ECH Weekend Review: January 12-14
written By Alex Berger - January 16th, 2024:A Saturday night full of upsets fueled the past weekend of college hockey excitement. The #1, #4, #6, #8, #11, and #12 teams in the country all lost or tied to a lower-ranked team. However, five of these six teams still won or tied their series; the lone exception being #12 Arizona State, who was swept at home by Cornell.
The biggest change in this week's Hobey Baker watchlist was Collin Graf moving up to #2 after a five-point weekend against Princeton. The sophomore has now scored multiple points in six of his last 12 games and still ranks first in the NCAA in points/game (1.94). That would be the highest mark in a season since 2013-'14, when Johhny Gaudreau posted a ridiculous 36 goals and 44 assists in 40 games (2.00 points/game). Graf has been on a tear since his return from injury and may benefit from Jack Devine and Massimo Rizzo -- #1 and #3 on our watch list -- being on the same team; similar to last year's Hobey Hat Trick of Logan Cooley, Adam Fantilli, and Matthew Knies.
- #9 Providence Upsets #1 Boston College, Splits Home-And-Home
For the first time since the World Junior's Boston College is back to full strength, returning seven gold medal winners back to the Conte Forum. Their first series back was an important one, a home-and-home against the #9 Providence Friars. These two teams met in the last game of the first half of the season, with Boston College coming away with a 5-4 home win.
The top-ten matchup began in Boston and kicked off right away. On the very first shift of the game, the Eagles dissected Providence with four-straight passes to get the puck on the stick of Oskar Jellvik, who wristed it past Philip Svedeback to give BC the 1-0 lead just 34 seconds in. The first shift would be a sign of things to come. Boston College scored five goals in the second period alone and added a 7th in the third period, cruising to a 7-1 win on just 24 total shots on goal. Eight different Eagles had multiple points, including all three members of BC's freshman phenom line. Boston College was passing circles around the Friars all night, as all seven of their goals had two assisters. It wasn't just the first-round picks scoring either. Forwards Jamie Armstrong and Will Vote scored their first goals of the season in the win.
After a "punch in the mouth" on Friday night, Providence shifted their attention to a home rematch the next night. It was a little Deja Vu in game two of the series, as Oskar Jellvik opened the scoring for the second-straight night (his fourth goal in the last three games against Providence). There was no repeat of Friday night's second period, however, as the Friars fought back and eventually tied the game with a power play goal from captain Chase Yoder. But just 20 seconds later, BC's freshman line struck again, going Leonard to Perreault to Smith to regain the lead for the Eagles late in the second period.
Back in December, these two teams combined for six third-period goals. That mark was nearly matched on Saturday when the teams combined for four. It was back-and-forth for the first six minutes, as both Providence and Boston College scored to make it 3-2. BC's goal came from Gabe Perrault on the power play, his fifth point of the weekend. But the Friars were able to respond for the third-straight time. Graham Gamache fed a puck right in front of the net for Bennet Schimek who buried it past Eagles' goaltender Jacob Fowler to tie the game. Just five minutes later, Providence would take their first lead of the weekend, as Yoder pounced on a loose puck for his second goal of the night to make it 4-3. Svedeback and the Friars would hold through 90 seconds of 6-on-5 play from Boston College to secure the win and upset over the country's #1 team. With five conference games still remaining against Maine and Boston University, Providence still has a great chance to move up in the Hockey East rankings. They're currently 10 points behind first-place BU with 13 conference games left in the season.
- #10 St. Cloud Earns Road "Split" Against #6 Denver With Shootout Win
In the other top-ten matchup of the weekend, St. Cloud State traveled west for a weekend series against the Denver Pioneers. It was a great test for both teams, but especially for the Huskies. St. Cloud has played just two teams in the top-15 of the current Pairwise so far this season (2-1-1 against #10 Western Michigan and #15 Michigan).
Denver split their last three conference series to end the first half of the season, including two losses on Friday night to North Dakota (at home) and Western Michigan (on the road). They wouldn't have to wait until Saturday to rally this weekend, however. After giving up the opening goal of the game to sophomore forward Ethan AuCoin in the first period, the Pioneers scored five unanswered goals in the second. NCAA points leader Massimo Rizzo scored two, Carter King posted three assists, and Rieger Lorenz added a shorthanded goal in a dominant second period to secure the 5-1 win. What's even more impressive was the play of goaltender Matt Davis. He made 29 saves in the win, a great performance for a team that ranks bottom ten in the country in save percentage (.886 SV%, T-8th worst in NCAA).
