Home Blog Page 88

D-III Women’s East Week 6 Recap: A highly competitive weekend of conference play!

By
-
Western New England Women’s Hockey (Photo via Western New England Athletics)

Nearing closer to the semester break, teams are making their final push to end the first half on a high note. We had some great games out east this past weekend, including some highly ranked matchups.

CCC  

Two teams that have come out swinging this year, looking to make that next leap are Western New England & University of New England. The Golden Bears & Nor’easters are currently tied atop the CCC with 15.5 points apiece.

This past weekend, the two went unscathed, WNE going 2-0, while UNE went 1-0-1 (lost shootout). Meanwhile, Endicott is sitting close behind at 14.5, then Salve Regina who’s looking to make some noise, sits at 13.5, with the next closest being Suffolk at 7.5.

Western New England had a pair of games with Nichols who finds themselves at the bottom of the CCC, winning both by scores of 4-1 & 1-0.

On Friday in the 4-1 win, WNE’s Maddie Pope (2G), Alyssa Murphy (3A), & Maggie Holt (3A) led the Golden Bears on the stat sheet, while goaltender Kayla Ireland had 16 saves. On Saturday, Julia Roman had the lone goal which came at 16:16 of the 2nd period, giving WNE the slim 1-0 shutout victory. Rieley Jessie-Gerelli made 29 saves in the shutout win.

As for the University of New England, who’s 5-3-3 overall (4-1-3 in CCC) under 1st year Head Coach Cassandra Sherman, Univ Southern Maine ‘17, they tied Suffolk on Friday 1-1 (lost shootout) & won 2-1 on Saturday.

In game one, Delanie Corcoran had 34 saves for UNE & Lily O’Neil had 19 saves for Suffolk, then in the game two victory for UNE, Corcoran had 36 & O’Neil had 26. The point leader on the weekend was UNE’s Hannah Humes with a pair of goals in the Saturday victory.

Other CCC news was Salve Regina sweeping Curry College, winning 2-1 in OT & 4-0. The notable performances were goaltending, in the 2-1 OT win for Salve, Curry’s Soleil Archambeault made 37 saves on 37 shots in 41:01 minutes in the loss, while Salve’s Sydney Baxter made 22 of 23 in the victory. Another thing to note, in the 4-0 Salve victory, two goals were empty net.

NEHC

Nothing too crazy occurred in the NEHC this past weekend, here’s a quick recap of the notable events.

#11 Elmira

#11 Elmira got a pair of wins, a blowout 11-1 win over Johnson & Wales and a 3-1 win vs UMass-Boston. In the game vs J&W, Elmira outshot them 55-15, scoring 3 powerplay goals & 2 shorthanded, and goaltender Chloe Beaubien made 14 saves. In the game vs UMB, Elmira outshot them 34-8, scoring a shorthanded and powerplay goal. Goaltender Leonie Kuehberger made 7 saves in the victory.

Southern Maine

University of Southern Maine Women’s Hockey (Photo by James Liebowitz)

Southern Maine got a pair of wins, defeating Plymouth State 2-0 & Castleton 3-1. Madison Chagnon & Caroline Thompson scored the goals to propel the Huskies past the Panthers. Goaltender Haley McKim made 24 saves in her shutout victory. In their game vs Castleton, Saige Macleod, Olivia Stewart, & Madison Chagnon scored for USM, getting them the 3-1 victory. Goaltender Haley McKim had a stellar performance, making 40 saves, only allowing a single goal on 41 shots.

William Smith

William Smith grabbed a pair of wins, defeating UMass-Boston 2-1 & Johnson & Wales 4-1. William Smith is quietly putting together a great season after two early losses to Oswego State, they have a 3-2 win over (ranking at time of win) #13 Norwich. They sit with a record of 9-3-0 overall, 5-1-0 in the NEHC, tied with Elmira in 2nd place behind first-place Norwich.

The point leaders for the Herons this weekend were Emma Faso (3G), Brianna Felice (2G), Colleen Quirk & Sarah Hearns both had 3A, while Quirk added a goal as well in the win over UMB for a weekend-leading 4 points for the Herons. Goaltender Annie Hauser made 28 saves on 29 shots vs UMB & 24 saves on 25 shots vs J&W.

NESCAC

Four ranked teams played this past weekend, #2 Amherst, #5 Middlebury, #6 Hamilton, & #7 Colby. One upset occurred; this was Bowdoin defeating Colby 3-1 in game two of the weekend series.

#2 Amherst vs #5 Middlebury – Friday & Saturday  

Friday:

Amherst shutout Middlebury 4-0 in game one, a surprising result as they held the Panthers to zero goals for the first time this season. Natalie Stott continued to dominate in net, she currently sits at 5-0-1, a .979 save-percentage, .49 GAA, and three shutouts in 6 games. In this game, Stott had 31 saves in the shutout victory. Amherst began with a shorthanded goal late in the 1st period (18:21), Maeve Reynolds. Jayna Park then added a pair of goals, one being on the powerplay. Rylee Glennon capped it off with a goal at 3:21 of the 3rd period, giving the Mammoths a 4-0 win. Shots were 31-26 Middlebury.

Amherst’s Natalie Stott vs Williams College (Photo via Amherst Athletics)

Saturday:

This game was a low-scoring defensive affair, a 1-1 tie, Middlebury led in shots 38-27, penalties were moderate, three on Middlebury & two on Amherst. The lone goals for each team were from Middlebury’s Kate Flynn at 3:36 of the 2nd period & Cara Mancini at 18:38 of the 2nd for Amherst.

#6 Hamilton

Hamilton went undefeated in their series vs Trinity, but left with a blemish, defeating Trinity 3-1 & tying 1-1. In game one, all four goals came in the last 4 minutes of the game… Claire McGennis at 16:22 for Hamilton, then an entire 15 seconds later, Abby Smith fired one in to double the Continental lead. Then, a short 2 minutes 22 seconds later (18:59), Trinity scored a powerplay goal (Jelani Adorno). Then to end it, Hamilton’s Lydia Bullock tossed in an empty netter to seal the deal and win 3-1. Trinity led in shots 29-16.

In the 1-1 tie, Hamilton outshot Trinity 34-14, penalties were near non-existent, the lone offense was a Trinity penalty in the 1st period. The lone goals were scored by Hamilton’s Sophia Testa at 6:43 of the 2nd and Trinity’s Marta Mazzocchi late in the 3rd at 13:12.

#7 Colby

 Colby split with Bowdoin, winning 4-0 & losing 3-1. In game one, Colby came out firing, scoring four 1st period goals, Meg Rittenhouse scored a quick 12 seconds in (00:12), Megan Martodam at 8:06, Maria Pierce at 11:38, & Breanna Studley at 19:31. These goals held up, goaltender Grace Caligiuri made 14 saves in the shutout victory.

In game two, Bowdoin got outshot a lopsided 35-11, but found a trio of goals in those 11 shots. Starting off the scoring was Beth Sinson for Colby, extremely late in the 1st period at 19:10, but that would be the end of the Mules’ scoring. In the 2nd period at 11:42, Anyi Sun scored on the powerplay, then at 12:01, Luna Lu gave the Polar Bears the 2-1 lead headed into the 3rd. Elena DiMagno would then top it off at 10:22 and send the Polar Bears home winners over #7, winning 3-1. Goaltender Sarah Peterson made 34 saves in the victory, while Grace Caligiuri made 8 in the loss.

SUNYAC  

The main matchup of the weekend was #4 Plattsburgh vs #13 Cortland. The Cardinals took this one 2-0, continuing their conference-play dominance. Plattsburgh led 31-20 in shots, penalties were low, Plattsburgh with two & Cortland with one. The goals came from Ciara Wall at 9:41 of the 1st period and very late in the 2nd by Mae Olshansky at 19:40.5. Goaltender Lilla Nease made 20 saves in the shutout victory.

Plattsburgh also defeated Canton, winning 4-2 on Saturday. Julia Masotta scored the first two goals of the game, leading the team. Kendall Wasik had three assists in the game. Goaltender Chloe Lewis made 26 saves on 28 shots. The overall shots were in favor of the Cardinals, 37-28, penalties were near even, four for Canton & three for Plattsburgh.

UCHC  

The key weekend series in the UCHC was clear, #14 Nazareth vs undefeated Chatham. Chatham (6-1-2), much improved under 5th year Head Coach Mike O’Grady, who had a program-best season in ‘21-’22, now on pace for a new program-best season in ‘23-’24.

Nazareth (5-1-1), a very young squad, entered facing their first test besides Cortland, who was their lone loss on the season coming into this weekend.

Nazareth Women’s Hockey (Photo via Nazareth Athletics)

In game one, the Golden Flyers won 3-1, their goals came at 9:00 of the 1st by Ingrid Holstad, then Holstad showed up again, scoring in the 2nd period at 2:42 on the powerplay, then exactly 5 minutes later (7:42), Julia Holmes put Nazareth up 3-0 until Chatham’s lone goal came at 14:13 of the 3rd period on the powerplay from Rainey Jessup. Nazareth outshot Chatham 40-17.

In game two, Chatham would like the last minute of this game back, showing that it truly is a 60-minute game. Abi Fuzaylov put the Cougars up 1-0 late in the 1st at 19:18.3, which held up all the way until the last minute of the game, where at 19:10.2, Ingrid Holstad appeared once again, scoring to tie the game up, where Nazareth would win the shootout for the extra league point. Goaltender Lilly Rogers played exceptionally well, making 51 saves on 52 shots in this one. Nazareth outshot Chatham 52-11.

This Week in Hockey East: Top-10 matchup between Providence, Boston College highlights upcoming weekend slate

By
-
Austen May and Providence play at Boston College this weekend (photo: Lydia Vigneau).

Opening up the Hockey East notebook as the calendar turns to December…

— There’s only one all-Hockey East game this weekend, but it’s a big one as No. 9 Providence makes the short trip up I-95 to take on No. 2 Boston College on Saturday afternoon (4:30 p.m., NESN) at Conte Forum.

The Eagles go into Saturday ranked second not just in the USCHO.com D-I men’s poll, but also in the Hockey East standings with a 5-2-1 record (12-3-1). The USCHO voters didn’t punish the previous week’s No. 1 BC too badly after a split against Northeastern (previously winless in league play) last weekend, with each team winning on enemy ice. The Friars are 4-2-2 in Hockey East, a mere point behind BC, and 9-4-2 overall.

It’s the first of three meetings this season between the two programs and the last before the holiday break. The next PC-BC meeting will actually be BC’s next game — more than a month away — Jan. 12 in Providence. PC’s only game in the interim is a “New Year’s Eve Eve” contest at crosstown rival Brown (ECAC Hockey).

— Both BC and Boston University have spent time this season as the No. 1 team in the USCHO.com poll, but this week’s poll provided what could be a first — the schools are deadlocked at No. 2 behind North Dakota (NCHC).

Each school received 890 points from the 50 voters, with BU receiving eight first-place votes to the Eagles’ four. A week earlier, BC edged out North Dakota by a single point, 960 to 959.

Fans will have to wait for a BC-BU showdown — Jan. 26 is the first meeting of the year between the two schools, the first of a home-and-home weekend series that starts at BC. The only other scheduled meeting of the year will come on Feb. 6, the first round of the Beanpot at TD Garden. A lot of different things would have to fall into place for the teams to still be tied in the poll more than a month from now, but it’s a good bet the teams will at least both be highly ranked and battling for the top spot in the Hockey East standings.

— If Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, Hockey East could be the Association of Brotherly Love. Two sets of brothers have recorded hat tricks this season, with Maine’s duo of Bradly and Josh Nadeau the latest to pull off the feat. The pair led the nation in scoring over the weekend with seven and six points, respectively, as the Black Bears beat rival New Hampshire, 5-2, and Connecticut, 7-3.

Both brothers scored hat tricks in separate games and had the primary assists on each of the other’s goals. They became the first brother duo to share Hockey East Player of the Week honors in more than 17 years.

The Nadeaus are listed as freshmen, though Josh is older by two years. Bradly was a first-round draft pick and 30th overall pick of the Carolina Hurricanes. As linemates for the Penticton Vees, the brothers helped lead the team to the British Columbia Junior Hockey League regular season and tournament titles a year ago.

Setting the precedent this season for hat-trick-recording brothers were the Hutsons at BU. Quinn Hutson, a sophomore forward, notched his first career three-goal game as part of a four-point night in a 6-1 blowout of UMass Lowell on Nov. 11. Six days earlier, sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson thrice lit the lamp in one game in a 5-4 overtime loss to North Dakota.

