2021 Richter Award Finalists Announced for NCAA's Best Goalie

 

The three finalists for the 2020-21 Mike Richter Award as the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s hockey were announced late last week.

Dryden McKay, Junior, Minnesota State – The Downers Grove, Ill., native backstopped the Mavericks to their first-ever Frozen Four appearance next month by allowing just three goals over two games at the NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Col., posting victories over 11^th ranked Quinnipiac and third-ranked Minnesota. In 25 appearances so far this season, McKay, 23, has fashioned a 21-3-0 record to go with a 1.39 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and a nation-leading 10 shutouts. He is also a finalist for this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s best player.

Spencer Knight, Sophomore, Boston College –The Darien, Conn. product concluded his 2020-21 campaign with 32 stops in a 4-1 season-ending loss to St. Cloud State in the NCAA Northeast Regional final in Albany, N.Y. on Sunday. The Hockey East Player of the Year, he put together a 16-4-1 record over 21 games with three shutouts (2.18, .932). Knight, 19, was chosen 13^th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft, and like McKay is also a finalist for this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Jack LaFontaine, Senior, Minnesota – A former transfer from Big Ten Conference rival Michigan, the Mississauga, Ont. native guided the Golden Gophers to this year’s Big Ten tournament championship, plus the final game of the 2021 NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Col. LaFontaine, 23, who finished the season at 22-7-0 in 29 games with five shutouts (1.79, .934), was chosen 75th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Draft.

The winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award, which is presented by Let’s Play Hockey, will be announced during the NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh next month.

2021 NCAA Hockey Regionals Conclude

 

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey regionals concluded on Sunday with two regional finals.

Albany, NY Regional

St. Cloud State 4, Boston College 1

SCSU overcame a 1-0 deficit with three second-period goals to defeat regional top seed BC. Four different players scored for the Huskies, who also got two assists from Nick Perbix and 26 saves from Dávid Hrenák in earning their first Frozen Four berth since 2013. 

Loveland, CO Regional

Minnesota State 4, Minnesota 0

The Mavericks followed up their first-ever victory in the NCAA tournament the day before by punching their ticket to their first-ever Frozen Four. MSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and never looked back, thanks to a goal and an assist from Ryan Sandelin and 22 saves by Dryden McKay, who posted his 10th shutout of the season.

Day Two of 2021 NCAA Tournament Done

The second day of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship is done, with two regionals completed and two more to go.

Bridgeport, CT Regional

Massachusetts 4, Bemidji State 0

St. Lawrence transfer Carson Gicewicz recorded his first collegiate hat trick, on three goals spanning the first two periods of play, as the Hockey East champion Minutemen punched their ticket to their second straight Frozen Four.

Fargo, ND Regional

Minnesota-Duluth 3, North Dakota 2 (5 OT)

Luke Mylymok, son of former Alaska Anchorage defenseman Jeremy Mylymok, notched the game-winner for UMD 2:13 into the fifth extra session to end the NCAA tournament's longest-ever game and send the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs to their fourth consecutive Frozen Four. Ryan Fanti picked up the win in net, making six saves over the last 17 minutes of overtime after he relieved Zach Stejskal (57 saves) after the latter left the game due to cramps.

Albany, NY Regional

St. Cloud State 6, Boston University 2

The Huskies scored three times in each of the last two periods, including a penalty-shot goal by Jami Krannila, while Nolan Walker posted three assists. SCSU will now meet Boston College in the regional final on Sunday (5:30 p.m., ESPN2). 

Loveland, CO Regional

Minnesota State 4, Quinnipiac 3 (OT)

The Mavericks tallied two goals twice in the last five minutes of the third period, then won it on Ryan Sandelin's overtime goal for their first-ever victory in the NCAA tournament. 

Minnesota 7, Omaha 2

The Golden Gophers raced out to a 3-0 first-period lead and cruised to their first NCAA tournament victory since 2014.  Brock Faber set up five goals for Minnesota, which will meet MSU on Sunday in the regional final (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).  

2021 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Regionals - Day One

 

The first day of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship is in the books, with the first day of regional competition completed.

Bridgeport, CT Regional

Bemidji State 6, Wisconsin 3

The fourth-seeded Beavers jumped to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and then made it 4-1 after 40 minutes en route to eliminating the Badgers, who got two goals from Cole Caufield. Brendan Harris led Bemidji with a goal and two assists, while Zach Driscoll made 30 saves. 

