first ever ranked-win, the Norwich East-West Classic had a first-timer winner, and to add to all that, we had a top-ten matchup in Clinton, NY. Here’s your weekly review from the east!

Norwich East-West Classic – Kreitzberg Arena – Northfield, VT

One of the best annual tournaments there is, always showing us great hockey with constant top-five/ten matchups. This year it was a little less west and more east, but nonetheless, many close games and a first-time winner, who happened to be the host! The teams involved this year were #4 Plattsburgh, #11 Elmira, #12 Norwich, & #14 Nazareth.

#4 Plattsburgh vs #12 Norwich – Semifinals (Norwich 2-1 OT)

Earlier this year, Norwich handed Plattsburgh their only blemish this season, a 2-2 tie in Plattsburgh. This time, Norwich gave them another blemish, defeating them 2-1 in OT for the Cardinals’ first loss this season, sending the Cadets to the championship game vs the winner of Elmira/Nazareth.

This game was low scoring and low activity in terms of shots, Plattsburgh leading in that category 26-20. Only three penalties committed during this game, all on Norwich, one minor in each period.

The scoring didn’t come until the 2nd period when the Cardinals took the 1-0 lead, Ciara Wall scored late in the period at 16:47 to put the Cards up 1-0 headed into the 3rd period.

In the 3rd period, less than five minutes in (4:53), Breanna Ricker tied it up for the Cadets, which would hold up as their lone regulation goal until overtime approached. In overtime, Neris Archambeault scored the winner a quick 1:17 into the extra frame, sending Norwich to the championship game.

Leocadia Clark made 25 saves in the victory.

#11 Elmira vs #14 Nazareth – Semifinals (Elmira 2-1)

These two are recently familiar faces, they’ve seen each other in the NCAA tournament before, Elmira held an 8-1-0 overall record against them before this game.

In this game, Elmira outshot Nazareth 30-17, while Nazareth led in penalties, committing six for 12 minutes, Elmira had three for six.

This game, like the last, was a low-scoring game, no goals came in the opening period. Not until 6:19 into the 2nd period when Sabrina Shvartsman put the Soaring Eagles up 1-0, which remained the only goal until the 3rd period.

Elmira then doubled the lead a rapid 40 seconds into the 3rd (00:40), Emma Bradbury scored, which turned out to be the game-winning-goal, as Nazareth’s Ingrid Holstad scored at 10:05 of the 3rd, but it wasn’t enough. Elmira took this one 2-1 to face a common NEHC opponent Norwich in the championship. These two may face each other four times this season, two regular season games, once in this tournament, then again if they make it to the NEHC conference championship.

Plattsburgh vs Nazareth – Consolation (Plattsburgh 1-0)

On the scoresheet, this game was teetering on boredom, however, if you like defensive hockey, this one was for you!

There weren’t any goals scored in the first three periods, so we needed some 3v3 overtime to break the seal. Plattsburgh’s star freshman Zsofia Pazmandi scored the winner with less than two minutes remaining in overtime (3:15) to give the Cardinals a win and avoid going winless on the weekend. Pazmandi has 10 points through 10 games, (8G, 2A), she also has had 3 points this year for Hungary’s International team.

Norwich vs Elmira – Championship (Norwich 2-1 OT)

These two-love playing in big games, whether it’s an NEHC title game, or the East-West Classic title game, the games between these two are always stellar.

In this one, Elmira doubled Norwich’s shots, leading 31-15, penalties were four for eight on Elmira, two for four on Norwich.

The Cadets would take the early lead in this one, Marja Linzbichler scoring with less than seven minutes left in the opening period (14:01). Norwich entered the 3rd period with a 1-0 lead, which held all the way until 15:59 of the 3rd period, Mandy McCarrick tied it up for the Soaring Eagles, sending the game to overtime.

It all came down to the final minute of overtime, at 4:06.5, Lauren Tuzik scored the winner for Norwich, giving them their first-ever home tournament championship victory. That stat says it all about the tournament, instead of inviting opponents that were of lesser-ability, they year-after-year invite top-competition, creating an excellent event.

Goaltender Leocadia Clark had another stellar performance, making 30 saves in the victory, bringing her total saves in the tournament to 55 on 57 shots.

Norwich Head Coach Sophie Leclerc Doherty  

Norwich entered this season with a relatively young team, starting the season 0-2, they’ve gone unbeaten in their last nine games, earning a record of 8-2-1 at the first-semester break.