— Despite only one intra-conference matchup (PC-BC), there’s plenty of action on the weekend slate, with every team in action except BU and UConn. Union (ECAC Hockey) will be participating in three of those games — hosting Maine Wednesday, then a Friday-Saturday series at Vermont.

Postponed Boston University-Maine women’s hockey game of Oct. 27, 2023 rescheduled to Jan. 8, 2024 at Maine’s Alfond Arena

By
-

Hockey East announced today that the women’s game between Boston University and Maine, previously scheduled for Oct. 27, 2023, has been rescheduled to Jan. 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine.

Fans will be able to watch the game on ESPN+.

TMQ: Reflecting on intense North Dakota-Denver weekend series, assessing conference standings with December here

By and
-
St. Thomas currently sits in first place in the CCHA standings (photo: Rebecca Twite).

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.

Dan: A hearty and happy Tuesday to you all, and a special happy holiday season as we break into December.

I’m sure, Paula, that Midwest winters are coming just as the New England snow and cold is on the way, but I’d like to think that those of us out east can offer some solace since we’ve been sitting on 50 degrees for the better part of the last week or so…unless it means Boston is going to fall into the ocean.

Speaking of falling into the sea (and that was even a bad bridge by my standards), I’m still breathless from the hockey we experienced over the weekend. Every league had something to offer, but I think everything begins with the Denver-North Dakota series out in Colorado.

It had it all, including a major North Dakota comeback, and I left that series thinking that those two teams were the best teams in the country (right now). For a Boston guy who loves, eats, sleeps Boston hockey, it wasn’t even that difficult to swallow the pill. Both teams deserve top billing in the country, but at the end of the day, North Dakota was a hair better, and that’s why four of six points went back to Grand Forks.

What were your takeaways from the weekend, and what else could have contended with North Dakota-DU?

Paula: Oh, Dan, what a series! And I think that the voters probably got it right even though I didn’t agree with the majority of them this week.

That North Dakota comeback was, indeed, spectacular and any game in which the Fighting Hawks and Pioneers combine for a dozen goals – with each team recording separate four-goal periods – but what elevated that series even further is the way in which Denver came back from behind to win in OT the following night.

I can’t say enough about the play of Zeev Buium, Carter King and Massimo Rizzo. Buium’s goal to tie the game midway through the third was one thing, but the game-winning goal was everything hockey should be, with Buium and Rizzo skating in two-on-one, Rizzo taking the shot, and the rebound coming to King crashing in as the third man on the rush. There are some goals for which highlight reels are made, and that is one of them.

That series epitomized what college hockey should be. It felt like playoff hockey. I love that both the Fighting Hawks and the Pioneers are playing this way in December.

As I said, though, I didn’t agree with the majority of poll voters this week and it’s not because I don’t think North Dakota is deserving of the top spot. My pick, though, was Boston University. At this point in the season, I have a soft spot for teams that take care of business when they can, and the Terriers certainly did that against Merrimack, outscoring the Warriors 9-3 in two games and ending the first half of the season seven full points behind two excellent second-place Hockey East teams.

Other teams that took care of things nicely by beating teams they should have include No. 5 Quinnipiac – another strong candidate for first in the nation – No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 8 Maine. Collectively, the Bobcats, Badgers and Black Bears outscored opponents 31-7. Quinnipiac and Wisconsin allowed one goal each all weekend.

After a couple of months of genuine parity play, Dan, are we finally seeing some teams pull away and begin to create definition within their conferences?

Dan: Surprisingly, I don’t think anyone is truly pulling away. I feel like everyone is facing a threat in their leagues, and I think we’re seeing more parity than ever before.

The only league where any team should probably feel comfortable is ECAC, and that’s largely because a “work-in-progress” Quinnipiac team is still proving itself better than the rest of a league that’s heading for one or two bids at most this year. That’s a conversation for another day, maybe even later in this space, but the results from a team that sent four teams to last year’s tournament has been grisly at best so far.

BU has a seven-point lead in Hockey East, but I’d argue that Maine is the best team in the league right now. Boston College is coming off being No. 1 in the nation, and both Providence and New Hampshire are right in the thick of the fight. Any type of regression from those top three teams could send them spiraling into fifth or sixth, where UMass is currently sitting.

Atlantic Hockey is notoriously even, and RIT is the lone team ranked despite being in second place in the conference. AIC is creeping up the standings, Holy Cross is standard, Bentley is one of the most pleasant surprises in the country (top five defense!), and Niagara and Canisius round down to sixth and seventh. The only team that’s mathematically got some ground to cover is Robert Morris, but I remember a year where Derek Schooley took a one-win team at Christmas to fourth or fifth place and a conference championship.

St. Thomas leads the CCHA.

Hold on a second, I’m going to let people read that again.

OK, we’re back. St. Thomas leads the CCHA by two points over Michigan Tech, and Minnesota State and Bemidji State are right there. Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan are a weekend’s work away from catching even the top of the league.

And then there’s the NCHC, where North Dakota and Denver are actually trailing St. Cloud State. Western Michigan is getting itself right, and Omaha is there. Miami is probably the one team that I’m counting out because it’s yet to win a league game.

I can’t remember anything being this tight at the holidays, but here I am, loving every second. I recognize that this is going to shift over the next month, most likely, but the surprises are there.

For me, the biggest surprise is, like I mentioned, Bentley. My Falcons were picked dead-last in Atlantic Hockey before the season but have only been swept once this season with a pair of 2-0 losses to Holy Cross. Andy Jones has this team clicking, and the nonconference games against BU and UMass Lowell impressed just how far this team is coming with embracing its new style. I don’t know if it’s enough to make a run this year, especially in a league that’s usually one bid, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the hockey.

That’s always an interesting group of teams – surprising and enjoyable, yet not likely to make the tournament. Find me a team that you love that fits that bill – just a good old fashioned fun team to watch, even if the odds are still against them winning their league or making the tournament.

Paula: For me, that team would be Alaska, a sentimental favorite from my days covering the Nanooks in the CCHA as well as a team whose fate tugs at my heart because of its status as an orphan. Nothing against the other nonaffiliated teams, but the Nanooks are showing some flare this season.

Last weekend, the Nanooks swept in-state rival Alaska Anchorage to take their 13th straight Governor’s Cup, the trophy awarded to the Alaska team with the most wins against the other. Since the Nanooks swept the Seawolves earlier in November, Alaska has four games of a possible six this season over Anchorage and, so, the Cup.

Back to that theme of taking care of business, the Nanooks outscored the Seawolves 8-1 in the two games in Anchorage. Right now, Alaska is averaging 3.5 goals per game, 13th best in the nation with a defense allowing 2.50 (15th).

Up front, the Nanooks have Brady Risk with his eight goals and 12 assists, ninth nationally for points per game, plus Harrison Israels (11 goals, four assists) and Anton Rubtsov (four goals, 10 assists) who are both among the top 40 or so point-getters nationally. On top of that, Pierce Charleson (2.11GAA, .922 SV%) is backstopping the Nanooks to the nation’s 15th-best team defense (2.50).

Sure, their schedule doesn’t provide a complete picture of how competitive they are, but the Nanooks have played well against St. Cloud and Michigan Tech and they’ll be tested in the second half in the Great Lakes Invitational, with a road series against North Dakota and two series against Arizona State.

They’re playing solid hockey, but they may as well be playing on the moon. It’s a shame.

Pivoting a bit back to what you said about conferences feeling really tight. I agree that they do, but I still contend that some programs may be creating some space – even with half a season left. That tightness, I think, makes it just as difficult to catch a leading team as it does to remain at the top of the standings.

I’m thinking of the Big Ten, specifically. Eight points separate sixth-place Penn State from first-place Michigan State. The teams between – Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Wisconsin – all have the talent, time and opportunity to make a run for a regular-season title. The problem, though, is that those six teams are all so equally matched that splitting with each other for the remainder of the season as many of them will won’t create much movement in the conference.

That’s why I think Wisconsin’s sweep of last-place Ohio State was so important this week with Michigan State idle and the four other teams in the mix splitting series. That’s why I think what BU and Quinnipiac did was important, too, heading into the midseason break.

And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Hey, how about those Nadeau brothers?

Dan: Oh, you mean the two guys with nearly the same stat lines for a Maine team that, and I repeat, is probably running as one of the best and hottest in the country?

Josh singlehandedly put his name into the annals of the UNH-Maine rivalry with a hat trick on Friday before Bradly scored three times against UConn on Sunday. They’ve got a near-identical stat line, and they’re running Maine straight up the polls after everybody lost hope about the ability for the Black Bears to win in the northern reaches of Hockey East. Needless to say, they’re headlining exactly what Maine needed after Jeremy Swayman had that team in the tournament before COVID knocked everything out.

I love Maine – obviously – but I’m also very much on board with what it means to have a GOOD Maine team rocking into college hockey. Derek Schooley mentioned this on the USCHO Weekend Review podcast, but there were 4,661 people at Alfond Arena for the Sunday afternoon game against UConn. That’s a near-sellout on an NFL Sunday opposite a slate of games that normally draws people to watering holes and establishments for wings and adult beverages. In Orono, 4,661 people chose to instead watch college hockey, though, as I noted, a New England pro football day actually doesn’t sound all that great right now.

I don’t know about this run’s sustainability after the holidays and into the second half, but it sure is fun right now.

We have time for a quick point or two before the week ends, but I didn’t want to wrap up without mentioning Delaware hockey. For those who missed it, the University of Delaware announced it would add women’s hockey and join College Hockey America in July, 2025. The Blue Hens will hire a head coach in the next year before spending a year building a program that will eventually take the ice for the 2025-2026 season, and they bring women’s hockey closer to 50 overall teams with their addition.

I didn’t realize that Delaware had ice rinks readily available, but the proximity to Philadelphia makes sense for a school that needed to offset its Title IX spending after moving to the bowl subdivision in football. The addition of women’s hockey taps them into a growing talent pool, and I love, love, love, love the thought of another women’s hockey program coming to Division I. Maybe it’s because I’m looking at my two daughters as I write this, but I’m dreaming about the possibilities if they ask me to put on skates. Combined with the new women’s hockey pro league, the game is growing at a rapid rate, and I’m so excited for commissioner Michelle Morgan and the entire CHA family.

We’ve both been around hockey for a long time and seen a ton of developments – positive and negative – through the years. I just hope this is the next step in growth and equality for a sport that needs and deserves this moment.

Paula: I’m with you on all of this. Anything that adds to the growth of the sport we love is great. I love that Maine – another sentimental favorite of mine – is getting so much support while playing really entertaining hockey. Delaware is an excellent addition to the women’s Division I family, and who doesn’t love a hockey team whose mascot is the Blue Hens?

The worst years of COVID aside, participation youth hockey in the U.S. has grown steadily in the past decade and the involvement of women and girls continues to outpace that of their male counterparts. According to USA Hockey’s 2022-23 membership report, while women and girls account for about 15% of participation in amateur hockey overall, the rate at which the sport is growing for women and girls outpaces that of growth for men and boys every year.

And according to the report, hockey is growing in states that don’t immediately leap to mind when discussing hockey, like Arkansas, Idaho, and Virginia. The three big M states – Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan – which have been the cradle of amateur hockey for decades saw no growth to negative growth in the past year.

The expansion of the NHL throughout the U.S. certainly helps to fuel the interest in playing hockey, and the more kids that play, the better our chances of seeing the D-I footprint increase.

I admit to having being somewhat cynical about the growth of D-I programs on the men’s side for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the cost. Hockey is an expensive sport in many different ways. The challenges aren’t limited to the cost of facilities. There’s so much more. Add to that the difficulty of conference alignment and membership, and I get a bit discouraged.

I will say this, though. Having spoken with the conference commissioners at the start of this season, I think the sport is in excellent hands. I’m confident that the men’s D-I leadership group is the right bunch of humans to navigate some really odd post-COVID, early 21st century waters.

And I can’t wait to get my Blue Hens merch.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap December 5, 2023

By
-

(10) St. Cloud State at  (1) Ohio State

SCSU went into Columbus and did what no other team has been able to accomplish this season – defeat Ohio State at home. It was the Huskies’ first win over OSU since 2017. The Buckeyes came out firing, outshooting St. Cloud 21-6 in the first (and 46-15 overall). Makenna Webster scored for OSU midway through the first and from there, Sanni Ahola was unbeatable. St. Cloud took advantage on special teams, scoring twice on the power play in three opportunities. First, CC Bowlby tied the game just four seconds into the player advantage as she redirected a puck in at the far post on a pass from Katie Kaufman. Six minutes later, Greta Henderson found the perfect time to score her first career goal as she put pressure on the net as Laura Zimmerman shot and was in the right place to put the puck in the net when the rebound left it sitting in the crease. St. Cloud killed two third-period penalties to hold on to the lead and get the win. The second game started close again, as goals by Cayla Barnes and Zimmerman had the game tied 1-1 at the first intermission. A nine minute stretch in the second period put the game out of reach as Olivia Mobley scored twice and Jennifer Gardiner and Kiara Zanon each added a tally to make it 5-1 Ohio State. Joy Dunne added a power play goal for Ohio State before Taylor Lind scored on the advantage for St. Cloud to make it 6-2, but OSU skated away with the win and weekend split.

(6) Minnesota Duluth at (2) Wisconsin

Minnesota Duluth’s tough defense and a bit of a disconnect between the Badgers meant Wisconsin had a slow start on Saturday. But Kelly Gorbatenko scored early in the second and that seemed to shake off some of the rust for UW. Britta Curl gave the Badgers a 2-0 lead in the final minute of the second period and Lacey Eden’s sharp angle put back late in the third gave Wisconsin a 3-0 win. On Sunday, the teams skated to more than 40 minutes of scoreless hockey before UMD took advantage of a juicy rebound to go up 1-0 on a goal from Clara Van Wieren. Four minutes later, Mannon McMahon put another rebound away to extend the lead to 2-0. Cassie Hall cut the lead to 2-1, but the Badgers struggled to pull even. Jenna Lawry made it a 3-1 lead for the Bulldogs with about five to play. Wisconsin finally connected on the type of play they’d been trying to make happen all game with 3.7 seconds left on the clock to make it 3-2, but ran out of time to do more and UMD took the win. The Badgers were 0-for-6 on the PP on Sunday and 0-for-8 on the weekend.

Bemidji State at (3) Minnesota 

The start of Friday’s game was promising for Bemidji as Talya Hendrickson had them up 1-0 midway through the frame. Unfortunately for them, they were playing against Abbey Murphy and she chose to remind them early and often this weekend. Her first goal of the series took her from the neutral zone to the net quickly where she faked the goalie and scored easily to make it 1-1. The Gophers then put the game out of reach with a six-goal second period. Audrey Wethington, Murphy (on the power play), Emma Kreisz, Josefin Bouveng, Lauren O’Hara and Ava Lindsay each lit the lamp to make it 7-1 Minnesota. It was O’Hara’s first collegiate goal. Kate Johnson pulled another back for the Beavers, but Lindsay and O’Hara scored in the final two minutes to close out the 9-1 win. On Saturday, the Gophers put the pressure on right away. Sadie Lindsay scored her first career goal nine minutes in and that opened the floodgates. Bouveng, Ava Lindsay, Peyton Hemp and Nelli Laitinen each scored to make it 5-0 at the first intermission. Murphy scored twice in the second, with a power play goal from Hemp in between to make it 8-0 at the second break. Ella Huber’s goal in the third pushed it to 9-0 before Genevieve Hendrickson broke up the shutout to get Bemidji on the board and make it 9-1. 

(5) Clarkson at Dartmouth

Darcie Lappan’s hat trick led Clarkson in a 5-0 win on Friday. Cherkowski and Lappan scored on the power play in the first. Lappan assisted on Sena Catterall’s goal in the second after scoring her own second goal. Then she closed out the scoring in the third. 

(5) Clarkson at Harvard

There were nine different goal-scorers in Clarkson’s 9-1 win over Harvard on Saturday, their highest goal total in nearly six years. Baylee Kirwan, Brooke McQuigge and Dominique Petrie had the Golden Knights up 3-0 early in the second. Harvard scored their goal thanks to Shannon Hollands to make it 3-1, but it was all Clarkson from there. Darcie Lappan, Alexie Guay, Keira Hurry, Laurence Frenette, Bridget Stevenson and Rebecca Morissette closed out the game with six unanswered. 

Union at (7) Quinnipiac

Emerson Jarvis picked up a rebound and wrapped it around the back of the net to open the scoring for the Bobcats late in the first and give them a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. Kahlen Lamarche extended the lead to 2-0 in the second after Kate Reilly took the puck the length of the ice. Riley Walsh cut the lead to 2-1 before the second intermission. In the third, Jess Schryver called game, scoring off a turnover early and putting away a rebound late to secure the 4-1 win for Quinnipiac.

RPI at (7) Quinnipiac

Madison Chantler scored early in the game to give Quinnipiac the lead. Maddy Samoskevich’s power play goal late in the first gave the Bobcats a 2-0 lead at intermission. Meagan Byrum pulled one back for RPI to make it a 2-1 game, but a minute later Veronica Bac made sure Quinnipiac had that two goal lead once again. Emerson Jarvis made it 4-1 before the second break. Nina Christof added a power play goal for the Engineers as the game wound down, but Quinnipiac took a 4-2 win. 

(8) St. Lawrence at Harvard

Harvard goalie Alex Pellicci made 52 saves as St. Lawrence outshot the Crimson 52-19. The Saints were stymied and Gwynn Lapp scored in the final minute of overtime to give Harvard the 1-0 win. 

(8) St. Lawrence at Dartmouth

The Saints’ special teams were on a tear to start this game, scoring twice on the power play and once shorthanded to give them a 3-0 lead before 10 minutes had elapsed. Julia Gosling had the shorthander and Abby Hustler scored both the extra attacker tallies. Dartmouth responded in the second half of the opening frame, with goals from Hamilton Doster and Tiffany Hill, both of which had a single assist from Mia Buonarosa. Gosling scored early in the second to make it 4-2 St. Lawrence, but the Big Green were once again able to respond, this time with a Shae Messner goal. Hustler completed a hat trick in the third and Anna Segedi’s power play goal pushed the Saints lead to 6-3. Dartmouth had a late push, with goals from Laura Fuoco and Ally Dixon, but they ran out of time to complete a comeback as St. Lawrence took the 6-5 win. 

Merrimack at (11) Connecticut

After an even, back and forth first period, the teams traded power plays and Merrimack took a 1-0 lead thanks to an extra-attacker goal from Sophie McKinley. Connecticut responded quickly as Brianna Ware scored after wrapping around the net less than a minute later. Neither team was able to figure it out in regulation. In overtime, Coryn Tormala fed Camryn Wong and the Huskies took a 2-1 win.

(11) Connecticut at (15) Boston College

Sammy Smigliani continued her scoring touch on Saturday, putting BC up 1-0 heading into the first intermission. Katie Pyne’s breakaway goal in the second put the Eagles ahead 2-0 as the third began. Riley Grimley used some deft stickhandling to put the puck in the net early in the second to cut the lead for Connecticut and make it 2-1. The Huskies pulled their goalie in the waning minutes and Jada Habisch scored the equalizer with 35 seconds left in regulation. Overtime could not find a winner and the teams ended up with a 2-2 tie. 

RPI at (12) Princeton

Sarah Fillier and Sarah Paul each scored twice and Emma Kee and Issy Wunder each added a goal to lead Princeton to a 6-0 win on Friday. 

Union at (12) Princeton

Union goalie Sophie Matsoukas seems to have Princeton’s number as the Garnet Charger netminder has stopped more than 40 shots from the Tigers in all three of her career starts against them. Saturday was no exception, as she made 44 saves and kept Princeton at bay after Jane Kuehl’s goal 2:55 into the game. Princeton outshot Union 67-50 overall and 45-24 on goal, but Union found an equalizer midway through the second on a goal from Riley Walsh to tie the game at 1-1 and that’s how the game ended. 

(13) Vermont at Maine

Mira Seregely snapped a gorgeous shot that deflected in to give Maine the lead midway through the first. Rahel Enzler scored on a breakaway backhander to give the Black Bears a 2-0 lead at the end of the first. Lara Beecher went bar down to Cut the lead to 2-1 early in the second. But Maine responded by turning a neutral zone turnover into a breakaway that Enzler put away to make it 3-1. Kaylee Lewis scored at the last possible portion of a second, 19:59.9, to make it 3-2 but Maine took the win. 

(13) Vermont at New Hampshire

The Catamounts outshot the Wildcats 25-15, but could not break down UNH’s defense to find the back of the net. Nicole Kelly scored on a diving shot with just two minutes left in regulation to give New Hampshire the 1-0 win. 

Brown at (14) Yale

Elle Hartje cleaned up her own rebound to put Yale on the board first on Saturday. Anna Shelden responded for Brown to tie the game 1-1 with about six minutes left in the first. Ray Jordan’s sweet top shelf wrister on the power play gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. Stephanie Stainton made it 3-1 early in the second and Yale held out for the win. In game two of the series, the Bulldogs leapt out to a 3-0 lead in the first part of the period and did not look back. Julia Simon, Anna Bargman and Gracie Gilkyson each lit the lamp. Cassidy Piersiak broke the stalemate a few minutes later to send the teams to the locker room with Yale up 3-1. In the second, Jade Iginla cut the lead to 3-2, but the Bears could not come up with the equalizer. Sylvia Bojarski added an empty-netter to close out the game and secure the 4-2 win. 

(15) Boston College at Providence

The Friars outshot BC 34-25 but the Eagles made their shots count and skated away with a 5-1 win on Friday. They did it with a goal from Sammy Smigliani followed by a goal from Caroline Goffredo twice and a lamp-lighter from Gabby Roy sandwiched in between. Grace Shirley ruined the shutout midway through the third, but Providence couldn’t muster more and Boston College took the win. 

 

North Dakota gets 33 first-place votes in Dec. 4 USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, takes over top ranking

By
-
North Dakota players celebrate a recent win at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (photo: Russell Hons).

With 33 first-place votes this week, North Dakota is the new No. 1-ranked team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, moving up one spot in the rankings.

Last week’s No. 1 team, Boston College, falls to No. 2, picking up four first-place votes.

Boston University is up one to No. 3, getting eight first-place votes, while Denver moves down one to No. 4, garnering two first-place votes. Quinnipiac stays at No. 5, collecting the remaining three first-place votes this week.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Dec. 4, 2023

Wisconsin holds steady at No. 6, Michigan State is up one to No. 7, Maine jumps up three spots to sit eighth, Providence stays No. 9, and Minnesota falls three places to No. 10.

Unranked last week, Notre Dame is back this week at No. 20.

In addition to the top 20 teams, nine other teams received votes in this week’s rankings.

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.

Cornell’s Daniel, Penn State’s Retrum, LIU’s Holm garner HCA women’s November monthly awards

By
-
From left, Izzy Daniel, Stella Retrum, and Tindra Holm (photos: Cornell Athletics, Penn State Athletics, LIU Athletics).

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its national women’s monthly award winners for November.

Cornell graduate forward Izzy Daniel is the player of the month, while Penn State freshman forward Stella Retrum is the rookie of the month and LIU junior goalie Tindra Holm is the goaltender of the month.

Daniel followed a 17-point October with a 16-point November — six goals and 10 assists in eight games, good for a two points per game average.

Retrum was the CHA’s rookie of the week three times in November. She went for 5-6-11 in six games, good for 1.83 points per game.

Holm averaged 33 saves per game in a 6-0-0 month and put up an 0.82 GAA and a .975 save percentage.

Denver’s Buium, Lake Superior State’s Westcott, Penn State’s Fink, AIC’s Wallstrom take home November monthly honors from HCA

By
-
From left, Zeev Buium, Jared Westcott, Aiden Fink, and Nils Wallstrom (photos: Denver Athletics, Lake Superior State Athletics, Penn State Athletics, AIC Athletics).

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its national men’s monthly award winners for November.

Denver freshman defenseman Zeev Buium and Lake Superior State senior forward Jared Westcott are co-players of the month, while Penn State forward Aiden Fink is the rookie of the month and AIC freshman goalie Nils Wallstrom is the goaltender of the month.

Buium led all NCHC players with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in eight games and became the first freshman defenseman ever to earn NCHC player of the month honors.

Westcott led all CCHA skaters in goals (7) and points (14) with his line of 7-7-14 in eight games.

Fink went for 8-6-14 in eight games for the Nittany Lions, averaging a goal per game and 1.75 points per game.

Wallstrom went 7-1-0 with a 1.38 GAA and a .947 percentage, allowing two or fewer goals in each game.

