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.

MSU Wins 2024 Duel in the D

Karson Dorwart's late second-period goal stood up as the game-winner as Michigan State defeated rival Michigan, 3-2, on Saturday at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit to claim the annual "Duel in the D." It was the first time that MSU had won the annual regular-season meeting in the Motor City since 2016 when it was contested at the now-demolished Joe Louis Arena. 

The win, which also featured 36 saves from MSU's Trey Augustine, also clinched home ice in the Big Ten conference tournament for the ninth-ranked Spartans (20-7-3 overall), who took three of four games this regular season from No. 11 U-M (14-11-3) for the first time since 2009-10. That included Friday night's 5-1 victory in Ann Arbor in which five different Spartans scored goals.

MSU will host Ohio State for a pair of games this weekend at Munn Ice Arena, while U-M will visit Penn State.

NU, BU to Meet in 2024 Beanpot Final

It'll be an all-canine final affair again in the annual battle for Boston bragging rights.

Northeastern outlasted Harvard, 3-2, in overtime of the first semifinal of the 71st Beanpot tournament on Monday night at TD Garden, while third-ranked Boston University held on to edge No. 1 Boston College, 4-3 in the nightcap. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine scored just over a half-minute into the extra session to lift NU, while Ryan Greene's early third-period goal stood up as the game-winner for BU.

Northeastern has won four of the last five men's Beanpots, after last winning in 1988 prior to its current run. BU, which has won a record 31 Beanpots, last raised the trophy in 2022 when it defeated NU, 1-0, in the final. Monday's final will pit NU against BU for the Beanpot title for the 16th time in tournament history. The consolation game earlier that day will feature Harvard against BC for the first time since 2022.

R.I.P. Blaine Lacher

Former NCAA and NHL netminder Blaine Lacher (Lake Superior State) passed away late last month at the age of 53.

A native of Medicine Hat, Alta., Lacher backstopped Lake Superior to its most recent national title in 1994, the same season in which he set a still-standing NCAA shutout streak record at 375 minutes and one second. In three seasons with the Lakers, he recorded 49 wins along with a 2.45 goals-against average, eight shutouts and five assists. 

Lacher played two seasons in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, compiling a 22-16-4 overall record in 47 regular-season outings with a 2.80 GAA and four shutouts. He also played for Providence (AHL) and Cleveland (IHL) before finishing his professional career with expansion Grand Rapids (IHL) in 1996-97.

He leaves behind his father, two sisters, and a son.