After giving up five goals in game one, St. Cloud made the switch from Dominic Basse to freshman Isak Posch on Saturday night. Although his start didn't go perfectly, the spark did help. Posch made a season-high 33 saves against the top scoring team in the country (including 26 in the first two periods), enough to keep the Huskies in the game. Denver scored twice in the first 30 minutes of the game, but both times St. Cloud responded with a pair of goals of their own. The most important stretch of the game came with time running out in the first period. Down 1-0, Josh Luedtke and Zach Okabe scored goals just 28 seconds apart to give SCSU the 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. After Miko Matikka tied the game on the power play early in the second period, the Huskies responded again, making it 4-2 with a pair of goals in a five-minute stretch.
The biggest X-factor of the weekend was special teams. Denver went 5-for-12 (42%) on the power play with a shorthanded goal, while St. Cloud went 0-for-7. Down by two goals the Pioneers' special teams came into play again after a five-minute major. They struck twice on the power play, tying the game just minutes after they went down 4-2.
After giving up four goals on 20 shots in the first 40 minutes, Matty Davis once again stood on his head. Denver was outshot 18-3 in the third period but the junior stopped every shot he faced, getting the game to overtime. The Huskies would eventually get a puck past him in the shootout, scoring on both of their chances to win the extra point in the league standings.
- #3 Michigan State Sweeps #19 Penn State, Moves Back Into First Place In Big Ten
Currently on a streak of 14-straight games without a regulation loss, Michigan State has a little more swagger to them beginning the second half of the season. Isaac Howard and Trey Augustine are coming off of a gold medal at the World Junior's, and were arguably two of the top three players on this year's Team USA. With 12 players averaging 0.50+ points/game, they're one of the most well-rounded teams in the country. Freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov has also continued his dominant stretch with a point in 12 of his last 15 games (18 total points). Add in one of the country's best young goaltenders in Augustine, and it makes sense why the Spartans have gone 10-1-3 in their last 14 games.
This past weekend against Penn State is a clear example of how Michigan State can beat you in multiple ways. On Friday night Augustine posted his second shutout of the season, making 31 saves and shutting down four Nittany Lion power plays. Joey Larson scored twice, and the Spartans rolled to a 5-0 win.
In game two of the series, seven different skaters lit the lamp for Sparty. The best goal of the night came from Karsen Dortwart in the first period. Down 1-0, the sophomore found his way to the front of the next and collected a rebound off of Liam Souliere. With just seconds until a defenseman closed in, Dortwart shot a puck between his legs for a highlight-reel goal. During the 7-3 win - Levshunov posted four total points, a goal and three assists, and is now T-6th among all NCAA defenseman with 18 assists.
Michigan State and Wisconsin have now traded first place in the Big Ten in back-to-back weeks. Those two teams - with a .861% and .833% points percentage respectively -- only have conference games remaining this season. It will be a race to the finish for the regular season title, something the Spartans have never won and Wisconsin has won just once (2021 season).
- #5 North Dakota Drops 4th-Straight OT Game, Splits With #15 Omaha At Home
After playing seven total games against each other in 2022-'23, North Dakota and Omaha met for the first time this season. It was the restart of conference play for both teams; with the main difference coming where they're currently placed in the NCHC standings. The Fighting Hawks came into the series trailing St. Cloud State by four points, while Omaha is in a dogfight for a potential home ice advantage in the league quarterfinals.
After scoring 12 goals last weekend it looked like North Dakota would continue the high-octane scoring against the Mavericks. Jackson Blake opened the scoring for the series just 10 seconds in, beating Omaha's Simon Latkoczy to the glove side on a 2-on-1 rush. The Fighting Hawks would scored two power play goals in the first period to grab a 3-1 lead over UNO through the first 20 minutes.