North Dakota at Denver didn’t disappoint while BU, Quinnipiac, Wisconsin sweep: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 6 Episode 9

By and
-
Derek Schooley and Ed Trefzger are joined by guest host Dan Rubin to discuss the results of the weekend and the news of the week on the December 4, 2023 edition of USCHO Weekend Review.
  • The marquee series of the weekend – No. 2 North Dakota at No. 3 Denver – delivered
  • Boston University jumps to second in the PairWise with a weekend sweep of Merrimack
  • Quinnipiac continues to roll in a down year in the ECAC
  • Wisconsin is back on track
  • Maine is third in the PairWise at 8-3-1
  • Western Michigan improved to 10-3-1 and is inside the PairWise bubble
  • Alaska is up to 21st in the PairWise after sweeping Alaska Anchorage
  • A milestone at Notre Dame for Jeff Jackson

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

Find our podcast archive at USCHO.com/podcasts

D-III East Men’s Hockey Weekend Wrap-up – December 4, 2023

By
-
Shane Buill led the offense in the Lakers’ 5-3 win over previously unbeaten Plattsburgh on Saturday night (Photo by Oswego Athletics)

And then there was just one…

With Oswego knocking No. 1 ranked Plattsburgh from the ranks of the undefeated, it is just Skidmore remaining with an unbeaten record (shootout loss in Skidmore Invitational reflects as an overtime tie) and a very few weekends remaining in the first half of the season. Competition continues to be fierce across every conference and the action this weekend certainly showed some of the contenders who have kicked their games into another gear heading towards the semester break. Here is a summary of the action in the East last week:

CCC

Endicott and Salve Regina played a two-game series between ranked teams, and it was the Gulls who took advantage of the points available. On Friday night, the teams played a playoff style game that ended in a 2-2 overtime tie (Endicott won shootout for CCC tiebreaker purposes) with goaltenders Cayden Bailey and Atticus Kelly accounting for 83 saves for both teams. On Saturday, the Seahawks played host and skated to a 2-1 first period lead on Matthew Fawcett’s goal in the final ten seconds of play in the period. Jackson Sterrett tied the score for the Gulls in the middle stanza and became the hero when he scored the game winning goal in the final two seconds of regulation to give the Gulls an exciting 3-2 win. Andrew Kurapov assisted on all three Endicott goals while Ruyan Wilson stopped 21 of 23 shots to earn the win in goal.

After skating to a 2-2 overtime tie on Friday night against Nichols, the University of New England returned home on Saturday looking to keep pace with Endicott. After ceding the first goal of the game to the Bisons’ Jack Lee, the Nor’easters scored three unanswered goals from Anthony Cinato, Ryan Kuzmich and Garrett Devine and held on for a 3-2 win. Billy Girard IV made 18 saves in the win.

Curry was looking for a weekend sweep of Wentworth following a 3-1 win on Friday night against the Leopards, but the home team had other plans for the Colonels on Saturday. Curry’s Wilhelm Patriksson gave the Colonels a 1-0 lead with this power play goal in the first period but from then on it was the Leopards who dominated the scoring with five unanswered goals in a 5-1 win. Jack McGovern stopped 37 of 38 shots and five different players scored for Wentworth who earned a weekend split with the win over Curry.

Independents

Albertus Magnus increased their win streak to five games with wins over Post and Canton this week. On Tuesday, the Falcons took advantage of three-point games from Gustav Muller and William Lavigne in cruising to a comfortable 8-1 win over the Eagles. On Saturday, the Falcons scored a goal in each of the first two periods for a 2-0 lead entering the final period of play, but it only took the Kangaroos seven and a half minutes to erase the deficit and take a 3-2 lead on goals by Evan Pringle, Brendan Morrow, and Jackson Drysdale. Cameron Weitzman tied the score for the Falcons midway through the period and Zeth Kindrachuk scored the game-winning goal with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation. The win moved Albertus magnus to 7-3-0 on the season.

Rivier continued their winning ways with a Tuesday night win over Franklin Pierce. Four different players scored for the Raiders in the 4-2 win over the Ravens. Will Augustine picked up his second win of the season in goal stopping 36 of 38 shots.

One goal in each period and 33 saves from goaltender Matthew Hennessy helped Anna Maria to a 3-1 win over Morrisville on Saturday night. The AmCats moved to 6-3-0 on the season with the win.

MASCAC

Plymouth State continued their torrid play against conference foes with a pair of wins over Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Salem State. On Thursday, two goals from Will Redick led the way in a   3-1 road win over the Corsairs. On Saturday, Redick continued to have the hot hand netting a hat trick in the Panthers’ 6-1 win over the Vikings. The win extended the Panther’s unbeaten streak in league play to 6-0-2 this season.

Worcester State was also successful in picking up a pair of wins for the week with a 5-2 win over Salem State on Thursday and a 5-3 win over the Masschusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) on Saturday. After giving up a shorthanded goal to the Vikings’ Luke Day, the Lancers scored the next four goals to erase a 2-1 deficit and post the 5-2 win. Martin Dlugolinsky scored one goal and added two assists to lead the offense. On Saturday, Dlugolinsky and Maxwell Tucker each chipped in with a goal and an assist in the  5-3 win over the Trailblazers.

Fitchburg State and Westfield State played a thriller on Thursday that saw the Owls twice rally from one-goal deficits to leave the game tied at the end of regulation. Late in overtime with a power play, Antoine Gignac decided the contest with his overtime winner in the final minute of the overtime period and a    3-2 Falcon win. On Saturday, the Falcons couldn’t carry the momentum forward as Framingham State netminder Trevor Sternberg stopped 23 of 24 shots to earn his first win of the season in a 3-1 win over the Falcons. Walker Smith, Cameron Lindsay, and Brady Rossbach scored for the Rams in the win.

NE-10

St. Michael’s played host to Assumption in the weekend battle between the top two teams in the conference and it was the Greyhounds who showed they are worthy of the top spot in the standings with a weekend sweep over the Purple Knights. On Friday, forward Shane Sullivan had himself a night with three goals and three assists in a 7-5 win over St. Michael’s that saw the Greyhounds launch 50 shots at the goal. On Saturday, Ryan Decker scored a pair of goals as Assumption raced out to a 6-0 lead before cruising to a 6-3 win and sweep of the Purple Knights moving them to 11-1-0 on the season overall and 8-1-0 in NE-10 play.

The defending champions from St. Anselm were off to a slow start but got a big boost with their win over D-I LIU on Tuesday. Trailing 2-1 after the first period on a last-minute goal by Will Christensen, the Hawks rallied in the third period with Patrick DeMarinis tying the game at 2-2 before Max Burum scored the game winner at 19:49.6 of the third period and a 3-2 win. On Friday, back in NE-10 play, Southern New Hampshire rallied for a 2-2 overtime tie with the Hawks with Ryan Pomposelli assisting on two third period power play goals for the Penmen to earn the tie. On Saturday, the battle of Manchester, NH was again a tight affair with the Hawks skating off wit a 4-3 win led by three assists from Christensen.

NEHC

Skidmore remains the only unbeaten among D-III teams in the east. With their weekend sweep of Southern Maine and Babson to move to 9-0-2 overall and 5-0-1 in NEHC action. On Friday, Ryan Waltman led the way for the Thoroughbreds with two goals and one assist in a 5-1 win over the Huskies. On Saturday the contest with the Beavers figured to be a closer affair and through the first period there was no scoring before Babson scored the only goal in the second period off the stick of Egan Schmitt for a 1-0 lead. In thew third period, Skidmore exploded for five goals including two from Kaeden Patrick to cruise to a 5-2 road win.

Hobart returned to NEHC action at home against Massachusetts-Boston and Johnson & Wales and produced two lopsided wins in The Cooler. On Friday, Tanner Hartman scored one goal and added assists on four others as the Statesmen comfortably skated past the Beacons by a 6-1 score. On Saturday night, Hartman reversed the scoring line with a four-goal game and added one assist in an 8-0 blowout over the Wildcats. Mavrick Goyer made 26 saves to earn the shutout win, Hobart’s seventh shutout on the season.

Elmira also produced a pair of wins over UMB and JWU to stay near the top of the NEHC standings. On Friday, the Soaring Eagles took advantage of two goals each from Janis Vizbelis and Bailey Krawczyk in a 6-2 win over JWU. On Saturday, Kerfalla Toure scored two goals and added an assist in Elmira’s 7-1 rout of the Beacons.

Norwich played travel partner New England College on Saturday night and needed a three-goal third period to skate away with a 4-1 win over the Pilgrims. Bertrand Cooper’s power play goal in the third period broke a 1-1 tie before Paul Schmid and Patrick O’Neal added insurance markers for the Cadets.

NESCAC

Trinity continued their winning ways in conference play with a weekend sweep of Hamilton and Amherst to move to 4-0-0 on the season. The Bantams and Continentals both came into Friday’s game looking to remain perfect in NESCAC play but it was the home team who enjoyed the better of things with Richard Boysen scoring two goals and Devon Bobak making 22 saves in a 4-1 win over the Continentals. On Saturday, Bobak was perfect with 18 saves and goals from John Campomenosi, Jacob Smith and Gerard Maretta led to a 3-0 win over the Mammoths.

Tufts is off to a great start in NESCAC play at 2-2-0 with a weekend sweep of Williams and Middlebury over the weekend. On Friday, Aidan Lovett, and Liam O’Hare each scored a goal and added an assist in the Jumbos’ 7-4 win over Williams. Goaltender Peyton Durand stopped 33 of 37 shots to earn the win. On Saturday, third period goals from Max Resnick and Cole Dubicki broke open a close game leading to a 4-1 win over the Panthers.

In the big Colby v. Bowdoin rivalry game, the Polar Bears outshot the Mules by a 50-24 margin but had to rally from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to earn a 3-3 overtime tie. Andy Beran was sensational for the Colby making 47 saves including 5 in the extra period to preserve the tie.

SUNYAC

Plattsburgh had two key SUNYAC games on the weekend and started out great on Friday with a convincing 6-1 win over Cortland on Friday night. Luk Jirousek led the way with two goals as the Cardinals won decisively over the Red Dragons in their annual Teddy Bear toss game. On Saturday against their longtime rivals from Oswego, the Cardinals dropped their first game of the season to the Lakers, 5-3. Shane Bull and Tyler Flack each scored a goal and added an assist while goaltender Cal Schell made 39 saves to pick up a big conference win.

Geneseo moved to 6-1-0 in conference play with two shutout wins over Fredonia and Buffalo State. On Friday, four different goal scorers supported goaltender Jacob Torgner’s 34 save shutout in a 4-0 win. On Saturday, Tyson Gilmour recorded a goal, and three assists and Stefan Miklakos added a goal and two assists in a 5-0 win over the Bengals. Torgner made 30 saves to complete back-to-back shutouts for the Knights.

UCHC

Manhattanville leveled their UCHC record at 4-4-0 with a big weekend sweep on the road against Alvernia. On Friday, Lane Paddison and AJ Bella scored in the first period and goaltender Sebastian Woods made 35 saves to make those goals stand up in a 2-1 win. On Saturday, Johno Hoins scored two goals to help the Valiants eke out another one-goal victory, 4-3. Woods was again outstanding making 37 saves in the win.

Neumann moved to 5-4-0 in UCHC play with a weekend sweep over Lebanon Valley. On Friday, Tony Andrews scored two of the Black Knights five unanswered goals to pace a 5-2 win over the Flying Dutchmen. On Saturday, the visitors again scored four unanswered goals but held off a furious LVC rally to earn the 4-3 win and weekend sweep.

Three Biscuits

Jackson Sterrett – Endicott – scored two goals including the game-winner in the final two seconds of regulation to give the Gulls a dramatic 3-2 win over Salve Regina on Saturday.

Will Redick – Plymouth State – scored a pair of goals in a 3-1 win over Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Thursday and added a hat trick in a 6-1 win over Salem State on Saturday for a five-goal week.

Max Burum – St. Anselm – scored the game-winner in the final 15 seconds for the Hawks who upset D-I Long Island University, 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Bonus Biscuit

Jacob Torgner – Geneseo – the Knights’ netminder made 64 saves in a pair of shutout wins over Fredonia and Buffalo state this weekend.

The first half is winding down but not so much the action and intensity level on the ice. Just a couple more weekends for teams to earn results before the semester and holiday break so look for the excitement to continue in any action remaining on the schedule.

 

 

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

By
-
UW-Superior pulled off an upset of UW-Stevens Point over the weekend (Holden Law/UW-Superior Athletics)

It would have been easy for UW-Superior to come away from the weekend without a win. After losing 4-0 to nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire one night earlier, the Yellowjackets faced a tall order Saturday against UW-Stevens Point, which also happens to be ranked nationally.

Rather than stumble, they seized the opportunity, knocking off No. 8 UW-Stevens Point 3-1 to stay within striking distance of first place in the conference.

UW-Superior jumped on top 3-0 and held on from there as it notched an important victory.

Blake Holmes and Calvin Rasmussen each tallied a goal and an assist while Jan Skorpik racked up 26 saves for his second win.