Norwich Head Coach Sophie Leclerc Doherty (photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur / Staff Photo).

Head Coach Sophie Leclerc Doherty had this to say about her team:

“Having nine newcomers has been an incredible experience. Like any transition, it took time, teaching and creating an environment within our current team to allow them to feel comfortable competing at the next level. I cannot say enough about our upperclassmen and leaders for being catalysts in this, and ultimately cementing the culture we wanted to create.”

I also asked her about how she’s going to be spending her mini winter break after a tough stretch of games.

“Most of my family has migrated to Florida. My husband and I have been driving down every year to get some sun. This year looks a little different with a 7-month-old – we’re hosting everyone this year – it’ll be an absolute blast to have the whole gang around. Next thing you know, it’ll be New Years and we’ll be preparing for Trinity. I can’t wait to get back to work.”

#13 Cortland vs SUNY Canton (Canton 2-1 OT)

The Roos of Canton entered this game yet to win against a ranked opponent in their program’s history, well that changed today.

Canton gets their first-ever ranked victory over #13 Cortland on 12/6/23. (Photo by Ali Servati)

Cortland outshot Canton in this one by a convincing 39-26, while penalties were rare, only two on Canton for four minutes and one minor on Cortland.

The Red Dragons got on the board first, after a scoreless 1st period, Jillian Hlasnick scored just over midway through the 2nd period (13:31), to put Cortland up 1-0 headed into the 3rd period.

Early in the 3rd period (3:04), Makayla Young tied it up for the Roos, which would be the lone goal of the period, sending it to overtime (frequent occurrence this weekend).

Then in overtime, a quick 37 seconds in (00:37), Danika Lalonde scored the winner for the Roos, giving them their first-ever win over a ranked opponent in program history. Goaltender Molly Lenihan made 38 saves in the victory.

Canton is an up-and-coming team, making their way last season to some good wins and overall having a program-best year of 14-10-2, now off to a hot 9-4-0 start this year. Last year they began beating the opponents they should’ve but were failing to convert on chances to beat ranked teams, they’ve now made that jump, and it’ll be interesting to see how they fare the rest of the way. 2nd year Head Coach Kalie Grant, St. Lawrence ‘20, has her Roos rolling along.

#7 Utica vs #8 Hamilton (Hamilton 1-0)

These two teams are intriguing, great for a matchup especially due to the circumstances that surround them. Utica entered this game with arguably their biggest program victory ever earlier this season, defeating Adrian, holding an overall record of 9-0-2. Hamilton entered with a 1st year head coach (Kayte Holtz, Bowdoin ‘13) after theirs left to return to her alma mater Middlebury (Emily McNamara), looking to gain some momentum.

#7 Utica University vs #8 Hamilton College – 12/9/23. (Photo by Scott Kinville – CNYHockeyReport.com)

This game matched the common theme of the weekend, defensive and low scoring. The lone goal came at 4:34 of the 2nd period, Claire McGennis of Hamilton scored the eventual game-winning-goal to give Hamilton a grand home victory.

Shots were near-even, Hamilton led 28-26, penalties were five for Hamilton, three for Utica, all minors. Both goaltenders played well, Teagan Brown with the 26-save shutout victory, while Angela Hawthorne made 27 in the slim loss.

This Week in Hockey East: Boston College, Boston University make history with first-ever 1-2 ranking in USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll

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Eamon Powell and Lane Hutson have been solid players this season for their respective teams (photos: Meg Kelly (Powell)/Harris Freeman (Hutson)).

It seems the only thing that might slow down Boston College and Boston University at this point in the season is having a lot of time off.

A combined 16-4-1 since the beginning of November, the Eagles and the Terriers are beyond red hot, and currently own the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, in the USCHO.com D-I Men’s Poll. It’s the first time in history the crosstown rivals have held the top two spots in any national college hockey poll.

Now each program faces a long layoff. BC won’t hit the ice again until Jan. 12 against Providence (save for an exhibition against Canadian college Simon Fraser shortly after the calendar flips to 2024), and BU is off until Dec. 29 when it travels to Yale (ECAC Hockey), a combined 61 days idle between the schools.

“It’s tough to keep the momentum going during the break,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said, with a smile, after his team’s last game, a 5-2 win over Merrimack on Dec. 2. “We’ll just keep our guys — making sure they’re staying in shape, be sure they’re working out, training. It is a long break this year (but) everyone’s going to have two or three weeks off. That’s part of college hockey.”

