Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
The first half of the men’s Division I college hockey season officially wrapped up this weekend. Here are 10 key takeaways from the weekend – and from the first half.
1. No. 3 Michigan State can score in bunches
If you were planning on writing off Sparty after their 4-0 loss and come-from-behind overtime win last weekend against Wisconsin, think again.
Michigan State proved this weekend their as poised as any team in the B1G to make a massive second-half run. And they did so with the explosive offense that this Michigan State team is becoming known for.
The third-ranked Spartans scored three second-period goals on Friday in a 3-3 tie at No. 1 Minnesota and then took the extra league point with a 2-0 shootout win. A night later, the explosiveness of the offense was even more magnified as Michigan State scored three goals in 2:51 and then added a late empty netter to win 5-3 and take five of six points on the weekend.
Sparty reaches the break at 13-2-1, the best record in the country, and will take a quick two-week break before returning to play in the annual Great Lakes Invitational.
2. No. 16 North Dakota sweeps No. 9 St. Cloud State, leaves most scratching their heads
For North Dakota to sweep a series never really shocks anyone.
This, of course, is a program that hasn’t finished a season below .500 since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. But this season has been anything but a landslide for this Fighting Hawks team.
Just last weekend, North Dakota was 7-7-1 and trailed Miami, a team winless in NCHC play, in the third period before rallying late for a 5-4 win.
Since that game, the Fighting Hawks have rolled off three more victories including this weekend’s sweep of No. 9 St. Cloud State, 2-0 and 4-3 in overtime. That team that was .500 two Fridays ago is now 11-7-1 and reaches the break sitting in second place in the NCHC standings.
They’ll get quite a break now, not playing another NCAA games until January 10 when they travel to Arizona State. There’s a lot of ground for them to make up if they want an NCAA bid as they currently sit 22nd in the PairWise. But certainly don’t write off the Fighting Hawks.
3. A split through the first two games of the Gold Pan series
It hasn’t felt competitive for a while, but the annual series between Denver and Colorado College, dubbed the “Gold Pan” series, may be experiencing a renaissance of sorts with the Tigers a more competitive team against in-state rival Denver.
Each team held serve this weekend in the first two of four games, with CC winning at home on Friday, 5-4, before the Pioneers returned the favor a night later, 2-1, at home in Denver.
The Pioneers actually hold a lopsided 15-2 mark in regular-season games against their rivals in the series over the last 17, including this past weekend. Lest we forget, though, that CC held the upper hand in their only playoff meeting, a 1-0 win over Denver in the NCHC tournament in St. Paul in 2023.
4. Minnesota State continues to be the team to beat in the CCHA
It seems every season we want to talk about a new king of the CCHA. But this year, like many in the past, we’re seeing a hot start from Minnesota State, which swept Lake Superior this weekend, 2-1 and 3-2 in overtime, to extend its winning streak to six and its unbeaten streak to 11 (9-0-2).
The Mavericks are the only team from the CCHA currently inside the top 16 of the PairWise and are five points clear of Michigan Tech in the standings.
If there is a team to keep an eye on in the second half of the season, though, its newcomer Augustana, which actually reaches the break with the second-best winning percentage in the CCHA. They have four games in hand on Minnesota State and Michigan Tech and are 12 points behind the Mavericks.
5. A sensational (albeit unrealistic) seven teams inside the PairWise cutline right now for Hockey East
Tell me if you’ve heard this story before. It’s the end of the first half of the season. We’re at the break point and Hockey East is dominating the PairWise.
It’s a familiar story from the last couple of years. This year, though, feels even crazier.
Right now, the top eastern conference boasts the second-best out-of-conference winning percentage and currently has seven teams inside the cutline in the PairWise.
Boston College is already looking like it could be a runaway No. 1 overall seed. Maine is third, Providence is sixth, UMass Lowell is eighth and Boston University (10th) rounds things out with five teams in the top 10.
Add in bubble teams New Hampshire (14th) and Connecticut (15th) and that’s seven teams inside the top 15.
Reality is that it is not really feasible for any conference to quality seven for a 16-team NCAA tournament (technically it is, but mathematically it is highly unlikely). But it’s a pretty nice position for a conference to be in at the break.