Massachusetts 5, Lake Superior State 1

The Minutemen spoiled Lake Superior's first NCAA tournament appearance in 25 years by breaking a 1 1-1 first period tie with four unanswered goals. Jake Gaudet scored twice and Oliver Chau set up two goals for UMass, which got 20 stops from Filip Lindberg. 

Fargo, ND Regional

North Dakota 5, American International 1

The Fighting Hawks raced out to a 4-0 advantage in advancing to the regional final. Collin Adams and Jasper Weatherby scored two goals apiece for UND, while Adam Scheel stopped 18 AIC shots.  

Minnesota-Duluth over Michigan

No contest, Michigan ruled out of tournament due to positive COVID-19 tests.

The regional winners will now meet in their respective regional finals on Saturday:

 

Bemidji State versus Massachusetts, 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Bridgeport)

North Dakota versus Minnesota-Duluth, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Fargo)

The other two NCAA regionals will both begin tomorrow:

Albany, NY Regional

Boston University versus St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. ET, ESPNews 

Boston College over Notre Dame (no contest, Notre Dame out due to COVID-19)

 

Loveland, CO Regional

Minnesota State versus Quinnipiac, 5 p.m. ET,  ESPN3

Minnesota versus Nebraska-Omaha, 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU

 

The Albany and Loveland regional finals will each be contested on Sunday. All schedules and telecasts are subject to change.

Notre Dame Withdraws from NCAA Tournament

The University of Notre Dame will not take part in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship, due to positive COVID-19 testing results within the program.

UND's first-round opponent, Boston College, the No. 2 seed in the national tournament and the top seed in the Albany, N.Y. regional, will receive a bye to Sunday's regional championship game, much like in the days of the 12-team NCAA tournament. The UND-BC game will officially be ruled a no-contest, similar to a game in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship earlier this month in Indiana, where positive COVID-19 tests for the Virginia Commonwealth team forced it to withdraw from that tournament before its opening game with Oregon.

BC will now face the winner of Saturday's regional semifinal between St. Cloud State and Boston University, which has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET (ESPNews). The Albany regional final is slated for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2).

ADDENDUM: Michigan has now withdrawn from the Fargo, N.D. regional due to COVID-19. The Wolverines' first-round opponent, recent two-time NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth (2018 and 2019), thus advances to the regional final tomorrow against the winner of North Dakota and AIC. 

Daccord, Johnson Done for Current NHL Campaign

A pair of former NCAA stars are done for the 2020-21 NHL season.

Ottawa goaltender Joey Daccord (Arizona State) suffered a lower-body injury in the Senators' 3-2 loss to Vancouver on St. Patrick's Day, while New York Rangers defenseman Jack Johnson (Michigan) underwent season-ending core-muscle surgery two days later.

Daccord made his NHL debut in April 2019, shortly after backstopping independent Arizona State to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth. He earned his first NHL victory on March 14 with 33 saves in a 4-3 win over Toronto, and finished 1-3-1 this season with a 3.27 goals-against average in six starts. 

In three seasons at ASU, Daccord went 32-40-7 with a 3.07 GAA and eight shutouts. As a junior for the Sun Devils in 2018-19, he finished 21-13-1 with seven shutouts before turning pro with Ottawa, who drafted him 199th overall in 2015 out of Cushing Academy in his native Massachusetts.

Longtime pro blueliner Johnson, from Indianapolis, has notched 71 goals and 232 assists for 303 points to go with 529 penalty minutes in 950 career NHL regular-season outings with Los Angeles, Columbus, Pittsburgh and the Rangers since turning pro in 2007. He also has five goals and 21 points in 30 career Stanley Cup playoff contests.

Originally drafted third overall by Carolina in 2005, Johnson skated for two seasons at Michigan, notching 26-45—71 points and 236 PIM in 74 games. He also earned CCHA All-Rookie Team accolades as a freshman, and First Team All-America status as a sophomore, while also helping the Wolverines to a pair of NCAA tournament berths before signing with Los Angeles.

2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Bracket Revealed

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship field is set. 

