Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Another unbeaten falls
Coming into the weekend, there were just two undefeated teams remaining in college hockey: No. 13 Penn State and No. 15 Harvard.
The former was 8-0-0 going into their matchup with top-ranked Michigan, and the Nittany Lions kept their streak going Friday night with a 3-0 shutout of the Wolverines, with Ture Lindon, Ashton Calder and Xander Lamppa scoring to keep their streak alive.
In Saturday’s finale in Happy Valley, the Lions needed a furious comeback to give themselves a chance to make it 10-0. Michigan had a 3-0 lead after the first two periods but PSU scored three times in the third – capped by Lamppa’s game-tying tally with just under five minutes to go – to get it to overtime. But their chance to complete the comeback fell short quickly, as Adam Fantilli scored 28 seconds into overtime to end the game and help Michigan salvage a series split.
2. Harvard still undefeated
Meanwhile, Harvard is the lone unbeaten left at 4-0 – albeit with the caveat that, as an Ivy, they started later than most other teams and have a smaller sample size.
Still, the Crimson were impressive this weekend, beating Brown 5-2 on Friday then turning around to blank rivals Yale 4-0. Alex Laferriere had three goals on the weekend, including two on Friday, while also assisting on two additional goals to give him nine points on the young season. The Crimson will attempt to keep their unbeaten streak going next weekend on the road against RPI and Union.
3. Rumble in the Rockies
Perhaps the juiciest matchup of the weekend took place in Denver, when the No. 2 Pioneers hosted No. 4 St. Cloud State in a big-time NCHC series. Ultimately, it ended in a split, with the Huskies winning 4-3 in overtime in a back-and-forth game on Friday before the Pioneers took game two 3-2 Saturday.
Jami Krannila and Grant Cruikshank both scored a pair of goals for the Huskies on the weekend while Denver was led by Massimo Rizzo, who had a goal and two assists over the two games. The four-point weekend gives Denver (7-3-0) overall the early conference lead, with 10 points in four league games.
4. Friars sweep Minutemen
Riley Duran’s hat trick on Friday, coupled with Brett Berard’s overtime winner on Saturday, helped No. 14 Providence sweep No. 5 UMass for the first time since 2017. Berard also scored twice in Friday’s 7-4 Providence win.
The Friars are unbeaten in four games since being swept on the road at Denver, but a big home-and-home matchup with Hockey East leaders UCONN is on tap this weekend.
5. RIT, SHU lead AHA
The Atlantic Hockey race is already shaping up to be a fun one.
It’s still early, but RIT and Sacred Heart are currently in pole position, tied for the lead with 20 points apiece. Last weekend, RIT earned a road sweep with reigning champions AIC. In both games, the Tigers got clutch late-game goals to emerge victorious. On Saturday, Gianfranco Cassaro and Cody Laskosky turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 RIT win. Then on Sunday, Tanner Andrew broke a 2-2 deadlock early in the third frame to help RIT win 3-2.
Sacred Heart, meanwhile, got five points on the road against Mercyhurst. The Pioneers won 6-3 on Friday, rallying from 3-1 down in the first period to score the next five goals and earning the victory. On Saturday, Mercyhurst came from behind to force overtime but the teams skated to a tie and it was Sacred Heart who earned the extra point. Goaltender Luke Lush made 48 saves on the weekend for SHU.
As it happens, the Tigers and Pioneers will be facing off this weekend in Rochester with first place on the line.
6. Big weekend for Warriors
A week after their upset of No. 5 UMass, the Merrimack Warriors did something they hadn’t done in 25 years: sweep Boston College. The Warriors won 3-1 at home Thursday before dominating the Eagles 5-2 on Friday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Ben Brar, Filip Forsmark and Alex Jefferies all had a goal and assist on Saturday.
The Warriors are 6-3-0 and have victories this season over two ranked teams in UMass and Clarkson.
7. Troubles continue in Madison
Wisconsin’s season of woe continues. Since their inexplicable road sweep of Minnesota Duluth, the Badgers have continued to drop games (and B1G points). Their latest debacle: A pair of losses to Michigan State in East Lansing in which they gave up five goals on both Friday and Saturday and scored a total of one.
Wisconsin is now 2-8-0 overall, and, according to USCHO editor emeritus Todd Milewski, it’s the first time in 54 seasons of conference affiliation that the Badgers are 0-6 in conference play.
The good news for the Badgers, though, is they step out of B1G play for the next two weekends with nonconference series against independent foes Long Island and Lindenwood.
8. Mavs off to a fast CCHA start
No. 6 Minnesota State has, so far, taken 11 of 12 conference points in their early run of conference games. After taking five points from Bowling Green last week, the Mavericks took all six points from St. Thomas in a home-and-home sweep that was much closer than the score indicated.
In Friday’s victory, the final was 7-2 Mavericks, bit it took a five-goal third period after the Tommies had tied it up late in the second period.
On Saturday, MSU won 4-3 in a hard-fought game that featured three major penalties, numerous reviews and a Tommies’ game-tying goal waved off in the first period. David Silye scored five goals in the series, including a natural hat trick on Saturday.
MSU takes on Northern Michigan next weekend in Mankato.
9. Gophers sweep Irish
No. 3 Minnesota eased to a sweep of No. 12 Notre Dame in Minneapolis over the weekend. On Friday night, Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice, with the Gophers outshooting the Fighting Irish 54-25 in their 4-1 victory.
Saturday’s game featured a 21-save game from Justen Close in Minnesota’s 3-0 victory – his second shutout of the season.
10. First sweep for Lindenwood
In a first for the program at the Division I level, Lindenwood completed a series sweep of Army in West Point.
The Lions won 2-1 on Friday behind a 45-save performance by goalie Trent Burnham before turning around and winning 5-3 on Saturday night. Caleb Price and Hunter Johannes each scored two goals for Lindenwood, who is 4-8-0 in their maiden season in Division I.
