Another weekend, another full-slate of college hockey action. While quite a few matchups had to be postponed or canceled due to positive coronavirus cases, there was still plenty of puck played over the weekend. Including quite a bit of drama on Friday.
Friday, Jan. 8
Atlantic Hockey
Mercyhurst def. Air Force, 5-2
The Air Force Falcons looked to pick up their first win of the season, but a 2-0 lead was not enough. Mercyhurst rallied with five unanswered goals, including four in the period, to pick up the win. The Lakers had five different goal scorers, including a three-point night from Gueorgui Feduolov.
Big Ten
Ohio State def. Penn State, 6-3
After winning only one game in December, the Ohio State Buckeyes started off 2021 on the right foot, despite getting brutally outshot 43-21 by Penn State. Thankfully, Tommy Nappier had a great game, stopping 40 shots. The Buckeyes were led by Austin Pooley, as the senior scored twice while assisting on another. Travis Treloar also found the back of the net twice for Ohio State.
No. 9 Michigan def. Michigan State, 9-0
In a rivalry that typically has close and memorable battles, the Michigan Wolverines routed their in-state brethren on Friday night with nine different goal scorers. Rookie Kent Johnson had himself a night, putting his name on the scoresheet five times for the Wolverines. Coming off a Gold Medal at the World Juniors, Cam York stepped back into the lineup and picked up a pair of assists. Strauss Mann picked up his second shutout of the season, while also earning two assists in the win.
ECAC
No. 10 Clarkson def. No. 13 Quinnipiac, 5-4 in overtime
In the first of three meetings this weekend between the two teams, it was the Clarkson Golden Knights who took game one, despite the Quinnipiac Bobcats rallying from two goals down to tie the game. Thankfully, Zach Tsekos came in clutch again for Clarkson, scoring the winner in overtime.
Tsekos also added an assist, as he and Jack Jacome each had two-point performances for Clarkson.
Hockey East
New Hampshire def. No. 2 Boston College, 4-3 in overtime
In an absolute stunner, the New Hampshire Wildcats walked out of Chestnut Hill with two points after a come-from-behind win over the Boston College Eagles. After Filip Engaras tied the game in the third for the Wildcats, Kalle Eriksson scored his first of his goal of his career in overtime to give New Hampshire their first win over BC since January 2019.
Eric MacAdams and Kohei Sato each had solid outings, each scoring a goal and an assist for UNH.
No. 16 Providence def. Boston University, 7-3
The Boston Terriers finally started their 2020-21 season. Unfortunately, the end result was not quite what they hoped for. They were tied with Providence Friars at three by the halfway point of the game. However, the Friars turned the tables, scoring four straight to spoil the Terriers’ return to play. Six Friars had multi-point nights, including Chase Yoder who scored twice. Tyce Thompson, Max Crozier, Patrick Moynihan and Ben Mirageas each had a goal and an assist.
Vermont def. Maine, 5-4
In a matchup between two teams looking for their first win of the season, it was the Vermont Catamounts who came out on top. Five goals were scored in the opening frame, three of which came from Vermont. Christian Evers had a big night, scoring twice in the contest, along with Ray Vitolins picking up two helpers in the win.
NCHC
Western Michigan def. Miami (OH), 4-1
After being swept on home ice last weekend, the Western Michigan Broncos began to return the favor against the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, earning their third win of the season. Ronnie Attard and Ty Glover each put up two points in the win, while Alex Aslanidis earned his first collegiate win in net.
No. 6 St. Cloud State def. No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth, 4-3
Another game between the St. Cloud State Huskies and Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and another close contest. After the Huskies jumped out a 2-0 first-period lead, the Bulldogs came back with three of their own in the second period. Yet, St. Cloud state recovered, as Nolan Walker and Kevin Fitzgerald scored back-to-back to improve the Huskies to 8-4 on the season.
WCHA
Bemidji State def. No. 7 Bowling Green, 4-3 in overtime
After falling to the Bowling Green Falcons on Thursday, the Bemidji State Beavers came out and won another back-and-forth matchup between two teams that will be vying for the WCHA crown. After Evan Dougherty tied the game for the Falcons in the third, Ethan Somoza’s fourth goal of the season gave the Beavers the overtime victory. Zach Driscoll earned the win in net for the Beavers, stopping 26 shots.
Alabama-Huntsville def. Ferris State, 5-4 in overtime
In another matchup between two teams looking for their first win of the season, it looked like the Ferris State Bulldogs were on their way to do so against the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers. However, with 2.4 seconds left in regulation, Ben Allen scored to send the game into extra time. In overtime, on the power play, Dayne Finnson scored to give the Chargers the win.
Finnson, along with Tyr Thompson and Tyrone Bronte, had a goal and an assist in the game, with Drew Lennon posting a three-point night.
Lake Superior State def. Northern Michigan, 4-1
In a matchup between two Upper Peninsula foes, the Lake Superior State Lakers came out victorious over the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Penalty troubles haunted the Wildcats, as the Lakers had eight power plays, capitalizing on two of them in the first period. Pete Veillette was the first star of the game, scoring a goal and two assists for Lake Superior State. Mareks Mitens picked up win number five after making 27 saves against the Wildcats.
Saturday, Jan. 9
Atlantic Hockey
Mercyhurst def. Air Force, 6-3
Air Force struck first once again but was not able to hold against the Lakers. Mercyhurst was led by rookie Austin Heidemann, who scored the first hat trick of his career. Jonathan Bendorf and Dante Spagnuolo each scored a goal and an assist in the win.
No. 20 Robert Morris def. Niagara, 5-4 in overtime
The Robert Morris Colonials outlasted the Niagara Purple Eagles in another wild contest. RMU led 2-1 heading into the final frame, but the Purple Eagles came back with three unanswered goals. Then, Nick Prkusic and Randy Hernandez scored for the Colonials to tie the game. In overtime, Aidan Spellacy found the back of the net to give Colonials their second overtime victory against Niagara this week.
Spellacy, Prkusic and Hernandez each had two points as the Colonials improve to 10-3.
Big Ten
Michigan State def. No. 9 Michigan, 3-2
One night after getting embarrassed, the Spartans won a tight battle against the Wolverines. After Michigan took the lead early in the third, Cole Krygier scored with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. Less than 90 seconds later, Josh Nodler found the back of the net to help Michigan State get back to .500. Drew DeRidder had another heavy workload, making 38 saves in the win.
Penn State def. Ohio State, 5-2
The Nittany Lions bounced back to pick up a weekend split against the Buckeyes with an impressive offensive output, outshooting their opponent 40-30. Kevin Wall scored twice in the win, with Christian Sarlo and Alex Stevens each picked up a pair of assists. Oskar Autio won his fourth game of the season with a 28-save performance.
No. 12 Wisconsin def. No. 1 Minnesota, 3-1
For the first time this season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have lost. Even worse, it was at the hands of longtime-rival Wisconsin. Tarek Baker put up a goal and an assist in the win, with Linus Weissbach and Owen Lindmark scoring the others for the Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin’s Robbie Beydoun outdueled Minnesota’s Jack LaFontaine, stopping 35 of the 36 shots he faced.
ECAC
No. 13 Quinnipiac def. No. 10 Clarkson, 4-3 in overtime
One night removed from losing in overtime to the Golden Knights, the Bobcats pulled a 180 and won in overtime to win the second of three weekend meetings. This, after coming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period. Then, in overtime, Desi Burgart scored his second goal of the game to give Quinnipiac the win.
Jayden Lee also had a two-point night, scoring a goal and an assist.
Colgate def. St. Lawrence, 4-2
After the two had a close battle on Thursday night, the Colgate Raiders were able to earn a win against St. Lawrence. Alex Young and Elliott McDermott each registered a goal and an assist, with Young being credited with the game-winning goal. Carter Gylander picked up his second win of the season, making 34 saves for Colgate.
Hockey East
Boston def. No. 16 Providence, 6-4
The Terriers came back to pick up their first win of the season against Providence. Boston scored their first three goals in just over a three-minute span in the first period. Despite a valiant effort by the Friars, the Terriers, and goaltender Drew Commesso, shut the door to pick up the win. Commesso made 32 stops in the win. Logan Cockerill potted two goals for Boston, while David Farrance scored a goal and two assists.
Maine def. Vermont, 4-3
Vermont won their first game on Friday, then Maine achieved the same on Saturday. Victor Ostman was solid, making 30 saves, and earning his first collegiate win. Adam Hawe had a two-point game, with JD Greenway’s first of the season being credited as the game-winning goal.
NCHC
Western Michigan ties Miami (OH), 3-3 (Western Michigan wins in a shootout)
The Broncos picked up a partial weekend split against the RedHawks, but it certainly was not easy. Western Michigan trailed 1-0 heading into the third, and by two after Ryan Savage scored in the first minute of the frame. Then, within a five-minute span, the Broncos scored, but Miami scored to go back up by two. However, Western Michigan was resilient, as Jamie Rome and Ronnie Attard scored back-to-back to tie the game. After overtime solved nothing, Ethen Frank scored the lone tally in the shootout to give the Broncos the extra point.
No. 6 St. Cloud State def. No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth, 1-0 in overtime
Hey guys, I think St. Cloud State is a contender again…
While there was not nearly as much scoring as their meeting on Friday, both teams’ defenses stood tall, as the Huskies outshot the Bulldogs 29-20. Nobody scored in regulation, so free hockey was needed to determine a winner. That was when Nick Perbix made a nifty move to score his fifth goal of the season to give St. Cloud State the win.
