Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Now it’s time to focus on hockey again. The second half basically begins this weekend and there are several teams to keep an eye on here in the west region of NCAA Division III hockey.
Let’s take a look at five things to watch as we get ready to roll, or should I say skate, into 2023.
Can Adrian repeat?
Adrian isn’t rattling off 31 consecutive wins this season on its way to the program’s first national title, but that’s okay. The Bulldogs closed out the first half winning four of their last five, including two in a row, and have more than enough talent on their roster to emerge as the team to beat in the postseason.
While every game matters, back-to-back weekends in early February to finish out the regular season will tell us a lot about Adrian. The Bulldogs open with a series at home against nationally ranked Aurora and then go on the road for a crucial series against rival St. Norbert, which is also ranked nationally.
Playing well on those two weekends would give the Bulldogs a lot of momentum going into the conference tournament.
Repeating as a champion isn’t easy in any sport. And no one has done it in D-III hockey since St. Norbert repeated in 2012.
But while Adrian has a tough road ahead, don’t count the Bulldogs out. They may or may not win a championship this season, but they’ll be in discussion come March.
Is it the year of the Pointers?
Three years ago, UW-Stevens Point won the national championship. Does the program rise back to the top again this season? Well, that remains to be seen.
What we do know is the Pointers are trending up coming off the break, boasting an 11-game unbeaten streak.
After a 2-1-3 start, they have won their last six games, getting their biggest shot of momentum during the streak off a sweep of UW-Eau Claire to close out their pre-Christmas slate.
This is a team that has a lot of firepower offensively, scoring 43 goals while allowing only 24. And it’s been a balanced attack. Conor Witherspoon leads the way with six goals and three assists. He’s one of 12 players with five or more points. The Pointers also have depth at the goalie position. Alex Proctor and Ryan Wagner have logged the majority of the minutes and each have three wins. Matthias Smith has two wins. If UW-Stevens Point can keep this effort going, it will be in the hunt for a national title.
Spartans chasing school history
Aurora has never won an NCHA crown. That could change this year.
The Spartans are ranked 10th in the DCU/USCHO.com NCAA Division III men’s poll and have every reason to believe this can be their year to soar to the top.
They have been on the rise over the last few years and look to take that next step forward.
Winners of three in a row and boasting a 9-2-2 record, Aurora has no shortage of talent.
For starters, there is one of the nation’s best offensive threats in Jack Jaunich, who is set to represent D-III hockey in the World University Games next month in New York. You don’t get selected to a team like that by accident.
Jaunich has helped fuel an offense that has put up 59 goals on the year. Jaunich leads the team with 10 goals and nine assists.
A total of eight players have recorded at least 10 points. But there is also depth at the goalie position, and that could be the difference maker in winning or not winning a title. Tanner Marshall and Kolby Thornton have both logged more than 300 minutes and have combined for eight wins.
Yes, the NCHA is tough, especially with Adrian and St. Norbert, but I imagine very few would be surprised if Aurora gets the job done this season.
Don’t count out the Cardinals
We talk a lot about St. Olaf and Augsburg in the MIAC, but in a league that is always competitive, the favorites aren’t guaranteed a thing.
Saint Mary’s had about as tough of a start as any team can deal with, winning just once in its first eight games.
But things have changed lately, with the Cardinals winning four in a row, including a big win over MSOE to wrap up the first half. Saint Mary’s won that tightly contested game by a 5-3 score.
The Cardinals feel good about things going into the second half, but they will be tested out of the gate going into 2023. They open the new year with four consecutive games on the road, including one at UW-Eau Claire and another against MIAC contender St. Olaf before finally playing at home against the Oles on Jan. 14.
It’s too early to say if the Cardinals are this year’s surprise team in the MIAC, but they can’t be overlooked. The games they played earlier this season against Augsburg, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior could pay off in the long run.
D-III hockey players on a global stage
The World University Games will have a D-III flavor to them this January as the roster is comprised of 23 players from that level of hockey.
Several of the standouts are from the west region, including three from Adrian in Sam Ruffin, Zachary Heintz and Jaden Shields.
Two of the nation’s top scoring threats are on the squad as well in Aurora’s Jack Jaunich and St. Norbert’s Michael McChensey. Both have tallied 19 points, with McChesney tallying nine goals to go along with 10 assists, and they are for third in the country in scoring.
Brendan Mark will also represent St. Norbert on the team while Augsburg had Mason Palmer selected for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
MSOE’s Matt Hanewall, UW-Eau Claire’s Connor Szmul and Quinn Green as well as UW-River Falls’ Dysen Skinner are also on the team.
The chance to compete for a gold medal is a big deal for sure, but the opportunity to compete against teams from all over the world means just as much to these players, if not more.
It’s great to see D-III athletes get this kind of exposure and it’s going to be fun to see how they perform on this stage.