Per collegehockeynews.com, here's the bracket:

Fargo, ND (Friday-Saturday - Host: North Dakota)

1. North Dakota (1) * vs. 4. American International *

2. Michigan vs. 3. Minnesota-Duluth

Albany, NY (Saturday-Sunday - Host: ECAC Hockey)

1. Boston College (2)  vs. 4. Notre Dame

2. St. Cloud State vs. 3. Boston University

Bridgeport, CT (Friday-Saturday - Host: Sacred Heart)

1. Wisconsin (4) vs. 4. Bemidji State

2. Massachusetts * vs. 3. Lake Superior State *

Loveland, CO (Saturday-Sunday - Host: Denver)

1. Minnesota (3) * vs. 4. Nebraska-Omaha

2. Minnesota State vs. 3. Quinnipiac 

* Automatic qualifier as conference tournament champion

The top four overall seeds are listed in parentheses. The four regional winners will advance to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh on April 8, with the national championship game to be played two days later.

Minnesota-Duluth won the NCAA title in both 2018 and 2019, while last year's tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.

Wisconsin Wins 2021 NCAA Women's Hockey National Title

A former Boston College player ruined Northeastern's night—and season.

Daryl Watts banked home a shot off a defender from behind the net just 3:16 into overtime to lift Wisconsin to a 2-1 victory in last night's NCAA Division I women's hockey championship game in Erie, Pa. It was the sixth national title for the WCHA champion Badgers, who also claimed the NCAA crown in 2019 before COVID wiped out last year’s tournament. It was the first-ever championship game appearance for Hockey East champion Northeastern, and the first loss for the Huskies since January.

Following two scoreless periods of play, Makenna Webster converted a rebound with nine minutes remaining in regulation to put the Badgers ahead. The Huskies responded just 39 seconds later on a one-timer from the left circle by Chloé Aurard to knot matters, setting the stage for Watts' extra-session heroics.

Mercyhurst transfer Kennedy Blair stopped 24 shots for Wisconsin, while Aerin Frankel made 35 saves for Northeastern. The Badgers outshot the Huskies, 37-25, on the night, and also snuffed out all four Northeastern power plays.

Watts, who spent her first two seasons at Boston College before transferring to Wisconsin, now has 21 points in 11 career games against Northeastern. In her two years at BC, she tallied 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in nine meetings with the Huskies, and also won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation's top player in 2017-18 following her 42-goal, 82-point freshman campaign with the Eagles. She now has 108-132—240 points in 134 career NCAA outings over four seasons.

St. Lawrence Wins 2021 ECAC Hockey Men's Title

 

For the first time since 2007, the Saints will be marching into the NCAA Division I men's hockey tournament.

David Jankowksi's goal 3:44 into overtime lifted St. Lawrence to a 3-2 victory at Quinnipiac in the 2021 ECAC Hockey championship contest today. Luc Salem, who set up Jankowski's goal, also assisted on Justin Paul's game-tying goal with 3:38 remaining in regulation.

The Saints (6-8-3 overall) earned ECAC Hockey's automatic bid into the NCAAs, while the conference regular-season champion Bobcats (17-7-3) will wait to see if they earn one of 10 at-large bids when tomorrow's national bracket is announced (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU).

Elsewhere, Massachusetts blanked UMass Lowell, 1-0, to earn the Hockey East title, AIC claimed Atlantic Hockey for the second time in three years with a 5-2 victory over Canisius, and Lake Superior State punched its first ticket to the NCAAs since 1996 by besting Northern Michigan, 6-3, to win its first-ever WCHA title.

ADDENDUM: St. Lawrence will apparently not compete in the NCAA Tournament due to a positive COVID test within the program. Quinnipiac will now represent ECAC Hockey as the league's autobid.

Minnesota, North Dakota Win Conference Titles

 

Two games, two offensive explosions in roughly two minutes each, and two tournament championships won on Tuesday night.

Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, 6-4, for the Big Ten title in South Bend, Ind., as the Golden Gophers broke open a 2-1 game with three unanswered goals in a span of 2:42 late in the second period. After Wisconsin closed to within 5-4 with three third-period goals, including Cole Caufield's nation-leading 28th score of the season to bring the Badgers within one, fourth-ranked Minnesota (23-6-0 overall) sealed the deal on an empty-net goal by Blake McLaughlin with 24 seconds remaining in regulation. McLaughlin led all skaters with two goals and two assists on the evening, while Roman Ahcan scored twice for No. 5 Wisconsin (20-9-1).

