Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. No. 1 goes down … again
Four the third consecutive week, the team atop the USCHO Division I poll suffered a loss. On Friday, Lake Superior State outlasted top-ranked Minnesota State 1-0.
The Mavericks’ All-American goaltender Dryden McKay missed the game due to illness and backup Keenan Rancier performed admirably, allowing just the one goal but getting out-dueled by LSSU netminder Ethan Langenegger, who stopped all 22 shots he faced.
McKay was back in net on Saturday, a 3-0 victory for the Mavericks and the third consecutive shutout for the senior, who only had to make five saves for the win. McKay extended his NCAA career record for shutouts to 30 and counting.
2. The Big Red stay hot
Cornell and Boston University met at Madison Square Garden Saturday night for the eighth version of their Red Hot Hockey matchup, played at MSG on odd-number years since 2007.
The Big Red got goals from six different players to defeat the Terriers 6-4 for their third consecutive Kelley-Harkness Cup. The all-time series is now tied at 3-3-2.
Cornell won its sixth consecutive game and improved to 8-1.
3. Minnesota, North Dakota split
The most anticipated Thanksgiving weekend series was a visit by No. 11 Minnesota to longtime rival North Dakota, which came into the games ranked sixth.
The Golden Gophers dominated 5-1 on Friday powered by a pair of goals from Bryce Brodzinski and a 21 save performance from Jack LaFontaine.
The Fighting Hawks were able to flip the script on Saturday to earn the split with a 3-2 win. UND opened a 3-0 lead early in the third and then held off a Minnesota rally for its tenth win of the season.
4. Nothing settled between Canisius, American International
Another series to watch this past weekend was between American International and host Canisius, a rematch of last season’s Atlantic Hockey championship game.
The teams came into the series ranked second and third in league points per game and came away with three more each.
On Friday, AIC opened a 4-1 lead but was unable to put Canisius away in a wild 6-5 Golden Griffins win. The Griffs scored five of the final six goals of the game to come away with the victory.
AIC earned its share of the split with a 3-2 win on Saturday, opening a 2-0 lead and then hanging on.
Canisius’ Max Kouznetsov and Austin Alger had three goals each in the series.
5. Sharks get first D-I win of the season
Long Island picked up its first Division I win of the season, taking the first half of a split at Miami. Friday’s wild 7-4 win was followed by a 4-1 Red Hawks victory on Saturday.
LIU had posted ties against UMass Lowell and RPI earlier in the season, as well as wins over D-II St. Anselm, Post and Assumption.
6. Wisconsin’s woes continue
The Badgers tied and lost to visiting Clarkson, extending their winless streak to seven games, tied for the third longest in Division I.
Wisconsin captain Tarek Baker scored the Badgers’ lone goal of the weekend, with 3:32 remaining in regulation on Friday to earn a 1-1 draw with the Golden Knights.
On Saturday, Clarkson goaltender Ethan Haider stopped all 31 shots he faced in a 3-0 win.
Wisconsin is averaging just one goal a game during this winless streak.
7. Providence wins battle of Rhode Island
The 35th edition of the Mayor’s Cup between Providence and Brown was contested on Saturday, with the Friars winning their fifth straight over the Bears, 4-0.
Graduate transfer Austin Cain made 24 saves for his first collegiate shutout and first win in a Providence uniform.
8. Light weekend for conference action
The Thanksgiving weekend brought a large contingent of non-league matchups, with only five conference series on the schedule.
Bentley and Michigan Tech were the lone teams to earn conference sweeps, over Army West Point and Ferris State, respectively.
The attention shifts back to conference matchups next weekend, with all but two series in league play.
9. Boston College, Notre Dame postponed
Despite leaving Hockey East in 2017, Notre Dame has continued to schedule a game each season with Boston College. This year, the Fighting Irish were scheduled to host BC this past Friday.
But early last week, it was announced that the game would be postponed “out of an abundance of caution” due to COVID-19 protocols at Boston College.
The Eagles’ game against Harvard, scheduled for Nov. 30, has also been postponed.
The Harvard game is likely to be made up, while rescheduling with Notre Dame seems less likely.
10. Milestone for Wilson
In a battle of the Tigers, Rochester Institute of Technology swept Princeton, 5-4 and 1-0 in overtime. Saturday’s victory was No. 400 for RIT coach Wayne Wilson.
Wilson became the 49th NCAA men’s hockey coach to reach the milestone, compiling a 400-279-75 record in 23 seasons, 278-226-61 at the Division I level, and 122-53-14 from 1999-2005, when RIT was a Division III program.
Wilson is the only coach to be named Division I (2010) and Division III (2001) national coach of the year.