The Yellowjackets are 6-6- overall and 4-2 in the league. The Pointers are 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

Big night for Blugolds

Kyler Grundy made the biggest play of the night for the Blugolds. In a tied game against UW-Stout, Grundy scored 78 seconds into overtime to lift No. 9 UW-Eau Claire to a 4-3 win over the Blue Devils.

Grundy got past a defender with a toe-drag move and then put the puck into the top left corner of the net to secure the thrilling win.

Max Gutjahr stopped 16 shots and won his seventh game of the year for UW-Eau Claire, which improved to 8-2-1 overall and 4-1 in the WIAC.

Quinn Green, Connor Szmul and Tyler Herzberg also scored for the Blugolds, who have won three consecutive games and are unbeaten at home this season (4-0-1).

Royals sweep Johnnies

Down two goals, Bethel rallied for a 4-2 win over Saint John’s to complete the MIAC series sweep of the Johnnies Saturday.

The Royals scored twice to tie the game at 2-2 going into the third and then capped the win with two goals in the final 20 minutes of action.

Bethel has now won three consecutive games against Saint John’s – it earned a 3-2 win Friday – and it’s the first time the Royals have won at least three consecutive games against Saint John’s in more than a decade.

Bethel is 8-2-2 overall and 4-1 in the MIAC, moving to a tie with St. Scholastica for the top spot in the standings.

The win comes on the heels of an overtime victory Friday when Tyler Kostelecky scored the game winner.

Oles and Auggies split

St. Olaf opened its series against Augsburg with a 3-1 win thanks to a three-goal second period that proved to be the difference.

Tyler Green helped lead the way with his first multi-point game, dishing out a pair of assists, He has five assists in all this year. Matthew Pointer scored his first goal of the season. Thomas Lalonde made 26 saves and just missed on his fourth career shutout.

Augsburg bounced back Saturday with a 4-2 win. Nick Catalano provided a big boost, scoring twice, marking the second time in his college career he’s had a multi-point game. Samuel Vyletelka made 24 saves for the Auggies. Augsburg improved to 5-3-1 overall and 3-1 in the MIAC. The Oles are 5-5-2 and 3-2-1.

Pipers and Cobbers split

Jordan Hlaverson was the hero for Hamline on Friday in a 3-2 win in overtime. It was one of two goals on the night for Halverson, who also came through with an assist. Nikolai Dulak finished with a goal and an assist while Maximillian Haselbacher tallied 38 saves.

But Concordia bounced back in a big way Saturday, rolling to a 6-1 victory to earn a split in this MIAC series.

Mason Plante stole the spotlight in the victory, scoring a pair of goals and also dishing out two assists. The game was really never in doubt as the Cobbers led 3-0 after two periods. Joe Harguindeguy came through with the first three assist game of his career. Blaise Miller and Tucker Skime each scored their first collegiate goal and Matt Fitzgerald made 19 saves for his fourth win.

Concordia is 6-2-1 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Hamline is 4-7 overall and 2-4 in the MIAC.

Lumberjacks continue to battle

Reeling from a 9-0 loss to UW-Stout one night earlier, Northland gave everything it had Saturday night against UW-River Falls.

The Lumberjacks allowed their only goal of the night in the second period.

They had their own opportunities to score, taking 22 shots in the game while on the defensive end of the ice, Viktor Wennberg was tough as nails, stopping 49 shots, including 22 in the opening period.

Northland has lost 11 consecutive games and is 1-11 on the year while sitting at 0-6 in conference play.

Bulldogs keep on rolling

Third-ranked Adrian had no problem at all taking care of business against Concordia over the weekend, winning 8-0 and 6-2.

Zachary Heintz helped Adrian finish off the NCHA series Saturday by scoring a pair of goals. Speaking of Heintz, one night earlier, he notched his 100th career point in the 8-0 win over the Falcons.He scored three goals and dished out two assist in that win.

Bradley Somers tallied a goal and two assists after dishing out five assists on Friday, and Mathew Rehding finished with a goal and an assist. Jaden Shields dished out a pair of assists while Nolan Suggs started his first collegiate game and prevailed behind a 25-save effort.

Adrian has won three in a row and is 8-2-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

Green Knights end 2023 on a high note

St. Norbert swept MSOE over the weekend, winning 5-1 and 4-2.

A three-goal second period was the difference Saturday as the Green Knights completed a sweep of the NCHA series and picked up their eighth win in their last 10 games. The game marked the final time St. Norbert will play in 2023. It returns to action Jan. 12 against Aurora.

Hunter Garvey made 27 saves while Will Stomp tallied a goal and two assists. Liam Fraser finished with a goal and an assist. Logan Dombrowsky tallied two assists for St. Norbert, which improved to 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

St. Norbert won 5-1 in the opener Friday, scoring four goals in the first 11 minutes of play to set the tone. Fraser scored twice in the win and Adam Stacho tallied a goal and two assists. Dayton Deics had three assists.

Thunder Struck

No. 15 Trine closed out a series against Marian in impressive fashion, beating the Sabres 6-3 after winning 4-1 on Friday.

Six players scored in Saturday’s win. Sean Henry had one of those goals and also tacked on two assists. Drew Welsch finished with two assists as well.

Tine improved to 10-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

Foresters get back on track

Lake Forest had lost six consecutive games going into the weekend against Lawrence.  But the Foresters are back to winning after sweeping the Vikings 6-3 and 3-2.

In Friday’s game, Lake Forest scored all of its goals in the second period on their way to the win. Griffen Sanom scored twice and Chase Freiermuth dished out three assists. Kohl Reddy racked up 22 saves and won his first game as a member of Lake Forest’s team.

On Saturday, Collin Bella scored with less than two minutes to play to lead the Foresters to the win. With the victory, Lake Forest jumped from ninth to sixth in the conference standings. Reddy made 35 saves.

The Foresters are 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the NCHA.

 

Monday 10: No. 1 Boston College loses, Wisconsin sweeps Ohio State, Alaska keeps Governor’s Cup, Cornell looking for consistency

By
-
Alaska’s Pierce Charleson gets ready for a shot from Alaska Anchorage’s Conor Cole during Saturday night’s game (photo: UAA Athletics).

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.

1. Northeastern takes one from No. 1 Boston College

The last time Boston College was ranked No. 1, the Eagles split a pair of road games with Maine and were bumped out of the spot they’d held for two weeks.

After making their way to No. 1 three weeks later, the Eagles split a home-and-home series with Northeastern.

Trailing 3-0 after one in Friday’s 5-3 home loss, Boston College scored three goals in the second half of the second period to tie the game. In the third period, however, Cam Lund netted his second and third goals of the game to put Northeastern ahead. It was Lund’s second collegiate hat trick.

Boston College bounced back on the road Saturday, winning 3-1 on goals from Gabe Perrault, Will Smith and Lukas Gustafsson. Smith assisted on Perrault’s game-tying goal in the third period, as did goaltender Jacob Fowler, who made 25 stops in the win.

2. No. 2 North Dakota, No. 3 Denver split

Denver saw two solid leads evaporate with four third-period North Dakota goals in Friday’s 7-5 game. The Pioneers came from behind to beat the Fighting Hawks 3-2 in overtime Saturday and earn a split at home.

The Fighting Hawks had four goals on eight shots in the third period of their Friday win as Jackson Blake, Louie Jamernik V, Riese Gaber and Cameron Berg each found the net.

Trailing 2-1 in the game Saturday, the Pioneers tied it midway through the third on a goal by Zeev Buium. Buium also factored into the OT game-winner, skating into the North Dakota zone on a 2-on-1 with Massimo Rizzo. It was the third man in, Carter King, who picked up Rizzo’s rebound for the winning goal. Rizzo leads the nation in assists with 22.

Denver’s win stopped North Dakota’s eight-game win streak.

Both the Fighting Hawks and the Pioneers are chasing first-place St. Cloud State in the NCHC standings. With 18 points, second-place North Dakota is two points behind St. Cloud. In third place, Denver is seven points out of first and a point ahead of fourth-place Western Michigan.

There is a full slate of NCHC games this weekend before the midseason break, including Denver’s road trip to Western Michigan.

3. Terriers solidly on top

No. 5 Boston University solidified its place at the top of the Hockey East standings with a home-and-home sweep of Merrimack, extending the Terriers’ conference win streak to six games.

Shane Lachance had two goals in Friday’s 4-1 road win, including the second-period game-winner. In Saturday’s 5-2 win at home, Nick Zabaneh’s first goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie at 7:27 in the third.

Mathieu Caron had 45 saves in the two wins. The Terriers outshot the Warriors 71-46 in the two contests.

Heading into the midseason break, Boston University has 23 points in the HEA standings, seven more than second-place Boston College.

4. No. 5 Quinnipiac closes out first half strong

With a 5-1 win over Rensselaer and 5-0 win over Union, Quinnipiac finishes the first half nearly unblemished in ECAC play, earning 22 of 24 possible conference points and sitting on top of the league standings with a 7-0-1 record.

Colin Graf had the game-winning goal at 12:24 in the first period of the win over the Engineers. Christophe Fillion’s goal at 1:11 in the second Saturday was the winner against Union.

Vinny Duplessis made 23 saves in the shutout, his second of the season and the seventh of his career.

The defending national championship Bobcats are now 27-2-1 in their last 30 ECAC games dating back to last season.

5. No. 6 Wisconsin makes most of it

In Big Ten play, only No. 6 Wisconsin made a clean sweep of things, beating Ohio State 3-0 and 6-1 at home and narrowing the gap between the second-place Badgers and first-place Michigan State.

Eight different players scored in the series for Wisconsin with Cruz Lucius recording goals in each game.

In the 6-1 win, the Badgers scored goals five different ways: once even strength four-on-four, once even strength five-on-five, twice on the power play, once short-handed and one with a penalty shot.

Kyle McClellan made 29 saves in his third shutout of the season and stopped 60 in the series.

The six conference points bring the Badgers’ season total to 18 so far, one behind first-place Michigan State. In addition to gaining ground on the Spartans, who had a bye week, Wisconsin benefits from the two other Big Ten series splitting.

In Ann Arbor, Notre Dame beat No. 13 Michigan 6-1 Friday with the Wolverines winning Saturday’s game 2-1. On the road Friday, No. 7 Minnesota beat No. 18 Penn State, while the host Nittany Lions defeated the Golden Gophers Saturday, 6-3.

Tied with Notre Dame at the start of the weekend, the Badgers are now three points ahead of the third place Fighting Irish.

6. No. 16 Cornell still looking for some consistency

After a 4-0-1 start to the season, No. 16 Cornell is 2-4-0 in its last six games after having split a home-and-home series with Colgate.

The Big Red won the opener on the road Friday night, 4-2, before dropping Saturday’s game at home by the same score to the visiting Raiders.

Gabriel Seger led all Cornell players with two goals and two assists, all in Friday’s win.

Reid Irwin had the game-winner for Colgate at 1:16 in the third Saturday.

After the loss, Cornell coach Mike Schafer said, “I told the players after the game, it’s been so long since I’ve been this angry and disappointed. We talked about trying to grow as a hockey team, and we’ve made some good strides, and we reverted to some terrible habits tonight.”

7. Tigers keep goals coming

No. 19 RIT scored 10 goals in a two-game sweep of Robert Morris, outpacing the visiting Colonials 4-1 and 6-2.

The Tigers’ goals-per-game average increased from 3.33 to 3.57 with the wins. In the last 10 games, RIT has averaged 3.80 per contest.

In the 6-1 game, the Colonials took a 2-1 lead on Cade Townend’s power-play goal at 14:55 in the second, but Carter Wilkie’s goal 55 seconds later was the first of three the Tigers scored within the final five minutes of the period. Tyler Fukakusa’s goal at 16:59 held up as the game-winner, followed by Elijah Gonsalves’ goal at 19:09.

Three Tigers had multigoal weekends. Wilkie had a goal in each contest, as did Simon Isabelle. Philippe Jacques had two third-period goals in the 6-2 win.

RIT’s offense is tops in Atlantic Hockey and 10th nationally.

8. Alaska keeps Governor’s Cup for 13th season

With 5-0 and 3-1 road wins over Alaska Anchorage and after sweeping the Seawolves Nov. 3-4, Alaska has secured the Governor’s Cup for the 13th consecutive season.

Chase Dubois’ goal on the power play at 10:51 in the first period was the game-winner Friday night. Brady Risk had the first two goals for Alaska in the Saturday game.

Pierce Charleson, who spent his first three seasons with Michigan State, recorded his first shutout win Friday with 14 saves.

The Governor’s Cup, awarded annually to the Alaska team with the most wins over its in-state rival during a given season, originated in 1994.