In Grand Forks, N.D., host North Dakota claimed its first-ever NCHC playoff championship by outlasting St. Cloud State, 5-3. After SCSU (17-10-0) took a 2-1 lead into the locker rooms after 40 minutes of play, the Fighting Hawks notched three goals in just 1:58 to start the third period en route to the victory. Riese Gaber's power-play goal just over five minutes into the final frame stood up as the game-winner, before Jordan Kawaguchi iced matters with his empty-net tally with nine seconds left. Gaber and Kawaguchi finished with two goals and an assist apiece for No. 2 UND (21-5-1), while Ondřej Trejbal set up two goals for the Huskies, including Sam Hentges' score that pulled No. 8 SCSU within 4-3 with just under 13 minutes left.

Both Minnesota and North Dakota, former rivals in the old WCHA, earned their respective current conference's automatic berth to this year's NCAA tournament. The NCAA selection show and the 2021 bracket will be revealed on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Thirty Years Ago Today

 UAA 3 @ BC 1 (NCAA First Round) 

Big Ten Teams Advance to League Semifinals

 

Minnesota, Michigan and Penn State have all advanced in the 2021 Big Ten championship, while the 2020-21 campaigns for Michigan State, Ohio State and possibly Notre Dame have come to an end.

Minnesota (21-6-0 overall) needed overtime to outlast MSU, 2-1, with Sampo Ranta scoring the game-winner midway through the extra session. Bryce Brodzinski had tied the game for the Golden Gophers with five minutes remaining in regulation, after MSU had held  a 1-0 lead since midway through the first period on a power-play goal by Dennis Cesana. Freshman netminder Pierce Charleson made 48 saves in defeat for the Spartans (7-18-2).

Penn State (10-11-0) overcame an early 2-0 deficit by scoring five unanswered goals against host Notre Dame (14-13-2) en route to a 6-3 victory. Connor McMenamin and Chase Mclane had two goals apiece for the Nittany Lions, who also got two assists from three different skaters. Oskar Autio made 33 saves for Penn State, while Dylan St. Cyr did likewise for the Fighting Irish, who had swept the Nittany Lions in a pair of games earlier this month.

In the nightcap, Michigan blanked Ohio State, 4-0, as Brendan Brisson scored the first and fourth goals for the Wolverines (15-9-1), the latter into an empty-net in the third period. Strauss Mann stopped 26 shots to earn the shutout over the Buckeyes (7-19-1).

Today's games feature Penn State against No. 1 seed Wisconsin, and Michigan versus Minnesota. Both games will be played at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind., where the entire tournament is being contested. The Big Ten championship contest will be held tomorrow, and the winner will also earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Also on Sunday, Boston College, UMass Lowell, Massachusetts and Providence all advanced in the Hockey East playoffs, while Niagara did the same in Atlantic Hockey, and Northern Michigan and Minnesota State did likewise in the WCHA.

ADDENDUM: Cole Caufield scored the tying and winning goals, his nation-leading 26th and 27th scores of the season, as Wisconsin rebounded to top Penn State, 4-3, in overtime. Later, Minnesota overcame a two-goal deficit to edge Michigan, 3-2, on Sammy Walker's goal six minutes into sudden death.

NCAA Men's Hockey Regular Season Ends

The NCAA Division I men's hockey regular season has come to a close, with conference tournaments already underway or slated to begin soon.

American International College finished in first place in Atlantic Hockey, with the Yellowjackets going 13-3-0 overall. Holy Cross was forced to forfeit its Atlantic Hockey first-round tournament game at Sacred Heart due to COVID-19, a move that also ended the Crusaders' 2020-21 campaign. SHU subsequently receives a bye into the second round, and will now play at Army West Point.

Boston College defeated Northeastern on Friday to finish first in Hockey East, although the conference had previously announced it would not crown either men's or women's regular-season champions this year. BC won last year's Hockey East regular-season title before the entire postseason was canceled by COVID-19

North Dakota dropped its regular-season finale on Friday against Nebraska-Omaha, but still earned its second straight NCHC regular-season championship, and will host the NCHC championship at Ralph Engelstad Arena from March 12-16. The Fighting Hawks are also all but assured of earning a berth in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and will host the the 2021 NCAA Regional at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D. later this month. The Denver and Colorado College home-and-home NCHC series scheduled for March 4-6 was canceled by COVID issues within the CC program. 