But the momentum would flip early in the second period, as the Mavericks scored two power play goals of their own to post a 3-1 period and tie the game at 4-4. Late in the 3rd period NoDak had a chance with a five-minute major power play but couldn't get the puck past Latkoczy, setting up a 3-on-3 overtime. The extra session has plagued the Fighting Hawks lately, losing three-straight overtime games to end the first half of the season. It took just 34 seconds for that streak to continue, as Jack Randl scored on a fast-developing 3-on-2 rush to beat Ludvig Persson and give Omaha the upset win in game one.
UNO looked dialed in for the weekend sweep on Saturday night, outshooting and outworking NoDak in the first period. But freshman goalie Hobie Hedquist stood tall and made 17 saves through the first 40 minutes, giving the Fighting Hawks a chance to get their momentum going. That's when Ben Strinden and Griffin Ness combined to give their team a spark. A great forecheck from Strinden left a loose puck in the slot; which Ness pounced on, made a move to freeze Latkoczy, and backhanded the puck into a wide open net, just his second of the year. With a 1-0 deficit heading into the 3rd period, the Mavericks needed a spark quick. They found one just 50 seconds in, as Tanner Ludtke capitalized on a 2-on-1 to tie the game. But after being held off the scoresheet all weekend, one of North Dakota's biggest Maverick killers finally made them pay. Just three minutes later, Dylan James batted a blocked shot past Latkoczy to give the lead to North Dakota right back. Five of his 12 career goals have come against the Mavericks (eight points in nine career games against UNO). The Fighting Hawks defense then shut down Omaha, allowing just six shots the entire period. Cameron Berg -- a transfer from Omaha --then iced the game for North Dakota, scoring with the empty net to give UND the 3-1 win and four of six possible points in the weekend series.
Similar to Michigan State, North Dakota has now gone 15-straight games without a regulation loss (which came on the road on November 3rd against #2 Boston University). They've also registered at least one point in every conference game so far this year, putting them in 2nd place in the NCHC. Arguably, their most important remaining series comes next weekend on the road against St. Cloud State. It's the only time this season that the two current top teams in the conference meet, so those six points will be crucial in determining a potential Penrose Cup winner this season.
- UConn Upsets #7 Maine With Home Shutout Win
There were a handful of headline results on Saturday night; too many to include in our weekly top-five storylines. Lindenwood tied #4 Wisconsin on the road, Miami beat #11 Western Michigan, Merrimack beat #16 UMass, etc. But arguably the most shocking result was #8 Maine at Connecticut. One night after a 5-3 win which included goals from Bradly and Josh Nadeau (and two from defenseman Brandon Holt), the Black Bears may have been a little on edge. They needed to comeback from 3-1 in the third period, just their first win of the season after trailing through the first 40 minutes (2-1 after the 2nd).
Maine came out firing on Saturday night, outshooting the Huskies 13-2 in the first period. But in his first game since November, sophomore goaltender Arsenii Sergeev stopped all 13 shots he faced, allowing Connecticut to get some momentum back. That flipped in the second period, with UConn outshooting Maine 12-3. After 40 minutes of shutout play by both goaltenders, the Huskies would finally find the back of the net 22 seconds into the third period. Sophomore forward Tabor Heaslip collected the puck in the corner, took it behind the net, and threw a backhand wraparound towards Maine's Albin Boija. The puck snuck through, as Heaslip celebrated his first goal of the season with the 9,000+ in Hartford. Just under four minutes later, another soft puck made it's way through Boija. Tristan Fraser won a puck off the forecheck, spun to his forehand, and got it to Joey Muldowney breaking towards the net. The freshman forward snapped the puck off quick and through the goaltender to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead. Despite six shots on goal from the Nadeau brothers, Maine couldn't make their way onto the scoresheet and were shut out for the first time this season.
The upset win is arguably the first quality win for the Huskies in 2023-'24. Connecticut has been inconsistent all season (just one instance of back-to-back wins) and have struggled against the better teams in the Hockey East. A seven-game stretch beginning later this month -- including a potential matchup against Quinnipiac and scheduled games against Providence, Massachusetts, and Boston University -- will give UConn plenty of opportunities to play their way into Pairwise contention.
