60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): North Dakota

North Dakota

2018-19 Record: 18-17-2 (12-11-1, 5th in NCHC)
Head Coach: Brad Berry, 4th Year
Top returning scorer: Jordan Kawaguchi (10G-16A)
Top returning goaltenders: Adam Scheel (So.) and Peter Thome (Jr.)

For all intents and purposes, North Dakota's 2018-19 season ended in Buffalo. Twelve months ago that news would be welcomed by fans, a sign the Fighting Hawks returned to the high heights of a program that reached nine Frozen Fours this century.

Today, it ends up being more an acknowledgment about what could have been. North Dakota did not conclude with an April Frozen Four appearance at KeyBank Center. UND missed the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season. A major reason has to do with being swept in January by Canisius up the street and seven stories at HarborCenter.

Take away those two losses in Buffalo to the 54th ranked team in the Pairwise and the Fighting Hawks, despite starting conference playoffs on the road for the first time since 2001-02, would be tournament-bound. All in all, North Dakota enters 2019-20 healthy with four 1st and 2nd round NHL draft picks and a chip on its shoulder.

What's New: How does one get over disappointment? (TPIR announcer voice) By splurging on a BRAND NEW SCOREBOARD!

October 5, 2001: Ralph Engelstad Arena official opens with a @UNDmhockey game against Minnesota. Things definitely look different now, but we'll see you again on October 5 when the 2019-2020 season begins. #TBT #100days pic.twitter.com/mg2mfsvbFW

— RalphEngelstadArena (@TheREA) June 27, 2019

The Ralph's massive upgrade features college hockey's largest center-hung video board. North Dakota also got new uniforms. The black thirds look better although it would be nice to see one of the sweaters have the Hawks logo. (I'll admit this is not a popular take.)

Six players join this season, including CC grad transfer Westin Michaud. His 30 points (13G-17A) last year would have led North Dakota. Forward Shane Pinto was the first pick of the 2019 second round. Harrison Blaisdell put up 33 goals for Chilliwack (BCHL) while defender Ethan Fritsch helped Moorhead (MN-HS) to the State Tournament. UND's lone early departure was junior Ludvig Hoff.

Closing Thoughts: North Dakota is a good example of the tiny difference between NCAA Tournament contender and watching the same intermission segment eight times. This area is full of successful teams who can point at a bad game or two. Besides UND, UMass Lowell needed a couple wins down the stretch. Minnesota lost at home to Ferris State and St. Lawrence.

The Fighting Hawks are not in as bad shape as being swept by an Atlantic Hockey team, a fifth-place finish in a strong NCHC, and missing the NCAA and NCHC tournaments would say. UND beat each of the top three teams. North Dakota had elite possession numbers. On average, UND had over 9 shots per game more than opponents - a total that puts the team in the category of Frozen Four clubs.

Yet the goals per shots on goal percentage was 52nd of 60 teams. North Dakota lost 12 games last season where UND outshot its opponents. 12! That's the difference.

There's some disappointment, obviously. Few programs have as high expectations annually as UND. Still, the goal totals should rebound towards the mean. Returning a healthy Adam Scheel and Grant Mismash along with getting a second year of Jacob Bernard-Docker will be big.

Fortunately, North Dakota, who outshot Canisius 33-14 and 48-16 in both losses, kicks off the season against the Golden Griffins. It's likely a coincidence, but after falling in a building with one inside it, the Grand Forks Tim Horton's closed.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
UMass Lowell
Lake Superior State
Colorado College
Northern Michigan
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

College Hockey Stock Report (July/August 2019)

One more offseason month to go.

July 1st technically kicks off the season, as it's the date teams officially switch conferences or begin. There was one in Division 1 this year as Long Island University kicks off its inaugural women's hockey program. For the most part, we're still asking #IsItOctoberYet (or #IsItNovemberYet for those who are Ivy League schools). There's still a month (or two) until games begin.

Right now, players are coming back on campus. Classes are underway. Teams are starting up practices or even exhibition games.

Guys crushed the run test this morning & came back in great shape. First on ice practice tomorrow. No matter how many times you have done it, start of a new season is so exciting #300s #passfail #dayone

— Derek Schooley (@derekschooley) August 27, 2019

With one more offseason month to go, it's time to bring back the stock report and take a measure of what's going on over the past two months. And if this isn't enough, make sure to follow along my "60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less)" series profiling all sixty D1 men's hockey programs.

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): UMass Lowell

UMass Lowell

2018-19 Record: 19-13-5 (12-7-5, 4th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Norm Bazin, 9th Year
Top returning scorer: Kenny Hausinger (13G-9A)
Top returning goaltender: Tyler Wall (Sr.)

In Dickensian fashion, 2019 was a tale of two halves for UMass Lowell. It was the best of times followed by the worst of times.

The River Hawks began the calendar year with a 2-1 win over rival Massachusetts en route to a 9-0-1 hot streak. Tyler Wall and Christoffer Hernberg were en fuego, giving up one goal or less in seven games and shutting out teams four times during the stretch. One of the shutouts was Massachusetts to bookend the high point of UMass Lowell's year.

Over the final 10 games, the River Hawks ended up going 2-5-3, losing to Boston University in the Hockey East quarterfinals and sliding out of a potential NCAA Tournament berth. To make matters worse, leading scorer Ryan Lohin signed a pro contract after his junior season with Tampa Bay and Mattias Goransson went home to his native Sweden, all while UMass Lowell had to watch Massachusetts' run to the national championship game.

What's New: The River Hawks, along with Merrimack, start what hopes to be a new Thanksgiving tradition with a combined tournament. Each of the Hockey East teams faces RPI and Penn State at home.

Also on the non-conference schedule is Alabama Huntsville, Minnesota Duluth, Colgate, and RIT. All in all,18 games are at the Tsongas Center.

Bazin this season has a nine-person freshman class to replace six seniors, Lohin and Goransson. Among the group are six forwards, two defenders and goalie Logan Neaton who combined hail from four different countries (United States, Canada, Sweden and Slovakia). It's a large group both in numbers and size. All except one incoming freshman is six feet or taller.

Closing Thoughts: Despite the ending, UMass Lowell continues to be a good story. The River Hawks, in what was supposed to be a down season due to roster turnover, went from 30th in the Pairwise at the holiday break to 10th at one point. Bazin had both an NCAA-high 12 freshmen and the hottest team. For those players, getting an experience like that under their belts can be seen as beneficial in the long run.

Sure, it's important to not dance around the fact the team ended up short of an NCAA Tournament goal for a second consecutive season. However, if contending and fading down the stretch ends up being considered a season of Darkness, that is not a horrible spot to be as a program. Picked to finish eighth in Hockey East, UMass Lowell ended up fourth on the backs of goaltending and depth scoring.

Six River Hawks players had at least 20 points last season. Three return as does Wall in goal. Losing Goransson is a blow to a still-young blue line, but it comes with several now-sophomores skating big minutes in big situations. Of the incoming freshmen, Matt Brown led Des Moines and was tied for ninth in the USHL with 30 goals. Andre Lee had 20 for Sioux Falls, helping the Stampede win the Clark Cup.

There's plenty to look forward to as the River Hawks begin the latest chapter. UMass Lowell also will be witness to UMD unveiling its 2019 national championship banner at Amsoil Arena for any extra motivation.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Lake Superior State
Colorado College
Northern Michigan
Boston University
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

2019 Women's Hockey Top 25 Under 25 (The Ice Garden)

The Ice Garden, SB Nation's women's hockey blog, does a fantastic job covering the sport at all levels with a number of dedicated writers. Earlier this summer, I was honored to be one of the four external voters to help their rankings for the top 25 women's hockey players under the age of 25.

The full rankings list can be found here. Former Wisconsin star Annie Pankowski finished as the top player under 25. Two former Gophers - Dani Cameranesi (6) and Kelly Pannek (23) - made the list while redshirt senior Sarah Potomak was named an honorable mention.