6. Bentley has been a pleasant surprise in the first half
The Bentley Falcons were picked first in the preseason Atlantic Hockey America coaches’ poll. They’ve reached the break, though, as one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Falcons are 9-2-1 in league play and have just three losses in their last 14 games.
Second-year coach Andy Jones’ group has been strong at home posting a 7-2-1 mark at Bentley Arena. The team is among the highest scoring teams in AHA, averaging 3.06 goals per game overall. But unlike many counterparts in the league that have strong offenses, Bentley is matching with a stingy 2.18 goals against per game overall and a 2.08 mark in league play.
The Falcons are tied atop the league standings with Sacred Heart (29 points) but have played three fewer games than the Pioneers.
7. ECAC Hockey standings looking a little different heading to break
We’re not one to call the ECAC predictable or boring. The league is anything but. But when you look at the standings in recent years, let’s just say things aren’t always close.
Last year, Quinnipiac won the regular season by 10 points. A year prior it was 11. Not exactly a barn burner down the stretch.
This season is shaping up a little differently thanks to Colgate. Second-year coach Mike Harder has his team playing well in conference of late, and they sit atop the ECAC at the break with 17 points. Quinnipiac is a single point behind with 16, but it is the third-place team, Clarkson, that has a lot of eyes opened. The Golden Knights are two points back but hold two games in hand on the Bobcats and Raiders.
Lots of hockey to play, but this might be the year that the Cleary Cup isn’t decided until the final night of the regular season.
8. NIL money is sparking concern in college athletics, and hockey isn’t immune
We’ve all heard the term NIL – which stands for Name, Image and Likeness. It’s the vehicle through which college athletes across all Division I sports can be compensated for their respective schools using their name, image or likeness.
What we haven’t heard is how this will impact college hockey.
The reports aren’t deep in hockey compared to sports like men’s football and basketball, which annual deals with players are in the seven figures.
There were reports on Twitter/X this week that Boston College might be offering a potential student-athlete (reportedly Saginaw Spirit superstar Michael Misa) $1 million to play for the Eagles instead of staying in the Ontario Hockey League, something that was immediately refuted by BC athletic director Blake James.
By who? I can assure you, it is not Boston College. OHL Player Offered North of $1 Million To Play For Boston College https://t.co/7Dn2joZAQE
— Blake James (@BCBlakeJames) December 13, 2024
But it begs the question of when big-time money will infiltrate college hockey like it has football and basketball to this point.
9. We still aren’t seeing the full potential of the ruling that allows CHL players
If you’re a college hockey fan and, unless you’re hiding under a rock, you know that the NCAA has ruled that players who have played in the Canadian Hockey League – known to many as Major Junior – can now play college hockey with full eligibility (pending passing the NCAA clearinghouse).
And while this ruling came in November, we haven’t really seen the full fallout of this decision to this point. Players aren’t committing en masse, at this point, though that could change as we approach various NCAA signing deadlines.
How many players will matriculate to the NCAA ranks is clearly unknown. But it does seem like coaching staffs have been aggressively recruiting in the CHL since the decision about a month ago.
This offseason promises to be one with plenty of drama. Get your popcorn ready to watch.
10. When will we see the impact of roster limits?
Again, if you’re followed college hockey this first half of the season, you’re quite familiar with the potential House v. NCAA settlement that is being negotiated in Congress.
The impact on college hockey could be a roster limitation for Division I men’s hockey at 26 players. Many might think this won’t impact many teams, but we’ve already seen the fallout.
AIC is moving its program back to Division I because of the limitations it creates on the school, which often carries north of 30 players. That’s a loss of tuition revenue for the school.
But we’ve also seen teams play very shorthanded this season at times, something that roster limitations could further exacerbate.
Minnesota played on Friday with just 10 forwards and lost one to a game misconduct penalty further limiting the roster. The aforementioned AIC team couldn’t play last Saturday against Holy Cross due to the lack of a healthy goaltender.
Pending legislation, reportedly, wouldn’t just limit the roster size but could also preclude teams from adding players midseason, a massive mistake in a sport that is prone to injury troubles.
Plenty more to shake out from this, but as we approach the midway point, something to keep a close watch upon.
