The new NCAA rule allowing transferring players a one-time exemption from having to sit out a year has had a sweeping impact on college hockey this season.
When combined with an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, we saw an unprecedented number of players changing teams this past offseason. At one time, there were over 250 players in the NCAA transfer portal.
Several Atlantic Hockey teams and players took advantage, and it’s already paying results:
Sacred Heart goaltender Justin Robbins, a transfer from Arizona State, made 23 saves for the Pioneers’ first win of the season, a 3-2 upset of Boston University last Friday.
Logan Britt, formally a Quinnipiac Bobcat, now a Sacred Heart Pioneer, is currently tied for second on the team in scoring with three points in four games.
Another former Bobcat, Holy Cross sophomore Tyler Ghirardosi, had a goal in each game as the Crusaders came away with a loss and a tie at Mercyhurst last weekend.
And at Bentley, transfers gave the Falcons a big lift, helping them to a 6-2 upset of then No. 6 Boston College last Saturday.
Colin Rutherford, who previously played four years at Dartmouth, had a pair of goals, while former UConn Husky Eric Linell also scored for the Falcons.
Bentley has a total of 13 seniors, including six fifth-year players, four of which are transfers.
“There’s nothing like experience and games played,” said Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist. “Senior-heavy teams are always dangerous.”
Soderquist had said at the beginning of the season that he was looking for more depth up front, and it looks like mission accomplished, at least at this early phase of the season.
“I give credit to our seniors, our leadership group for keeping things on track,” he said. “We’ve got guys who played four years in one college program and who are learning our way, learning how to do business differently. It can be a hard adjustment but they’ve done an amazing job so far.”
Bentley looked like a team very comfortable with itself in the win over Boston College. When the Eagles scored to cut the Falcons’ lead to 3-1 with plenty of time left in the third, Linell scored on the next shift to put the game out of reach.
“That was a big goal for us,” said Soderquist. “It helped to have guys who have been in that situation. Eric came from Hockey East, so did (Kohei) Soto (New Hampshire). They’ve played BC before. Phil Knies was a captain at Miami. Experience like that is invaluable.”
Home (kind of) sweet home
While Atlantic Hockey’s nonconference record is nothing to write home about (7-20), it’s a little better at home (3-6).
Thanks to new(er) facilities at Bentley, Canisius, and RIT, and a soon-to-be on campus facility at Sacred Heart, Atlantic Hockey is getting home games that would have been impossible to imagine in the past.
There’s no way Ohio State or Boston College would have played Bentley at its former home, the John A. Ryan Skating Arena (affectionately known as the JAR). Both have already visited Bentley at its new on-campus arena this season. North Dakota wouldn’t have traveled to Canisius a couple of years ago if the Golden Griffins were still playing at a Division III rink.
Now the league needs to take advantage of home ice and win more of those games. Being over .500 at home would go a long way in moving teams up in the PairWise.
“Now we’re able put these teams on the schedule,” said Soderquist. “Having big games in our building gives us the ability to perform and win these games.”
Bentley went 2-1 against Ohio State and Boston College in their new arena. Things are trending upward, but for the league in general, there’s still a long way to go.
