Each week during the season, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. It was a good weekend for your favorites
Take a look at the top 10 in the DCU/USCHO.com poll, and it was a pretty good week. Only two teams didn’t advance – No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 9 St. Cloud State – and it was impossible not to have top-10 teams fall as Notre Dame lost to No. 2 Michigan and St. Cloud State lost to No. 10 Minnesota Duluth.
There was a silver lining for each, though, as both the Irish and the Huskies have punched their NCAA tickets already with at-large berths.
2. The NCAA picture became a whole lot clearer
After Sunday night, we likely know a good number of NCAA tournament participants.
There is still a bubble and concern for teams like Ohio State (see below) and maybe even Northeastern. The Huskies can control their destiny in next weekend’s Hockey East semis, but really only have to root against an upset in the CCHA (Bemidji State beating Minnesota State) and the ECAC (Quinnipiac not winning their tournament).
You can use the USCHO PairWise Predictor, though, if you want to try to understand the remaining 16,384 tournament scenarios that remain.
3. Harvard posts a most unlikely of comebacks to open ECAC quarterfinals vs. RPI
Things did not look good for Harvard in the opener of their best-of-three quarterfinal with Rensselaer. Trailing 3-0 after RPI’s Rory Herrman struck at 2:07 of the third period, Harvard coach Ted Donato pulled his goaltender for an extra attacker with about four minutes remaining.
The move worked. Marshall Rifal got the Crimson on the board at 16:18. Ryan Siedem then pulled Harvard within one at 18:02.
Then with 15 seconds left, Matthew Coronato tucked home a rebound to force overtime, where Jack Donato redirected a shot just two minutes in to complete the unlikely comeback.
RPI impressively bounced back on Saturday for a double overtime victory, setting up Sunday’s rubber match where Harvard advanced with a 3-1 win.
4. Hockey East’s single elimination format lacks upsets
Because of COVID, last season Hockey East made two major changes to their tournament – allowing all teams to participate and making every round single elimination. The result was some pretty exciting games, big-time upsets (anyone remember that UMass Lowell double overtime win over Boston College and plenty of drama.
There was so much excitement that the 11 schools decided to stick with the format again this season. This year’s tournament, though, didn’t produce the same early-round drama.
Using a gambling term, the entire first two rounds were chalk. All seven home teams advances and only on Boston College in the opening round needed overtime. It certainly doesn’t mean the tournament isn’t entertaining. It has been thus far. We’re just not seeing the upsets one might have expected.
5. The military academies put on quite a show in Atlantic Hockey
One of the best rivalries in college hockey played out in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals as Army hosted Air Force. And boy did the series deliver.
Both games went to overtime and on both occasion, sixth-seeded Air Force pulled off the upset of third-seed Army West Point.
On Friday, Luke Robinson scored with 7:06 remaining to force overtime and Blake Bride won the game at 15:30 of the extra frame. One night later, again the Falcons scored in the third, this time it was Austin Schwartz, before Parker Brown sent Air Force to the semifinals with his goal just 62 seconds into overtime.
Two great military academies. Two great games.
6. UConn wins first-ever Hockey East playoff game, advances to TD Garden
It’s been a long time coming, but Connecticut has won its first Hockey East tournament game, this one in the quarterfinal round over Boston University, 3-1, to send the Huskies to the TD Garden.
Vladislav Firstov and Jonny Evans spotted the hosts a 2-0 lead. And after Domenick Fensore got the Terriers within a goal, it was Chase Bradley’s empty-net goal that sent the UConn bench into a frenzy.
That 1⃣st Playoff "W" Feeling…
Congrats to Coach Cav and the boys on a big one in Hartford tonight. What a crowd at @XLCenter pic.twitter.com/19BIyFgzEy
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) March 13, 2022
While it will be the first trip to the TD Garden for UConn, their coach Mike Cavanaugh has plenty of experience. He was behind the Boston College bench as an associate head coach for nine Hockey East championships under coach Jerry York.
7. Minnesota Duluth avenges season-ending loss with road sweep of St. Cloud State
A 2-0 loss on the final night of the regular season just didn’t sit well with Minnesota Duluth. Needing any sort of point in that game – even and overtime or shootout loss – would have given the Bulldogs home ice in this weekend’s NCHC quarterfinals. The loss sent Minnesota Duluth on the road.
No worries. A four-goal second period on Friday paced a 5-2 victory and Noah Cates overtime game-winner on Saturday after Tanner Laderoute evened the game late in regulation gave the Bulldogs the sweep and a trip to St. Paul for the Frozen Faceoff where they’ll face Denver on Friday.
8. Arizona State closes season on high note
It was an up-and-down type year for Arizona State, which remains a Division I independent. Three seasons removed from an NCAA bid (ASU was well-positioned for a bid in 2020 before the tournament was canceled), the Sun Devils were in position to potentially earn an at-large bid before dropping five in a row in late January and early February.
The Sun Devils, though, finished the season at .500 – 17-17-0 – after a two-game sweep of fellow independent LIU in Tempe over the weekend.
The 2-1 and 5-1 wins close out the team’s stay at Oceanside Ice Arena as the Sun Devils will begin next year in a newly-constructed on-campus facility.
9. Waiting game continues for Ohio State
One of the most difficult things to do in sports it watch your fate when it lies in other teams’ hands. That continues for Ohio State, which fell in the Big Ten quarterfinals last weekend.
The ultimate “bubble” team in the PairWise, Ohio State can become fans of Northeastern, Quinnipiac and Minnesota State. Those three teams win their respective championship and the Buckeyes likely get that last NCAA bid.
10. Hobey race continues to muddy
By this point in the season, there is usually a front-runner for the Hobey Baker Award. That hasn’t happened this season.
Offensively, Denver’s Bobby Brink has the best numbers and posted two assists this weekend. He still holds a seven-point lead over Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith and Julian Napravnik.
Quinnipiac goaltender Yaniv Perets looked human this weekend, allowing four goals in a two-game series against St. Lawrence as his team had to claw back in game two to win in double OT and clinch the series.
The Hobey Baker top 10 finalists will be announced this Thursday.