Pandolfo speaks the truth — college hockey traditionally takes an extended break in December each year, so every team in the country is basically in the same boat. After Vermont and Long Island wrap things up on Sunday, there won’t be another Division I men’s college hockey game until Rensselaer (ECAC Hockey) and Canisius (Atlantic Hockey) drop the puck on Dec. 28.

Still, a gap of almost four weeks is unusual. Last year, the Terriers went 19 days between games for their December break, while the Eagles were idle for only 21.

“I expect our guys to be ready when we start the second half,” Pandolfo said. “We’re still looking for consistency, even shift to shift for our group.”

BU will be able to ease into their second-half schedule with games vs. a pair of teams that have struggled this year — Yale and Northeastern. BC, on the other hand, will go right back to the grind with a home-and-home series vs. Providence (currently ranked No. 10), whom the Eagles beat last Saturday night in a 5-4 thriller before a home sellout crowd of 7,884.

BC sophomore forward and Bruins prospect Oskar Jellvik scored a pair of goals just over a minute apart in the game’s final minutes.

“They’re obviously a very good team,” said Jellvik, about the Friars, after the game. “Very hard to play against. You saw it today, close game. They bring it every night and I think we have to bring it to them as well.”

Should Eagle and Terrier fans be dreaming of a chapter of the storied rivalry between the schools unfolding at the Frozen Four in Minneapolis the weekend of April 11-13? For a clue, one doesn’t have to look too far in the past — earlier this calendar year in fact, to the last time two teams from the same conference were ranked 1-2.

That was Minnesota and Michigan (B1G), who claimed the top two spots, respectively, in the March 20 poll to wrap up the 2022-23 regular season. Both schools reached the Frozen Four in Tampa, but neither turned its prestigious ranking into a national championship. Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey), which was No. 3 in the March 20 poll, took home its first-ever NCAA title with an OT victory over the Gophers in the championship game.

TMQ: Looking at where certain teams stand going into 2024 with holiday break here for most college hockey squads

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Arizona State players celebrate a goal during last Friday night’s tie at home against Dartmouth (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).

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

Jim: Well, Ed, we are let’s say about 95% through the first part of the season and most schools have begun their holiday exam break.

I guess at this point, we should discuss what we have learned that this point in the season. I will begin in the conferences. The NCHC, Big Ten and Hockey East are pretty much running away in non-conference play. All three have winning percentages significantly above .600.

But that unfortunately leaves three other conferences and a group of independents that are all below .400 winning percentages. Among that only Quinnipiac and RIT are in the top 16 of the current PairWise. No one in the CCHA is even close to the bubble, an unfamiliar place for that league.

Take this wherever you want – the positive of the top of the crop or the negatives of those struggling to this point. But what stands out to you?

Ed: Jim, this very thing has left me wondering whether we’re seeing a blip or an anomaly here, or whether things are going to split more permanently into haves and have-nots.

At the Frozen Four in Tampa last April, the buzz was around whether the Big Ten would end up dominating in an era of NIL and whatever else may lie ahead in NCAA changes. As of today, there are four teams from that conference inside the bubble, but Michigan at No. 15 would be bumped by an autobid. The highest team of four from the NCHC is North Dakota at No. 5, but St. Cloud State at No. 14 would be in a precarious spot, too.

Hockey East is the conference that I’m interested in. What really stands out to me is the ascent this season of Maine and New Hampshire. That has given the league a boost, and right now five teams are at No. 12 or above, all safe spots at the end of the season. However, six Hockey East teams were in the top 16 at around this time last year, yet only Boston University and Merrimack made it to the NCAA tournament.

There’s still room for teams from ECAC, CCHA, and Atlantic Hockey to squeeze in, but it will take a real run in conference to get there. Cornell and Minnesota State are within a stone’s throw. RIT has four nonconference matchups, including a Dec. 29 date with Maine at the Ledyard Bank Classic, to improve its chances.

That leaves the independents, especially Arizona State and Alaska. The Sun Devils weren’t helped by the pair of ties with Dartmouth. They and the Nanooks will need to put together a great run with little room for error to make it in. What’s the outlook for these two indies?

Jim: Our good friend and Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley went out on a limb more than a month ago on our Weekend Review Podcast saying that he didn’t believe an independent would make the NCAA tournament this season.