WCHA
Alabama-Huntsville def. Ferris State, 2-0
The Chargers picked up the weekend sweep against the Bulldogs in a tight battle. Both of Alabama-Huntsville’s goals were scored less than 90 seconds apart, as Connor Mekley and Tyrone Bronte’s second-period goals proved to be all the Chargers needed. The star of the show was netminder David Fessenden. Ferris State outshot UAH 42-18, and the sophomore stepped up, standing on his head and picking up his first career shutout.
Lake Superior State def. Northern Michigan, 3-2 in overtime
The Wildcats looked to earn a split against the Lakers on Saturday night and were sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. Yet, Lake Superior State rallied back with a pair of goals from Veillette, giving him five points on the weekend. This game, too, went to overtime, and the Lakers took advantage of a power play, as Louis Boudon scored the winner to complete the weekend sweep.
Non-Conference
No. 18 Notre Dame def. Arizona State, 5-4
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s first game of 2021 was quite the barn-burner against the Arizona State Sun Devils, in which each team scored a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes. In the third period, tied at three, the Irish received goals from Grant Silianoff and Jesse Landsell to take the lead. Even though the Sun Devils’ Johnny Walker scored to make it close, Dylan St. Cyr and Notre Dame shut the door, as they improve to 5-5-1 on the season. Silianoff and Landon Slaggert each found the back of the net twice for the Irish.
Sunday, Jan. 10
Atlantic Hockey
No. 20 Robert Morris def. Niagara, 6-2
After a close call on Saturday, the Colonials had a more convincing win on Sunday against the Purple Eagles. Four second-period goals helped give Robert Morris their 11th win of the season. Justin Addamo scored two of those goals, en route to a three-point game. Nick Lalonde and Grant Hebert also had multi-point games.
Army-West Point def. No. 19 American International, 5-3
The third time is a charm for the Army Black Knights, as after losing twice to the Yellow Jackets earlier this week, they finally were able to pick up a win against their Atlantic Hockey foes. Much thanks to Colin Bilek, who had a career night, picking up a hat trick and assisting on another goal. Goaltender Trevin Kozlowski also had a great game, making 37 saves, including 15 in the third period to help seal the win.
Big Ten
No. 1 Minnesota def. No. 12 Wisconsin, 5-3
One night removed from their first loss of the season, the Gophers came back to split the weekend with the Badgers. Sammy Walker, Bryce Brodzinski and Blake McLaughlin each had a goal and an assist in the win, with leading-scorer Ben Meyers scoring the game-winning goal for Minnesota.
ECAC
No. 13 Quinnipiac def. No. 10 Clarkson, 1-0
In their third matchup of the weekend, fatigue was apparent between the Bobcats and Golden Knights. Yet, Quinnipiac earned the weekend win by knocking off Clarkson with the win. Keith Petruzzelli picked up his second shutout of the season with a 28-save performance. Ty Smilanic’s eighth goal of the season in the opening period was the only goal as the Bobcats improve to 8-4-1.
Colgate ties St. Lawrence, 1-1 (St. Lawrence wins in a shootout)
In another three-game set, the Saints got the better of the Raiders, despite tying Colgate, but picking up the extra point in the shootout. Philip Alftberg and Josh McKechney scored for the Saints and Raiders respectively. The shootout took five rounds, but Nicholas Trela was able to end the contest and give the Saints the extra point.
Hockey East
No. 2 Boston College def. New Hampshire, 3-2 in overtime
New Hampshire gave everything Boston College could handle this weekend. After defeating the Eagles on Friday, the Wildcats forced overtime on Sunday. However, Marc McLaughlin’s second of the season spoiled the sweep, giving Boston College the win.
Spencer Knight earned his first win in net for BC since returning from winning the Gold Medal at the World Juniors.
No. 14 Northeastern def. Merrimack, 3-2
After a couple of postponements, the Merrimack Warriors finally met with the Northeastern Huskies, and it was Northeastern who came out flying, going 3-0 by the early stages of the second period. Merrimack made it interesting, but Connor Murphy shut the door, and Northeastern came away with the win. Dylan Jackson, Riley Hughes and Matt DeMelis were the goalscorers for the Huskies.
Non-Conference
Arizona State def. No. 18 Notre Dame, 5-3
The Fighting Irish scored five times against the Sun Devils the night before. On Sunday, the Sun Devils returned the favor, thanks to an entertaining third period. Johnny Walker scored to put Arizona State up 3-1 earlier in the period, before Max Ellis scored just past the halfway mark to bring Notre Dame back within one. Then, Matthew Kopperud scored a pair less than two minutes apart, which proved to be enough for the Sun Devils to get the weekend split. Walker also had three assists, giving him a four-point night for ASU.