ECH Regular Season Preview: Independents
written By Alex Berger - October 4th, 2023Picking a nonconference team to follow is one of the greatest joys of a die-hard college hockey fan. Whether it's your primary team, or a secondary team you follow, these independents have some of the coolest mascots, jerseys, arenas, and players anywhere in the country. We've also seen how a team can unite an entire fanbase. With Alaska on the cusp of an NCAA bid, Everything College Hockey fans from across the country cheered the Nanooks on as they fell just short of the tournament.
Something that's different about these six independents is that they are distinct in terms of the direction their programs are heading. From Arizona State, who will join the NCHC in 2024; to Alaska-Anchorage, who is legitimately playing to keep it's program alive. Then you have teams like Stonehill, who are still working to figure out what exactly they are. All of these teams have one common goal, however, and that’s to win the Independent Cup.
- Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks
Record/Conference Finish: 22-10-2; N/A
Goals/Game: 3.06/game (T-20th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 2.18/game (T-4th)
Power Play: 15.9% (T-46th)
Penalty Kill: 81.2% (30th)
Three Biggest Returners: Johnny Sorenson (Forward; 10 goals - 18 assists - 28 points), Payton Matsui (Forward; 9-19-28), and Brady Risk (13-10-23)
Three Biggest Departures: Garrett Pyke (Defenseman; Captain, 4-15-19, +14), Matt Radomsky (Goalie; 22-10-2, 2.05 GAA), and Simon Falk (Forward; 9-2-11)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Incoming Freshman William Lawson-Body (Forward; 16-32-48 in 52 games in NAHL in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
One year removed from uniting Everything College Hockey fans across the country, the Alaska Nanooks return 10 of their 11 top scorers from last season and are gearing up for another run at an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. Down the stretch last season Alaska went 13-3-0, with one of those losses coming on the road to #1 ranked Denver. The game that sank them was a 3-1 loss at Long Island in February, which left them just .0014 Pairwise percentage points away from beating Merrimack for the final at-large bid.
Team-leading point scorers Johnny Sorenson (10-18-28) and Payton Matsui (9-19-28) return for their graduate senior and junior years, respectively. Also returning is Brady Risk, who led the Nanooks with 13 goals last season. Alaska is a very rounded team offensively, and adds another underrated piece in William Lawson-Body from the NAHL. The big loss they'll have to replace is Garrett Pyke, who transferred to North Dakota through the transfer portal. Pyke, Alaska's captain last season, led all Nanooks' defensemen in points (19) and plus/minus rating (+14).
The biggest x-factor for Alaska this season is their schedule. Because they are an independent, they can only qualify for the NCAA Tournament through an automatic bid. As long as they stay .500 or better through the first half of the season, they should be well set up for Pairwise success. Some teams on the schedule this season include Denver, St. Cloud State, Michigan Tech, and North Dakota; all of which will be near the top of the rankings by the end of the season. A string of wins against those teams would give them plenty of momentum into the second-half of the season, where their non-conference schedule starts. When all is said and done, Alaska could be flying into the danger zone of the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.
- Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves
Record/Conference Finish: 8-19-1; N/A
Goals/Game: 2.36/game (T-47th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 3.79/game (T-59th)
Power Play: 14% (55th)
Penalty Kill: 75.7% (58th)
Three Biggest Returners: Maximilion Helgeson (Forward; 11 goals - 11 assists - 22 points), Ben Almquist (Forward; 6-14-20), and William Gilson (Defenseman; 6-8-14)
Three Biggest Departures: Derek Hamelin (Defenseman; 0-10-10, +1), Caleb Hite (Forward; 5-6-11), and Nolan Kent (Goalie; 4-8-0, 3.13 GAA, .906 SV%)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Incoming Freshman Mitch Lafay (Forward; 21-30-51 in 52 games in OJHL in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
Head coach Matt Shasby returns for his second season behind the bench in Alaska-Anchorage and looks to continue the Seawolves' program in a positive direction. After not playing in 2020-'21 (and going a combined 11-79-14 in their final three seasons in the WCHA), Alaska-Anchorage posted a 8-19-1 season last year, their highest win total in a year since 2015-'16.
A big addition (literally) to the Seawolves roster this season is Mitch LaFay, a 6'6", 210 lbs. forward who posted nearly a point-per-game in the OJHL last season. Not only is he big and a point scorer, LaFay was his team's captain and led the Trenton Golden Hawks to a second-place finish. He'll be a great piece for Alaska-Anchorage to build on for years to come.