I think some of his reasoning related to Arizona State and its massively home-heavy schedule. Because the Sun Devils play 70% of their games at home, most wins will only be worth 80% of a win in the PairWise, something that coach Greg Powers was aware of when he made this schedule.

Certainly, Mullett Arena is a massive home-ice advantage for the Sun Devils, and they will win a lot of games there. But then you run across a weekend like this past one where ASU tied a decent Dartmouth team twice. At the end of the weekend, two home ties equated to 80% of one win against an ECAC opponents, which negatively impacted their PairWise.

That’s why I feel like I can be more bullish that Alaska would be the independent team to grab an NCAA at-large bid this season. It’s still a long road ahead for the Nanooks and they need to win games over the next 45 days or so to place the team in a good PairWise position. But there will be more chances to earn the bonus for road wins for Alaska than Arizona State.

I answered your question, I think. But was that too much math for you (and our faithful readers) to handle?

Ed: I guess we’re forced to do a bit of math because of how the PairWise – and particularly the RPI – works. The massaging of the formula over the years introduced home-away-neutral multipliers, evolving overtime win-loss ratios, quality win bonuses, and other arithmetic that has made it the job of algorithms to pick teams. It’s objective, but for many fans also a bit obtuse. However, the merits of the methodology are a discussion for another time.

You and I talked about something with Dan Rubin on the USCHO Edge podcast the other day, and that’s our sense that there’s been a lot of scoring this year. Just look at Denver’s last two weekends as an example.

With my curiosity piqued, I dug into our database of games and found that this season is on pace to be the highest scoring in the past decade. I didn’t go back any further, but I could go back 27 seasons to when USCHO started if I get bored.

Taking the combined goals of both teams of every D-I game for each season, the lowest in the past 10 seasons was 2014-15, with an average of 5.41 goals per game. The average of the nine seasons preceding this one is 5.62. But so far this year, the average in D-I men’s hockey is 5.92 goals per game! Out of 518 games played, 42 of them have had 10 goals or more combined.

So our hunch is correct. (And I know some of our more astute mathematician-hockey-fans will point out all kinds of other things we could quantify. But I’m on deadline here.)

Let’s consider today’s game of college hockey and get a little subjective perhaps. Why do you think we’re seeing scoring up by more than five percent over the 10-year average and nearly 10 percent over 10 seasons ago?

Jim: That’s excellent research into the numbers and I am glad that our hunches were headed in the right direction.

All that said, I do have a hunch on the reason or reasons behind it. I think there are multiple levels to the added offense.

Let’s go back to a decade or so ago when we were at a low in goal production. That was the peak of the goaltender equipment advancements. The technology hasn’t improved too much since then but one area of the game has: video.

Players and coaches have had more time to study tendencies – of defenses, of goaltenders, of penalty kills. Sure, video has been part of this game for more than four decades. But the ability to splice clips and distribute to players in a quick and easy manner continues to increase and improve. You also have players always attempting to replicate what they see on “SportsCenter Top 10” every night.

Long explanation short, players are spending more time than ever trying to figure out ways to score and it is paying off.

The question, though, is how long this offense lasts. Will we see NCAA games with 10+ goals like we did a year ago or will defenses improve and more games are right checking and low scoring like we typically see in the Frozen Four. Last year’s final had five goals and the year before had six. Right around the average, I guess, but any chance we see an 8-7 game like we did back in 1991 when Northern Michigan beat Boston University?

Ed: I don’t know about 8-7, but I could see us getting close to double digits.

Let’s take the scenario of a hypothetical Denver-Michigan State final, which is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. If the tendencies those teams have had so far carry throughout the rest of the season, you’d have Denver’s No. 1 offense (5.22 goals per game) and the No. 45 defense (3.22 GPG) vs. Sparty’s No. 3 offense (4.22 GPG) and No. 38 defense (3.11 GPG).

That could be a lot of fun.

Jim, I agree with all of your reasons for the uptick in scoring.

Maybe goaltenders and goalie coaches could stem the tide a bit more if they cut down on those top-corner pucks whizzing past their ears when in the RVH?

No numbers on my part for that one. Just another hunch.

Boston College back on top of USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, gets 34 first-place votes in Dec. 11 rankings

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Boston College players celebrate one of Oskar Jellvik’s two goals last Saturday against Providence (photo: Brody Hannon).

With 34 first-place votes, Boston College is back on top of the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, up one spot from last week.

