2024-25 NCAA Division I Hockey Thread

[JMCx4]

Looks like there's gonna be some churn at the top of the men's DI rankings this week, even with several ranked teams exercising their DNPs ...

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Dec. 13-14

By USCHO Staff-December 15, 2024

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Dec. 9 fared in games over the weekend of Dec. 13-14.

No. 1 Minnesota (15-3-2)
12/13/2024 – No. 3 Michigan State 3 at No. 1 Minnesota 3 (OT)
12/14/2024 – No. 3 Michigan State 5 at No. 1 Minnesota 3

No. 2 Boston College (12-3-1)
12/09/2024 – No. 10 UMass Lowell 2 at No. 2 Boston College 3

No. 3 Michigan State (13-2-1)
12/13/2024 – No. 3 Michigan State 3 at No. 1 Minnesota 3 (OT)
12/14/2024 – No. 3 Michigan State 5 at No. 1 Minnesota 3

No. 4 Denver (14-4-0)
12/13/2024 – No. 4 Denver 4 at No. 10 Colorado College 5
12/14/2024 – No. 10 Colorado College 1 at No. 4 Denver 2

No. 5 Maine (12-2-2)
Did not play. ...


Skim more at: Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Dec. 13-14 - College Hockey | USCHO.com

 

[JMCx4]

DI men head into their calendar year-end break, but here are some thoughts from the USCHO.com contributors about each conference's road (or rink) ahead ...

• This Week in Hockey East: Despite adversity, Merrimack has plenty of reason to hope 2025 will bring more success as ‘nobody’s turning their backs on each other’
• This Week in Big Ten Hockey: First half of ’24-25 season complete, conference teams optimistic for strong second-half run come January
• This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Buy, sell or hold – predicting what each conference team should aim to do with second half of ’24-25 season looming
• This Week in ECAC Hockey: Heading into holiday break, predicting second half, looking at what went right in first half of ‘24-25 campaign
• This Week in CCHA Hockey: Looking at team MVPs, biggest surprises of first half of 2024-25 season as conference teams hit Christmas break
• This Week in NCHC Hockey: North Dakota ‘did a good job of getting through the first half with some adversity,’ looking for second-half surge to make NCAA tournament

 

[JMCx4]

Mrs. JMC 'n' me are attending the annual 2-day men's DI Great Lakes Invitational tournament @ Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI cohosted by the Michigan Tech Huskies. My summaries of the first two games (played on Sunday, 12/29) are posted below.

• Game #1 - Michigan Tech Huskies vs. [ETA: now #4] ranked Western Michigan University Broncos: WMU dominated this game from the opening faceoff until well into the 3rd period, with solid forechecking & physical play at both ends & near-relentless offensive pressure. MTU finally forced a momentum swing in the 3rd after the Broncos had taken a 3-1 lead. The game was tied 3-3 by the end of regulation, but Western's grad forward Tim Washe ended it abruptly with an unassisted goal 44 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime session for a 4-3 final. WMU will move on to Monday evening's tournament championship game, while MTU will play in the afternoon 3rd place game.

• Game #2 - Northern Michigan University Wildcats vs. #1 ranked Michigan State University Spartans: This game was an odd one to watch, starting in the 1st period when each team had a goal nullified by a coach's review. The other strange thing about Game 2 was that zero penalties were assessed, but the game clock still seemed to move at a snail's pace through the 2nd & 3rd periods due to pucks out of play & icing calls. For the scoresheet, the Spartans piled on the SOGs (final count = MSU 48 - NMU 16) and established a 2-0 lead in the middle of the opening 20 minutes. The Wildcats continued to swap frequent turnovers with State until the waning minutes of the 3rd period, when the Cats brought in a new goalie but not long after pulled him for a 6th attacker. Michigan State sophomore netminder Luca Di Pasquo posted a 15-save shutout for the 2-0 victory. MSU will move on to Monday evening's tournament championship game vs. Western Michigan, and NMU will meet MTU in the afternoon 3rd place game.

 

[JMCx4]

Part 2 of my 2024 Great Lakes Invitational tournament game summaries ...