In the spirit of transparency, my list was built upon the idea of who I would pick to start a team of under-25 players. (It's too bad Lee Stecklein is just on the other side of 25 because that's where I'd start.) That made my list slant towards college players, who are younger and have a bigger upside. There's no wrong answer as to how to build the rankings, but this is my philosophy.

Top-6 (TIG consensus ranking)
1. Loren Gabel (5)
2. Pankowski (1)
3. Megan Keller (didn't mean to start my list with the three Patty Kazmaier finalists, but there's a reason all three were named finalists) (4)
4. Maddie Rooney (T-13)
5. Cameranesi (6)
6. Alina Mueller (3)

A big thanks to Michelle Jay and everyone at The Ice Garden for letting me vote.

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Lake Superior State

Lake Superior State

2018-19 Record: 21-13-2 (16-10-2, 4th in WCHA)
Head Coach: Damon Whitten, 6th Year
Top returning scorer: Max Humitz (16G-17A)
Top returning goaltender: Mareks Mitens (Jr.)

Time to conclude the west to east journey across the Upper Peninsula with a trip to the Soo. (No, not you North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks profile runs Friday.) Lake Superior State topped 20 wins for the first time since 2006-07 thanks in part to a second-half run that left the Lakers in the hunt for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

LSSU was 7-6-1 on December 1st following being swept by Minnesota State. Over the final 24 games, only five teams were better than the Lakers 16-7-1 record. During the stretch, Diego Cuglietta had 18 of a national-high 25 goals while Max Humitz had 13. Nick Kossaf had a .922% save percentage compared to a .908% during the opening two months.

More than anything, Lake Superior State can claim to be one of the top schools in the state. Damon Whitten's team won the Great Lakes Invitational, defeating Michigan Tech and Michigan State for its first GLI title. The Lakers swept Tech at home, Ferris State on the road and even split with Michigan. (Northern Michigan going 3-1 against LSSU and not facing Western Michigan are the exceptions to the rule.)

What's New: Everything and nothing all at once.

The above sentence describes so much about Lake Superior State. It's the same old Lakers. Not much changes with this year's team except for dealing with raised expectations. Only five players graduated yet all five played key roles for the team.

Among the first-year players coming into Taffy Abel Arena is the grandchild of Phil Esposito and son of NHLer Alexander Selivanov, Niko Esposito-Selivanov. Esposito-Selivanov had 19 goals last season for Cowichan Valley (BCHL). Minnesotan Seth Eisele could have an opportunity in goal after a successful season with Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL).

Lake Superior State's non-conference schedule features an opening month of big names. The Lakers host Denver and Merrimack before trips to old CCHA friends Michigan and Notre Dame.

Closing Thoughts: It doesn't seem right that Lake Superior State is 23 seasons and four head coaches removed from its last NCAA Tournament berth. Seriously, Jeff Jackson remains the last coach to take the Lakers there. We're quickly nearing a point where no one who plays for the team was alive when he coached LSSU.

At this point, Lake Superior State being discussed among the WCHA's top half and returning to the NCAA Tournament can be considered a win. Now the question is whether that journey and work continue for another year. The Lakers lose the nation's leading goalscorer, top D and starting goaltender. Not an easy trio to replace.

On paper, the easiest would be in goal. Mitens had success, posting a .919% save percentage in 11 games last season. Also helping is the rest of the defense returning besides (a finally graduated) Steven Ruggiero.

Cuglietta graduating obviously hurts, but he's not the only catalyst for Whitten's offense finishing in the top-10 of the country (3.24 goals per game) despite being outshot on average. Lake Superior State's senior class was fifth nationally in goals per game while its underclassmen were 53rd of 60 teams. Does that high PDO total regress to the mean? Who steps up besides Humitz?

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Colorado College
Northern Michigan
Boston University
Brown
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Colorado College

Colorado College

2018-19 Record: 17-20-4 (9-12-3, 6th in NCHC)
Head Coach: Mike Haviland, 6th Year
Top returning scorers: Bryan Yoon (3G-23A) and Ben Copeland (9G-12A)
Top returning goaltender: Jon Flakne (Jr.)

Not exactly a Rocky Mountain high for Colorado College, the Tigers can take some much needed moral victories. The team beat the defending national champions, were the only school to tie St. Cloud State in St. Cloud and even swept Denver to end the regular season.

It's nowhere near the highs of the 90s and 2000s, but as Colorado College leaves yesterday behind to work towards Robson Arena, the downsized expectations put things in perspective. At this point, defeating those teams and a sixth-place NCHC finish can be considered a moral victory.

CC had its best season under Mike Haviland, improving for a third straight year. Junior Alex Leclerc continued being western Stefanos Lekkas, facing more shots on goal and making more saves than any goaltender in D1 men's NCAA hockey last season. Four players had double-digit goals. The Tigers had four separate streaks where the team was unbeaten in three games or more.

What's New: A visit from Minnesota. Obviously, that's the most important new thing, right? Right? The Gophers have not played at Broadmoor World Arena since 2012 (nor played CC for the Broadmoor since 2013) in a series where Justin Holl was checked through the glass.

Now that pitchforks have come out, let's turn this ruckus towards Ryan Ruck. The longtime Northeastern goaltender replaces Leclerc, who signed with Utah (ECHL), as a grad transfer. (He's not the only CC grad transfer. Westin Michaud will be heading in the other direction to North Dakota.) Haviland gets the latest Slavin - Josiah, a forward and brother of Jaccob - as part of a rookie class that includes four defenders, three forwards, and goaltender Matt Vernon.

The Tigers play Air Force in a Friday/Monday series around an NHL outdoor game in Colorado Springs. Coincidence or not, don't be surprised if one moves outdoors.

Closing Thoughts: The fact Colorado College currently holds the Gold Pan over Denver constitutes progress. The Tigers seem to be clawing out of a half-decade-long hole. Even then, it's possible this season might be a step back before coming home to a place they've never been before.

Besides four of the top five scorers graduating, Leclerc's early departure might be one of the biggest losses for any team. Ruck, the full-time starter his first two seasons with the Huskies before 2019 Mike Richter Award winner Cayden Primeau took over, on paper is a good replacement given the circumstances. It's difficult to replace the glue in goal that has been Leclerc, in addition to a senior class that improved the program on and off the ice each year.

To do so will be on the shoulders of a CC sophomore class which showed some promise. No matter the role, Ben Copeland and Grant Cruikshank were bright spots, as was Erik Middendorf at times. Dishing PP assists, Bryan Yoon put up 26 points on defense, a number only Cooper Zech and Marc Del Gaizo beat among freshmen D.

While there are pieces (Chris Wilkie staying healthy for his final season would help), Colorado College will be replacing 43% of its scoring and its longtime goalie. Step back or not before steps towards the future, there should be more moral victories.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Northern Michigan
Boston University
Brown
Wisconsin
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan

2018-19 Record: 21-16-2 (18-8-2, 2nd in WCHA)
Head Coach: Grant Potulny, 3rd Year
Top returning scorer: Philip Beaulieu (6G-29A)
Top returning goaltender: Nolan Kent (So.)

Let's title this one "Grant Potulny Shows You How to Take Northern Michigan Into A Contender."

Potulny's Marquette tenure featured the first back-to-back above-.500 finishes since 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Wildcats, returning several core pieces from a team that made the WCHA conference championship game, ended up second again. Northern Michigan was taken to the "Danger Zone" by Troy Loggins. Atte Tolvanen even had a goalie goal.

We asked, you (and Atte) delivered!

Take a look back at the Top Moment for @NMU_Hockey in 2018-19 as voted by our fans — the first goalie goal in NMU history, courtesy of Atte Tolvanen. #NMUwildcats #ShareNMU pic.twitter.com/QCX60MAUZI

— NMU Athletics (@NMU_Wildcats) August 6, 2019

These things are like unicorns. You never expect to see one in the wild. When it happens you can't help but stop and stare.

One surprise given who returned was a slow start for NMU to the point where Dalton Craighead and Phil Beaulieu were healthy scratches in late November. While the Wildcats faced a tough non-conference schedule of mostly road games, going 1-6 outside the WCHA made it difficult to move up in the Pairwise.