Boston University stays No. 2, getting eight first-place votes, while Quinnipiac is up two to No. 3, with five first-place votes, North Dakota falls three spots to No. 4, and Denver drops one to sit fifth this week.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Dec. 11, 2023

Wisconsin picked up a first-place vote and stays No. 6, Michigan State is again seventh, Maine sits eights, collecting two first-place votes, Minnesota is up one to No. 9, and Providence is down one to No. 10.

The only new team in the rankings this week is Colorado College, coming in at No. 20.

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

This week’s poll is the last until Jan. 2, 2024.

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

Colorado College sweeps in OT, Maine deserves more attention, are shootouts in non-conference games useless? Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 10

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Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger discuss the results of the weekend and the news of the week in college hockey on the December 11, 2023 edition of USCHO Weekend Review.

In this episode:

  • Despite No. 1 North Dakota losing twice to Colorado College in overtime this was maybe the best weekend of the year for the top 10.
  • Should we be concerned about North Dakota after three straight OT losses?
  • Was Colorado College’s sweep of North Dakota that big of a surprise?
  • Wisconsin swept Penn State and has now won five in a row
  • Is Dartmouth a sleeper team in the ECAC?
  • Why aren’t more people talking about Maine right now?
  • This weekend, a handful of non-conference games finished in a tie and were followed by meaningless shootouts. Why?

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

Find our podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

NCAA D-III West Men’s Hockey Weekend Wrap-up

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Augsburg earned a split against No. 3 Adrian over the weekend. (Kevin Healy/Augsburg Athletics)

It couldn’t have gone any better for Augsburg Friday night against No. 3 Adrian.

The Auggies got a stellar performance from Cade Stibbe, who recorded his first collegiate hat trick and helped lead his team to a memorable 3-2 win in overtime.

His biggest of the three goals came in 17 seconds into overtime as Stibbe scored on a penalty shot for his sixth goal of the year and his 13th point of the season.

He also scored goals in the first and second periods as the Auggies won their sixth game of the year.

Augsburg held a 40-36 advantage in shots and Samuel Vyletelka made 34 saves.

The Bulldogs did bounce back Saturday night to salvage a split in the series against the reigning MIAC tournament champions.

And they did it on the strength of a 3-0 shutout, highlighted by 18 saves from Dershahn Stewart. Ian Amsbaugh, Bradley Somers and Jacob Suede also scored for the Bulldogs, who held a 37-18 advantage in shots.

Adrian wraps up the first half of the year with a 9-3-1 record. Augsburg is 6-4-1.

Here’s more on the final full weekend of hockey before Christmas break.

Pointers earn impressive sweep

It was the biggest matchup of the weekend. Ninth-ranked UW-Stevens Point was up against No. 8 Eau Claire in a WIAC rivalry game, and in the end, the Pointers got the job done.

They won 2-1 in overtime on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday, and the sweep means the Pointers have won all three games against the Blugolds this weekend to further cement their place atop the standings.

On Saturday, neither team scored in the first or second period but Fletcher Anderson broke the tie at the 3:25 mark of the third when he punched in a goal for a 1-0 lead.

That lead would hold until the final minute of the game when Cody Moline tallied an empty-net goal to wrap up the scoring.

Alex Proctor rose to the occasion between the pipes, racking up 36 saves, earning his second shutout of the season. The 36 saves were a career high for Proctor. Max Gutjahr made 22 saves for the Blugolds.

UW-Stevens Point now sits at 9-3-0 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC. UW-Eau Claire is 8-4-1 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC.

Andrew Poulias was the hero on Friday in the series opener as the Pointers won on the road against the Blugolds. He scored a little over a minute into overtime for the win. It was his sixth goal of the season and marked his 11th point.

Leo Bacallao scored the lone goal for the Blugolds in the second period before the Pointers tied the game in the third to force overtime.

Take it outside

Bethel and St. Olaf literally took their battle outside Saturday, playing a  game in St. Louis Park, Minn. The game did not count in the MIAC standings.

The Royals prevailed 3-1 to stretch their win streak to four games.

Logan Anderson gave the Royals the lead for good with a goal 18 seconds into the third period. Justin Kelley’ empty-netter finished out the scoring. Austin Ryman made 35 saves.

Bethel now heads overseas to play three games in Germany.  The Royals head into the holiday season with a 9-2-2 record. 

St. Olaf got its lone goal from Noah Heisler and is now 5-6-2.

Gusties keep unbeaten streak intact

Gustavus swept Concordia (Wi) over the weekend is unbeaten in its last six games.

The Gusties finished out the sweep with a 2-0 win on Saturday, improving to 7-4-2. 

Drew Holt helped lead the charge. He delivered the game-winning goal less than six minutes into the action Saturday. Holt also played a key role in Friday’s 4-1 win, scoring twice.

Jackson Hjelle made a career-high 46 saves to help the Gusties preserve the shutout on Saturday. He made 19 of those saves in the third and has tallied two shutouts in the last three outings.

Raiders come away with win and tie against Johnnies

MSOE dominated Saint John’s in Saturday’s opener, winning 5-1, and then held on for a 1-1 tie against the Johnnies on the road.

Four goals in the first period set the tone for the win on Friday. Five different players scored in all and seven players had an assist as the Raiders cashed in on an on-point team effort.

Jacob Bosse scored on a power play for the first goal of the night. Gramm McCormack, Preston Park and Seth Benard all scored in the opening period as well.

Jackson Yee also scored whiled Austin Schwab made 31 saves.

In the finale on Sunday, Luke Stevens scored his first collegiate goal and Schwab came through with 37 saves.

MSOE finishes out the first half with a 7-5.2 record. Saint John’s is 3-8-2.

Sabres shine against Cobbers

Marian finished its first half of the season on a high note by sweeping the Concordia Cobbers.

The Sabres are 3-2 in non-conference games and 4-4-1 all-time against the Cobbers. They improved to 5-8 on the season.

Caden Carlson scored twice in Saturday’s 5-3 victory. Alex Rondeau tallied two assists.

In Friday’s 6-3 win, the Sabres jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one period and never looked back.

Daunte Fortner scored the third goal of the season in that win and Nolan Flint picked up his first career point off an assist.

Jaymes Knee led the offense with a pair of goals.

The Cobbers dropped to 6-4-1 on the season. It’s the first time all season that they have lost two in a row. In Saturday’s game, Joe Harguindeguy tallied an assist for hs 10th of the year. He has 12 points in all on the season.

Yellowjackets move up in standings

UW-Superior topped Northland 3-1 Saturday and is now in second place in the WIAC standings.

It improved to 7-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference, closing out the first half on a high note after starting the season 1-5.

Kobe Grant made 20 saves to earn his first win at the college level after coming up short in the previous five outings. Tyler Ryder scored a goal in the win while his brother assisted on the play. It’s the first time this year that the two have teamed up on a goal.

D-III East Men’s Hockey Weekend Wrap-up – December 11, 2023

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Bengal netminder Marcus Cumberworth made 40 saves in an upset of Plattsburgh before earning his first shutout with a 41-save performance in a 5-0 win over Potsdam (Photo by Sarah Congelosi)

And then there were none…

It was a tough weekend for ranked teams in the East, as Plattsburgh, Utica, Skidmore, and Trinity all dropped games over the weekend leaving no unbeatens in the east and making for some interesting polling to come on Monday. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the competition continues to be playoff caliber every game and every weekend. Great stuff in and out of conference to cover in the weekend’s wrap-up for the East:

CCC

Endicott played a pair of non-conference foes skating away with an overtime tie and a win against Massachusetts-Boston and Rivier. On Friday, the Gulls had 2-0 and 3-1 leads erased by three unanswered goals from the Beacons requiring a late rally with Cass Bowes scoring in the final three minutes of regulation to earn the tie. On Saturday, John Goldowski scored two goals and Ryan Wilson stopped all 27 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over Rivier.

Curry played Anna Maria on Friday night and skated a way with a 4-0 win over the AmCats. Gage Dill scored one goal and added an assist for the Colonels who saw goaltender Shane Soderwall stop all 39 shots he faced to earn the shutout win.

Salve Regina closed out the first half of their season with a runaway 9-1 win over New England College on Tuesday night. Seth Benson, Matthew Fawcett, and Johnny Mulera each scored two goals for the Seahawks. Hoon Kim added four assists and Joe Kile chipped in with three assists to help pace the offense. Goaltender Selby Warren stopped 18 of 19 shots to earn his third win of the season.

Independents

Following a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Trinity on Tuesday, Albertus Magnus rebounded with wins over Vermont State-Castleton and Nichols to finish their first half at 9-4-0. On Thursday, the seesaw affair saw the Falcons needing a third period rally from a one-goal deficit. Tim Manning scored to tie the score just over midway through the period before Sam Anderson delivered the game-winner in the final 90 seconds of regulation for a 5-4 win. On Saturday, a goal, and an assist each from Paden Hicks and Connor Bertamini paced the offense in a 6-0 win over the Bison. Logan Bateman made 27 saves to earn the shutout.