Sadly, every season is doubly important for Alaska-Anchorage now, as they are just three years removed from being on the brink of elimination. After the university voted to cut the hockey program due to budget cuts, millions of dollars were raised to keep Seawolves alive. Over the offseason, plans were put in place to build a brand-new, 3,000-seat arena on campus. Although nothing is official, a second step forward this season would be a huge momentum boost in getting a new stadium built. College hockey fans across the country can unite around an underdog, and Alaska-Anchorage fits the bill.
- Arizona State Sun Devils
Record/Conference Finish: 18-21-0; N/A
Goals/Game: 2.95/game (T-24th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 2.87/game (T-32nd)
Power Play: 20.7% (T-23rd)
Penalty Kill: 87.1% (3rd)
Three Biggest Returners: Ty Jackson (Forward; 6 goals - 17 assists - 23 points), Dylan Jackson (Forward; 12-9-21), and TJ Semptimphelter (Goalie; 15-21-0, 2.84 GAA, .913 SV%)
Three Biggest Departures: Robert Mastrosimone (Forward; 11-31-42), Josh Doan (Forward; 16-22-38, Captain), and Demetrios Koumontzis (Forward; 7-11-18, Assistant Captain)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Transfer Senior Alex Young (Forward; 21-18-39 at Colgate in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
Arizona State is one of the biggest programs on the rise in college hockey. They debuted in Mullet Arena last season, the program's brand-new 5,000 seat rink. That move to an NHL arena helped them land an invite to the NCHC in 2024-25, the first time the conference has expanded since it was founded in 2011. That is the best possible move for this young program, and is the next step in expanding college hockey further west.
On the ice, the Sun Devils will have to find a way to replace both Robert Mastrosimone (42 points) and captain Josh Doan (38). Those two led Arizona State in points last season, and both signed pro contracts during the offseason. To help replace that point production (combined 2.07 points/game), Arizona State is bringing in senior Alex Young from Colgate. Young posted 39 points last season, and 31 points the year before that. The San Jose Sharks draft pick should be an immediate impact to compliment twin brothers Ty and Dylan Jackson, who are returning this season after putting up a combined 44 points last year. Also returning is starting-goaltender TJ Semptimphelter (15-21-0, 2.84 GAA). The junior took a big step forward last season and looks to be set up for the same jump again this year. Last but not least, the biggest X factor for the Sundevils has to be Matthew Kopperud, who returns with an A on his sweater this season. Last year he was limited to 14 points in 21 games due to injury trouble, but people forget that Kopperudd put up 35 goals and 24 assists his first two years in Tempe. If he stays healthy, ASU will be scary on the powerplay this year.
Although Arizona State's schedule for 2023-'24 isn't fully complete yet, they do have some intriguing games over the first four months of the season. Some series include road matchups against Miami and Colorado College, and home games against Denver, Northern Michigan, and Cornell. The same strategy that applied to Alaska's season outlook applies to Arizona State as well. String a couple of wins together against those tough conference-affiliated teams, and you're set up well to make a push for an at-large bid during the second half of the season.
- Lindenwood Lions
Record/Conference Finish: 7-22-1; N/A
Goals/Game: 3.07/game (T-20th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 4.47 (61st)
Power Play: 18.3% (37th)
Penalty Kill: 76.3% (T-55th)
Three Biggest Returners: David Gagnon (Forward; 13 goals - 17 assists - 30 points), Kyle Jeffers (Forward; 7-13-20), and Trent Burnham (Goalie; 5-10-1, 4.25 GAA, .901 SV%)
Three Biggest Departures: Hunter Johannes (Forward; 13-16-29), Andy Willis (Forward; 8-15-23), and Ryan Finnegan (Forward; 6-14-20)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Incoming Freshman Jaeden Mercier (Forward; 12-39-51 in 39 games in SJHL in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
After their first full season of Division 1 hockey, the Lindenwood Lions head into 2023-'24 with an optimistic outlook on year two. They return their starting goaltender from last season, sophomore Trent Burnham, who posted decent numbers despite facing over 42 shots per game last. Also returning is Lindenwood's leading point scorer from last season, David Gagnon (30 points), who is poised to lead the Lions again during his junior season.
The same can't be said for his partner in crime Hunter Johannes (29 points). The Lions' second-leading point scorer transferred to North Dakota for his fifth year over the offseason. In fact, Lindenwood lost three of their top four scorers from last season, so they'll need someone other than Gagnon to step up and replace that production.
After facing a gauntlet last season (including games against Minnesota, Michigan, Denver, and North Dakota), Lindenwood signed up for another run against a tough slate of teams this year. So far, their schedule includes a rematch against the Wolverines, a trip to Penn State, and two series' against Western Michigan.