What's New: The Danger Zone is headin' into twilight (or the AHL). So is the unicorn.

Picking between whether graduating a 23 goal scorer or four-year starting goalie is the bigger loss ends up being a fool's errand. Tolvanen holds several Northern Michigan goaltending records (career shutouts, all-time saves, most saves in a game, most appearances). He played all except 13 minutes last season. Loggins was an All-American and WCHA Player of the Year who led the nation in shots on goal.

Among 12 newcomers include a few of Potulny's big recruits. NMU welcomes Jett Jungels to take up the easy reference mantle from Loggins and be a goal-scoring playmaker. The 5'9", 161 lbs forward helped lead Edina to the 2019 Class AA Minnesota State HS championship. A year earlier, Jungels played on a line with Sammy Walker.

The Wildcats also get Ben Newhouse on defense after the former Union player sat out 2018-19. Newhouse did make the most of his transfer time, representing the US in the World University Games.

As far as non-conference goes, the Spartans are on the highway to Marquette for the first time since 2011 while NMU heads to Boston for the first time since 1985 to play BU.

Closing Thoughts: Much like the Upper Peninsula in a map Mountain Dew makes, Northern Michigan's recent success has been slightly overlooked. Bowling Green making the NCAA Tournament and NMU's poor non-conference record makes it easy to forget the Wildcats were the second-best WCHA team in the regular season.

The job Potulny has done should be applauded, however, it might be good for Northern Michigan to be under the radar. 2019-20 aims to be the biggest challenge of his head coaching tenure. Presumed starter Nolan Kent and/or John Hawthorne have big skates to fill in goal. Three of NMU's top four scorers from last season all graduated, but Craighead could be a bounce-back candidate.

To be a contender once again, NMU's defense and goaltending need to continue being a hallmark after losing Tolvanen and three defenders. (Beaulieu returns and will captain.) The Wildcats were in the top-20 of both team defense and penalty kill. If that continues, Northern Michigan, who lost one game to teams other than Minnesota State or Bowling Green after mid-December, has the group to be in the top half of the WCHA once again.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Boston University
Brown
Wisconsin
Michigan
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Boston University

Boston University

2018-19 Record: 16-18-4 (12-9-3, 5th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Albie O'Connell, 2nd Year
Top returning scorer: Patrick Curry (13G-13A)
Top returning goaltender: Vinnie Purpura (So.)

Once again, the Terriers start over. A talented group of NHL drafted players replaces another talented group of NHL drafted players who departed early.

Boston University had five early departures. Four were first-rounders. One was a freshman, the third straight season BU had at least one one-and-done.

In all the turnover comes the Terriers trying to return to the NCAA Tournament. After winning the 2018 Hockey East conference tournament championship, lightning couldn't strike twice in Albie O'Connell's first year. An 0-4-1 start saw BU playing from behind, however, the Terriers found its groove. Patrick Curry broke through during his junior season. Freshman Joel Farabee ended up being named the 2019 Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year.

What's New: Besides being in a new spot, on the outside looking in and without a trophy, O'Connell's team has its share of new talented players to get back to the NCAA Tournament after four consecutive trips.

11 freshmen plus two grad transfers join the Terriers. Sam Tucker, part of a Yale goalie platoon the past three seasons, provides stability in net after Jake Oettinger signed with the Dallas Stars.

The biggest name of a group that includes six 2019 NHL draft picks is 9th overall selection Trevor Zegras. The USNTDP product, wearing lucky #13, is one of the top playmakers in his age group. He can play both left wing and center.

Zegras and fellow BU rookies Alex Vlasic, Case McCarthy and Robert Mastrosimone were among the players at last month's US World Junior Summer Showcase. (Although Mastrosimone sat out due to suffering a broken ankle in June.) I could keep going on about the freshman class but 600 words have its limits.

Closing Thoughts: The late-2010s Terriers remind me a little of the mid-2000s Minnesota teams. Both were made up of some of the top players in the age group leading them to success. (Insert your Phil Kessel-Jack Eichel comparison here.) Both were able to get first-rounders but not always get them to stick around.

On a long enough timeline, it's difficult to keep restocking each season without losing any consistency as an NCAA Tournament contender. (There's already another first-rounder in the pipeline in Jay O'Brien, who transferred from Providence, plus two more 2019 picks.) It's a problem Minnesota ran into towards the end of the decade and one that, if the past couple of seasons have been any indication, is one BU's dealing with.

Boston University loses 56 of 99 goals plus its three-year starting goalie plus two top defenders. The opening two months sees series against UMass Lowell, Massachusetts and Providence plus Red Hot Hockey at MSG against Cornell.

Despite pieces that can contribute right away, it'd be a different team if Boston University kept Farabee for a second season. There's a difference continuously going down the NTDP assembly line and annually needing to replace one-and-dones. It didn't work in 2009 and looks to be harder to pull off in 2019 college hockey.

Still, it's possible. A young, talented Denver team made the Frozen Four last season after losing a similar amount of talent early and getting leadership from its small senior class. The Terriers need something similar from Curry, Patrick Harper and the rest.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Brown
Wisconsin
Michigan
Maine
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

College Hockey Mailbag: The New AIC, Minnesota Recruiting, Dark Horses, White Claws & More (Vol. 1)

Welcome to the first 2019-20 college hockey mailbag.

I'd like to make these a regular feature whether it's here or at another outlet during the season. (Get at me folks!) Discuss what's going in college hockey, whether it's men's, women's, big picture, the story of the weekend, Gophers, whatever you want.

If this is your first time visiting, I am currently in the midst of a 60 Days, 60 Teams series where each of the 60 men's Division 1 NCAA hockey teams are profiled one-by-one and one day at a time in 600 words or less. The schedule and links to all previous entries can be found here.

Anyways, this week's first volume features questions on most of the Minnesota schools, the new NEWHA Conference, Arizona State's conference future and much, much more.

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Brown

Brown

2018-19 Record: 15-14-5 (8-9-5, 8th in ECAC)
Head Coach: Brendan Whittet, 11th Year
Top returning scorers: Zach Gluttari (7G-13A), Chris Berger (8G-11A) and Brent Beaudoin (8G-11A)
Top returning goaltenders: Gavin Nieto (Sr.) and Luke Kania (Jr.)

For a week in March, Brown seemed to be on one of those magical postseason runs that catch everyone's attention. The Bears, after previously defeating Princeton in a triple OT classic to end the Tigers' season, swept Quinnipiac inside the People's United Center. A year removed from Princeton winning the ECAC conference tournament as the seventh seed, could another Ivy in the eighth seed pull off the massive upset? Brown was guaranteed a home regional with two more wins.

It didn't happen. The run ran out of magic thanks to Cornell. Still, competing among ECAC's final four was a far cry for a Brown team that began 2018-19 winning two of its first 12 games. Thanks in part to four straight wins, the Bears ended up above .500 since 2012-13 and only the second time in Brendan Whittet's tenure.

What's New: Not hosting a Providence regional that Providence College takes advantage. Not this year or next, at least.

Ten freshmen - six forwards and four defenders - join Brown. (Minnesota Wild 2019 sixth-round draft pick Nikita Nesterenko will not be on campus until 2020.) They hail from Finland (D Samuli Niinisaari) to Parkland, Florida (F Connor Marshall) and all places in between.

The group includes a pair of forwards who led BCHL teams in scoring last season with Bradley Cocca (Merritt Centennials) finishing with 23 goals and Matty Holmes (Chilliwack) ending up with 68 points (20G-40A). Nathan Plessis played junior hockey with Cale Makar, which makes this sentence college hockey's equivalent to a Sean McVay comparison.

The annual Mayor's Cup game with Providence will be held November 30th. Besides facing off with the Friars for Ocean State bragging rights and a cup, Brown also hosts Arizona State at Meehan Auditorium.

Closing Thoughts: Indie hockey darlings don't go to Brown. They end up at cute, small D3 schools who are not known for anything else and then the horrible cycle continues.