- NCHC Standings
1. St. Cloud State (24 Points): "Split with" Denver on the road with 5-1 loss, 5-4 SO win
2. North Dakota (22 Points): Split with Omaha at home with 5-4 OT loss, 3-1 win
T-3. Denver (17 Points): "Split with" St. Cloud State at home with 5-1 win, 5-4 SO loss
T-3. Western Michigan (17 Points): Split with Miami on the road with 4-1 win, 4-3 loss
5. Colorado College (13 Points): Split with Minnesota-Duluth on the road with 3-2 OT loss, 3-2 OT win
6. Minnesota-Duluth (12 Points): Split with Colorado College at home with 3-2 OT win, 3-2 OT loss
7. Omaha (11 Points): Split with North Dakota on the road with 5-4 OT win, 3-1 loss
8. Miami (4 Points): Split with Western Michigan at home with 4-1 loss, 4-3 win
- Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan State (31 Points): Swept Penn State on the road with 5-0, 7-3 wins
2. Wisconsin (30 Points): "Swept" Lindenwood at home with 5-0 win, 3-3 OT tie
3. Notre Dame (18 Points): Split with Ohio State on the road with 3-2 loss, 5-2 win
4. Minnesota (17 Points): Swept Robert Morris at home with 4-2, 4-1 wins
5. Michigan (12 Points): Swept Stonehill with 12-4, 7-1 wins
6. Penn State (11 Points): Swept by Michigan State at home with 5-0, 7-3 losses
7. Ohio State (7 Points): Split with Notre Dame at home with 3-2 win, 5-2 loss
- CCHA Standings
1. St. Thomas (27 Points): Swept Michigan Tech at home with 4-3, 3-1 wins
2. Bemidji State (25 Points): No games scheduled
3. Lake Superior (24 Points): Swept Northern Michigan at home with 5-1, 5-2 wins
4. Minnesota State (23 Points): Swept Ferris State at home with 4-2, 4-0 wins
5. Michigan Tech (19 Points): Swept by St. Thomas on the road with 4-3, 3-1 losses
T-6. Bowling Green (15 Points): No games scheduled
T-6. Northern Michigan (15 Points): Swept by Lake Superior on the road with 5-1, 5-2 losses
8. Ferris State (11 Points): Swept by Minnesota State at home with 4-2, 4-0 losses
- Hockey East Standings
1. Boston University (28 Points): Beat New Hampshire at home 3-0
2. Boston College (22 Points): Split with Providence with 7-1 win at home, 4-3 loss on the road
3. Maine (19 Points): Split with Connecticut on the road with 5-3 win, 2-0 loss
4. Providence (18 Points): Split with Boston College with 7-1 loss on the road, 4-3 win at home
5. Connecticut (17 Points): Split with Maine at home with 5-3 loss, 2-0 win
6. Massachusetts (16 Points): Split with Merrimack with 4-3 win at home, 4-1 loss on the road
T-7. New Hampshire (13 Points): Lost to Boston University on the road 3-0
T-7. Vermont (13 Points): Split with Northeastern on the road with 5-4 win, 3-1 loss
9. Merrimack (12 Points): Split with Massachusetts with 4-3 loss on the road, 4-1 win at home
10. UMass-Lowell (10 Points): No games scheduled
11. Northeastern (9 Points): Split with Vermont at home with 5-4 loss, 3-1 win
- ECAC Standings
1. Quinnipiac (28 Points): Swept Princeton with 9-2 win at home, 3-1 win on the road
2. Brown (17 Points): Beat Harvard at home 5-3, beat Dartmouth at home 2-1
3. Clarkson (16 Points): Lost to Union on the road 5-1, beat Rensselaer on the road 4-1
T-4. Yale (15 Points): Beat Dartmouth at home 5-0, lost to Harvard at home 1-0
T-4. Union (15 Points): Beat Clarkson at home 5-1, beat St. Lawrence at home 3-2 SO
6. Princeton (14 Points): Swept by Quinnipiac with 9-2 loss on the road, 3-1 loss at home
T-7. Rensselaer (12 Points): Beat St. Lawrence at home 6-3, lost to Clarkson at home 4-1