9. Three periods, three goalies, zero wins

It’s been a tough season for Ohio State, a team still looking for its first conference win after being swept on the road by No. 6 Wisconsin, and nothing sums up how tough it’s been for the Buckeyes more than the box score in Saturday’s 6-1 loss.

Ohio State employed all three of its current goalies in the loss. Logan Terness started in net, allowing four goals on 17 shots through 26:35.

Reilly Herbst replaced Terness in net in the second and closed out that period, allowing two goals on six shots in just over 13 minutes of play.

Kristoffer Eberly played the entire third period, stopping all 10 shots he faced in the closing stanza. It was the freshman netminder’s collegiate debut.

Said coach Steve Rohlik, “We just didn’t play well tonight. It wasn’t our best effort. We got into penalty trouble and that put us in a tough position.”

Two of the goals that got past Terness came on the Wisconsin power play, and one of the two goals allowed by Herbst was scored four-on-four.

10. Two brothers, two hat tricks, second place

In No. 11 Maine’s 5-2 win over visiting New Hampshire, Josh Nadeau recorded his first career hat trick, including the game-winning goal at 18:32 in the second.

Not to be outdone, Bradley Nadeau – Josh’s younger brother – had a hat trick of his own in Sunday’s 7-3 win over Connecticut. Bradley Nadeau’s first career hat trick also included the game-winning goal, scored at 19:06 in the second period.

The brothers were each the first assist on the other’s hat-trick goals. So there’s that.

The two wins keep Maine in the hunt in Hockey East as first-half conference play comes to a close. Tied with No. 1 Boson College for second place in the HEA standings with 16 points each, the Black Bears and Eagles are seven points behind first-place Boston University.

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Dec. 1-3

By
-
Owen Michaels and Western Michigan swept Lindenwood on home ice over the weekend (photo: Ashley Huss).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Nov. 27 fared in games over the weekend of Dec 1-3.

No. 1 Boston College (12-3-1)
12/01/2023 – Northeastern 5 at No. 1 Boston College 3
12/02/2023 – No. 1 Boston College 3 at Northeastern 1

No. 2 North Dakota (12-3-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 2 North Dakota 7 at No. 3 Denver 5
12/02/2023 – No. 2 North Dakota 2 at No. 3 Denver 3 (OT)

No. 3 Denver (11-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 2 North Dakota 7 at No. 3 Denver 5
12/02/2023 – No. 2 North Dakota 2 at No. 3 Denver 3 (OT)

No. 4 Boston University (11-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 4 Boston University 4 at RV Merrimack 1
12/02/2023 – RV Merrimack 2 at No. 4 Boston University 5

No. 5 Quinnipiac (11-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 5 Quinnipiac 5 at Rensselaer 1
12/02/2023 – No. 5 Quinnipiac 5 at Union 0

No. 6 Wisconsin (12-4-0)
12/01/2023 – RV Ohio State 0 at No. 6 Wisconsin 3
12/02/2023 – RV Ohio State 1 at No. 6 Wisconsin 6

No. 7 Minnesota (8-5-3)
12/01/2023 – No. 7 Minnesota 4 at No. 18 Penn State 1
12/02/2023 – No. 7 Minnesota 3 at No. 18 Penn State 6

No. 8 Michigan State (10-4-2)
Did not play.

No. 9 Providence (9-4-2)
Did not play.

No. 10 Massachusetts (9-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 10 Massachusetts 1 at Vermont 2 (OT)

No. 11 Maine (8-3-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 15 New Hampshire 2 at No. 11 Maine 5
12/03/2023 – Connecticut 3 at No. 11 Maine 7

No. 12 Arizona State (11-3-2)
12/01/2023 – No. 12 Arizona State 2 at RV Colorado College 2 (OT)
12/02/2023 – No. 12 Arizona State 2 at RV Colorado College 0

No. 13 Michigan (8-7-3)
12/01/2023 – No. 13 Michigan 1 at RV Notre Dame 6
12/02/2023 – No. 13 Michigan 2 at RV Notre Dame 1

No. 14 Western Michigan (10-3-1)
12/01/2023 – Lindenwood 1 at No. 14 Western Michigan 3
12/02/2023 – Lindenwood 1 at No. 14 Western Michigan 5

No. 15 New Hampshire (7-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 15 New Hampshire 2 at No. 11 Maine 5

No. 16 Cornell (6-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 16 Cornell 4 at Colgate 2
12/02/2023 – Colgate 4 at No. 16 Cornell 2

No. 17 St. Cloud State (8-5-1)
Did not play.

No. 18 Penn State (9-5-3)
12/01/2023 – No. 7 Minnesota 4 at No. 18 Penn State 1
12/02/2023 – No. 7 Minnesota 3 at No. 18 Penn State 6

No. 19 RIT (10-4-0)
12/01/2023 – Robert Morris 1 at No. 19 RIT 4
12/02/2023 – Robert Morris 2 at No. 19 RIT 6

No. 20 Omaha (9-4-1)
12/01/2023 – No. 20 Omaha 2 at Minnesota Duluth 4
12/02/2023 – No. 20 Omaha 1 at Minnesota Duluth 0 (OT)

RV = Received Votes

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: No. 3 Denver beats No. 2 North Dakota in OT, No. 1 Boston College bounces back against Northeastern, No. 4 Boston University sweeps Merrimack, No. 5 Quinnipiac sails past Union

By
-
Massimo Rizzo’s one-timer leads to Carter King’s OT game winner for Denver over North Dakota (photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative Photography).

In gritty, come-from-behind fashion, No. 3 Denver beat No. 2 North Dakota 3-2 in overtime, earning a split on the weekend and pulling to within three points of second-place North Dakota in the NCHC standings.

On the game-winning goal, Massimo Rizzo intercepted a North Dakota pass in the Denver zone and connected with Zeev Buium for a 2-on-1 opportunity. Carter King, the third man crashing in, picked up the rebound on Rizzo’s one-timer to end the game.

The Pioneers played from behind for much of the night. Late in the first period, Cameron Berg gave North Dakota a 1-0 lead after one. Aidan Thompson tied the score for Denver at 4:38 in the second, but Hunter Johannes made it 2-1 for North Dakota at 3:08 in the third.

Eight minutes later, it was Buium who tied the game again for the Pioneers from Thompson and Tristan Lemyre.

Freddie Halyk had 29 saves in the win as the Fighting Hawks outshot the Pioneers 31-22.

No. 1 Boston College 3, Northeastern 1

On goals from Gabe Perreault, Will Smith and Lukas Gustafsson, Boston College bounced back from its Friday loss to Northeastern with a solid win to earn the split in Hockey East play.

Trailing the Huskies 1-0 on Alex Campbell’s goal for Northeastern late in the third period, the Eagles tied the game on Perreault’s goal from Smith and goaltender Jacob Fowler on the power play at 5:45 in the second.

Smith’s game-winner from Aram Minnetian and Perreault came early in the second period.

Fowler finished the night with 25 saves. In net for the Huskies, Cameron Whitehead stopped 31 as Boston College outshot Northeastern 34-26.

No. 4 Boston University 5, Merrimack 2

Nick Zabaneh’s first goal of the season — shorthanded at 7:27 in the third — broke a 2-2 tie as the Terriers went on to beat the Warriors 5-2.

Merrimack led 2-1 after the first but Boston University scored three unanswered in the third period, beginning with Jeremy Wilmer’s at 2:13 to tie the game. Zabaneh and Quinn Hutson led the Terriers in scoring with a goal and assist each, and Mathieu Caron had 23 saves in his 10th win of the season.

With their sixth straight conference win, the Terriers solidify their place at the top of the Hockey East standings heading into the midseason break.

No. 5 Quinnipiac 5, Union 0

The Bobcats finish the first half of the ECAC season undefeated (7-0-1) with their 5-0 win over Union.

Sam Lipkin led Quinnipiac with two goals. Christophe Fillion had the game-winning goal at 1:11 in the second.

After a scoreless first period, Fillion’s goal was the first of three Bobcat goals scored within the first five minutes of the second period. CJ McGee scored 38 seconds after Fillion’s goal, and Lipkin made it 3-0 at 4:30 with his first goal of the night.

Quinnipiac’s final two goals of the night were empty-netters, Victor Czerneckianair’s at 16:51 in the third followed by Lipkin’s second marker of the game at 17:57.

Vinny Duplessis made 23 in his second shutout for Quinnipiac and the sixth in his collegiate career. In net for Union, Kyle Chauvette stopped 30-of-33 shots he faced.

No. 6 Wisconsin 6, Ohio State 1

The Badgers completed their weekend sweep of the visiting Buckeyes with a 6-1 win to follow Friday’s 3-0 game.

Six different Badgers scored including Quinn Finley, whose penalty shot gave Wisconsin a 3-0 lead at 3:18 in the third. The goal is the fourth of the season for the freshman.

Ohio State used three goaltenders in the game. After allowing four goals on 17 shots through the first 26:34, Logan Terness was replaced by Reilly Herbst. Herbst allowed two goals in the remainder of the second period. In his first action of the season, Kristoffer Eberly played the third period, stopping all 10 shots he faced.

Kyle McClellan stopped 21-of-22 for Wisconsin.

With the six-point weekend, the Badgers move to within four points of first-place Michigan State. The Spartans did not play this weekend.

Ohio State is still seeking its first Big Ten win of the season.

No. 18 Penn State 6, No. 7 Minnesota 3

After losing 4-1 to Minnesota Friday, the Nittany Lions rebounded with a 6-3 home win over the Golden Gophers.

The Nittany Lions scored twice within a minute in the middle of the first period and never looked back. Reese Laubach’s goal at 11:07 gave Penn State the 1-0 lead, followed by Ryan Kirwan’s goal at 12:01.

Kirwin would score again at 10:19 in the second to make it a 3-0 game. Rhett Pitlick cut Penn State’s lead to two goals at the end of the second. The Gophers chased for the rest of the game but never came closer than that.

Jacques Bouquot’s unassisted goal at 10:06 in the third held up to be the game-winner.

In his seventh game for the Nittany Lions, Noah Grannan made 23 saves for his third win of the season.

Penn State outshot Minnesota 43-26. In net for the Gophers, Justen Close made 37 saves.

Colgate 4, No. 16 Cornell 2

After losing 4-2 to Cornell Friday, the Raiders turned the table on the Big Red for a 4-2 win of their own to split the series.

Jake Schneider and Brett Chorske each had a goal and two assists, and Reid Irwin’s second goal of the season at 1:16 in the third was the game-winner.

Ryan McGuire had the empty-net goal at the end of the game, in spite of Ondrej Psenicka’s attempt at a diving save.

Carter Gylander made 24 saves in the win, his fifth of the season.

Hockey East suspends Merrimack’s Copponi one game for major boarding penalty Dec. 1 vs. Boston University

By
-
COPPONI

Hockey East announced Saturday that Merrimack junior forward Matt Copponi has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 1:19 of the second period on Dec. 1 against Boston University.

On the play, Copponi was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.

Copponi is ineligible to play tonight, Dec. 2, at Boston University and is able to return to the Warriors’ lineup on Dec. 8 at Yale.

UW-Stevens Point’s Anderson off to strong start but always looking to improve

By
-
Reigning co-player of year in WIAC Fletcher Anderson is off to a strong start to his season. (Photo: Rachel McCulloch UW-Stevens Point Athletics)

Golf is a challenging game, so perhaps it’s not exactly a stress reliever.

But playing the sport does give UW-Stevens Point hockey standout Fletcher Anderson something else to do to stay active when he’s not on the ice.

“I wouldn’t say it’s relaxing, but it definitely takes my mind off hockey. It’s good to that sometimes,” Anderson said. 

Anderson used to play for the Pointers’ golf team in addition to being a key member of the hockey team at the WIAC school.

He was also a golfer his first three years of high school, helping the team win a city championship as a junior, before spending his senior year playing junior hockey.

And while he no longer plays golf for the Pointers due to the demands of playing two sports, the junior forward still hits the course whenever he gets a chance.

“My whole family golfs, and my friends back home do. It’s what we do in the summer. We’re at the course four or five times a week. It’s good to have something else to do.”

But let’s circle back to hockey. The thing here is Anderson is pretty good at what he does on the ice.

Last season, he was the co-player of the year in the conference, leading the team in goals (14) and ranking second in assists.

“I didn’t think I had a bad first half of the season, but I didn’t think I had as much of an impact on the game as I had the ability to,” Anderson said. “Eventually the puck started going in. I was fortunate to play with great teammates.”

Through nine games this year for the nationally ranked Pointers, Anderson has racked up four goals and seven assists. Three of those goals have come on the power play.

He’s pleased with the results but is quick to note the room for improvement.