That's mostly tongue in cheek. I would have gone with a "Gossip Girl" reference, but Tony Stillwell beat us all to it. The Bears are not the most successful group historically so it'll be interesting if the run was a hint of things to come in 2019-20 or whether it was just that, a run at the right time. Brown loses three of its top seven scorers (one of those being Alex Brink, who becomes the second Bear to grad transfer to Boston University in as many years). The team had a power play that was 58th of 60 teams. (If there's good news, it's that only 3 of the 13 power-play goals graduate. The bad news is that the 10 remaining goals combined would tie for the national lead.)

One of the high points during the run returns in goalie Gavin Nieto. The now-senior returned after missing eight consecutive games with an injury for the must-win Game 2 against Princeton. When he last played before the injury, Brown was in a position to host the ECAC first-round series. However, it didn't matter as the Bears won the next four with Nieto in net. In fact, Brown was 11-6-1 when he started.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Wisconsin
Michigan
Maine
Yale
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin

2018-19 Record: 14-18-5 (9-10-5, T-5th in Big Ten)
Head Coach: Tony Granato, 4th Year
Top returning scorer: Sean Dhooghe (15G-11A)
Top returning goaltenders: Daniel Lebedeff (So.) and Jack Berry (Sr.)

This should be the one where a plan comes together for Wisconsin. It's visible despite wondering when will be the season the Badgers complete a turnaround.

Five years passed since Wisconsin's last NCAA Tournament berth, the longest drought for the Badgers since restarting the program in the 1960s.

To be honest, Wisconsin not making the NCAA Tournament under Tony Granato has been surprising. Maybe that's due to year 1 where the Badgers came within an OT goal of winning the Big Ten conference tournament. Maybe that's due to some of the big moves and players, or the hoopla of Granato coming in to save the program after it hit rock bottom in Mike Eaves' final two seasons.

Change may not be immediate, but it can be seen with Wisconsin despite another Liam Folkes season-ending OT goal. The Badgers could play in an 8-2 loss and rebound for a 7-3 win. Neither result was too surprising. Wisconsin had spurts of success, most prominently towards the end of the first half with a six-game unbeaten streak and not losing to Michigan. There were struggles defensively and on the penalty kill, where UW tied for 56th of 60 teams. Both goalies had sub-.900 save percentages.

What's New: The Badgers are already practicing, preparing for an international trip to Vancouver for exhibition games Labor Day weekend.

There's not too much else. Oh, wait...

Wisconsin's seven first-year players include the 2019 fifth overall pick (Alex Turcotte), the 15th overall pick who broke Phil Kessel's NTDP goal record (Cole Caufield), and the Canadian Junior A player of the year who looks to be a 2020 first-round pick (Dylan Holloway). All three are forwards who add to an offense that returns five players with 20 or more points.

Closing Thoughts: There have been reasons to be impressed with Granato's recruiting. He's now restocked the Badgers' cabinet. Between this year's freshman class, last year's first-round pick K'Andre Miller returning healthy, Sean Dhooghe fighting guys 18 inches taller, and a young blue line getting a year older, Madison has talent.

Now the challenge is whether it comes together. On paper, Wisconsin should be a team that takes the next step.

It wouldn't be a big surprise if Wisconsin does what a lot of teams want and ends up the next UMass. Going beyond easy Cale Makar/Badger freshmen comparisons, what stands out is those freshmen forwards join a team that got 2.22 goals per game from its underclassmen, who all return. Only UMass had more.

Still, there's a catch. For as much as the foundation is there for the offense to improve, Wisconsin's defense and goaltending needs to take that step as well in an offensive-friendly Big Ten. Peter Tischke will be missed and losing Miller for the final month didn't help matters either. Wisconsin badly missed him during the Penn State playoff series (despite UW taking a game, PSU was the better team in all three games). Not even Kyle Hayton transferring solved Wisconsin's defensive issues.

If that happens, the Badgers should end the drought. If this isn't the year where the plan comes together, it'll be one where questions about Wisconsin need to start being asked.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Michigan
Maine
Yale
Michigan State
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Michigan

Michigan

2018-19 Record: 13-16-7 (9-10-5, T-5th in Big Ten)
Head Coach: Mel Pearson, 3rd Year
Top returning scorer: Will Lockwood (16G-15A)
Top returning goaltenders: Strauss Mann (So.) and Hayden Lavigne (Sr.)

In an alternate universe, there's a world where Michigan made back-to-back Frozen Fours in 2018 & 2019. It's a world where things went the Wolverines' way, where injuries didn't affect key players and the team played with the same hunger and desperation it had during a hot second half. It's likely a world where Jack Hughes accelerated and joined his brother.

But that isn't this world.

In this universe, the Wolverines return to a familiar spot. Replacing elite underclassmen with elite freshmen. Needing to move forward when things don't go the way it seems on paper.

Michigan enters 2019-20 off a Big Ten sixth-place finish and missing the NCAA Tournament a year after being in the Frozen Four. In a reminder no two seasons are the same, the Wolverines, returning the majority of its core, was unable to get the same amount of goaltending, offense, health and second half bounces.

What's New: The constant cycle continues. Two first-round NHL draft picks are gone, replaced by two first-round NHL draft picks.

Cam York (14th overall to Philadelphia), the highest collegiate defenseman selected, replaces Quinn Hughes as the first-rounder on the blue line. Forward John Beecher (30th overall to Boston) replaces Josh Norris, who along with Hughes signed a pro contract after his sophomore season.

They aren't the only Wolverines going to the NHL. Assistant coach Brian Wiseman took the same job with Edmonton.

Pearson also continues bringing in grad transfers as RPI leading scorer Jacob Hayhurst and BU defender Shane Switzer join Michigan.

Closing Thoughts: Undoubtedly, Michigan will want to bounce back from a disappointing season by its standards. Even with injuries to Norris - the second straight season a key forward suffers a season-ending injury at the WJC - and Hughes late being out of its control, the Wolverines expect to be contending. Especially when a truly dynamic defenseman like Hughes, who so much of Michigan's play ran through, returns for a second year.

Overall, Pearson's first season went about as well as it could. His second saw a 3-8 record in one-goal games and two goaltenders with sub-.900% save percentages despite outshooting opponents by 7.5 shots per game.

Strauss Mann was better (.906%) in the second half. Losing Norris, who until injured found the consistency expected from a top collegian, hurts, but keeping Will Lockwood and Luke Martin is a bonus. Same with another year of growth for both Pastujov brothers and Jake Slaker.

Beecher should be entertaining. York brings offensive production from the blue line, which at times was heavily caught out on odd-man rushes. After a snap back to reality, the Wolverines get the chance to show which Michigan season - Frozen Four run or sixth place - represents the Wolverines under Pearson.

Or maybe it's a bit of both. Given the slim margin between success and failure, consider how close the middle of the Big Ten was to one another.

Michigan gave up a late extra attacker goal to Wisconsin to send the regular-season finale to overtime. Each of the four options to end overtime (i.e. Michigan wins in OT, loses in 3-on-3/shootout, etc.) provided Michigan with a different standing in the conference ranging from third place to sixth.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Maine
Yale
Michigan State
New Hampshire
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Maine

Maine

2018-19 Record: 15-17-4 (11-9-4, 6th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Red Gendron, 6th Year
Top returning scorer: Mitchell Fossier (8G-28A)
Top returning goaltender: Jeremy Swayman (Jr.)

The gates have been opened on the second half of this series, starting with a team who spent the second half serving as a gatekeeper for Hockey East.

Outside an overtime loss to UNH, the only schools who beat Maine during 2019 made the NCAA Tournament. The Black Bears defeated Boston University 6-0, split with Providence and Massachusetts, and beat Boston College and young Oliver Wahlstrom three times, including a 7-2 rout in Chestnut Hill. Only Northeastern found a way to stay unbeaten (4-0-0) during that stretch.

Honestly, the days where Maine was anything but a gatekeeper in Hockey East remain as memories. One NCAA Tournament appearance over the past 12 seasons has put time between the Black Bears being a Frozen Four regular. Red Gendron has been unable to get past the Hockey East quarterfinals in each of his first five seasons.