• Game #3 - Northern Michigan University Wildcats vs. Michigan Tech Huskies: The GLI 3rd place game. The first goal of the game was nullified after a video review showed MTU was offside on the play. The Huskies regrouped & took an official 1-0 lead about 8 minutes in. The Wildcats tied it up 6 minutes later with a PP goal, but Tech scored in the final minute to carry a 2-1 lead into the 2nd period. The Huskies scored again early in Period 2 & held that 3-1 lead until the 10th minute of the 3rd period, before the Cats scored 2 more man advantage goals to tie the game 3-3 and send it into OT. Michigan Tech came out flying in the 3-on-3 extra session, and Huskies freshman forward Logan Morrell netted the game winner just 10 seconds after the final puck drop. Final Score = MTU 4 - NMU 3 (OT).

• Game #4 - Western Michigan University Broncos vs. Michigan State Spartans: The GLI championship game. The Broncos came out aggressively in the first period, and eventually took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. But MSU tied it up on the next shift, scoring just 11 seconds later. From there the gameplay settled in defensively, with no scoring for either team in the middle period. State took a 2-1 lead early in the 3rd and stretched their lead to 3-1 at about the 15-minute mark. The play was hectic to the final horn, but the Michigan State defense held firm to help their sophomore goaltender Luca Di Pasquo record his second GLI victory. Final Score = MSU 3 - WMU 1.

General Hockey Fan Observations: (1) Great hockey tournament hosted at a well-run & accessible downtown venue in a surprisingly vibrant metro area; (2) lots of energy from all 4 teams' fans who were friendly on the whole; (3) the university pep bands noticeably enhanced the gameday(s) experience; and (4) I'd strongly recommend attending a future Great Lakes Invitational if you get the chance.

 

[AUS Fan]

I just saw on Xwitter:
"The NCAA is considering allowing five years of eligibility for players in all sports moving forward, per an NCAA official. The topic will continue to be discussed in early 2025."

 

[AUS Fan]

In OT, USA wins World Juniors Gold Medal 4-3 over Finland. Great game by both teams.

USA with 22 NCAA players.

 

[JMCx4]

From: College Hockey News

January 5, 2025 print

Lowell's Surge Continues in Coachella Valley
Palm Springs Tournament Organizers Hoping It's Only the Beginning

by Paul Zappia/CHN Correspondent

A New Year means new beginnings, and one is certainly occurring in California. For the first time since 2019, Division I college hockey games were played in the state. Taking place at Acrisure Arena in the Coachella Valley, the Cactus Cup is the first college hockey tournament taking place in the state since the 1999 Frozen Four. ...

John Page, Vice President of Acrisure Arena and organizer of the Cactus Cup, expressed enthusiasm for the tournament and the teams coming out.

“We worked closely with UMass Lowell,” Page said. “They talked to the schools and based on schedule, and I think they get, you know, so many trips per year, the way the schedule works, and ... it lined up well for (everyone).” ...

The trip to California is of course a rare occurrence, and an exciting opportunity.

“When I transferred to Omaha from Northern Michigan, they told me on the recruitment we're going to Vegas, we're going to Palm Springs, and it was circled on the calendar,” Omaha defenseman Aidan Gallacher said. “It's not often you get to go play in California for college hockey, so it's nice to get the change of scenery.”

The tournament also presented an opportunity for teams to return from the winter break and prepare for the stretch run. Holy Cross recently played Dec. 31, which was its first scheduled game since Dec. 6.

“I think the mindset for us is still trying to get better each game before the playoff starts so we’re making sure we're in the best shape possible before February and March come around,” Holy Cross captain Matt Shatsky said. ...

Read more at:

Lowell's Surge Continues in Coachella Valley

A New Year means new beginnings, and one is certainly occurring in California. For the first time since 2019, Division I college hockey games were played in the state. Taking place at Acrisure Arena in...

www.collegehockeynews.com

 

[JMCx4]

First USCHO.com DI men's poll of the New Year ...

