ECH Weekend Review: March 15-17
written By Alex Berger & Ariana OTTRANDO - March 21, 2024:After over six months and thousands of games, we've already made it to the final weekend of the conference postseason tournaments. It has been an incredible season to cover, and it still seems like any of the 20 teams still alive could make a run to the Frozen Four. Although there are some favorites, there has been more parity across college hockey this year than seemingly any other, making for some exciting games through the postseason so far.
This past weekend saw that action ramp up, as we saw a total of three game three's along with eight single-elimination games across the Big Ten, CCHA, and Hockey East. From here on out that's all we'll see, with 12 total games and six trophies up for grabs this weekend. You can find every postseason bracket later on in this review, along with highlights from last weekend's action in all six conferences (Plus a more in-depth recap on #2 Boston University vs. Northeastern in Hockey East quarterfinals, thanks to our ECH reporter, Ariana Ottrando).
Sadly, this marks the last weekend review of the season. After this our attention shifts to our larger NCAA Tournament and Frozen Four preview, along with some other end-of-season articles. From behind the screen, I wanted to say thank you for supporting Everything College Hockey and our blogs for our first (full) season. Hopefully you all enjoy the overload of stats and season-long tracking as much as I do. If not, make sure to let us know what you want to see added for next season!
- #19 St. Cloud and #10 Omaha Win Game Threes, Advance to 'Frozen Faceoff'
We'll start in the NCHC, where two separate matchups went to game three. To make it more dramatic, all four teams were right on the Pairwise bubble (#11, 12, 13 and 17 entering the weekend). A sweep would likely guarantee a spot in the NCAA tournament for some teams, and end the season for the other.
We'll start in St. Cloud, where Everything College Hockey was at the Herb Brooks Center to watch the Huskies take on #13 Western Michigan. Although the Broncos were ranked higher in both the ECH rankings and Pairwise, they were the road team (WMU went just 11-13-0 in conference this season). St. Cloud's special teams carried them in game one, scoring twice on the power play and once shorthanded in a 5-2 win. But on Saturday night Western Michigan responded, scoring six-straight goals in a 6-1 series-clinching win.
That set up a deciding game three on Sunday, with the Huskies' season on the line on home ice. But SCSU put doubt on the result very early in the game, passing circles around the Broncos to go up 3-0 after just 11 minutes. Veeti Miettinen, Jack, Rogers, and Barrett Hall all scored beautiful goals, either on a breakaway or after great passing plays. Western Michigan scored 19 seconds after going down by three, but another pair of St. Cloud goals in the second period cemented their spot in the Frozen Faceoff. After the loss the Broncos are now 99% likely to make the tournament, but will have to wait another week for their fate.
Then in Colorado Springs, the #8 CC and #10 Omaha met for a top-ten postseason matchup. In a series featuring the conferences two best goaltenders, Kaidan Mbereko and Simon Latkoczy, it's not surprising that the teams combined for just 14 goals in three games. The lone overtime of the three three-game series was on Friday night, when the Tigers scored twice in the third period (including once with the net pulled) to send the game to overtime. Gleb Veremyev scored the game-winner for Colorado College on their 50th shot of the game.
Omaha got heavily outshot in game two again, but scored twice on the power play and got 39 saves from Latkoczy in a 3-1 win.
It was true playoff hockey on Sunday night. Two heavy forechecking teams with great goaltenders, battling it out to keep their conference playoffs hopes alive. Colorado College got the scoring started in the first period with a power play goal from Klavs Veinbergs, albeit on a weak penalty call on UNO's Brock Bremer. After getting a goal waved off, Omaha would eventually tie the game at 1-1 late in the second with a goal from Jimmy Glynn. The senior beat Mbereko with a backhander through the five-hole off of a great pass from Jesse Landsdell.