I personally watched Lindenwood twice last year when they visited North Dakota. They play a hard, physical game; almost like they treat every game like the playoffs. They could've easily beat or even swept North Dakota in their series last year (they had leads in both games), something that speaks to the fact that they're a threat on any given night. Head coach Rick Zombo has this program heading in the right direction after year one.
- Long Island Sharks
Record/Conference Finish: 13-22-1; N/A
Goals/Game: 3.36/game (8th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 3.39/game (T-51st)
Power Play: 21.6% (17th)
Penalty Kill: 7.5% (49th)
Three Biggest Returners: Cade Mason (Defenseman; 7 goals - 25 assists - 32 points), Brandon Perrone (Goalie; 7-3-0, 2.84 GAA in 14 games), and Riley Wallack (Forward; 11-9-20)
Three Biggest Departures: Anthony Vincent (Forward; 17-20-37, 1st in points), Adam Goodsir (Forward; 15-19-34, 2nd in points), and Vinnie Purpura (Goalie; 6-19-1, 3.40 GAA)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Transfer Graduate Senior Remy Parker (Forward; 23-12-35 in 29 games at Utica in D3 in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
While putting together this article, the biggest shock to me is that Long Island University is already going into it's fourth(!) season of college hockey this season. To me, it feels like the Sharks just became a program. Maybe it's the fact that they've mainly played out east thus far, or maybe I just need to pay closer attention to the results they've put up.
Heading into this season, Long Island will be without three of it's top four point scorers from last season: Anthony Vincent (37 points), Adam Goodsir (34), and Patriks Marcinkevics (6-21-27). Marcionkevics, a freshman, posted 1.12 points/game and transferred to Michigan Tech during the offseason. The Sharks will also need to replace Vinnie Purpura, their lead goaltender from last season.
Defenseman Cade Mason looks to be the face of Long Island this year. The sophomore posted a team leading 25 assists, 1.23 points/game (32 total) and +8 plus/minus rating last season. He'll team up with fellow sophomore Riley Wallack, who posted 11 goals last season (4th most on LIU).
Last year, Long Island not only posted a quality, come-from-behind win against Ohio State, but they tied Quinnipiac, the eventual national champions. Yes they posted 22 losses, but five of those were in overtime (including to Northeastern, Connecticut, and Wisconsin). Long Island has another great schedule this year, including a rematch against the Bobcats, road series' against Colorado College and Omaha, and a great three-game stretch to open the year. That trio includes a home game against Penn State to start the season, and road games against Holy Cross and Boston College. Long Island is on the up as a program, like most of these other nonconference teams. Don't be surprised if they post a handful of "upsets" over the first half of the season, especially with ECH in the building on October 7th.
- Stonehill Skyhawks
Record/Conference Finish: 0-5-0; N/A
Goals/Game: 2.00/game (T-58th in NCAA)
Goals Against/Game: 8.00/game (62nd)
Power Play: 7.1% (62nd)
Penalty Kill: 59.1% (62nd)
Three Biggest Returners: Carter Rapalje (Forward; 4 goals - 2 assists - 6 points), Frank Ireland (Forward; 2-3-5), and Dean Schwenninger (Forward; 1-4-5)
Three Biggest Departures: John Day (Goalie; 0-3-0, 8.67 GAA), Brendan Nehmer (Forward; 0-1-1), and Teddy McElaney (Defenseman; 0-1-1)
Top Offseason Acquisition: Transfer Sophomore Dylan Meilun (Goalie; 12-3-2 1.51 GAA, .941 SV% at Wisconsin-Superior in D2 in 2022-'23)
Season Outlook -
If you're a casual college hockey fan, this may be the first time you've ever heard of the Stonehill Skyhawks. The team from Easton, Massachusetts (about 30 minutes south of Boston) played it's first ever "season" last year, and it went about as well as you'd expect. Stonehill lost their first five games at the Division-1 level by a combined score of 40-10, which included three losses to Long Island and two to Lindenwood.
Heading into 2023, Stonehill has a full-season schedule for the first time. That includes some high-profile games; including series against Michigan and Union, and games against Northeastern and Providence. This is will be great full introduction into D1 puck for Stonehill.
For the team itself, don't pay too much attention to the statistics. They only played a handful of games last season and didn't get the full college hockey experience. This year, they return a large portion of their roster from last season (including their top-three point scorers) and get an intriguing goaltender in Dylan Meilun (12-3-2, 1.51 GAA in D2) coming in through the transfer portal. Stonehill may not make noise on a national scale, but they'll be a great second or third team to follow along this season for the hard-core college hockey fan.