Above .500 in Hockey East, below .500 overall, Maine brings back five of the seven forwards who scored at least ten points plus one of Hockey East's most underrated and top goaltenders in Jeremy Swayman. Not coming back? The vast majority of Maine's blue line.

What's New: So about that blue line?

Of the six defenders who suited up for Maine's final game, only Simon Butala returns. Three players graduated. Two sophomores - Brady Keeper (Florida) and Alexis Binner (Vasterviks in his native Sweden) - signed pro contracts after 22 and 11 point seasons, respectively.

To replace them, a number of first-year players will be coming into Orono. That includes 21 year-old Levi Kleiboer and a transfer in Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick and former Wisconsin Badger J.D. Greenway. The younger brother of Minnesota Wild forward Jordan, J.D. spent two seasons playing defense for the Badgers before transferring. When playing, he was able to make an impact.

Maine hosts Omaha in January for games in Orono and Portland. The team twice travels to New Haven County, CT for games against Quinnipiac (October) and Yale (December).

Closing Thoughts: If anyone best represents Maine, it's Swayman. Despite having represented the US in the World Juniors, the goaltender quietly and successfully faced his share of shots. He made more saves than any other underclassmen. A .919 save percentage is respectable from a team that finished below .500. When things go well, it's flawless. When they don't, the mistakes and goals pile up.

Like Yale, the Black Bears have had highs and lows (as well as undefeated when leading after two periods and winless when losing after two periods). Maine got support from its top line of Mitchell Fossier-Chase Pearson-Eduards Tralmaks and really got going when its second line of Brendan Robbins-Tim Doherty-Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup did. Like Boston College, the sport has been becoming used to the Black Bears not being a Frozen Four regular (although even more in Maine's case).

To change perception, the Black Bears need to get beyond the gatekeeping, if possible. Losing Pearson, a two-time captain and 16 goal scorer (seven more than anyone else), after he signed with Detroit early, along with Keeper and Binner, put a damper in Maine's core. Whether Gendron can quickly get his new-look defense in front of Swayman up to speed will go a long way.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Yale
Michigan State
New Hampshire
Boston College
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Yale

Yale

2018-19 Record: 15-15-3 (11-10-1, T-5th in ECAC)
Head Coach: Keith Allain, 14th Year
Top returning scorer: Robbie DeMontis (7G-11A) 
Top returning goaltender: Corbin Kaczperski (Sr.)

If there's a single team who could recently fit the bill as college hockey's team in the middle, it's one who calls the middle of Connecticut, straddling both sides of the Munson-Nixon Line, home.

Yale finished 2018-19 30th of 60 NCAA men's hockey Division 1 teams, according to the Pairwise rankings. It came in a year where the Bulldogs won 15 games and lost 15 games. A year earlier, Yale won 15 games and lost 15 games.

The Bulldogs, tied for fifth out of 12 ECAC teams, had the nation's 30th-ranked penalty kill. Basically, every major stat saw Yale finish between 20th and 40th. When Yale was leading after two periods, the Bulldogs never lost (15-0-1). When the team trailed or was tied after two periods, it never won (0-15-2).

What's New: Yale loses an individual who stood above the mediocrity in graduated forward Joe Snively. Snively, who signed with the Washington Capitals after the end of the season, led the team with 15 goals and had double the points of any Bulldog.

The team brings in seven players - four forwards, two defenders, and a goalie. Defender Brandon Tabakin won a Clark Cup championship with Sioux Falls (USHL). Teddy Wooding and Michael Young were teammates at Vernon (BCHL) while forward Cole Donhauser had 42 points (17G-25A) in 56 games for Chilliwack (BCHL). Goaltender Connor Hopkins replaces Sam Tucker, who served as part of a goaltending platoon the past three seasons.

The Bulldogs will play in the first in-state college hockey tournament featuring the four Connecticut schools (Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and Yale). The Connecticut Ice Festival (AKA the Nutmeg State's Beanpot) runs January 25-26 in Bridgeport as part of a larger weekend celebration of Connecticut hockey (AKA the Nutmeg State's Hockey Day Minnesota). Before that, however, Yale travels down the Metro-North to Manhattan for a January 11th game against Harvard at Madison Square Garden.

Closing Thoughts: To make a New Haven-specific comparison for Yale, basically, the Bulldogs currently are the meat smack-dab in the middle of a hamburger served in a square-shaped Louis' Lunch building.

That the team can play with the best (beating Clarkson in Potsdam) yet also struggle against the best (getting handily swept by Clarkson in Potsdam to end the season) during the same season can make for a frustrating situation. Yale, even without Snively, continues to have some positive pieces inside the belly of the whale that is Ingalls Rink. Phil Kemp is an elite ECAC defender. Jack St. Ivany is a player who could take the next step and help fill some of the lost production during his sophomore season.

The line between the middle of the pack and contender gets smaller the closer one gets to the NCAA Tournament. It's the difference between not having the secondary scoring, or needing to replace a goaltender, or having good nights and bad. The top teams can find a way to win a game when tied or trailing after two periods.

For those reasons, Yale marks the midway point of the "60 Days, 60 Teams, 600 Words (or Less)" series for 2019 and Keith Allain's team knows what needs to change for 2020.

Thirty teams previewed. Thirty to go.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Michigan State
New Hampshire
Boston College
Bemidji State
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Michigan State

Michigan State

2018-19 Record: 12-19-5 (8-12-4, 7th in Big Ten)
Head Coach: Danton Cole, 3rd Year
Top returning scorers: Patrick Khodorenko (18G-19A) and Mitchell Lewandowski (16G-18A)
Top returning goaltenders: John Lethemon (Sr.) and Drew DeRidder (So.)

The KHL Line is dead. Long live the KHL Line.

Michigan State brings the Big Ten to this series after the second and final season of one college hockey's more memorable lines recently. The KHL Line made up of Patrick Khodorenko, Taro Hirose and Mitchell Lewandowski had nearly 50% of MSU's goals. They led the Spartans at both even strength and on the power play together.

It's not often a one-line team succeeds (and MSU did finish seventh in the Big Ten once again), however, Michigan State had some success. Teams knew what they needed to contain the Spartans. In spite of that, the KHL Line was able to succeed. (Just going to link to this 7-7 January tie against Ohio State as an example.) Hirose tied for the national lead in points with 50. Lewandowski co-led the Big Ten in game-winning goals.

What's New: Needing to replace Hirose. All three players in the KHL Line had eligibility remaining, however, Hirose chose to forgo his senior season and sign with the Detroit Red Wings. Volunteer goalie coach Jason Muzzatti also went pro, joining the Carolina Hurricanes in the same role.

One new player who could be of help is Josh Nodler. The fifth-round pick of the Calgary Flames had 17 goals for the Fargo Force (USHL) during his draft-eligible season.

What else? Munn Ice Arena is expanding. Stop watching your offseason "Fixer Upper" because it's demo day!

Here we go! Ground has officially been broken on the Munn expansion! pic.twitter.com/dXGxHpTvmu

— MSU_Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) July 17, 2019

Michigan State is undergoing an $18.8 million renovation of its 6,000+ seat arena, which opened in 1974. When completed, Munn will have a new locker room, weight room and training areas that have become the norm throughout the rest of the Big Ten. It remains to be seen whether the visiting team still will walk uphill from the bench to a tiny area not fit for a locker room and skate sharpener.

Fun fact: One of the larger donators? Tom Izzo.

Closing Thoughts: Most teams would struggle with the loss of the nation's leading scorer and a Hobey Baker top-ten finalist. In Hirose, MSU loses a player who stirred the drink that was Michigan State's offense. It's difficult to convey how many passes and opportunities went through him. Of the games MSU scored a goal, there were only five that Hirose didn't end up with at least one point.

Still, that the Spartans only need to replace one of its triumvirate (Khodorenko and Lewandowski, while both being undrafted free agents, returned to East Lansing) can be seen as a slight win. The KHL Line is no more, but the foundation at least remains.

And that will be important for Danton Cole's team. With or without Hirose, finding secondary scoring is a necessity for a team that has taken steps in the right direction during Cole's first two seasons. (See: Drew DeRidder working his way into a goaltending platoon with John Lethemon, sweeping Cornell, Tommy Miller's play.) The highest scoring returnee outside the KHL Line had five goals. MSU not only needs to replace Hirose. The Spartans need to create offense.