T-7. Colgate (12 Points): Swept by Long Island on the road with 3-2 OT, 3-2 OT losses
T-7. Cornell (12 Points): Swept Arizona State on the road with 3-2 OT, 4-1 wins
T-10. St. Lawrence (10 Points): Lost to Rensselaer on the road 6-3, lost to Union on the road 3-2 SO
T-10. Dartmouth (10 Points): Lost to Yale on the road 5-0, lost to Brown on the road 2-1
T-10. Harvard (10 Points): Lost to Brown on the road 5-3, beat Yale on the road 1-0
- Atlantic Hockey Standings
1. Sacred Heart (34 Points): Split with Bentley with 4-3 win on the road, 3-2 OT loss at home
2. AIC (28 Points): Split with Air Force on the road with 6-2 loss, 4-1 win
3. RIT (27 Points): Lost to Niagara on the road 3-1
4. Holy Cross (24 Points): Split with Army on the road with 3-0 loss, 3-1 win
5. Air Force (23 Points): Split with AIC at home with 6-2 win, 4-1 loss
T-6. Bentley (21 Points): Split with Sacred Heart with 4-3 loss at home, 3-2 OT win on the road
T-6. Canisius (21 Points): Beat Mercyhurst at home 4-1
T-6. Mercyhurst (21 Points): Lost to Canisius on the road 4-1
9. Niagara (18 Points): Beat RIT at home 3-1
10. Army (14 Points): Split with Holy Cross at home with 3-0 win, 3-1 loss
11. Robert Morris (12 Points): Swept by Minnesota on the road with 4-2, 4-1 losses
- Independent Roundup
Alaska: Tied Alaska-Anchorage at home 2-2 OT, secured the Governors Cup for the 13th Straight Season
Alaska-Anchorage: Tied Alaska on the road 2-2 OT
Arizona State: Swept By Cornell at home with 3-2 OT, 4-1 losses
Augustana: No games scheduled
Lindenwood: "Swept by" Wisconsin on the road with 5-0 loss, 3-3 OT tie
Long Island: Swept Colgate at home with 3-2 OT, 3-2 OT wins
Stonehill: Swept by Michigan on the road with 12-4, 7-1 losses
- Hobey Baker Award Watchlist
1. Jack Devine, Jr. Forward, Denver; 18 goals (1st in NCAA), 15 assists (T-32nd), 33 points (T-2nd), 7 power play goals (T-5th), 1.50 points/game (7th)
2. Collin Graf, Jr. Forward, Quinnipiac; 14 goals (T-8th), 17 assists (T-14th), 31 points (4th), 1.94 points/game (1st), +19 plus/minus rating (T-3rd)
3. Massimo Rizzo, Jr. Forward, Denver; 9 goals, 25 assists (2nd), 34 points (1st), 1.55 points/game (5th), +19 plus/minus rating (2nd)
4. Macklin Celebrini, Fr. Forward, Boston University; 13 goals (T-15th), 16 assists (T-22nd), 29 points (T-6th), 1.71 points/game (2nd)
5. Jimmy Snuggerud, So. Forward, Minnesota; 17 goals (T-2nd), 7 assists, 24 points (T-26th), 1.09 points/game (T-40th), 3 game-winning goals (T-12th)
Honorable Mentions: Dylan Wendt (Western Michigan), Seamus Casey (Michigan), Zeev Buium (Denver), Gabe Perrault (Boston College), and Kyle McClellan (Wisconsin).
- Mike Richter Award Watchlist (Stats Per Qualified Goaltenders in NCAA)
1. Kyle McClellan, Sr., Wisconsin; 17-4-0 record (1st in NCAA in wins), 1.67 GAA (1st), 6 shutouts (1st), and .939 SV% (1st)
2. Ryan Bischel, Gr., Notre Dame; 11-11-2 record (T-11th), 2.44 GAA (20th), three shutouts (T-2nd), and .926 SV% (4th), 718 saves (3rd)
3. Jacob Fowler, Fr., Boston College; 14-4-1 record (T-2nd), 2.20 GAA (9th), one shutout (T-18th), and .925 SV % (5th)
4. TJ Semptimphelter, So., Arizona State; 14-5-3 (2nd), 2.39 GAA (18th), three shutouts (T-2nd), .915 SV% (T-18th), 560 saves (9th)
5. Jake Sibell, So., St. Thomas; 7-4-0 record (T-30th), 1.85 GAA (4th), and .934 SV% (2nd)
Honorable Mentions: Trey Augustine (Michigan State), Ludvig Persson (North Dakota), Jakob Hellsten (New Hampshire), Ian Shane (Cornell), and Cameron Rowe (Western Michigan)