“I feel pretty good but I’d like to have my game in a little better shape, be more consistent in five on five (situations). I want to be more effective there, a little bit more like how I was to end last year. I’m trying to get back into the groove of things.”

The Pointers as a team seem to have found their groove, sitting at 7-2 overall and 4-0 in the WIAC while riding a six-game winning streak.

“I feel we’ve rallied as a team and have taken steps forward,” Anderson said. “Our practices have been fast pace and awesome, and there has been good execution. We are definitely headed in the right direction.”

Anderson grew up in Ontario and so hockey was a sport he gravitated towards at a young age. He never looked back once he got started.

“I don’t ever remember not liking it. I’ve always had a great time playing,” Anderson said.

When he arrived on campus, he felt ready for the experience, point out his junior hockey experience prepared him well for college. 

A concussion in practice kept him out of action for a handful of games his freshman year, though he still finished the season with seven goals and nine assists.

He’s coming into this year looking to build on that breakout sophomore season and talked about the keys to doing it.

“The big thing is consistency and always giving your best effort,” Anderson said. “You also want to be a in good position defensively and be there to support your teammates when they are making plays. This game is fast and you have to make plays with your feet moving. That’s a big focus for me.”

Anderson aims to continue being a difference maker for the No. 8 Pointers and he is looking forward to seeing what this team can achieve moving forward.

“We believe in ourselves and when we execute our game plan and plays, we are a very confident team,” Anderson said.

He adds one of the keys to success, particularly in the WIAC, is being effective with or without the puck.

“You can’t just be good with the puck You have to be good away from it. It’s about finding the open ice and using your IQ as much as possible to gain an advantage on an opponent,” Anderson said.

FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Northeastern upsets No. 1 Boston College, No. 2 North Dakota rallies past No. 3 Denver in thriller, Vermont sinks No. 10 UMass in OT, Notre Dame drops No. 13 Michigan

By
-
Cam Lund’s hat trick pushed Northeastern past top-ranked Boston College Friday night (photo: Jim Pierce).

Cam Lund finished a 2-on-1 from the left circle with 6:08 left in regulation to break to 3-3 deadlock and Northeastern secured a 5-3 road victory over No. 1 Boston College on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 7,884 at Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Northeastern opened the scoring 9:22 into the first period when Braden Doyle beat Jacob Fowler blocker side from the high slot through a partial screen.

Lund doubled the Huskies’ lead two minutes later, converting a wraparound past a sprawling Fowler at the left post.

NU added a third from Matthew Staudacher, who fired a shot high short side from the left wing at 16:16 of the opening frame.

Boston College stormed back to tie the game with three goals in the second period. Mike Posma put the Eagles on the board with a shorthanded goal, finishing a centering pass at the edge of the crease from Andre Gasseau at 11:28.

Gabe Perreault pushed a rebound to Ryan Leonard at the right doorstep for a power-play goal at 15:20, and Eamon Powell went high short side with the man advantage from outside the right dot in the period’s final minute to knot the score.

On Lund’s game winner, he one-timed a cross-ice pass from Jack Williams inside the left post. Lund added an empty-netter in the closing minutes to complete his hat trick.

Northeastern goalie Cameron Whitehead made 24 saves in the victory, while Fowler stopped 26 shots in the loss.

SCOREBOARD | USCHO.COM D-I MEN’S POLL

No. 2 North Dakota 7, No. 3 Denver 5

Denver led 4-1 at the end of the first period before the Fighting Hawks stormed back and took a 7-5 win at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo.

Cameron Berg scored twice for North Dakota and Jackson Blake and Owen McLaughlin posted a goal and two assists each.

Dylan James had a goal and a helper, and Jake Livanavage Jake Schmaltz each tallied a pair of assists.

Riese Gaber and Louis Jamernik V also scored for UND.

Tristan Broz netted a pair for the Pioneers, Shai Buium a goal and two assists, and Jack Devine had a goal and an assist. Carter King also scored and Massimo Rizzo tacked on two assists.

In goal, Ludvig Persson made 27 saves for the Fighting Hawks, while Freddie Halyk stopped 20 for DU.

No. 4 Boston University 4, Merrimack 1

Shane Lachance scored two goals and Lane Hutson recorded three assists to help lead Boston University to a 4-1 victory over Merrimack on Friday night at Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass.

In a rematch of the 2023 Hockey East title tilt, BU won its fifth straight league game on Friday, never trailing a Merrimack squad that was whistled for three five-minute majors and two game misconducts. The Terriers made the most of their opportunities, going 3 for 6 on the power play.

Doug Grimes and Macklin Celebrini joined Lachance in lighting the lamp while Ryan Greene dished out two assists.

Mathieu Caron was sharp throughout the contest and finished with 22 saves for the win.

For Merrimack, Ethan Bono scored and Hugo Ollas made 34 saves.

With 25 seconds to play in the second, BU successfully challenged a play for a five-minute major against Merrimack. While the officials were reviewing the play, someone pulled the fire alarm, forcing both teams to leave the ice and fans to exit the building. Fresh ice was made, a figure skating performance commenced, and then the teams returned to play the final 1:49 of the frame, as that’s when the penalty occurred. After a two-minute break, the third period then began.

No. 5 Quinnipiac 5, Rensselaer 1

Collin Graf reached the 100-point plateau on Friday night as part of a four-point night (goal, three assists) as Quinnipiac defeated RPI by a 5-1 count at the Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y.

Sam Lipkin dished out two helpers after starting the scoring 3:04 into the contest.

Jayden Lee, Davis Pennington and Jacob Quillan added multi-point nights, as Lee provided a pair of helpers, while Pennington and Quillan added a goal and assist.

Cristophe Tellier also scored for the Bobcats, while Matej Marinov stopped 17 shots for the win between the pipes.

Tyler Hotson scored the lone goal for the Engineers, and Carson Cherepak turned aside 30 shots in goal.

No. 6 Wisconsin 3, Ohio State 0

Christian Fitzgerald had a goal and an assist and Kyle McClellan pitched a 29-save shutout as the Badgers blanked the Buckeyes 3-0 before 9,859 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Zack Schulz and Cruz Lucius also scored in the win.

Ohio State goaltender Logan Terness made 26 saves.

No. 7 Minnesota 4, No. 18 Penn State 1

It was a night of milestones for Minnesota during a 4-1 victory on the road against the Nittany Lions Friday night from Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa.

Rhett Pitlick had a career-best three points, while Bryce Brodzinski recorded the 100th point of his career with the eventual game-winning goal. Sam Rinzel joined the fun by scoring his first collegiate goal.

The game was also the 500th for Minnesota head athletic trainer Jeff Winslow.

The home side dominated the opening minutes of play and Dane Dowiak struck for a 1-0 lead 5:30 into the contest by redirecting a centering pass before the Gophers even put a shot on target.

Minnesota quickly turned the momentum and put away a pair of goals 92 seconds apart late in the frame for a 2-1 edge. Rinzel got the scoring started at the 16:35 mark, taking a Pitlick feed and ripping home a shot from the slot, pulling Minnesota even 1-1. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Brodzinski one-timed a pass from Jaxon Nelson past PSU netminder Liam Souliere.

The Gophers tacked on another tally during the middle of the second stanza when Connor Kurth scored. Minnesota stayed on the attack and finished off its first power-play chance three minutes later when Pitlick batted home a puck from mid-air and the visitors carried a 4-1 lead through two periods.

Justen Close turned away 33 shots in goal for the Gophers, while Souliere made 17 stops for Penn State.

Brodzinski became the 88th player in program history to reach 100 career points and the first since Blake McLaughlin hit the milestone in 2022.

Notre Dame 6, No. 13 Michigan 1

Notre Dame picked up a dominant 6-1 victory over Michigan Friday night as five different players scored for the Irish to give Jeff Jackson his 400th career win behind the Irish bench at the sold-out Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind.

Landon Slaggert scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season to give the Irish the 1-0 lead early in the first period but the Wolverines would knot up the game 1-1 at 10:01 of the first on a goal from TJ Hughes.

It was all Irish the rest of the night though as Justin Janicke scored the eventual game winner less than two minutes after the Michigan equalizer to carry the 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Coming back after the break, Patrick Moynihan wasted no time extending the Irish lead off a feed from Paul Fischer just 53 seconds into the middle frame.

The Irish scored once more in the second period as Slaggert netted his second of the night at 17:59 to take the 4-1 lead into the locker room through 40 minutes played.

Similar to the first two periods of the night, the Irish scored twice more in the final frame on goals by Tyler Carpenter and Danny Nelson for the 6-1 final.

Ryan Bischel finished the night with 27 saves in net.

Michigan goalies Jake Barczewski and Noah West combined on a 32-save outing.

Vermont 2, No. 10 UMass 1 (OT)

Ryan Miotto scored 2:33 into overtime to lift Vermont over UMass 2-1 Friday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.

The Catamounts’ win was their first over a team ranked in the top 10 since 2019.

With 2:20 left in the middle frame, it appeared that UMass’ Ryan Ufko had given the Minutemen the lead with a wrist shot through traffic. However, the Catamounts successfully challenged for a five-minute major for cross checking on Scott Morrow, wiping the goal off the board.

The Catamounts would strike on the ensuing power play. Miotto and Massimo Lombardi teamed up to win a puck battle along the boards and Miotto fed a cross-ice pass to Nick Ahern that he one-timed home for his first career goal past a diving Michael Hrabal.

The Minutemen equalized 8:23 into the third period. From a sharp angle, Jack Musa found the back of the net.

Gabe Carriere made 32 saves in the UVM net.

For the Minutemen, Michael Hrabal stopped 27 in defeat.

Women’s Division I College Hockey Exclusive: University of Delaware adding women’s hockey, joining CHA for ’25-26 season

By
-

The University of Delaware is adding NCAA women’s hockey starting in the 2025-26 season. The Blue Hens will become the 45th DI women’s hockey program and will join College Hockey America (CHA). It will be the first NCAA hockey program in the state of Delaware.

The university has offered women’s ice hockey as a club sport since 2003 and will continue to have a club team in 2024-25 and beyond. The club team has earned a top-10 national ranking in each of the last 10 seasons.

The move is related to the athletic department’s announcement this week that it had been accepted for full membership in Conference USA. The transition from FCS to FBS football offered an opportunity to add additional scholarships for female athletes at Delaware.

“We knew coming in that when we were going to make this decision on the football side, we were absolutely going to be looking to add a female sport and with the work that we’ve done together women’s hockey just made a ton of sense for us,” said Delaware Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak.

Thanks in large part to a feasibility study that was conducted on campus, it became clear to Rawak that adding women’s hockey was a smart decision for the university.

Delaware already has two ice arenas on campus, which means the institution bypassed many of the hurdles and difficulties that can come from adding ice hockey to their NCAA portfolio. The Blue Hens will play their home games at Fred Rust Arena.

“We’ve always highlighted them as a school that could add NCAA hockey because of the existence of the facilities and also the proximity to other programs so they can easily find other schools to play,” said Mike Snee, College Hockey Inc. Executive Director.

Delaware’s location brings women’s college hockey to a somewhat untapped area of the east coast. The closest program is Princeton, 90 miles away. The University of Delaware is just 40 miles from Philadelphia, 60 miles from Baltimore and 90 miles from Washington DC. The yearly DI in DC showcase to bring women’s college hockey to that area shows the need and opportunity. Delaware is only too happy to help fill it.

The feasibility study that led to this decision is funded by the Industry Growth Fund, a joint initiative of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and is part of an effort in conjunction College Hockey, Inc., to expand college hockey in NHL markets. Snee estimated that more than a dozen studies have been carried out over the past 10 years. This announcement with Delaware is the product of a feasibility study doing exactly what it was intended to do, he said, which is provide information and opportunity for a school to explore the possibility of adding hockey and gather information without having to make a decision immediately. The institution doesn’t have to know all the questions to ask or logistics to consider and can just find out what would be required for them to add hockey and be successful.

Snee hopes that this announcement is not isolated, but starts conversations about college hockey at more universities and inspires those institutions to reach out to College Hockey Inc. so that the sport can continue to grow.

Rawak said the working with the NHL and College Hockey Inc. was incredibly helpful as Delaware worked to identify the women’s sport that made the most sense for the university to add in which they could be able to compete.

“For the NHL and NHLPA to be willing to invest in this the way they are and the way they continue to it’s so significant to the success in college hockey,” said Snee.

There are a number of ways in which Delaware could have been Title IX compliant after the addition of scholarships that comes with moving the football team to FBS, but Rawak was focused on adding not just another women’s team, but ensuring it was a women’s team that could be successful. Opportunities are important, but she wanted opportunities to win. That stood out to Snee from his first interaction with Rawak.

“From day one, this was never about existing. This was about competing and winning,” he said.

Not needing to build a new facility was the first part, but the feasibility study also showed that Delaware’s recruiting footprint, facilities, location, academic offerings and reputation showed that an NCAA women’s hockey program had an opportunity to grow quickly and be successful.

“We know we’re not going to like the world on fire immediately, but I don’t think it’s going to take long for us to be competitive. I am really incredibly excited about that,” said Rawak.

The athletic department and greater university as a whole generally recruit from Boston down to Virginia. Additionally, there are already student-athletes from 29 different countries playing sports for Delaware. The feasibility study showed the impact international players continue to have on women’s hockey and the fact that the institution is already versed in how to support and enroll those students was just one more piece of the puzzle that made Rawak and the Blue Hens feel like adding women’s hockey was a natural fit for the school.

She believes in trusting the process and the further the conversations went along about women’s hockey, the clearer it was that all the boxes were checked, timing had aligned and this was a no-brainer, she said.

“There’s always a risk. This feels like a really good calculated risk for us to be taking,” Rawak said. “I’m really excited for the sport. I’m excited for this university. I’m excited for this region.”

While women’s hockey came to be the obvious choice for Delaware, Rawak said a bonus factor in making this decision was the support of the Philadelphia Flyers. Delaware and the Flyers will form a partnership, with details being shared on Thursday, February 8 at Wells Fargo Center. The NHL club’s commitment to women’s hockey and women in sports stood out to Rawak.

“Our opportunity for partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers, that’s just an a significant added bonus for us and something that is incredibly exciting,” she said. 

CHA Commissioner Michelle Morgan stressed that while there was some serendipity and relative ease to how things aligned with Delaware adding NCAA women’s hockey and joining the CHA, she hopes fans understand the scale of what has been accomplished.

“What [Rawak] and her team have done to get to this point is really seismic,” Morgan said.

From the CHA perspective, adding the Blue Hens made a lot of sense for a number of reasons, but maybe most importantly because adding a seventh team helps protect the league’s status with the NCAA to receive an automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.

College athletics are unpredictable and Morgan said adding Delaware helps protect everyone in the conference.

“We are the smallest conference in DI women’s hockey. I think as a leader of a conference, as a commissioner, you always need to have that in the back of your mind. You have to still protect that bid and ensure that the automatic qualifier is not in jeopardy based on size and scope of your membership,” she said.

Morgan, who has been in her position for less than a year, said that when she first spoke with the group from Delaware over the summer, it was clear they had done their homework about the landscape in women’s hockey. Rawak and her team told Morgan and the CHA that the conference’s brand, the hockey, the strength of the programs and the league’s history aligned with what the Blue Hens wanted to accomplish and Morgan agreed.

Adding Delaware made so much sense that the CHA board unanimously agreed to the move.

“This will hopefully afford more opportunities for girls to play college hockey. It’s a great win. It’s a win for everybody,” said Morgan.

The university plans to begin their search for a head coach after the new year.

There will be a press conference to formally announce the program on Monday, December 4 at 10:00 AM ET at Fred Rust Arena on the University of Delaware campus in Newark, Delaware. University President Dennis Assanis, Rawak and Morgan will all be available and the event is open to the public.

USCHO Edge: With fantastic games on tap, you really need to find the right team in your college hockey wagers

By
-
Cy LeClerc celebrates a recent goal for New Hampshire (photo: Stu Horne).

If you keep reading this column every week, we’ll probably seem like a broken record.

As the season progresses, the sports books are doing a better job each and every weekend setting lines.

If you believe that you can simply pick up an app on your cell phone and begin laying wagers without doing your homework, be prepared to lose money. If you win with that approach, know how lucky you are. If you lose, well, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

At this point in the season, you need to begin to look for trends. Look at each team’s average goals scored and average goals allowed. Neither stat is necessarily tied together but you can’t grade each independently.

For example, you can’t look at Denver’s season numbers if you take into account last weekend where the Pioneers outscored Yale, 14-0, over two games. That weekend has to be looked at as an aberration. Otherwise, you’ll be skewed, particularly when it comes to make wagers on over/under lines on total goals.

Let’s look at the numbers. Include the Yale series and the Denver offense averages 5.5 goals per game. Exclude it, and the average drops slightly to 5.25 GPG. On the other side, include those two shutouts and Denver averages 2.64 goals against per game. Exclude them and that number raises to 3.08 GA per game.

What we’re saying is that the overall statistics from each team should be measured given the opponent.

This weekend, Denver faces North Dakota, a potent offense in its own right. Both teams have played 14 games, and the Fighting Hawks have scored 26 fewer goals. NoDak has also allowed 10 fewer goals over that span.

The Fighting Hawks, though, haven’t had a stat-padding weekend like Denver did a weekend ago.

We’ll let you take those stats as they are and make your own decisions. But you have to carefully examine not just the basic stats for each team but also take a close look at the schedule each team has played.

Games to watch this week:

New Hampshire (+170) at Maine (-220)

This college hockey rivalry really needs both teams to be among the best to create the deserved buzz that these two teams represent. Right now, both teams are playing well. That said, even at home, Maine at -220 is almost too strong of a favorite. New Hampshire has played some tough opponents tight, winning games against Boston University, Quinnipiac and RIT (and a tie vs. Providence). We can’t say that UNH will walk into. a hostile Alfond Arena and just earn an automatic win. But the price at +170 will be among the best you get on this team for the remainder of the season.

Minnesota (-150) at Penn State (+120)

No one has to go too far back in the memory for when Minnesota was the nation’s number one team. It certainly hasn’t been smooth sailing since that point in time, but the Gophers have been strong through a difficult schedule. After being swept by a good, upstart Wisconsin team, Minnesota swept Minnesota Duluth, had a win and tie against Michigan, split against Notre Dame (the 4-2 loss likely the only bad loss of the season) and earned a tie and overtime win against Michigan State, arguably the best team in the B1G. You can’t underestimate Penn State at home, but Minnesota is a short price against the Nittany Lions on Friday, a perfect time to grab the Gophers at near-even money.

Game to avoid this week: North Dakota (-105) at Denver (-115)

Best bet this week: Minnesota (-150) at Penn State

Also consider: New Hampshire/Maine over 5.5 goals (-105)

All lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook

D-III West Men’s Hockey Weekend Picks

By
-
Drew Welsch and the Trine Thunder face Marian this weekend. (Photo provided by Trine Athletics)

We’ve made it to December and big conference matchups are on tap, with two nationally ranked WIAC teams both looking to remain in a good place in the standings.

The always tight MIAC features games that could change things up quite a bit on where teams are in the standings by the end of the weekend. Over in the NCHA, one of the more interesting matchups is an in-state rivalry between St. Norbert and MSOE.

Here’s a look at some of the games and predictions.

MIAC

Bethel (6-2-2, 2-1-1) vs. Saint John’s (3-5-1, 1-3)

The Royals are one of the top teams in the conference but just three points ahead of the Johnnies in the standings.

Bethel has dropped two of three but always has a chance to win with leading scorer Tyler Kostelcky, who has come through with a MIAC-best six goals. The goalie depth is also big for this team. Travis Allen (1.82) and Austin Ryman (1.92) both own goals against averages under two goals per outing. 

But the Johnnies have a pretty good goalie of their own in Bailey Huber (2.18). And the Johnnies do have added confidence, having beaten nationally ranked Oswego last week. I’m expecting a fight to the finish each night, and a split as well.
Saint John’s, 4-2; Bethel 4-3

Augsburg (4-2-1, 2-0-0) ) vs. St. Olaf (4-4-1, 2-1-1)

The Auggies ended November as one of the hotter teams, winning three in a row, and have a huge opportunity to make a statement in the conference at the start of a new month.

The Oles are currently a point ahead of the Auggies in the standings and begin a huge month where they face both Augsburg and Bethel in back-to-back weekends. 

Both teams are capable of putting goals on the board. But both teams have shown they can be solid on defense as well. And that’s where this one could be decided.

Lukas Haugen boasts a 1.31 goals against average. Samuel Vyletelka owns a .255 goals against average. I see a split in this series.
Augsburg, 3-2; St. Olaf, 4-3

Concordia (5-1-1, 1-1) vs. Hamline (3-6, 1-3)

The Cobbers are in last place in the MIAC standings but have the second-best overall record on the season. A couple of wins in this series could change things around for them.

Isaac Henkemyer-Howe ranks in the top 10 in goals scored in the conference with four while Liam Haslam and Caden Triggs have been two of the top playmakers with five assists apiece.

Brandon McNamara and Carson Simon have tallied three goals apiece for the Pipers.

Concordia already beat Hamline once on Nov. 21 by a 3-1 score and should be able to get the job done again this weekend. And unlike the last meeting, this series counts in the MIAC.
Concordia, 4-2 and 3-1

WIAC

Friday

UW-Superior (5-5, 3-1) at No. 8 UW-Eau Claire (6-2-1, 2-1)

The Yellowjackets kick off one of their biggest weekends of the season when they play the first of two nationally ranked opponents. Three straight wins have put UW-Superior in a good spot. 

The goaltender matchup should be fun to watch here. Jack Boschert is the reigning league player of the week while Max Gutjahr has been solid all season for the Blugolds. An upset wouldn’t surprise me, but I’ll go with the Blugolds at home.
UW-Eau Claire, 3-2

UW-River Falls (4-3, 1-2)  at No. 9 UW-Stevens Point (6-2, 3-0)

Few teams are hotter right now than the Pointers, who have rattled off five consecutive wins, scoring four or more goals each time. If that offense continues to click, they are going to be tough to stop in this series. Noah Finstrom leads UW-Stevens Point with six goals on the year and Dawson Sciarrino has been quite the playmaker (10 assists).

The Falcons have won two of three and have an opportunity to make a statement against one of the nation’s best teams. Scoring goals is going to be key. They have managed only 13. On the flip side, they have allowed just 13 goals. The Pointers have scored 34 and given up 27.
UW-Stevens Point, 5-2

Saturday

No. 9 UW-Stevens Point (6-2, 3-0) at UW-Superior (5-5, 3-1)

A big road test for the Pointers against a team that has gained a lot of momentum over the last week or so.

This could very well be a high-scoring matchup, with Finstrom and UW-Superior’s Justin Dauphinais on the ice. Dauphinas has tallied five goals on the year, tied for the second-most in the conference.
UW-Stevens Point, 4-2

UW-Stout (3-4-1, 1-2) )at No. 8 UW-Eau Claire (6-2-1, 2-1)

The Blue Devils came into the weekend on a two-game losing streak. The Blugolds have been one of the better teams nationally all season. UW-Stout has to be able to shore up things defensively against a team with a lot of potential on offense. Speaking of offense, Boyd Stahlbaum is tied for first in goals scored (6) in the WIAC.
UW-Eau Claire, 5-2

NCHA

Marian (3-6, 2-4) at No. 15 Trine (8-2, 5-1)

Trine comes in nationally ranked and feeling good about how things have gone after one month of hockey. The Thunder have won three of their last four and defense has been one of its keys to success, shutting out two opponents. Kyle Kozma has helped lead the way, winning six games and boasting a 1.42 goals against average. 

The Sabres haven’t had the easiest season so far but still have a chance to get things rolling in their direction. They take aim at snapping a two-game losing streak. Scoring early and setting the tone is going to be their key to success.
Trine, 5-2 and 4-1

St. Norbert (7-4, 5-1) vs. MSOE (6-3-1, 2-3-1)

The Green Knights begin the weekend on the road against a Raider team that has something to prove and is riding high on a four-game winning streak.

Adam Stacho leads the way for the Green Knights, scoring eight goals on the year, a total that happens to be the most in the conference. Logan Dombrowsky and T.J. Koufis have five goals apiece. MSOE has some offensive weapons of its own, with Seth Bernard, Preston Park and Carson Jones all scoring five goals apiece. I have to believe a split is the call here.
MSOE, 4-3; St. Norbert, 5-4

Concordia (3-4, 2-2) at Adrian (6-2-1, 5-1)

The Falcons face a huge test on the road against one of the best teams in the country. The interesting thing about this Adrian team is no player ranks in the top 10 in goals scored for a team that has put up 29 goals in all. Jaden Shields has had a hand in a lot of those goals, assisting on nine on them, and he’ll be a key to success this weekend.

For Concordia, it comes down to making big plays on defense early. A slow start against the Bulldogs would be tough to overcome, especially on the road against a national title contender.
Adrian, 5-2 and 4-1

1...878889...1,531Page 88 of 1,531

Latest Stories from around USCHO

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

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