On Tuesday, Anna Maria downed Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 4-1 before dropping a Thursday night game against Curry. The AmCats closed out the week with a 5-2 win over Southern Maine led by two goals and an assist from Braeden McKinnon. AMC closes out their first half hosting New England College on Wednesday, 12/13.

Canton closed out their first half schedule with a 4-1 road win over St. Michael’s on Friday night. Sam Brunton, Brendan Morrow, Evan Pringle, and Lucas Roy each scored a goal for the Kangaroos in the road win. Goaltenders Kelson Hooper and Nate Hopkins combined for 21 saves in the win.

MASCAC

Plymouth State closed out the first half of their schedule with a 4-1 win over New England College on Friday night. After spotting NEC a 1-0 lead on Paul Waldhauser’s first period goal, the Panthers scored the next four goals to ease to the home win. Carson Lanceleve, Will Redick, Will Pray and Andrew Stuckless all tallied for PSU who end up 9-1-2 at the semester break.

Framingham State extended their win streak to three games with a 2-0 win over Worcester State on Thursday night to close out their first half and level their MASCAC record at 4-4-0. The battle on the ice saw neither team able to score in the first two periods but late in the third period, Robert Bernier gave the Rams a 1-0 lead and with just under two minutes remaining in regulation, Brady Rossback sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Goaltender Trevor Sternberg was outstanding in net, making 36 saves to earn the shutout win.

NE-10

Southern New Hampshire closed out their first half with a pair of road wins against Post that moved the Penmen to 5-5-1 for the season overall. On Friday, Jim Minnig scored two goals to pace the offense in a 6-1 victory. On Saturday, power play goals from Jack Gray and Kurt Watson in the opening period were enough offense for Sean Guerin who stopped 31 of 32 shots. Ethan Rodriguez closed out the Penmen scoring with a shorthanded, empty-net tally for the 3-1 final.

Assumption closed out their first half with a pair of non-conference games against MASCAC opponents. On Thursday, the Greyhounds took a 1-0 lead into he third period only to see the Owls explode for six goals on the way to a 6-3 win. On Saturday, Assumption bounced back with a comeback of their own in the third period. Ryan Decker scored two power play goals to erase a 3-2 deficit and Jonathan Surrette added an insurance marker with an empty-net goal in the 5-3 win. Assumption finished the first half at 12-2-0 overall and      8-1-0 in NE-10 play.

NEHC

Hobart traveled to play Trinity on Saturday, 2-1 to close out their first half. After Shane Shell and Ned Blanchard traded goals in the second period, it was a winner-take-all third period for the team that could solve the opposing netminder one more time. Jonah Alexander found a way to get a puck past Devon Bobak and Hobart’s Damon Beaver made 16 third period saves to preserve the one-goal win.

Elmira picked up win No. 11 on the season with a 7-0 rout of Brockport on Saturday night. While seven different players scored for the Soaring Eagles, Shawn Kennedy, and Janis Vizbelis each had a goal and an assist while Kyle Curtin earned the shutout making 31 saves.

NESCAC

Tufts moved to 4-2-0 in conference play and into first place with a weekend sweep of Bowdoin and Colby. On Friday, John Mulvihill paced the offense with two goals as the Jumbos jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the way to a 4-1 win over the Polar Bears. On Saturday, Tyler Sedlak opened and closed the scoring for Tufts who skated away from the Mules with a 3-1 win.

Hamilton kept pace with a weekend sweep of their own against Middlebury and Williams. On Friday night, the Continentals surged to a 3-0 first period lead that was extended by Max Bulawka, who added two scores in the 5-1 final over the Panthers. On Saturday, Hamilton needed a win of the comeback variety as Owen Stadheim gave the Ephs a 1-0 lead that stood until the third period where Ben Zimmerman, Luke Tchor, and Devan de Vries all scored to give the visitors a 3-1 road win. Bulawka chipped in with a pair of assists for Hamilton.

After a 7-2 win over Manhattanville on Tuesday, Conn College extended their win streak to three games with a 3-1 win over Colby on Friday. Rocco Testa-Basi, Javi Ubarri, and Cole Eichler paced the offense for the Camels. Looking to extend the win-streak to four games, the Camels took a 3-1 lead against Bowdoin in the third period only to see the Polar Bears score three times in just under six minutes to steal a 4-3 win and weekend split.

SUNYAC

Buffalo State had a great weekend starting with their Friday night win over Plattsburgh. The Bengals matched firepower with the Cardinals in a game that saw the visitors come back from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits. Late in the third period with he score tied at 4-4, Parker Allison netted a power play goal and Nick Stuckless gave the Bengals some breathing room with and empty-net goal in the final minute for a 6-4 win. There was not letdown by the Bengals on Saturday as they cruised to a 5-0 win over Potsdam with Jason Kwestel picking up a goal and an assist in support of Marcus Cumberworth who made 40 saves in the shutout win.

Geneseo picked up a pair of wins including a marquee affair over previously unbeaten Skidmore on Friday night. The Knights ceded the first goal to Danny Magnuson but then scored three unanswered before Nick Cozzi cut the lead in half. The third period saw Knight goals from Peter Morgan and Luke Panchisin to seal the 5-2 win in front of goaltender Jacob Torgner. The Knights closed out their first half with a SUNYAC contest against Morrisville and skated off with a 5-0 win. Five different players scored for Geneseo with Panchisin chipping in with a pair of assists that moved the Knights to 13-2-0 overall and   7-1-0 in SUNYAC play.

Friday night saw a fired-up Cortland team upset an Oswego squad that might have been thinking about their Saturday game with Utica. The Red Dragons jumped out to a 3-1 lead which Stephen Kyrkostas extended with a pair of second period goals on the way to a 5-2 win. The Lakers did bounce back in a big way with goals from Cam Symons, Shane Bull, and Tyler Flack to upset No. 4 ranked Utica, 3-2. Brandon Milberg made 21 saves to earn the win.

UCHC

Chatham picked up a pair of much needed conference wins with a weekend sweep of Lebanon Valley. On Friday, the Cougars let the Flying Dutchmen skate off to a 2-0 lead before they tallied seven unanswered goals in the 7-2 rout. Andrew Martino scored tow goals and added an assist in the win. On Saturday, Ethan Hoover provided LVC with an early lead, but True Crowe answered for the Cougars and the game finished regulation in a 1-1 tie. Just under a minute into the extra session, Kyle Contessa netted the game-winner for the Cougars who took the 2-1 win.

Stevenson dispatched King’s on Saturday with Liam McCanney leading the way for the Mustangs with a pair of goals and two assists in a 7-0 win. Goaltender Ty Outen made 28 saves to earn the shutout – his second in a row.

Wilkes continued their winning ways with an opening win over a struggling Alvernia squad to start the weekend. On Saturday, Nick Swain was dynamic for the offense with two goals and three assists for the Colonels in a resounding 9-1 road win. On Sunday, the more desperate Golden Wolves came out with urgency and were rewarded with Logan vande Meeraker scoring just 26 seconds into the first period. Alvernia extended their lead to 2-0 on Jordan Gagnon’s goal late in the second period. Wilkes would cut the lead in half with a Cam Lowe power play goal in the third period but that is all goaltender Jackson Fellner would allow as he stopped 39 of 40 shots in the 2-1 win and a split of the two-game series.

Three Biscuits

Kyle Contessa – Chatham – scored the overtime winner for Chatham in a 2-1 win over Lebanon Valley to earn a weekend sweep.

Hoon Kim – Salve Regina – recorded a four-assist game in Tuesday’s 9-1 rout of New England College that closed out the first half for the Seahawks.

Tyler Flack – Oswego – scored the game-winning goal for the Lakers in a 3-2 upset of No. 4 Utica on Saturday night.

Bonus Biscuits

Trevor Sternberg – Framingham State – the Rams’ netminder stopped all 36 shots he faced in a 2-0 shutout win over Worcester State on Thursday night.

Marcus Cumberworth – Buffalo State – the Bengals’ netminder made 41 saves in Friday’s upset win over Plattsburgh and stopped 40 on Saturday to earn a shutout against Potsdam in a 5-0 win.

Nick Swain – Wilkes – recorded a five-point game with two goals and three assists in a 9-1 win for the Colonels over Alvernia on Saturday.

The first half is virtually over with just a handful of games scheduled for the week as schools enter the semester finals and head to break for the holidays. No game picks until after the holidays but there just may be a new edition of “A Letter to Santa” coming this week with asks of the Big Man for a dynamic second half of the season.

 

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