Quinnipiac finished as ECAC Hockey champion, aided by the fact that second-place Clarkson's last four games, all against rival St. Lawrence, were canceled due to coronavirus protocols at SLU. It marks the fifth time the Bobcats have won the Cleary Cup in the last nine seasons.

Minnesota State won its fourth consecutive McNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champion. The Mavericks are also two victories away from their ninth straight 20-win season.

Wisconsin used a two-step sweep of Michigan State over the weekend to capture this year's Big Ten title. It's the Badgers' first regular-season conference crown since they won the old WCHA back in 2000, and completes a "worst-to-first" scenario after they placed seventh in the conference in 2019-20. 

Concerning the two Division I men's independents, Arizona State finished at 7-16-3 overall, having played all 26 of its games on the road against Big Ten competition, while recording wins against five different opponents. First-year NCAA program Long Island University went 3-10-0 in its abbreviated inaugural campaign, and notched victories over Holy Cross, RIT and Army.

ADDENDUM: Merrimack's season was cut short last week by COVID-19. Clarkson's season has also ended, and now so has Bentley's.

2021 NCAA Women's Hockey Championship Field Set

The eight-team field is set for the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship. The seeds/first-round match-ups are as follows, with conference affiliation in parentheses:

No. 8 Robert Morris * (CHA) vs. No. 1 Northeastern * (Hockey East)

No. 7 Providence (Hockey East) vs. No. 2 Wisconsin * (WCHA)

No. 6 Boston College (Hockey East) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (WCHA)

No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) vs. No. 4 Colgate * (ECAC Hockey)

* Earned automatic NCAA tournament berth by winning conference tournament championship 

The entire tournament will be contested on March 15-20 at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA, with the Frozen Four on March 18 (semifinals) and March 20 (championship game) to be televised live on the ESPN networks.

Last year's NCAA championship was canceled by COVID-19. Wisconsin, the 2019 NCAA champion, and Minnesota-Duluth have both earned five previous national championships apiece, the only schools in this year's field to have won an NCAA title.

Mark Pavelich 1958-2021

 

BC's Kreider Nets Another NHL Hat Trick

Chris Kreider (Boston College) proved too much for the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

The two-time NCAA champion helped his New York Rangers overcome a one-goal deficit with a natural hat trick that spanned the second and third periods to pace the visitors to a 6-1 victory at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Kreider, 29, tallied his first goal 8:28 into the middle stanza by redirecting home a pass from the right side to tie the contest. A shot from the left point struck Kreider and went into the New Jersey net just 23 seconds into the final frame to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead, and then he completed the hat trick three-and-a-half-minutes later when he took a pass in the slot off a Devils turnover and wristed the puck home.

Kreider, who notched 49 goals and 92 points at BC from 2009 to 2012, now has 13 goals and 15 points in 21 outings so far this season for the Rangers, who have won five of their last seven contests. The Boxford, Mass. native also has eight goals in his last five games, including a pair of hat tricks, and has reached 170 regular-season goals in his NHL career.

Devils Downed in Reverse Retro Debut

 

The New Jersey Devils made their debut in green on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, it didn't help them to a victory.

Oliver Wahlstrom (Boston College) and Anders Lee (Notre Dame) scored for the New York Islanders in their 2-1 win over the host Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark, the first game in which fans were allowed at a Devils home game since late last season. About 1,800 spectators were allowed, due to COVID-19 regulations.

New Jersey, which wore red, white and green from 1982 to 1991 before switching to red, white and black, debuted its Reverse Retro uniform in the contest. It marked the first time that the club had worn green helmets, gloves, jerseys and socks in its history, along with red pants.

Wahlstrom's goal 70 seconds into the third period, a wrist shot from above the right circle, broke a scoreless tie and gave New York a lead it would not relinquish. The goal was his third in his last four games, and also gave the Quincy, Mass. native six points over his last five appearances.

Lee followed up his own rebound in front of the New Jersey net with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation for the game-winner. It was also his team-leading 10th goal of the 2020-21 campaign, giving him double-digit goals in seven straight NHL seasons.

Miles Wood (Boston College) scored from the doorstep with less than 15 seconds left in the third period to put New Jersey on the scoreboard, his team-best seventh goal of the season, but it wasn't enough for the home team. Aaron Dell (North Dakota) made 18 stops for the Devils in his second start for New Jersey, after being being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs last month.

New Jersey, which has lost six of its last seven outings, entertains the rival New York Rangers tonight, while the Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres.