Princeton Tabs Syer as New Men's Hockey Coach

Long-time ECAC Hockey assistant/associate head coach Ben Syer has been named the new head coach of the Princeton University men's ice hockey team. He becomes the 18th head coach in the history of the program, and succeeds Ron Fogarty, who helmed the Tigers over last 10 years.

A graduate of Western Ontario, Syer spent the last 12 years as an associate head coach at Cornell University, following one year as an assistant. He helped the Big Red to an ECAC Hockey tournament championship last year, its first Whitelaw Cup since 2010, while mentoring a defense that allowed a nation-low 1.86 goals per game. He also helped Cornell to seven NCAA tournament appearances, seven Ivy League crowns, and three ECAC Hockey regular-season titles in his 13 years in Ithaca, and posted a 13-6-4 record overall while serving as interim head coach on several occasions.

Prior to coaching at Cornell, Syer served nine seasons as an assistant coach at Quinnipiac University, the last two as associate head coach. In his tenure he helped the Bobcats in their move from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference/Atlantic Hockey to ECAC Hockey, and from the community-based Northford Ice Pavilion to the on-campus M&T Bank Arena. Quinnipiac won 151 games in all in his time in Hamden, while also posting a winning record each season and garnering two conference regular-season titles and one NCAA tournament berth.

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Syer, 49, began his college coaching career at Ohio University (ACHA) while earning his master's degree. A first-time college head coach, he takes over a Tigers' team that finished 10-16-4 overall last season, and last qualified for the NCAAs in 2018.  

  

Panthers Take 3-0 NHL Playoff Series Lead

Brandon Montour (Massachusetts) scored one goal and set up another, and Kyle Okposo (Minnesota) registered an assist in his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in eight years, as the Florida Panthers defeated the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, in Game Three of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight. 

Florida, the NHL's defending Eastern Conference champion, now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to none. Tyler Motte (Michigan) scored one of the Lightning's three goals, which put them up by a 2-1 count at the time.

Florida will attempt to sweep the series in Game Four on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, as the Panthers also look to win a playoff series against the Lightning for the first time ever. Tampa Bay, which claimed three straight Eastern Conference titles between 2020 and 2022 while also winning two Stanley Cups in that span, is seeking to avoid a second straight opening-round playoff ouster.

BU's Quinn Let Go by San Jose

David Quinn (Boston University) has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks after two seasons. He posted a a 41-98-25 overall regular-season record, with the Sharks missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs both years while also finishing last overall in the league both times. San Jose went 19-54-9 overall in 2023-24, and was four wins behind Chicago for the worst record in the NHL.

A three-year letterman on the blueline at BU (1984-1987), Quinn, 57, eventually began his coaching career at the college level in 1993-94 as an assistant at Northeastern. He then moved on to Nebraska-Omaha before spending five years as an associate at BU, helping the Terriers to the 2009 NCAA title in his final year there. He went on to coach Lake Erie (AHL) for three seasons, and spent one season as an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche, before taking the top job at his alma mater in 2013. 

In five seasons at the BU helm, Quinn guided the Terriers to a 105-68-21 overall record, including four NCAA Tournament berths, two Hockey East Association regular-season titles, two HEA tournament crowns, and one Beanpot Tournament title, plus the 2015 NCAA Championship Game in Boston. He remained at BU until signing on with the New York Rangers in 2018, where finished with a regular-season record of 96-87-25 in 208 NHL regular-season games, and made one Stanley Cup Playoff appearance. The Cranston, R.I. native spent the 2021-22 season coaching Team USA at both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, and the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland, before joining San Jose in July 2022.

Former NCAA Skaters Star in NHL Playoffs

Dakota Joshua (Ohio State) scored his first two NHL postseason goals and added an assist, while Thatcher Demko (Boston College) made 20 saves in net to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night to start the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver takes a one game to none lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series, following the Canucks' first home playoff game at Rogers Arena since 2015.

In Manhattan, the top-ranked New York Rangers jumped out to a three-goal lead en route to a 4-1 triumph over the visiting Washington Capitals in the opener of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series at Madison Square Garden. Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) tallied one goal and set up another for the Rangers, while Chris Kreider (Boston College) also scored for the Blueshirts.

In Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets outlasted the Colorado Avalanche, 7-6, at Canada Life Centre to claim the first game in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. Kyle Connor (Michigan) scored twice for Winnipeg and also had an assist, while Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 40 saves for the Jets. Cale Makar (Massachusetts) scored one goal and set up two others for the Avalanche.

Bruins, Canes Win as 2024 NHL Playoffs Begin

Johnny Beecher (Michigan) tallied his first career NHL playoff goal, and Jeremy Swayman (Maine) won his first NHL postseason start by making 35 saves in the Boston Bruins' 5-1 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Boston now leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, one game to none. Charlie McAvoy (Boston University) set up two goals for the Bruins.

In the only other game from the first day of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the host Carolina Hurricanes outlasted the New York Islanders, 3-1, in a matinee affair to take a one game-to-none lead in that Eastern Conference matchup. Jack Drury (Harvard) notched one assist for the Hurricanes, while Anders Lee (Notre Dame) assisted on the Islanders lone goal.

The playoffs continue today as four other series get underway, including two in the Western Conference.

NCAA Skaters Signing with NHL Clubs in 2024

The exodus of NCAA players to the professional ranks began before the 2024 NCAA tournament started, and has continued following the conclusion of the Frozen Four last weekend in St. Paul. 

Some of the more notable signings, many of them underclassmen, to date since April 1 have included (players listed in alphabetical order by last name):

PLAYER SCHOOL NHL CLUB
Sean Behrens Denver Colorado
Gavin Brindley * Michigan Columbus
Shai Buium Denver Detroit
Dylan Duke Michigan Tampa Bay
Cutter Gauthier * Boston College Anaheim
Lane Hutson * Boston U. Montreal
Victor Mancini #        Omaha           NY Rangers
Scott Morrow * UMass     Carolina
Bradley Nadeau *        Maine           Carolina
Frank Nazar III * Michigan Chicago
Victor Ostman Maine Seattle
Jacob Quillan # Quinnipiac Toronto
Massimo Rizzo Denver Philadelphia
Luke Tuch Boston U. Montreal 
Cade Webber Boston U. Toronto
Dylan Wendt # W. Michigan New Jersey

# Indicates player has made AHL playing debut 

* Indicates player has made NHL playing debut 

Canada Wins 2024 Women's Worlds

Danielle Serdachny (Colgate) scored on the power play just over five minutes into overtime Sunday night, to lift Canada over the rival United States, 6-5, in the gold medal game of the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, N.Y. The victory marked a record 13th WWC title for Canada, while the host U.S. was seeking its 11th such crown since the tournament began back in 1990.

Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin) tied the contest at five apiece on her goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, after Canada had taken the lead with two consecutive goals. Harvey also had an assist for a two-point night, as did teammate Laila Edwards (Wisconsin). Hilary Knight (Wisconsin) tallied a power-play goal to put the U.S. ahead, 4-3, while Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) made a total of 24 saves in net for the Americans.

Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Boston University) led all players in the game with two goals, while teammate Erin Ambrose (Clarkson) notched a goal and an assist. Ann-Renée Desbiens (Wisconsin) finished with 19 stops in goal for Canada in the win.

Next year's WWC will be held in the Czech Republic.

Denver Wins 10th NCAA Hockey Title Overall

Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored goals less than six minutes apart, and Matt Davis stopped all 35 shots he faced as the University of Denver claimed the 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey title on Saturday night with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Boston College in St. Paul, Minn.

Wright broke open a scoreless game at 9:42 of the second period when his shot from the left side glanced off the crossbar, off of BC goaltender Jacob Fowler (24 saves), and into the net. Lorenz, who assisted on Wright's goal, followed up with a wrist shot over Fowler's stick at 15:16 to give the Pioneers all the offense they would need on the night, before a crowd of 18,694 at Xcel Energy Center.

Davis, who earned Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player accolades, proved to be the difference, with 23 of his 35 saves coming over the final 20 minutes of play as the top-ranked Eagles attempted to claw back into the contest. BC also hit two posts in the game, while Davis stopped Will Smith on a first-period breakaway, and then added a point-blank arm save on Ryan Leonard's one-timer in-close in the final period. The Calgary native finished the 2024 NCAA tournament with a 4-0 record for the Pioneers, while stopping 138 of the 141 total shots he faced.

DU (32-9-3 overall) has earned two of the last three NCAA titles, and has now won a record 10 national championships overall, breaking the tie it had held with Michigan since 2022. BC (34-6-1), which was seeking is first national hockey title since 2012, saw its 15-game winning streak snapped as it was shut out for the first time in the 2023-24 campaign.

Next year's Frozen Four will be held in St. Louis, for the first time since 2007 when Michigan State defeated BC in the final.

BU's Celebrini Wins 2024 Hobey Baker Award

Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) is the 2024 winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Celebrini, 17, from North Vancouver, B.C., led the Terriers in scoring this season with 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points in 38 outings, although BU's 2023-24 campaign ended in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to Denver in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. Celebrini was previously named the 2024 Hockey East Rookie of the Year and the Hockey East Player of the Year, and was also tabbed as a First Team All-America selection. He also earned the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year.

Celebrini is the fourth BU Terrier to win the Hobey Baker Award, and the first since Jack Eichel in 2015. He is also the second straight freshman to garner the award, joining 2023 winner Adam Fantilli (Michigan), and just the fourth freshman overall. He is also the youngest-ever recipient of the Hobey Baker Award. Celebrini is also widely considered to be the likely first overall choice in this year's NHL Entry Draft, which will be held in late June in the Las Vegas area.

Three more major college hockey annual awards were announced on Friday. The Mike Richter Award for best goaltender went to Kyle McClellan (Wisconsin), while Dylan Lugris (Penn State) earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award and Luke Robinson (Air Force) garnered the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award.

BC, Denver to Meet Saturday for NCAA Crown

The national title game is set. It will be Denver against Boston College on Saturday night in St. Paul, Minn., for the 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship, after both teams won national semifinal contests today at the Xcel Energy Center.

In the opening game this afternoon, Tristan Broz scored just over 11 minutes into overtime to lift Denver to a 2-1 win over Boston University. Luke Tuch opened the scoring for BU (28-10-2 overall) with a shorthanded goal in the first period, before Tristan Lemyre tied it for DU in the second. BU outshot DU, 34-29, overall, even though the Terriers did not receive any power plays. Matt Davis made 33 saves in net for the Pioneers (31-9-3), while Mathieu Caron finished with 27 stops for the Terriers.

In the nightcap, Will Smith opened the scoring just over a minute into the opening stanza as top-ranked Boston College blanked Michigan, 4-0. The Eagles (34-5-1), who set a school record for most victories in a single season with tonight's win, broke the game open with goals 49 seconds apart in the second period from Smith and Cutter Gauthier (NCAA-high 38th goal of the year) while the two teams were skating 4-on-4. 

Gabe Perreault, who also assisted on both of Smith's goals, closed out the scoring early in the third period with an unassisted tally for the Eagles. Jacob Fowler stopped all 32 shots he faced in earning his third shutout of the season for BC, which was outshot by a 32-22 margin. Jake Barczewski had 18 stops for the Wolverines (23-15-3), who were making their third consecutive trip to the Frozen Four, and who were shut out for the first time in a Frozen Four appearance.

BC and DU will now meet for the national title on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2). It will be a rematch of a game from October at BC, where the Pioneers edged the Eagles, 4-3. DU is seeking its record 10th NCAA men's hockey title all-time, and second in three years, while BC is after its sixth national championship ever, and first since 2012.

BC's Brown Named National Coach of the Year

 

Boston College head coach Greg Brown is the 2023-24 recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award, which is bestowed annually upon the top head coach in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey. He had previously been named Hockey East Coach of the Year in helming the Eagles to both the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles.

Brown, 56, spent the 2021-22 season as head coach of Dubuque (USHL) before taking the reins at BC, succeeding the legendary Jerry York. Prior to that, he served three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL's New York Rangers, after a 14-year stint as an assistant/associate coach at his alma mater that included three national championships (2008, 2010, 2012).

A product of the St. Mark's School in his hometown, Brown skated for three seasons at BC, not including one year off to skate with the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. In those three campaigns on the Heights, he tallied 24 goals and 96 assists for 110 points in 119 outings . As a junior, he captained the Eagles to the 1990 Hockey East tournament title and the NCAA Frozen Four in Detroit, and and was also a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist that same year. A two-time First Time All-America selection and a two-time Hockey East Player of the Year honoree, Brown was preceded at BC by his older brother, Doug, and later coached his nephews, Chris and Patrick, with the Eagles.

Drafted 26th overall by Buffalo in 1986, Brown collected four goals and 18 points in 94 career NHL games with the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets, and also skated for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. He also played with Rochester (AHL) and Cleveland (IHL), before finishing his professional career with eight seasons in Europe, including stops in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Germany.

Brown will guide the Eagles (33-5-1 overall) in the second NCAA Frozen Four semifinal tomorrow night against Michigan (8:30 p.m. ESPN2).

U.S. Blanks Canada at Women's Worlds

Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin) scored the only goal of the game as the United States edged Canada, 1-0, in overtime in the preliminary round of the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, N.Y.

Simms connected on a wrist shot less than four minutes into the extra session at the Adirondack Bank Center. Assisting on the goal was Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin), while Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) earned the shutout for Team USA with 26 saves, and was also named Player of the Game.

The U.S., which is seeking its second straight Worlds gold medal, finished 4-0-0 in the preliminary round, the best record in Group B. The Americans will begin quarterfinal play on Thursday against an opponent to be named.

2024 Hobey Hat Trick Announced

The Hobey Hat Trick has been announced for 2024. The three skaters left vying for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey are as follows:

• Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota (40 GP, 22-38—60 pts.)
• Macklin Celebrini, Fr., Boston Univ. (37 GP, 32-32—64 pts.)
• Cutter Gauthier, So., Boston College (39 GP, 37-27—64 pts.)

All three are among the top five scorers in the nation, while Gauthier leads Division I with 37 goals. He and Celebrini have also led their respective schools to the NCAA Frozen Four next week in St. Paul, Minn., while Blake's UND squad was eliminated in the regional finals. 

The Hobey Baker Award will be presented to the winner a week from today in Minnesota.

Miami, Stonehill Hire New Coaches

Two NCAA Division I men's hockey schools have already hired new head coaches.

Miami University of the NCHC has tabbed longtime junior hockey coach Anthony Noreen as the next bench boss of the RedHawks. He succeeds Miami alumnus Chris Bergeron, who was let go after managing only 35 wins in all over the last five seasons. A graduate of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he skated on defense and captained the Pointers, Noreen has served as a USHL head coach with both Youngstown and Tri-City, twice earning USHL Coach of the Year accolades, and as a pro head coach with Orlando (ECHL). A Chicago native, he began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater. Noreen, 41, will remain with Tri-City, where he has coached since 2017-18, until the Storm's current campaign ends. As of April 1, he had fashioned an overall record of 236-126-24-18 with Tri-City.

NCAA Division I independent Stonehill College has chosen David Berard as its next head coach. A Providence College product and former Friars goaltender, Berard, 53, was previously the head coach at Holy Cross, compiling an overall record of 96-122-35 over seven seasons with the Crusaders, after assistant/associate coaching stints at his alma mater, Colby, Lake Superior State, and UConn. He spent the last three years in athletic administration at Providence. A native of West Warwick, R.I., Berard succeeds David Borges, who retired from Stonehill last month after 10 seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks.

Penguins Rebound to Down Devils, 6-3

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) set up two goals, and Jack St. Ivany (Boston College) notched his first NHL point with an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied in the third period to defeat the host New Jersey Devils, 6-3, last night in Newark.

Down by a 3-1 score after two periods of play, the Penguins responded with five goals on nine shots over the final 20 minutes, including a empty-net tally, before 16,514 at the Prudential Center. Pittsburgh (34-30-11 overall), which missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for the first time in 17 seasons, is now three points ahead of New Jersey in the race among several teams for the second and final wild card spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

John Marino (Harvard) assisted on both Devils' goals in the second period, after Luke Hughes (Michigan) set up New Jersey's first period power-play score. New Jersey (36-35-4) outshot Pittsburgh on the night, 26-21, but fell to 17-19-2 at home this season. The Penguins are 5-3-2 in their last 10 outings overall.

NCAA Regionals Conclude, 2024 Frozen Four Set

The 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey regionals are in the books, and the last two tickets to this year's Frozen Four have been punched.

In Providence, Boston College overcame several one-goal deficits to edge defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac, 5-4, in overtime. Cornell transfer Jack Malone pushed home a loose puck just over three minutes into the extra session to give BC (33-5-1 overall) its only lead of the afternoon, after fellow New Jersey native Aram Minnetian had tied the contest with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Ryan Leonard tallied two power-play goals for the Eagles, who also got 26 saves from Jacob Fowler. Jacob Quillan, last year's national championship game hero for the Bobcats (27-10-2), scored twice, while Vinny Duplessis had 27 stops for Quinnipiac.

In Maryland Heights. Mo., Michigan (23-14-3) used four third-period goals to break a two-all tie and overcome Big Ten rival Michigan State, 5-2. The Wolverines, who won their third consecutive regional final, got three points from Dylan Duke, including two third-period goals and the game-winner, while Ethan Edwards notched a goal and two assists, and Jake Barczewski made 38 saves. Trey Augustine had 30 stops for the Spartans (25-10-3), who won their first-ever Big Ten regular season championship this year, and then added the Big Ten tournament title eight days ago with an overtime win against Michigan.

Top-ranked BC will now face Michigan in the second Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. on April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The first semifinal will pit Sioux Falls regional winner Boston University against Springfield, Mass. regional winner Denver at 5 p.m. ET. Both contests will be televised live on ESPN2. The semifinal winners will meet two days later for the national championship, which will also be held at the Xcel Energy Center.

Day 3 of NCAA Regionals Finished

Two of the 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey regionals are finished, and two national semifinal spots have been filled.

In Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, Denver rebounded from a one-goal deficit to edge Cornell, 2-1, at the MassMutual Center. Sam Harris' goal with four seconds left in the second period broke a 1-1 tie and stood up as the game-winner for DU (30-9-3 overall). The Pioneers, who avenged a regional loss to Cornell (22-7-6) from last year, are now headed to the NCAA Frozen Four for the second time in three seasons, and the fifth time in nine years. Matt Davis made 24 saves in net for DU, while Ian Shane had 16 stops for the Big Red in its season finale.

In Sioux Falls, S.D., yesterday, Boston University came back from two goals down early on to oust Minnesota, 6-3, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Macklin Celebrini set up three goals for the Terriers (28-9-2), who got goals from six different skaters and 25 stops from Mathieu Caron. Bryce Brodzinski notched a goal and an assist, and Justen Close made 32 saves for the Golden Gophers in their last game of the year. BU, which also got some payback for a Frozen Four loss to Minnesota (23-11-5) last spring in Tampa, will now face Denver in one of two Frozen Four semifinals on April 11 in St. Paul. 

The Providence and Maryland Heights, Mo., regionals conclude with their finals on Sunday, with those two winners also headed to Minnesota in two weeks' time for the Frozen Four.

Day 2 of 2024 Regionals Completed

The second day of the 2024 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey regionals is over, and only half of the original 16-team field now remains.

In Providence yesterday, top-ranked Boston College scored five unanswered goals, four in the third period, to oust Michigan Tech, 6-1. Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Leonard tallied two goals each for the Eagles. In the second game at Amica Mutual Pavilion, Quinnipiac got two goals from Victor Czerneckianair, including the tying marker and the overtime game-winner, to top Wisconsin, 3-2. The defending NCAA champion Bobcats will now face BC on Easter Sunday ( 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in the regional final.

In Maryland Heights, Mo., Michigan State rebounded from a 4-2 deficit with three consecutive goals to best Western Michigan, 5-4, in overtime. Karsen Dorwart notched the tying goal in the final minute of regulation, before Jeremy Davidson scored in the extra session. In the nightcap at the Centene Community Ice Center, Michigan used three third-period goals to defeat North Dakota, 4-3. Dylan Duke notched two of those goals for the Wolverines, including the game-winner with just over eight minutes left. Michigan will now face MSU on Sunday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2) in the regional final, in a rematch of the Big Ten title game that was won by the Spartans last Saturday in OT. 

Day 1 of 2024 NCAA Regionals Done

The first day of the 2024 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship is complete.

In Springfield, Mass., Tristan Broz scored the game-winning goal midway through the second overtime period and Matt Davis made a total of 46 saves as Denver edged a stubborn host UMass squad, 2-1. In the nightcap at the MassMutual Center, Sullivan Mack tallied twice and Ian Shane stopped 31 shots in all as Cornell ousted Maine, 3-1. Denver will now face off with Cornell in the regional final on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN 2) for the opportunity to go to this year's Frozen Four.

In Sioux Falls, S.D., Boston University took its first step towards making the Frozen Four for the second straight season by besting RIT, 6-3, thanks to two assists apiece from Tom Willander, Devin Kaplan and Nick Zabaneh. The second game at the Denny Sanford Premier Center saw Jaxon Nelson notch back-to-back goals in the third period to lift Minnesota to a 3-2 decision over Omaha. BU will take on Minnesota on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU), in a rematch of a national semifinal from a year ago.

The Providence and Maryland Heights regionals begin play today.

2024 Richter Award Trio Announced

The three finalists for the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey this year were announced last week:

Jacob Fowler, Fr., Boston College (29-5-1, 2.19, .925)

Kaidan Mbereko, So., Colorado College (21-15-1, 2.41, .905)

Kyle McClellan, Sr., Wisconsin (24-11-1, 1.92, .931)

(Stats indicate record, goals-against average, and save percentage for 2023-24, through March 27)

Fowler and McClelland will lead their respective schools into the 2024 NCAA regionals this weekend, while Mbereko's season ended with CC's 2-1 loss to Omaha in the NCHC tournament on March 17. The Tigers ultimately missed the NCAAs by just .0004 points in the Pairwise Rankings, which mimic the NCAA tournament selection process.

This year's winner will be announced during the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul next month. Current Buffalo Sabres netminder Devon Levi (Northeastern) was the recipient of the award the last two seasons, the first two-time winner since it was first handed out in 2014.

Cornell's Daniel Wins 2024 Kazmaier Award

Izzy Daniel (Cornell) was honored last week as the 2024 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is bequeathed annually on the top player in NCAA Division I women's hockey. A native of Minneapolis, Daniels is the 27th winner of the award, the third one to hail from Minnesota, and the first Ivy League recipient since Sarah Vaillancourt (Harvard) in 2008.

A 5-foot-5 forward, Daniel led the Big Red in scoring this season with career highs of 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points in 34 games overall, which placed her sixth among the top scorers in the nation. She began the 2023-24 campaign on a 14-game point-scoring streak, and ultimately posted 20 multiple-point outings on the year. 

Daniel also helped Cornell to a 25-8-1 overall record (17-5-0 ECAC Hockey), the Ivy League championship, and an NCAA tournament berth. Cornell's captain this season, she was also named Ivy League Player of the Year, and was a unanimous All-Ivy First Team selection. In four years in Ithaca, Daniel recorded 51-107—158 points in 125 appearances, and also tallied 11 power-play goals and four shorthanded goals in her collegiate career.

The award is named for former Princeton University hockey standout Patty Kazmaier, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 28 from a rare blood disorder.

2024 NCAA Men's Hockey Bracket Revealed

The bracket for the 2024 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship was announced last night. The 16-team tournament gets underway this weekend at four regional sites.

Providence, R.I. (March 29 and 31)

1. Boston College
8. Wisconsin
9. Quinnipiac
16. Michigan Tech

Maryland Heights, Mo. (March 29 and 31)
4. Michigan State
6. North Dakota
10. Michigan
13. Western Michigan

Sioux Falls, S.D. (March 28 and 30)
2. Boston University
7. Minnesota
11. Omaha
15. RIT

Springfield, MA. (March 28 and 30)
3. Denver
5. Maine
12. Cornell
14. Massachusetts

(Numbers indicate overall seed)

The top seed in each regional will play the lowest seed in the regional semifinals, with the middle seeds in each regional playing each other. The semifinal winners will meet in the regional final two days later. The four regional winners will advance to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn., on April 11, with the winners of those two contests to meet for the national title on April 13. The television schedule for all games can be found here.

Quinnipiac is the defending national champion, having bested Minnesota in the title game last year in overtime in Tampa. Boston University and Michigan also made last year's Frozen Four, while Cornell, Michigan Tech, North Dakota and Western Michigan all qualified for last year's tournament. 

Boston College is the top seed in this year's  tournament, and is making its first appearance in the NCAAs since 2021.  Michigan State is appearing in the nationals for the first time since 2012, as is Maine. Massachusetts won the NCAA title in 2021, while Denver did so in 2022.

Maryland Heights is hosting a regional for the first time, although the venue only seats 2,500 spectators.

OSU Wins 2024 NCAA Women's Hockey Title

Joy Dunne's goal with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation was all Ohio State needed in a 1-0 victory today over Wisconsin in the 2024 NCAA Division I women's hockey national title game at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H. The Buckeyes avenged last year's loss to the Badgers by the same score in the national championship game, along with a 6-3 loss to Wisconsin on March 9 in the 2004 WCHA championship contest.

Boston College transfers Hanna Bilka and Cayla Barnes assisted on the goal by Barnes, the WCHA Rookie of the Year, her 24th score of the 2023-24 season. Raygan Kirk stopped all 26 shots she faced for Ohio State (35-4-0 overall), while Ava McNaughton made 27 stops for Wisconsin (35-6-0). 

It was the second national title in three years for OSU, both under head coach Nadine Muzerall. The Buckeyes also defeated Minnesota-Duluth and Clarkson University in the NCAAs this month, before winning their rematch on Sunday against the Badgers.

OSU outshot Wisconsin, 28-26, on the afternoon, while also winning 34 of 63 faceoffs. There were no penalties called, and no power plays in the game. Next year's NCAA Frozen Four will be held at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, where the Buckeyes will look to make the national semifinals for the fifth straight season.

Conference Championships Conclude Tonight

It's the last night of conference championships in NCAA Division I men's hockey.

One automatic bid to this year's NCAA tournament has already been awarded, and the rest of the field of 16 will be decided tonight, with the official bracket to be announced live tomorrow night (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m. ET).

Atlantic Hockey: American International @ RIT

Big Ten: Michigan @ Michigan State

CCHA: Michigan Tech (defeated Bemidji State, 2-1)

ECAC Hockey: Cornell vs. St. Lawrence (Lake Placid, NY)

Hockey East: Boston College vs. Boston University (Boston, MA)

NCHC: Omaha vs. Denver (St. Paul, Minn.)

The 2024 NCAA Division I women's hockey title will be decided in Durham, N.H. tomorrow afternoon (ESPN, 4 p.m. ET), when Ohio State takes on WCHA rival and defending national champion Wisconsin in a rematch of last year's national championship contest.

ADDENDUM: RIT, Michigan State, Cornell, Boston College and Denver all won their respective league tournaments and earned automatic berths to the NCAAs. 

Sean Tallaire 1973-2024

The hockey world is mourning the loss of former college star Sean Tallaire (Lake Superior State), who recently passed away in Texas at the age of 50.

A native of Steinbach, Man., Tallaire skated for LSSU from 1992 to 1996, and still ranks fourth among all-time Lakers with 207 career points on 103 goals and 104 assists in 171 games played. A member of the CCHA All-Rookie Team in 1993 when he helped the Lakers to the NCAA championship game, he guided LSSU to the national title the following season while earning NCAA Most Valuable Player honors. As a senior in 1995-96, he scored 32 goals, garnered All-CCHA First-Team and NCAA All-America accolades, and was also voted LSSU's MVP. He was inducted into the LSSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.

After college, Tallaire went on to play 14 seasons of professional hockey, including five campaigns in the now-defunct IHL where he tallied 113-128—241 points in 376 regular-season appearances with Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Long Beach, Utah and Kansas City. He also had brief stints with Central Texas (WPHL) and Springfield (AHL) during that time, before finishing his career in Germany. In 425 career DEL regular-season outings, he posted 123-155—278 points in all before retiring following the 2009-10 season. 

Originally selected in the eighth round (202nd overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Tallaire starred with Estevan (SJHL) for two seasons before heading to LSSU. Following his retirement as an active player, he coached with the Soo Indians 18U AAA, the Texas Jr. Stars 14U AA, and the Austin Ice Bats (NA3HL), while also serving as a scout with the NAHL's Northeast Generals.

Tallaire was predeceased by his former LSSU teammate, goaltender Blaine Lacher, who backstopped the Lakers to the 1994 NCAA title and passed away in January at the age of 53.

2024 Hobey Baker Finalists Announced

The 10 finalists for the 2024 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey have been announced:

F Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota (21-36—57)

F Macklin Celebrini, Fr., Boston University (30-25—55)

F Jack Devine, Jr., Denver (27-27—54)

F Cutter Gauthier, So., Boston College (32-20—52)

F Collin Graf, Jr., Quinnipiac (22-26—48)

D Lane Hutson, So., Boston University (12-32—44)

G Kyle McLellan, Sr., Wisconsin (24-11-1, 1.92, .931, 7 ShO)

F Liam McLinskey, Jr., Holy Cross (19-28—47)

F Sam Morton, Gr., Minnesota State (24-10—34) 

F Will Smith, Fr., Boston College (18-40—54)

(Statistics listed are goals-assists-points for D/F; and season record, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for G)

This year's winner will be announced at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn, on April 12. Last year's winner was freshman forward Adam Fantilli (Michigan), who is now with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bergeron Out at Miami After Five Seasons

Miami University is the latest NCAA Division I men's hockey school that is on the lookout for a new head coach.

The RedHawks have parted ways with alumnus Chris Bergeron after five years at the helm in Oxford, Ohio. In that time, he compiled an overall record of 35-116-16, with no more than eight wins in any single season, and no playoff victories. Miami completed the 2023-24 campaign at 7-26-3 overall (1-26-2 NCHC), and was winless in its last 16 outings (0-15-1). The RedHawks, who have not enjoyed a winning season since 2014-15 when they won the NCHC and last made the NCAA tournament, were swept at North Dakota in an NCHC first-round playoff series last weekend.

Bergeron fashioned a record of 171-154-44 as head coach at Bowling Green from 2010 to 2019, including five consecutive 20-win seasons in his final five years there, plus a pair of appearances in the WCHA championship game. He led the Falcons to their first NCAA Tournament in 29 years in 2019, where they fell to defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in overtime in a regional final in Allentown, Pa.

Bergeron, 53, from Wallaceburg, Ont., skated for Miami as a forward from 1989 to 1993. He tallied 48 goals and 72 assists for 120 points in his collegiate career, and then led Miami in scoring as a senior with 21-40—61 points that season, as the then-Redskins won their first-ever CCHA title and made the NCAAs for the first time in program history. He then played professionally from 1993 to 2000 in several leagues, including a stint with the Canadian National Team, before joining Miami as an assistant coach in 2000-01, where he remained until taking the head job at BGSU.

Miami is now expected to conduct a national search for Bergeron's successor.

Princeton Parts Ways with Fogarty

Ron Fogarty's tenure as head coach of the Princeton University men's hockey team has come to a close after 10 years. It was announced today by athletic director John Mack that Fogarty will not return behind the bench at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink next season. 

Fogarty fashioned a 90-169-27 overall record as head coach of the Tigers since the 2014-15 campaign (the 2020-21 Ivy League season was canceled by COVID-19). In 2018, he led the Tigers to the Whitelaw Cup as ECAC Hockey postseason champions, and also Princeton's first NCAA tournament berth since 2009. This season, Princeton went 10-16-4 overall, and finished ninth in ECAC Hockey with an 8-11-3 mark. The Tigers fell at Harvard, 1-0, in the first round of the 2024 ECAC championship on March 8 in what was Fogarty's final game. 

Prior to his time at Princeton, Fogarty built the NCAA Division III program at Adrian College in Michigan from scratch, beginning in 2007-08. The Bulldogs went 167-23-10 in seven seasons under Fogarty and earned four NCAA Division III tournament berths, including a national runner-up finish in 2011. He also led Adrian to six Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championships, and five MCHA playoff titles.

A native of Sarnia, Ont., Fogarty, 52, played four seasons (1991-1995) as a forward at Colgate University, where he scored 51 goals and added 90 assists for 141 points for the Raiders, while making the All-ECAC Rookie team as a freshman. After playing professionally for several years, he went on to become an assistant coach at Clarkson University and Bowling Green before taking the reins at Adrian.

Fogarty's combined NCAA head coaching record with the Tigers and Bulldogs stands at 257-192-37. Princeton is now expected to conduct a national search for his successor.

2024 NCAA Women's D-I Championship Underway

The 2024 NCAA Division I women's hockey championship is underway. The field of 11 teams has been reduced to eight schools following three games on Thursday, including a pair of shutouts.

Sixth-seeded Cornell routed No. 11 Stonehill, 7-1, in Hamilton, N.Y., as Izzy Daniel scored one goal for the Big Red and set up three others. No. 7 St. Lawrence blanked No. 10 Penn State, 1-0, in Madison, Wis., as Kristina Bahl scored the only goal of the game in overtime, and Emma-Sofie Nordström stopped all 36 shots she faced for the Saints. Lastly, No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth outlasted No. 9 UConn, 1-0, in Columbus, Ohio, as Mannon McMahon connected in OT and Ève Gascon turned away 33 shots for the Bulldogs.

The tournament continues on Saturday as Cornell takes on No. 3 Colgate, St. Lawrence faces No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 4 Clarkson faces off with No. 5 Minnesota, and UMD squares off with top-seeded Ohio State. The four winners will advance to the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four in Durham, N.H. on March 22, with the national title game slated for March 24. Wisconsin is the defending national champion, having bested 2023 NCAA champion OSU last year in Duluth.

ADDENDUM: The 2024 Frozen Four is set. Ohio State will take on Clarkson in the early game on March 22 at 4 p.m. ET, while Wisconsin will face Colgate at 7:30 p.m. ET. Both contests will be televised live on ESPN+. The national final will be held two days later, at 4 p.m. ET, and will be shown live on ESPNU. 

Moves Made in NCAA Hockey Coaching Ranks

It's been a whirlwind few weeks regarding head coaches in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Adam Nightingale, a former Spartan skater himself, has had his contract extended after Michigan State won the Big Ten regular-season title, the first such title in program history. According to msuspartans.com, Nightingale's five-year rollover contract includes a non-performance related compensation of $700,000 in the first year, with a a base salary of $600K and supplemental compensation of $100K. Beginning in year two, his supplemental compensation will increase by $25K from the previous year. MSU (22-9-3 overall, 16-6-2 B1G) will entertain Ohio State on Saturday in a Big Ten tournament semifinal contest.

Steve Wiedler has been promoted to head coach at Vermont, after serving as interim coach this season. A former Southern Maine defenseman, he has received a four-year contract (financial terms were not disclosed). A former UVM assistant, he succeeded Todd Woodcroft, who was let go last summer following a university investigation regarding inappropriate conduct. The Catamounts (13-18-3, 7-14-3 HE) play at UConn tonight in a Hockey East tournament first-round elimination game.

Lindenwood has let Rick Zombo go after two seasons as an NCAA Division I independent.  A former national champion at North Dakota, and a 13-year NHL defenseman, Zombo had mentored Lindenwood's ACHA club program since 2010-11, before the Lions entered the NCAA ranks in 2022-23. He also coached the St. Louis franchises in both the NAHL and USHL before joining Lindenwood. 

Bowling Green has parted ways with alumnus Ty Eigner after five seasons. He led the Falcons to an 84-83-11 mark in that span, with their last winning campaign coming in 2020-21. BGSU finished 13-12-1 overall (11-12-1 CCHA) this year, and was eliminated by Michigan Tech in the first round of the CCHA tournament.

Lastly, David Borges is retiring from Stonehill College after 10 seasons at the helm. A UMass Lowell graduate, he compiled a 102-141-24 record overall with the Skyhawks, including the past two seasons as a Division I independent. He also led Stonehill to two Northeast-10 regular-season titles and one league tournament championship in his tenure.

NCAA Players Moved at 2024 NHL Deadline

A number of former NCAA players changed places last week before the NHL trading deadline last Friday. Some of the more notable transactions (since Feb. 28):

Cole Brady, G (UMass) *            Calgary to Dallas

Devin Cooley, G (Denver) *         Buffalo to San Jose

Brandon Duhaime, F (Providence)    Minnesota to Colorado

Jake Guentzel, F (Omaha)           Pittsburgh to Carolina

Noah Hanifin, D (Boston College)   Calgary to Vegas

Erik Johnson, D (Minnesota)        Buffalo to Philadelphia

Ben Meyers, F (Minnesota)          Colorado to Anaheim

Casey Mittelstadt, F (Minnesota)   Buffalo to Colorado

Kyle Okposo, F (Minnesota)         Buffalo to Florida

Andrew Peeke, D (Notre Dame)       Columbus to Boston

Jack Roslovic, F (Miami)           Columbus to NY Rangers

Chad Ruhwedel, D (UMass Lowell)    Pittsburgh to NY Rangers

Chris Tanev, D (RIT)               Calgary to Dallas

Sean Walker, D (Bowling Green)     Philadelphia to Colorado

Cade Webber, D (Boston Univ.)*     Carolina to Toronto

Jason Zucker, F (Denver)           Arizona to Nashville

* Has not played in NHL yet

Princeton Falls in First Round Playoff

Princeton's 2023-24 men's hockey season came to a close tonight with a 1-0 loss at Harvard in the first round of the ECAC Hockey championship. Ian Moore's first-period goal stood up as the game-winner for the Crimson (7-17-6 overall), who got 38 saves in net from Aku Koskenvuo. 

Arthur Smith made 16 saves for the Tigers (10-16-4), who outshot Harvard, 38-17, but were shut out for the first time this season. It was the final career collegiate game for Princeton's senior class, including Mike Kennedy, Nick Carabin, Mackenzie Merriman, team captain Ian Murphy, Nick Seitz, Adam Robbins, and Joe Berg.

Harvard advances to next week's ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, as does St. Lawrence, which defeated visiting Yale by a 4-2 count behind 37 saves from goaltender Ben Kraws. The winner of the ECAC Hockey championship will receive the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

SLU Claims Last Home ECAC Playoff Spot

The final home playoff spot in this season's ECAC Hockey championship's first round went to St. Lawrence University. 

Despite falling to Quinnipiac in the regular-season finale last Saturday, the Saints locked up eighth place in the league standings with a 4-4 tie at Princeton the night before. The extra point earned from winning the subsequent shootout solidified SLU's place in the conference standings, and also earned it the final home playoff spot in the first round this upcoming weekend. 

Ben Kraws stopped a season-high 46 shots through regulation and overtime at Princeton, then turned aside all five shots he faced in the shootout. Felikss Gavars scored twice for the Saints (10-18-6 overall, 8-10-4 ECAC Hockey), including a second-period penalty shot goal, while Jan Lasak tallied the only goal in the shootout, scoring in the fifth round. 

David Jacobs scored twice for Princeton (10-15-4, 8-11-3), and also set up the game-tying goal late in the third period by Kai Daniels. Ethan Pearson finished with 18 saves for the Tigers in relief of starter Arthur Smith (10 saves). Princeton also outshot SLU, 50-32. 

The Saints will now host Yale in a single-elimination contest on Friday, while the Tigers will visit Harvard that same night. The ultimate winner of the ECAC Hockey championship wins the Whitelaw Cup, and also garners the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

BC Clinches 2024 Hockey East Title

Boston College is once more the Hockey East regular-season champion. The top-ranked Eagles outlasted New Hampshire, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon to clinch their first conference title since 2021, and 18th overall since Hockey East began play in 1984-85. Eamon Powell scored the only goal of the game midway through the third period at BC's Conte Forum, while Jacob Fowler stopped 27 shots in posting his second shutout this season for the Eagles (27-5-1 overall).

BC, which finishes its regular season on March 9 at Merrimack, is seven points ahead of second-place Boston University, which has two games remaining. The Eagles, who will receive a first-round bye in the Hockey East postseason tournament, also remain the top team in the Pairwise Rankings, which mimics the NCAA tournament selection process.

Also clinching regular-season Division I men's hockey conference crowns this weekend were Bemidji State (CCHA), Michigan State (Big Ten) and North Dakota (NCHC). Quinnipiac claimed the ECAC Hockey title the previous weekend, while RIT earned the Atlantic Hockey championship.

MSU Wins First-Ever Big Ten Title

Freshman goaltender Trey Augustine made 44 saves, and Reed Lebster notched the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, as Michigan State clinched its first-ever Big Ten conference regular-season title with a 5-2 victory last night at Wisconsin.

Lebster finished with a goal and two assists for the sixth-ranked Spartans (22-8-3 overall, 16-5-2 Big Ten), who also got a goal and an assist apiece from Tiernan Shoudy and Artyom Levshunov. Jeremy Davidson tallied twice for MSU, including one of two empty-netters in the final three minutes of play. David Silye set up two goals for the host Badgers (24-9-2, 15-7-1), who also got 21 stops in net from Kyle McClellan. No. 4 Wisconsin also outshot MSU, 46-26, and won 47 of 71 faceoffs on the night.

MSU claimed its first conference regular-season title since 2001 in the original CCHA, when the late, legendary Ron Mason was at the helm as head coach. The Spartans also advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four that season. With Friday's MSU victory, all seven current Big Ten schools (except Michigan) have won a regular-season championship since the conference began play in 2013.

The first-place Spartans and second-place Badgers meet again tonight at the Kohl Center in Madison to close out the series and the regular season. Wisconsin will host seventh-place Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals next weekend, while MSU will have a bye next week before hosting a semifinal the following week at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.

Badgers Top Buckeyes in No. 2/No.1 Women's Meeting

In a battle of the current top two teams in NCAA Division I women's college hockey, it was the second-ranked squad that came out on top this time.

No. 2 Wisconsin overcame a two-goal deficit with four unanswered tallies in a 4-2 victory over visiting No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday evening before 2,273 on-lookers at LaBahn Arena in Madison. It was the Badgers' first win in four tries over the Buckeyes this season, following a 1-0 triumph over OSU in last season's NCAA title game in Duluth, Minn.

After Kenzie Hauswirth staked OSU to a 2-0 lead with two goals in the first 20 minutes, Casey O'Brien got the Badgers on the board early in the second stanza. O'Brien then tied the contest early in the third period, before Laila Edwards scored twice in the final eight minutes, including an empty-netter set up by O'Brien, to seal the victory.

Amanda Thiele finished with 20 stops for the Buckeyes (29-3-0 overall, 26-2-0 WCHA), while Ava McNaughton made 33 stops for the Badgers (29-5-0, 23-5-0). OSU still leads second-place Wisconsin by nine points for the top spot in the 2023-24 WCHA standings.

2024 Richter Award Semifinalists Named

The list of the 10 semifinalists for the 2024 Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey was released last week (name, grade, school, and conference):

• Trey Augustine, Fr., Michigan State (Big Ten)

• Ryan Bischel, Grad., Notre Dame (Big Ten)

• Vinny Duplessis, Dr., Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)

• Jacob Fowler, Fr., Boston College (Hockey East)

• Kaidan Mbereko, So., Colorado College (NCHC)

• Kyle McClellan, Sr., Wisconsin (Big Ten)

• Tommy Scarfone, Jr., RIT (Atlantic Hockey)

• Ian Shane, Jr., Cornell (ECAC Hockey)

• Jake Sibell, Jr., St. Thomas (CCHA)

The award, which is named for former NHL and U.S. Olympic goaltender Mike Richter (Wisconsin), has been presented every year since its inception in 2014, and the winner will again be named at the NCAA Frozen Four. The winner in each of the last two seasons was current NHL goaltender Devon Levi (Northeastern), the first two-time recipient in the history of the award.

2024 NHL Stadium Series Stars Former NCAA Skaters

The 2024 NHL Stadium Series has come and gone, and former NCAA players played their part.

John Marino (Harvard) tallied two assists and Erik Haula (Minnesota) set up another goal as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3, outdoors on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. It was the Devils' first game in their original home of the Meadowlands since 2007, and came before a crowd of 70,328 at the current home of the NFL's Jets and Giants. Nick Seeler (Minnesota) notched the third goal for the Flyers.

On Sunday afternoon, Chris Kreider (Boston College) tipped home a power-play goal in the third period as the New York Rangers rebounded for a 6-5 overtime win over the New York Islanders in the two rivals' first meeting since Dec. 2022. Adam Fox (Harvard) collected two assists for the Rangers, who came back from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits to improve to 5-0-0 all-time in outdoor games. Islanders captain Anders Lee (Notre Dame) also registered a power-play goal on a deflection, while Brock Nelson (North Dakota) scored the Islanders' first goal and later added an assist. Attendance was 79,690.

Stonehill Earns Inaugural Division I Win

Stonehill College finally got off the schneid last Saturday. The Skyhawks recorded their first-ever victory over an NCAA Division I school by edging fellow independent Lindenwood, 4-2, on Feb. 10 in Easton, Mass.

Jake LaRusso scored two goals for Stonehill, including the game-winner with just over three minutes remaining in the third period. Dylan Meilun made 27 saves for the Skyhawks, who spent the last 10 seasons in the Northeast-10 (NCAA Division II) after playing in the ECAC Northeast since their inception in 1978-79. Stonehill went 0-5 versus NCAA Division I competition last season, its first as a D-I independent, and had been 0-27-0 this season until besting the Lions last week.

The Skyhawks visit LIU for two games this weekend.

Northeastern Claims Fifth Beanpot in Six Seasons

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine scored with 27 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Northeastern to a 4-3 win over third-ranked Boston University in the men's Beanpot championship game on Monday night at TD Garden. The Huskies have now won five of the last six battles for Boston's college hockey bragging rights, in the tournament's 71st edition. Northeastern's women's team won its own Beanpot title last month, also at TD Garden.

NU battled back from three one-goal deficits last night, the last on Jack Williams' power-play tally midway through the third period, with the secondary assist going to Fontaine. Cameron Whitehead finished with 33 saves for the Huskies (13-12-2 overall), who were outshot, 36-17, in claiming their ninth men's Beanpot title all-time. BU fell to 19-8-1 on the season.

In the consolation game, top-ranked Boston College blanked Harvard, 5-0. Ryan Leonard had a goal and two assists for the Eagles (21-5-1), while Jan Korec made 19 stops for his first career NCAA win and shutout. Harvard dropped to 4-15-4.