Tied heading into the third period the play tightened up, as the teams combined for just 17 shots on goal. After back-and-forth action both ways, the Mavericks broke the deadlock. Bremer broke the puck out with a cross-ice pass to Griffin Ludtke, who skated up the ice and into the CC zone. Ludtke then foound Bremer with another cross-ice pass, and the senior skated into the slot and fired it past Mbereko's blocker. Despite over two minutes of 6-on-5 play from the Tigers that would be the final goal of the game, as Omaha held on for a 2-1 series-clinching win.
The Mavericks have now advanced to their first Frozen Faceoff ever and their first appearance in their conference semifinals since the 2001 season. They'll now play North Dakota in the first game of the weekend, another team that has not-so-great success in the conference playoffs (3-9 all time). In the other semifinal the Huskies will take on Denver, a meeting between two of the most prolific NCHC postseason teams (Denver has made all 11 Frozen Faceoffs, St. Cloud has six championship game appearances).
Via: @OmahaHKY on Twitter
- AIC's Wallstrom Posts 44 Saves in Game Three Win
In the only other game three of the weekend, Holy Cross and American International met in Worcester for their semifinal series in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs. After a 5-2 win on Friday night, it looked like Holy Cross — the two seed — was in control to advance to their second-straight conference championship game.
The problem for the Crusaders is that they were playing against Nils Wallstrom, one of the hottest goaltenders in the country right now. After an off night on Friday, the freshman posted a 32-save shutout to lead his team to a 3-0 win. Including Sunday's win, Wallstrom is 6-2-1 with a 1.62 GAA, .950 SV%, and a shutout in his last nine games.
Wallstrom's best performance came in that game three win. The Swedish freshman made a season-high 44 saves to lead American International to a nail-biting 3-1 win. It was another Swede who got the scoring started in the second period, as Theo Angesved made a great move at the blue line and fired a shot from the circle for the game's first goal. AIC made it a 2-0 lead a few minutes later, as Dario Beljo scored on a shot from the slot just as a Yellow Jackets' power play was expiring.
After going up by two, Wallstrom and AIC had to hang on for dear life against Holy Cross. They were outshot 34-13 in the final 40 minutes, but the Crusaders could only find one goal (a Liam McLinskey snipe off of the draw, tying the Atlantic Hockey record for career playoff goals). Despite giving up the one goal, American International held on and got an empty-net goal with just over two minutes left in the game, icing an eventual 3-1 win.
On the other side of the bracket, RIT posted a weekend sweep over Niagara with 4-1 and 5-2 wins. Another one of the conference's top goaltenders, Tommy Scarfone, posted a great weekend between the pipes. The Mike Richter Award finalist made 63 saves in the pair of wins, allowing just one five-on-five goal.
Like the CCHA, next weekend's conference championship will feature two teams on the outside looking in for the NCAAs. Both RIT and AIC come into the game on differing paths. The Tigers haven't made the tournament since 2016, and are looking to capitalize on back-to-back regular-season titles. On the other hand, American International has become a sort-of mainstay in final the 16, searching for their fifth NCAA appearance in the last six years.
- #15 Massachusetts Beats #14 Providence in Hockey East Quarterfinals
After a trio of higher-seed wins last Wednesday, the home-ice advantage continued in the Hockey East quarterfinal round. #1 Boston College, #2 Boston University, and #9 Maine all advanced to the semifinals at TD Garden in vastly different ways.
Boston University got a huge goal from Macklin Celebrini 26 seconds after Northeastern cut the lead to one in the 3rd, hanging on for a 4-2 win over the Huskies. Then in the fourth 'Border Battle' of the season, Maine ended New Hampshire's tourney hopes with a 5-0 win, including three more goals from the Nadeau brothers. Then in the nightcap down in Comm. Ave., the Eagles survived a late scare from Connecticut. The Huskies scored three goals in the first five minutes of the third period to tie the game, but Jack Malone stopped the momentum with the eventual game-winner.
However the most-important quarterfinal was in Providence, where the Friars hosted the Minutemen for a potential season-ending game for both teams. Entering the weekend the teams were at #14 and #15 in the Pairwise, respectively, and a loss would likely bounce the team out of the projected NCAA Tournament field.
Both teams were looking for a big jump in the "elimination" game, and the road team won their battles in the first five minutes. Just 67 seconds in, UMass caused a turnover on the forecheck and the puck bounced to Lucas Mercuri behind the net. The junior fed a no-look pass through two defenseman to Ryan Lautenbach, who fired a one-timer past Philip Svedeback for the opening goal. Minutes later the Minutemen won another toss up, getting an offensive zone draw to Ryan Ufko. The defenseman fired a shot from the blue line through a near five-player screen, getting the lead to 2-0.
Down by two, Providence responded with 14 shots on goal in the first period alone. But besides that, the Friars struggled to get any sustained offensive pressure. Part of the issue was their inability to stay out of the penalty box. Although their penalty kill went 5-for-5, the special teams play likely disrupted the flow of the two teams.
The Minutemen may not have scored a power play goal, but they did score one just seconds after a Friar got out of the box. After a block in front of their own net Providence attempted to clear, but a late flying Kenny Connors deflected the puck back towards Svedeback for the 3-0 lead. The home team got a spark seconds later, drawing a penalty and pulling the goalie for a 6-4 draw with just over five minutes left in the game. Off of a set faceoff play the Friars got the puck to Hudson Malinoski, who blasted a one-timer past Michael Hrabal for their first goal of the game. But the extra-attacker goal would be the final of the game. Massachusetts held on for a 3-1 win, sending them onto the Hockey East semifinals and back into the NCAA Tournament field.
Via: @UMasshockey on Twitter
The loss was two-fold for Providence, who not only are out of the conference postseason but also done for the season. They now rank #17 in the Pairwise, and according to College Hockey News have a 0% chance to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Massachusetts will now move on to a loaded semifinal round at TD Garden which includes four tournament teams and three of our top-ten teams. Boston College will take on Massachusetts in the first semifinal on Friday afternoon, followed by Boston University vs. Maine in the nightcap. With a great atmosphere and talented players on all four teams, any college hockey fan in the northeast should try to get to those games.
- #2 Boston University Advances To Hockey East Semifinals For 2nd-Straight Year
Staying within the conference, No. 2 Boston University will face off at TD Garden for its second straight Hockey East Semifinals next weekend. For the fourth “Battle for Top Dog” of the season, including the Beanpot championship, the Terriers beat the Northeastern University Huskies 4-2 on home ice Saturday afternoon — marking the end of NU’s season and NCAA playoff aspirations.
“We had a pretty good feeling we were going to see [NU] again at some point, and we had that opportunity tonight,” said Boston University head coach Jay Pandolfo post-game. “I think our guys responded very well, so it was great to see. It gives your team confidence going into the Semifinals.”
After securing the second seed in the conference for the regular season, BU naturally punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a bye. Finishing middle of the pack at #7 due to a long stretch of injury, Northeastern hosted #10 Merrimack Wednesday for the opening round and came away with a 4-0 shutout victory behind freshman goaltender Cameron Whitehead’s 22 saves and a combined nine points from the top line.
“The hardest part is I think we’re a team that should be playing in a couple of weeks, and that’s what’s disappointing,” said Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe. “Our start to the season in Hockey East was a disaster, quite frankly, and that put us in this situation.”
The first twenty minutes of the matchup was fairly even from both parties. The Huskies sustained the pressure from BU’s top offensive weapons in Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson for a scoreless opening period. While the scoreboard was bare headed into first intermission, BU put up 11 shots over NU’s 4.
The Boston rivals continued at a stalemate until nine seconds from the midway point in regulation when the Terriers struck first. In a 1-2-3 play off the boards, BU’s Jack Hughes and Ryan Greene set up Quinn Hutson, hanging all alone in the low slot, for that ever-important first notch and the Terriers led 1-0.
BU went on to score two more unanswered goals in the second period, for a goal deficit of three, before Northeastern was able to respond with a goal of its own: the second generated from senior forward Luke Tuch on the 27.9% power play and third by graduate defender Case McCarthy at even-strength.
“It’s huge, that helped us gain momentum,” said Pandolfo of McCarthy’s goal. “We wanted our d[efense] to stay out and time it before they came in, and that’s exactly what happened. [McCarthy’s] got a great shot and he finished it off.”
Under a minute post the Terriers’ third tally, Northeastern captain Justin Hryckowian got the Huskies on the board for a 3-1 game going into the final push. After an attempted one-timer by the junior went wide, BU’s junior goaltender Mathieu Caron anticipated the rebound from linemate Dylan Hryckowian before he fed it back for his brother — giving Justin a wide open target from the left dot for NU’s first of the night.
“They were a special group, those three playing together,” said Keefe of Northeastern’s top line in the Hryckowians and Alex Campbell. “They were as good, in my opinion, as any line in the country.”
The intensity for both Terrier and Husky fans was palpable at the opening faceoff for period three, with BU sitting on a two-goal lead. The score stood at 3-1 after the Huskies failed to score on their sole man-advantage of the frame and neither team produced on 4-on-4 — that is, until Justin Hryckowian showed up on the big stage yet again.
With under five minutes remaining of regulation, NU’s point-leader roofed a backhand from behind the goal line to cut the lead to one. Agganis Arena went silent except for the visiting Huskies’ section erupting into cheer.
But the possibility of the Huskies upsetting the Terriers for a third time this season evaporated 26 seconds later when BU’s Celebrini shot a laser from the high slot, and they returned to a two-goal hole. The notch marked the freshman’s 30th on the season, ranking second in the nation under BC’s Cutter Gauthier with 32.
“We fought back — to go down by three goals is a hard thing to do and we got it 3-2,” said Keefe. “[BU] finished on a couple of mistakes and that was the difference in the game.”
Given that BU was guaranteed a spot in the national tournament regardless of win or loss makes Northeastern’s downfall all the more sour for Husky fans. Coming into the do-or-die contest at No. 19 in the Pairwise, NU fell just short of its postseason goals to squeeze in. Instead, No. 2 BU will take on No. 3 Maine in the Semifinals this upcoming Friday.
“Closing games in the third period like today,” said BU captain McCarthy. “Playing on our toes, not playing on your heels — it’s going to be huge for us going down the stretch because everybody’s fighting for their life. We have to bring that same pace and energy that we brought tonight.”
- #3 Michigan State To Host Rival #12 Michigan For Big Ten Championship
For the first time ever, Michigan State will play in a Big Ten championship game. The Spartans may have gotten an easy road to the title, getting a first-round bye and facing the conferences 7th seed, but they still had their hands full on Saturday with an Ohio State team peaking at the right time. Entering the weekend the Buckeyes were 5-4-0 in their last nine games. One of those was against Michigan State, a statement 6-2 win just a week after OSU swept then #5 Wisconsin.
A big part of Ohio State's great form of late was the play of goaltender Logan Terness. The senior once again posted a great performance, making multiple highlight-reel saves and keeping Michigan State to just two goals in the game. But Terness was just one part of a great goaltending matchup, as MSU's Trey Augustine continued his great freshman season with 37 saves in his first career playoff game.
A big part of the semifinal was reviews, a combined three total in the game. As a result, both teams had a goal taken off of the board, the biggest of which came in the third period. Minutes after a back-and-forth 30 seconds which saw Ohio State tie the game and Michigan State regain the 2-1 lead, it appeared that OSU had scored to make it 2-2. But a challenge by the Spartans found that the play was offsides, taking away the goal. The Buckeyes pressed for another goal with 16 total shots in the third but couldn't get another one past Augustine.
The 2-1 win not only means Michigan State will not only play for the Big Ten championship for the first time, but they will also be hosting the game. It's a return to glory for fans at Munn Ice Arena, who before last weekend's hadn't seen a home playoff game in 14 years.
Via: @MSU_Hockey on Twitter
You couldn't ask for a better opponent in the title game for the Spartans, as they'll face their rival Michigan in a championship game for the first time since 2002. The Wolverines -- who have been on or outside the Pairwise bubble for most of the season -- have really found the stride down the stretch. They continued the momentum into Mariucci late Saturday night, taking a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the game on a goal from Kienan Draper. That lead would eventually stretch to 2-0 late in the second, as Gavin Brindley beat Justen Close on a breakaway with a shot past the blocker.
The Gophers seemed a step off all night, giving away turnovers in their own end and missing the net in Michigan’s zone. Jimmy Snuggerud would cut the lead to one with 90 seconds left with a 6-on-5 goal, but Minnesota couldn't find the equalizer. It was the third-straight year the Wolverines knocked the Gophers out of the Big Ten Tournament on home ice.
After four-straight wins Michigan is now #10 in the Pairwise, and according to CHN are guaranteed to make the NCAAs for the fourth-straight season (Michigan was removed from the tournament in 2021 for COVID protocols). Now, they'll head on the road to face their biggest rival in a search for their third-straight Big Ten championship. Although the Spartans have a 3-1-0 lead in the season series, the one game the Wolverines won was at the Munn. There will be more than just a title on the line on Saturday night between these longtime rivals.
- Michigan Tech Wins Semifinal With Last-Second Goal, Set For CCHA Title Game With BSU
The wildest game of the weekend was in Houghton, where Michigan Tech welcomed in Minnesota State for a semifinal featuring two of the most consistent programs in the recent history of the WCHA/CCHA. For the first time in a while, both of these teams find themselves outside of the tournament in late March.
With each team needing a win to keep their season alive, the back-and-forth action began early. Mavericks' forward Lucas Sowder scored the opening goal in the first period, and Minnesota State was either trailing or tied for most of the game. The teams traded goals until the early third, when the Mavericks recaptured a 3-2 lead.
The craziness began with five minutes left in the game. It began on the power play, as the Huskies got the puck down towards the crease on a shot from Ryland Mosley. Although Alex Tracy made the initial save, a scramble in front of the net led a Minnesota State defenseman to briefly cover the puck with his hand in the crease. The officials awarded a penalty shot, getting the 3,500 at MacInnes to their feet. Logan Pietila got the nod and capitalized, beating Tracy on the glove side for the game-tying goal.
As time on the third period wound down, it looked like the Huskies had one more chance with an offensive-zone faceoff with 15 seconds left. Although Minnesota State won the draw and tried to clear, the puck bounced off a Michigan Tech player and onto the stick of Logan Pietila. The graduate senior fired the puck towards the net, clanking off the back wall and straight up into the air. Although both Tracy and a Mavericks' player tracked the puck, a weird bounce sent the puck off the goalie's head and right into the back of the net, giving MTU the game-winning goal with just nine seconds left in the game.
Although it took a little luck, Michigan Tech has finally gotten over the hump in the Mason Cup. Despite making the NCAA Tournament in both 2022 and 2023, the Huskies lost in the semifinal round both years. This will be their first conference championship game since 2018, their second of back-to-back titles in the WCHA.
In the other semifinal, top-seeded Bemidji State continued their 11-game unbeaten streak with a 4-1 win over Lake Superior State. Freshman defenseman Eric Pohlkamp got the party going right away, scoring with a twisted wrister 1:48 into the game for his 11th goal of the season. After going up 3-0 the Beavers defense posted one of their best games of the season, holding the Lakers to just 14 total shots.
The Beavers and Huskies will now meet in Bemidji for a single-game championship. The winner not only wins a trophy but will get the conference's lone bid to the NCAA Tournament, likely to play #1 Boston College. So far this season the Huskies have the slight advantage, going 2-1-1 with a shootout loss. The last time these two teams played at Bemidji State was all the back in November, when the teams split a weekend series (BSU won on Friday 4-2, MTU won on Saturday 6-4).
- #6 Quinnipiac Rolls Through Rensselaer, Set For ECAC Semifinals
The most straightforward conference tournament (so far) has been in the ECAC, where the higher seeds have advanced six of the eight times. One of those two upsets was this past weekend when St. Lawrence beat Colgate on the road with a pair of 3-2 wins (including a double-overtime thriller in game one of the series.
As the top team in the conference Quinnipiac got to play Rensselaer, who advanced after an upset win over Clarkson in the first round. The #6 team in the country took care of business with a pair of dominant wins. Game two was a bit closer -- as the Engineers tied the game with a pair of goals late in the second period -- but the Bobcats pulled away with a 5-2 win.
Collin Graf and Jacob Quillan started their postseason runs off on a hot start, combining for seven points in the sweep. Last year the pair combined for 29 points in Quinnipiac's seven playoff games (ECAC + NCAA tournaments), good for a combined mark of 4.14/game. The Bobcats will be a tough team to play if they can match that scoring pace from 2023.
Quinnipiac's top-scoring pair will get their next chance this coming weekend against St. Lawrence at the ECAC semifinals in Lake Placid. In the other game, #2 seed Cornell will take on Dartmouth. For teams on the NCAA bubble, this tournament will be the one of the most important to keep an eye on. One loss by Quinnipiac would (likely) take away another at-large bid, lowering the Pairwise cut line from 14 to 13. Things are still changing, but the ECAC is the most-likely conference for an upset like that to happen.
- NCHC Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. North Dakota (49 Points)
2. Denver (45 Points)
T-3. St. Cloud State (41 Points)
T-3. Colorado College (41 Points)
5. Omaha (40 Points)
6. Western Michigan (37 Points)
7. Minnesota-Duluth (28 Points)
8. Miami (7 Points)
- - - - -
- Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#1 North Dakota swept #8 Miami at home with 5-1, 7-1 wins
#2 Denver swept #7 Minnesota-Duluth at home with 4-0, 5-2 wins
#3 St. Cloud beat #6 Western Michigan at home with 5-2 win, 6-1 loss, 5-1 win
#5 Omaha beat #4 Colorado College on the road with 4-3 OT loss, 3-1 win, 2-1 win
- Semifinals (Single Elimination) at Xcel Energy Center
#1 North Dakota vs. #5 Omaha
#2 Denver vs. #3 St. Cloud
- Big Ten Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. Michigan State (52 Points)
2. Wisconsin (50 Points)
3. Minnesota (41 Points)
4. Michigan (36 Points)
5. Notre Dame (31 Points)
6. Penn State (27 Points)
7. Ohio State (15 Points)
- - - - -
- Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#7 Ohio State beat #2 Wisconsin on the road with 3-1 win, 4-2 loss, 3-1 win
#3 Minnesota swept #6 Penn State at home with 5-1, 3-2 wins
#4 Michigan swept #5 Notre Dame at home with 5-4, 4-3 wins
- Semifinals (Single Elimination)
#1 Michigan State beat #7 Ohio State at home 2-1
#4 Michigan beat #3 Minnesota on the road 2-1
- Championship Game (Single Elimination)
#1 Michigan State hosts #4 Michigan
- CCHA Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. Bemidji State (48 Points)
T-2. Michigan Tech (39 Points)
T-2. St. Thomas (39 Points)
4. Minnesota State (38 Points)
5. Northern Michigan (36 Points)
6. Bowling Green (35 Points)
7. Lake Superior (34 Points)
8. Ferris State (19 Points)
- - - - -
- Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#1 Bemidji State swept #8 Ferris State at home with 5-4 OT, 4-0 wins
#7 Lake Superior beat #2 St. Thomas on the road with 4-1 win, 4-2 loss, 3-2 win
#3 Michigan Tech swept #6 Bowling Green at home with 5-0, 6-5 wins
#4 Minnesota State swept #5 Northern Michigan at home with 2-1, 6-1 wins
- Semifinals (Single Elimination)
#1 Bemidji State beat #7 Lake Superior at home 4-1
#3 Michigan Tech beat #4 Minnesota State at home 4-3
- Championship Game (Single Elimination)
#1 Bemidji State hosts #3 Michigan Tech
- Hockey East Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. Boston College (61 Points): Beat Merrimack on the road 6-4
2. Boston University (57 Points): Beat Providence on the road 4-2, beat Vermont at home 6-1
3. Maine (44 Points): Swept Massachusetts at home with 2-1, 4-3 wins
4. Providence (38 Points): Lost to Boston University at home 4-2, "beat" Northeastern at home 4-3 SO
T-5. Massachusetts (36 Points): Swept by Maine on the road with 2-1, 4-3 losses
T-5. New Hampshire (36 Points): Swept UMass-Lowell with 4-0 win on the road, 4-0 win at home
7. Northeastern (30 Points): "Lost to" Providence on the road 4-3 SO
8. Connecticut (29 Points): Beat Vermont at home 5-1
9. Vermont (26 Points): Lost to Connecticut on the road 5-1, lost to Boston University on the road 6-1
10. Merrimack (21 Points): Lost to Boston College at home 6-4
11. UMass-Lowell (18 Points): Swept by New Hampshire with 4-0 loss at home, 4-0 loss on the road
- - - - -
- First Round (Single Elimination)
#6 New Hampshire beat #11 UMass-Lowell at home 1-0
#7 Northeastern beat #10 Merrimack at home 4-0
#8 Connecticut beat #9 Vermont at home 4-1
- Quarterfinals (Single Elimination)
#1 Boston College beat #8 Connecticut at home 5-4
#2 Boston University beat #7 Northeastern at home 4-2
#3 Maine beat #6 New Hampshire at home 5-0
#5 Massachusetts beat #4 Providence on the road 3-1
- Semifinals (Single Elimination) at T.D. Garden
#1 Boston College vs. #5 Massachusetts
#2 Boston University vs. #3 Maine
- ECAC Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. Quinnipiac (54 Points)
2. Cornell (44 Points)
3. Colgate (43 Points)
4. Dartmouth (37 Points)
5. Clarkson (36 Points)
6. Union (32 Points)
7. St. Lawrence (29 Points)
8. Harvard (28 Points)
T-9. Princeton (25 Points)
T-9. Yale (25 Points)
11. Brown (22 Points)
12. Rensselaer (21 Points)
- - - - -
- First Round (Single Elimination)
#12 Rensselaer beat #5 Clarkson on the road 3-2
#6 Union beat #11 Brown at home 6-0
#7 St. Lawrence beat #10 Yale at home 4-2
#8 Harvard beat #9 Princeton at home 1-0
- Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#1 Quinnipiac swept #12 Rensselaer at home with 5-1, 5-2 wins
#2 Cornell swept #8 Harvard at home with 4-3, 4-1 wins