USCHO Division I Men's Poll - January 6, 2025​

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]Rnk[/TH]
[TH]Team[/TH]
[TH](First Place Votes)[/TH]
[TH]Record[/TH]
[TH]Points[/TH]
[TH]Last Poll[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]Michigan State[/TD]
[TD](43)[/TD]
[TD]17-2-1[/TD]
[TD]993[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]Boston College[/TD]
[TD](6)[/TD]
[TD]12-3-1[/TD]
[TD]945[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]Minnesota[/TD]
[TD](1)[/TD]
[TD]17-3-2[/TD]
[TD]889[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]Western Michigan[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-4-1[/TD]
[TD]806[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]Providence[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]14-3-2[/TD]
[TD]793[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]Denver[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]15-5-0[/TD]
[TD]769[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]Maine[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-4-2[/TD]
[TD]724[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]UMass Lowell[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]12-4-2[/TD]
[TD]589[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]Michigan[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]12-7-1[/TD]
[TD]544[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]St. Cloud State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]11-7-0[/TD]
[TD]510[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]Ohio State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]14-5-1[/TD]
[TD]463[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]Minnesota State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]14-4-2[/TD]
[TD]433[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]Colorado College[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-7-1[/TD]
[TD]349[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]North Dakota[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]11-7-1[/TD]
[TD]326[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]Boston University[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]9-7-1[/TD]
[TD]311[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]Arizona State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-7-1[/TD]
[TD]269[/TD]
[TD]19[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]New Hampshire[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-4-3[/TD]
[TD]178[/TD]
[TD]NR[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]Cornell[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]6-4-3[/TD]
[TD]166[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19[/TD]
[TD]Clarkson[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]11-5-2[/TD]
[TD]95[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]Quinnipiac[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-7-1[/TD]
[TD]77[/TD]
[TD]18[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Others receiving votes: Augustana 69, Dartmouth 58, Connecticut 37, Massachusetts 24, Wisconsin 17, Bentley 13, Michigan Tech 12, Harvard 6, Niagara 6, Sacred Heart 4, Bowling Green 3, Bemidji State 1, LIU 1, Northeastern 1, Princeton 1

 

[JMCx4]

And the initial USCHO.com DI women's poll of 2025 ...

USCHO Division I Women's Poll - January 6, 2025

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]Rnk[/TH]
[TH]Team[/TH]
[TH](First Place Votes)[/TH]
[TH]Record[/TH]
[TH]Points[/TH]
[TH]Last Poll[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]Wisconsin[/TD]
[TD](20)[/TD]
[TD]20-1-1[/TD]
[TD]300[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]Ohio State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-5-3[/TD]
[TD]277[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]Minnesota[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]15-5-1[/TD]
[TD]256[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]Minnesota Duluth[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-5-2[/TD]
[TD]245[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]Colgate[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]17-5-0[/TD]
[TD]215[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]Cornell[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-3-3[/TD]
[TD]199[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]Clarkson[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]16-5-1[/TD]
[TD]155[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]St. Lawrence[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]12-5-5[/TD]
[TD]138[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]Quinnipiac[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]15-5-3[/TD]
[TD]137[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]St. Cloud State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]10-6-4[/TD]
[TD]133[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]Penn State[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]17-4-1[/TD]
[TD]115[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]Boston College[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-6-1[/TD]
[TD]87[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]Boston University[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]12-5-1[/TD]
[TD]49[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]Princeton[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]12-5-0[/TD]
[TD]45[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]Connecticut[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]13-8-1[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Others receiving votes: Northeastern 12, Yale 8, Minnesota State 1

 

[JMCx4]

USCHO.com's contributors reload for 2025, as the DI men's conference shootouts resume ...

• This Week in ECAC Hockey: St. Lawrence looking to lean on Kucenski in goal as second half bringing renewed optimism to Saints
• This Week in CCHA Hockey: Analyzing second half of 2024-25 season; figuring out what teams are contenders, what teams are pretenders
• This Week in NCHC Hockey: Western Michigan veteran goalie Rowe putting up solid numbers while being challenged by freshman teammate Slukynsky
• This Week in Hockey East: As conference play begins in earnest, players embrace the challenge as ‘that’s what college hockey’s all about’
• This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Frozen Confines a successful event on plethora of levels as players, coaches call experience ‘unbelievable’
• This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Looking back on first half, analyzing what second half could bring

 

[JMCx4]

CHN resumes their Team of the Week awards with an encore honoree.