The best way to stop one line? Force teams to work on shutting down a second line.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
New Hampshire
Boston College
Bemidji State
RIT
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire

2018-19 Record: 12-15-9 (8-10-6, 8th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Mike Souza, 2nd Year
Top returning scorers: Liam Blackburn (10G-14A) and Angus Crookshank (10G-13A)
Top returning goaltender: Mike Robinson (Jr.)

The coach in waiting had to wait no more. However, when the first UNH season not featuring Dick Umile as head coach since 1990 came to an end, the Wildcats waited for more games without a winner than any other in program history.

There were ties...and lots of them.

New Hampshire finished with a nation-high nine ties last season. Five came in the first two months of the season as the Wildcats began 2-7-5. The next two months went slightly better. UNH was 8-1-3 between December 7th and February 1st before stumbling down the stretch against Hockey East's top teams.

Rather than break down by three different periods of the season, it's easier to look at how New Hampshire fared when playing top teams versus everyone else. The Wildcats had a winning record (10-7-5) against teams below .500 and a losing record (2-8-4) versus teams finishing the season at or above .500.

What's New: Sadly, the end of another long Wildcat era. The last van Riemsdyk has moved on.

While technically, thanks to early departures, there hasn't been a continuous run of van Riemsdyk children at New Hampshire, it's felt like one thanks to a steady stream of one on the horizon since before James stepped foot on campus in 2007. Youngest van Riemsdyk brother Brendan left the program after last season. He will be using a grad transfer to suit up for Northeastern.

Still, this season should see New Hampshire's first-ever Swede actually play. Filip Engaras had to sit out last season due to eligibility issues. The two-way center, who played for Sweden in international competition, did practice with the team. He should be eligible this season, giving Souza another weapon down the middle.

In addition, five more newcomers join the Wildcats. That includes another Swede in defender Kalle Eriksson.

Closing Thoughts: Maybe it's fitting that UNH ended up with more tie games than any other team because the Wildcats are in the middle. New Hampshire hasn't won nor really lost. Right now it's hard to tell how the future goes. Mike Souza's group, for the most part, beat the teams it should and lost to ones who contended for an NCAA Tournament berth.

New Hampshire once again has young building blocks. The Wildcats were the 10th youngest last season and look to hitch much of its success to its youngsters. Two of UNH's top three returning scorers, potential all-name team nominee Angus Crookshanks and Jackson Pierson, were freshmen last season. Now an upperclassman, junior Mike Robinson has another year of experience in goal. Max Gildon continues to be a key piece on the blue line.

Add in a freshman class that should play key roles and there are individual pieces to help get a once regular NCAA Tournament staple to end its postseason wait. That said, UNH is an interesting contrast to yesterday's featured team, Boston College. Both Hockey East schools finished with similar offensive totals. Both look to get help from their underclassmen. However, one features high-end talent for an immediate. The other features older, talented four-year players. No UNH freshmen were drafted.

Both methods have worked in recent years. Both have not.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Boston College
Bemidji State
RIT
Dartmouth
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Boston College

Boston College

2018-19 Record: 14-22-3 (10-11-3, 7th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Jerry York, 26th Year
Top returning scorer: David Cotton (23G-13A)
Top returning goaltender: Ryan Edquist (Sr.)

Boston College featured in the middle of August does not seem right. Jerry York's team last finished below .500 1997 and four national championships ago. Previewing BC in the same area as Dartmouth and Bemidji State almost sounds like a prank to see if anyone's paying attention. It's weird.

Then again, it's not as weird given the past few seasons.

That's where the lowly Eagles fly at the moment after a strange season results in Boston College disappointedly missing the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. BC's bizarre non-conference struggles continued into another season, going 0-8 until defeating Harvard in the Beanpot. The team's Hockey East success didn't kick in until the very end of the season when the two-time defending regular-season champions made it to the HE conference championship game.

For much of the season, BC's high points were Joseph Woll in goal and forward David Cotton, whose team-leading 23 goals had enough of a gap between first and second where the gap would have finished second.

What's New: Hall of Fame head coach Jerry York? Hall of Fame head coach Jerry York.

College hockey's winningest coach will be inducted into the HHOF in November. Before he does, York gets a trio of first-round NHL Draft picks (and what seems like half the NTDP) to help Boston College reload. Forwards Matt Boldy (Minnesota) and Alex Newhook (Colorado) are joined by goaltender Spencer Knight (Florida). Also drafted were Drew Helleson (2nd round by Colorado) and Marshall Warren (6th round by Minnesota). They begin with a tough October stretch against Wisconsin, at Colgate, at Denver, and Providence.

Boston College loses a pair of players early with Woll (Toronto) leaving after his junior year, along with previous first-round NHL Draft pick to head to Chestnut Hill, Oliver Wahlstrom, signing a pro contract with the New York Islanders following his freshman season.

Closing Thoughts: BC's star-studded freshman class leads a program that's had the ability to reload with star-studded players, but more recently been an example of college hockey recruiting evolving. Despite regular-season titles, the sport is slowly becoming used to a regular Frozen Four fixture not being an NCAA Tournament one.

High expectations or not, Boston College's freshmen will need to play a role. Knight is seen as a rare franchise-changer goaltender. He'll get every chance to be one for the Eagles.

At the same time, Boldy, Newhook and co. need to help turn around an offense that, as highly heralded as they were, struggled outside of Cotton (who also returns). They struggled even without high expectations. Boston College's first-round picks and seniors who made the Frozen Four finished 51st of 60 teams with 2.31 goals per game. (To compare, Miami and Vermont were the next two lowest teams.) This was a team picked to win Hockey East by the coaches.

It wouldn't be weird to see Boston College picked highly again. With elite players coming in, it's not to believe they could return the Eagles to prominence. Young teams with elite talent such as UMD, Denver and Massachusetts made up most of the 2019 Frozen Four. On the other hand, it would also make sense to have second thoughts after being fooled before.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Bemidji State
RIT
Dartmouth
Miami
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Bemidji State

Bemidji State

2018-19 Record: 15-17-6 (13-11-4, 5th in WCHA)
Head Coach: Tom Serratore, 18th Year
Top returning scorer: Charlie Combs (11G-11A)
Top returning goaltenders: Zach Driscoll (Jr.) and Henry Johnson (Jr.)

Welcome to the series, state of Minnesota.

Paul Bunyan's Pimp Chalice may no longer be contested among its teams, but it's fitting to begin our trek of Minnesota schools in the land of Bunyan, where the Beavers play up north in Bemidji.

To use a comparison that Minnesotans would like, Bemidji State's season was like a potluck. It had a bit of everything. The Beavers were hot (5-1-1 to start 2018-19), cold (0-5-1 to end 2018-19) and freezing (-15 degree outdoor hockey for Hockey Day Minnesota). When BSU scored first, the team played well (12-5-3). When BSU trailed after two periods, the team did not (0-14-3).

In between the hotdish start and jello salad finish, Tom Serratore's team being fairly consistent remains impressive. Bemidji State went into the season needing to try a few dishes to see what works after losing several core impact players throughout the lineup. The Beavers do need to replace several defensemen this time around, but it's not as much of an issue for 2019-20.

What's New: Bemidji State adds seven freshmen this season. As expected with Serratore's team and the WCHA, they aren't young. All were born before the year 2000 (...before the year 2000...).

Four are on the blue line, including Bemidji native Nick Leitner, who helped Bemidji HS to a pair of state tournament appearances, and Will Zmolek (whose father Doug was a former Gopher who played eight years in the NHL). Up front, Slovakian Samuel Solensky had 86 points (24G-62A) in 55 games for Johnstown (NAHL).

While the North Star College Cup is no more, its spirit lives on in this year's return of the Mariucci Classic. The Beavers join Minnesota, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State contesting for in-state bragging rights. That's in addition to a non-conference trip to Grand Forks and welcoming St. Cloud State back to the Sanford Center after the two teams played at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Closing Thoughts: There aren't as many questions about Bemidji State that need to be answered. It's not that type of year where the Beavers enter with uncertainty. If things go well and the young blue line can get up to speed, Bemidji State should be contending for WCHA home ice and more.

The best and worst thing for BSU is that by the end of last season you knew what you were going to get yet weren't sure which team you were going to get. The Beaver offense outshot its opponents by nearly five shots per game but had streaky moments throughout the season. Not surprisingly, it's led to a middle of the pack finish.

A real reason for optimism is Zach Driscoll (coming in after transferring from St. Cloud State) and Henry Johnson both serve as a sensible goaltending platoon, continuing Bemidji State's run of solid play in net. When Serratore's teams have been successful, the main dish's recipe of success has come thanks to its defense and goaltending. That's no guarantee, but it wouldn't be surprising if the team can go back for seconds.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
RIT
Dartmouth
Miami
Vermont
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): RIT

Rochester Institute of Technology

2018-19 Record: 17-17-4 (13-11-4, 5th in Atlantic Hockey)
Head Coach: Wayne Wilson, 21st Year
Top returning scorers: Adam Brubacher (7G-24A) and Jake Hamacher (14G-16A)
Top returning goaltender: Logan Drackett (Jr.)

Credit to RIT. The goaltending and defense improved last season. Up until the point where the Tigers lost in OT to end the year, RIT found itself in a scoreless goalie duel with Niagara. Doing so didn't seem too far away from being normal.

It helped RIT gave up on average half a goal less per game. Logan Drackett, who a season ago had the lowest save percentage nationally of any goalie playing more than 50%, ended 2018-19 with a .911% save percentage. In response, the Tigers enter 2019-20 coming off its best season since back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016.

However, that is not to say RIT's offense stopped being an old standby. The team nearly averaged 3 goals per game and found itself in a fair share of shootouts. (See: Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal with Sacred Heart or a 5-4 win over UMass Lowell.) Erik Brown followed up a 29 goal season with 18 more in his final season. Four players ended up with double-digit goals.

What's New: The Tigers remain under Wayne Wilson for the extended future. RIT extended the longtime head coach through the 2024-25 season.

To start, RIT has an action-packed beginning to the season. The Tigers go to Toledo to represent Atlantic Hockey in the 2019 Ice Breaker tournament, facing Bowling Green (WCHA) and either Ohio State (Big Ten) or Western Michigan (NCHC). Afterward, RIT hosts Merrimack in its annual homecoming game at Rochester's Blue Cross Arena. It's a game that draws Atlantic Hockey's largest crowd each year.

Wilson's newest class is made up of forwards who can score and help replace Brown and Abbot Girduckus. Of the team's seven first-year players, five of them play up front. All five scored at least 20 goals in their last season of juniors, led by Colton Trumbla leading the Ontario Junior Hockey League in goals with 34 in 34 games.

Closing Thoughts: With RIT's special day today happening, this marks the end of Atlantic Hockey for a while. Ten teams have been previewed. Only one team in the conference remains. Throughout writing these, several themes arose. The unexpected has become the status quo in the conference.

Then there is RIT, who showed getting solid goaltending and defense is the difference between sixth and fifth. It's not pretty or surprising. If anything, that's a normal response outside of a conference where the team picked to finish first ends up last and two historically downtrodden programs finish first and second overall. (Okay, one bit of AHA weirdness: RIT went 4-0-0 against Atlantic Hockey champion AIC, who of course upsets the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.)

Overall, continuing down that road, getting contributions on both sides of the ice and improving on both sides, is the way RIT improves from a .500 finish. Of course, it helps if that defense can contribute offensively and RIT has it in Adam Brubacher. The Tigers No. 1 D, in a year where many of the nation's top offensive blueliners have departed, returns for his senior season as the team's leading scorer. As Niagara already knows, he should be one to watch down to the game's final second...


Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Dartmouth
Miami
Vermont
Bentley
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Dartmouth

Dartmouth

2018-19 Record: 13-17-4 (10-9-3, T-5th in ECAC)
Head Coach: Bob Gaudet, 23rd Year
Top returning scorers: Quin Foreman (13G-15A) and Drew O'Connor (17G-9A)
Top returning goaltender: Adrian Clark (Sr.)

Sometimes Dartmouth hockey can get overlooked. It's weird to say given the Big Green - America's Team - have one of college hockey's best social media presences, but that does not always translate to discussing Dartmouth's on-ice play in Hanover, NH. The team hasn't been the most buzzworthy Ivy for either good or bad reasons. They haven't recently contended for an ECAC title or NCAA Tournament berth yet haven't been in the conference cellar either.

That can also materialize in being overlooked for awards and honors. So let's dig in and discuss Dartmouth hockey itself rather than photos of dogs and nicknames.

Dartmouth enters 2019-20 in a familiar spot. While the record is slightly down thanks to a worse non-conference slate, once again the team finished tied for fifth in ECAC with 23 points. (The postseason repeated as well - beating St. Lawrence in three before losing to Harvard.) Adrian Clark, who became the sole #1 starter after platooning with Devin Buffalo, was nowhere in the middle. On one hand, he was fourth nationally with a Dartmouth-record six shutouts. On the other hand, Clark had seven games where he gave up four or more goals.

The Big Green returned 83% of its goals from 2017-18 and ended up improving upon that total. One big reason for the improvement on offense? Freshman forward Drew O'Connor.

Of returning ECAC players, only Clarkson's Harald Egle had more goals than O'Connor's 17. Still, O'Connor ended up not being named to an All-ECAC team, not even making the ECAC all-rookie team.

What's New: Six freshmen join Gaudet's team. Four of the six play on the blue line, including Tanner Palocsik and journeyman Jack Cameron, who has gone from his native Novia Scotia to New England to the BCHL during his juniors career. Palocsik was named the NCDC MVP for his play with the USPHL's New Jersey Hitman.

Dartmouth hosts St. Lawrence, UConn and Colorado College in the always-prestigious Ledyard Classic. The past two champions each reached the Frozen Four.

Additionally, November 9th marks Darmouth hosting Princeton and the eventual tossing of tennis balls in one of college hockey's weirdest traditions.

Closing Thoughts: For the most part, the Big Green is a good example for a team in the middle of this series. It's easy to discuss what has been going wrong for the bottom 20. It's easy to discuss what has been going right for the top 20. It's not so easy to discuss the highs and lows of mediocrity.

Sure, that's also one of the reasons why Dartmouth's social media presence is so fantastic. It gets us to discuss a team that would get lost among 20 others. However, that doesn't always bring forth the on-ice accomplishments outside of upsetting Denver or routing Quinnipiac.

The challenge for Dartmouth this season is going to be an improvement to where someone like O'Connor, who had goals in six of his final seven games, does not get overlooked by the Ivies and ECAC alongside linemates Will Graber and Quin Foreman. Do the freshmen defensemen step in immediately and help Clark?

Can the team stand out and avoid the same exact finish for a third straight year?

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Miami
Vermont
Bentley
Sacred Heart
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Miami

Miami

2018-19 Record: 11-23-4 (5-17-2, T-7th in NCHC)
Head Coach: Chris Bergeron, 1st Year
Top returning scorer: Gordie Green (11G-14A)
Top returning goaltender: Ryan Larkin (Sr.)

I'd be lying if it wasn't sad and difficult to watch the bottom falling out on Miami's season. No team was worse in its final 20 games. The RedHawks went 2-17-1, had a -2.25 goal margin, were outshot by an average of 12.05 shots per game and found ways to lose several games that Miami looked to be on its way to winning.

Enrico Blasi's last chance reached a point only former UW coach Mike Eaves hit in recent years where, as much as it saddened me to see happen, not firing Blasi would speak more to Miami's commitment to hockey than letting him go. Firing both assistants the previous year didn't seem to be the difference. Bringing in top tier recruits didn't either.

Injuries and early departures aside, the RedHawks - a program so highly thought of to begin the decade to where Blasi was linked to every top college job - struggled since realignment and joining the NCHC. Something needed to change.

What's New: Enter Chris Bergeron.

Bergeron, an assistant at Miami under Blasi for 10 seasons, was seen as the top choice before and after Miami officially fired Blasi on March 19th after 20 years. The Bowling Green head coach previously took the Falcons back to the NCAA Tournament after a 29-year absence, turning around a program that appeared to be on death's doorstep. After some an attempt by BGSU to keep him, Bergeron took the job April 4th.

Getting Bergeron aboard is by far the biggest change for the RedHawks. (He brings with him former St. Cloud State women's hockey head coach Eric Rud and Bergeron's longtime BGSU assistant Barry Schutte as associate head coaches.) His first season will happen without John Gruden (no, not that one), who signed a pro contract with Ottawa after his freshman year and will play major junior next season.

However, the RedHawks will get Holy Cross transfer Matt Berry at midseason. Berry, who was leading the Crusaders in scoring at the time of his departure, has to sit out the first

Closing Thoughts: The situation in Oxford shares similarities with the one in Minneapolis last offseason, down to Bergeron being an Ohio Motzko in the eyes of Bowling Green faithful.

Miami closes the book on the Enrico Blasi era - nearly 400 wins, two Frozen Fours and about as close to a national championship as one team can get - by bringing back to Goggin Ice Center a Blasi assistant from those golden years. Bergeron returns with the task of turning around Miami's fortunes just as he did for BGSU.

As strange as it may be to say a decade ago when the team was a regular NCAA Tournament fixture and national championship contender, the RedHawks have dropped below both Ohio's other two teams and the rest of NCHC. Ohio State reached the Frozen Four and won the Big Ten regular season in its past two seasons. Bowling Green came within two minutes of winning the WCHA conference tournament and took the eventual national champion to overtime.

Bergeron returning Miami to that level will take longer than a single season. It will take a commitment, one game at a time, even if it doesn't happen this year.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Vermont
Bentley
Sacred Heart
Michigan Tech
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Vermont

Vermont

2018-19 Record: 12-19-3 (5-16-3, 10th in Hockey East)
Head Coach: Kevin Sneddon, 17th Year
Top returning scorers: Max Kaufman (8G-13A) and Joey Cipollone (9G-7G)
Top returning goaltender: Stefanos Lekkas (Sr.)

How much of a bright spot in Vermont's dismal season was goaltender Stefanos Lekkas? The then-Catamounts junior was in a tier of his own. Nine of ten 2019 Mike Richter Award finalists (given to the top goalie in men's D1 hockey) were on winning teams who made the NCAA Tournament.

The tenth? Lekkas.

Unfortunately for Vermont and him, it came in a year where the Catamounts needed stellar goaltending to keep in games rather than steal them. No one nationally played more of their team's minutes in net than Lekkas, the only Vermont goalie to see the ice in 2018-19. No one gave the Catamounts a better chance to win each night. He ended the year with a .930 save percentage on Hockey East's 10th place team.

Vermont's offense, for a second consecutive season, ended among the nation's bottom-ten teams (2.12 goals per game). No player hit the double-digit mark in goals and the team only hit the three-goal mark 11 times.

What's New: Another bright spot for Vermont was success in non-conference play. The team had more wins in 10 non-conference games (7) than 24 Hockey East games, starting the season by defeating Michigan at Yost Arena. Its non-conference success was one reason the Catamounts ended up as high in the final Pairwise rankings as it did.

Vermont's 2019-20 non-conference, on paper, seems to be tougher. Where the Catamounts were able to take advantage of a three-game stretch at home against Alabama Huntsville, RPI and Sacred Heart, the team plays three different 2019 NCAA Tournament teams (Clarkson, Quinnipiac and Arizona State) all on the road. Only one non-conference opponent (St. Lawrence) finished below Vermont in the Pairwise.

Another Stalberg, a last name well known to Vermont hockey fans, is expected to be on campus. Whim Stalberg, cousin of former Catamounts Viktor and Sebastian, verbally committed to Vermont in April.

While Lekkas returns, defenseman Jake Massie departed after his junior season by signing with the Florida Panthers.

Closing Thoughts: Honestly, the upcoming season should be one to tell Vermont's future.

A big reason has to do with head coach Kevin Sneddon entering 2019-20 in the final season of a three-year contract. Not often does a school allows a bench boss to coach out their contract, but it makes sense with Vermont and Sneddon. No one is getting an extension after a combined 22 wins in two seasons. He's been with Catamounts long enough and had success - taking UVM to the 2009 Frozen Four - to be given a last chance to right the ship.

It's fair to say Vermont has gone adrift in the five seasons without an NCAA appearance. Several Hockey East schools have surpassed the Catamounts. Several elite forwards who committed to Vermont young have not developed into elite college hockey forwards. That development, going hand-in-hand with Lekkas' season, would be a different story.

Getting back Lekkas is massive. If there is another bright spot, it's that a team who had 18 underclassmen is another year older. There will need to be an improvement because the brightness of a Frozen Four appearance ten years ago can, as tomorrow's preview knows all too well, eventually dim out of sight.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Bentley
Sacred Heart
Michigan Tech
Air Force
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Bentley

Bentley

2018-19 Record: 17-15-5 (15-9-4, 2nd in Atlantic Hockey)
Head Coach: Ryan Soderquist, 18th Year
Top returning scorers: Luke Santero (11G-25A) and Jonathan Desbiens (15G-16A)
Top returning goaltender: Aidan Pelino (Sr.)

Let's kick off the middle third of the "60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less)" series with Bentley and working our way through a bunch of firsts for Ryan Soderquist's program.

The team rolled into the year with the program's first-ever NHL draft pick, Jakov Novak (Ottawa Senators), suiting up for Soderquist in its first full season in a new arena. Bentley started slow and only won a single non-conference game, but it was a program-changer. The Falcons went on the road nine miles east to Boston College and defeated BC for the first time in school history.

And Bentley had a season where the Falcons went from second-to-last in Atlantic Hockey to second-to-first. Okay, there's no real first in that previous sentence. However, it does lead to another one. Since the Falcons joined MAAC/Atlantic Hockey in 1999-2000, Bentley's second-place finish stands as the highest regular-season finish for the program.

What's New: Besides a series of firsts? One thing new for Bentley and the rest of Atlantic Hockey is the addition of 3-on-3 OT and shootout. AHA is the first Eastern conference (and the fourth of six NCAA D1 men's hockey conferences) to adopt the OT method for deciding conference points.

Joel Beal, previously at Sacred Heart and Miami, joins Bentley as an assistant coach.

The Falcons also welcome New Hampshire, St. Lawrence (former team of Sam Kauppila), Brown, and Arizona State to Bentley Arena, continuing a trend of brand name non-conference visitors.

All four opponents are for one game apiece. (Bentley also travels to Dartmouth for a two-game non-conference series, returning the favor after the Big Green played at Bentley Arena last season.) Single-game or not, it speaks to how the new rink has raised the bar for talent and more since opening in February 2018.

Closing Thoughts: Along with the caliber of non-conference visitors to an Atlantic Hockey rink on the outskirts of Boston, the expectations for Bentley have gone up since the Falcons broke free of the JAR. The program is getting the train moving out of the station (although since this is Bentley, maybe it's more the car is getting out of the garage) towards the next tier.

Whether it's a 12-game unbeaten streak to kick off 2019 or developing players such as Novak and Luke Santero, there are reasons for Bentley to look up. This season marks a point where more players were recruited with the new arena. On the blue line, the Falcons played well when Luke Orysiuk was in the lineup. It's something to continue for a team that gets back the majority of its core yet needs to replace the graduated Tanner Jago. Aidan Pelino made the most of his first season not in a goalie platoon.

Despite the optimism, Bentley's run of firsts does come with a couple caveats. No team in Atlantic Hockey had a higher PDO last season. It's just as possible for the Falcons to regress to the mean than keep a conference-leading goal margin while being outshot.

There's also the deal of losing again in the conference quarterfinals leaving another first unchecked: making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Recent 60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less) Features
Sacred Heart
Michigan Tech
Air Force
Princeton
Every Team So Far

--
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!