#7 St. Lawrence swept #3 Colgate on the road with 3-2 2OT, 3-2 wins
#4 Dartmouth swept #6 Union at home with 3-1, 4-2 wins
- Semifinals (Single Elimination) at Herb Brooks Arena
#1 Quinnipiac vs. #7 St. Lawrence
#2 Cornell vs. #4 Dartmouth
- Atlantic Hockey Final Standings / Postseason Bracket
1. RIT (54 Points)
2. Holy Cross (46 Points)
3. Sacred Heart (45 Points)
4. Air Force (44 Points)
5. AIC (42 Points)
T-6. Niagara (41 Points)
T-6. Bentley (41 Points)
8. Canisius (33 Points)
9. Mercyhurst (30 Points)
10. Army (28 Points)
11. Robert Morris (25 Points)
- - - - -
- First Round (Single Elimination)
#11 Robert Morris beats #6 Bentley on the road 4-3 OT
#7 Niagara beats #10 Army at home 4-1
#8 Canisius beats #9 Mercyhurst at home 5-2
- Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#1 RIT swept #11 Robert Morris at home with 7-0, 5-1 wins
#2 Holy Cross swept #8 Canisius at home with 4-3, 2-1 2OT wins
#7 Niagara swept #3 Sacred Heart on the road with 6-3, 5-1 wins
#5 American International swept #4 Air Force on the road with 3-1, 3-2 OT wins
- Semifinals (Best-of-Three Series)
#1 RIT swept #7 Niagara at home with 4-1, 5-2 wins
#5 American International beat #2 Holy Cross on the road with 5-2 loss, 3-0 win, 3-1 win
- Championship Game (Single Elimination)
#1 RIT hosts #5 American International
- Independent Roundup
Alaska: No games scheduled
Alaska-Anchorage: No games scheduled
Arizona State: No games scheduled
Augustana: No games scheduled
Lindenwood: No games scheduled
Long Island: No games scheduled
Stonehill: No games scheduled
- Hobey Baker Award Watchlist
1. Macklin Celebrini, Fr. Forward, Boston University; 30 goals (2nd in NCAA), 25 assists (T-29th), 55 points (3rd), 1.67 points/game (T-1st)
2. Jackson Blake, So. Forward, North Dakota; 21 goals (T-13th), 36 assists (4th), 57 points (2nd), 1.50 points/game (7th), 5 GWG (T-8th)
3. Cutter Gauthier, So. Forward, Boston College; 32 goals (1st), 20 assists, 52 points (5th), 1.49 points/game (8th), 9 GWG (1st)
4. Jack Devine, Jr. Forward, Denver; 27 goals (3rd), 27 assists (T-17th), 54 points (4th), 1.42 points/game (T-9th)
5. Will Smith, Fr. Forward, Boston College; 18 goals (T-25th), 40 assists (1st), 58 points (1st), 1.66 points/game (3rd)
Honorable Mentions: Collin Graf, (Quinnipiac), Gabe Perreault (Boston College), Rutger McGroarty (Michigan), Gavin Brindley (Michigan), and Lane Hutson (Boston University)
- Mike Richter Award Watchlist (Stats Per Qualified Goaltenders in NCAA)
1. Kyle McClellan, Sr., Wisconsin; 24-11-1 record (T-3rd in NCAA in wins), 1.92 GAA (T-2nd), 7 shutouts (1st), .931 SV% (T-1st), and 924 saves (11th)
2. Ian Shane, Jr., Cornell; 19-4-6 (T-11th wins, 2nd fewest losses in NCAA), 1.68 GAA (1st), 3 shutouts (T-9th), and .921 SV% (T-10th)
3. Justen Close, Gr., Minnesota; 21-9-5 (T-5th), 2.33 GAA (17th), 4 shutouts (T-4th), .923 SV% (T-6th), and 986 saves (6th)
4. Trey Augustine, Fr. Michigan State; 21-8-2 (T-5th), 2.86 GAA (T-48th), 3 shutouts (T-9th), .919 SV% (T-13th), and 1,016 saves (3rd)
5. Jacob Fowler, Fr., Boston College; 27-5-1 (1st), 2.23 GAA (12th), 2 shutouts (T-19th), and .923 SV% (T-6th)
Honorable Mentions: Kaidan Mbereko (Colorado College), Tommy Scarfone (RIT), Ryan Bischel (Notre Dame), Vinny Duplessis (Quinnipiac), and Jake Sibell (St. Thomas)
