After a scintillating Saturday of first-round action, we now move to the quarterfinals where three of the four games are an east vs. west affair that will determine not only the participants for the Frozen Four to close out the season at the end of March but also the location for the semifinal and championship games. Nothing better than some inter-regional action to spice up the tournament and, to be honest, I think that is exactly what the NCAA committee committed to with the bracket as constructed for this year’s tournament with most of the favorites holding form in the opening round.
Last week both Brian Lester and I went 5-1 for the firs- round games with my hitting the Hamilton game and his correct selection of Trine being the differences overall. Stakes are higher this week, not only for the teams on the ice but also the picks being made as the margin for error is slim and only three games remain on the schedule after Saturday’s quarterfinal action. Here are the picks this weekend that may or may not show some regional bias:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
NCAA Quarterfinal Round
Trine v. Hobart
TC – The Thunder travel to “The Cooler” to take on the national champions who enjoyed a week off courtesy of a first-round bye. The Statesmen have been here before and are not likely to take their opponent lightly as they seek a third straight Frozen Four berth hunting a third national title. Goaltending is critical this time of year and no one has a better pedigree than Damon Beaver and Mavrick Goyer for Hobart. Timely saves and more timely scoring from the likes of Daniels, Duclair, Aquaro and/or Shell eke out a hard-fought win – Hobart, 2-1
BL – Hobart is the No. 1 team in the nation in the USCHO.com poll and they welcome seventh-ranked Trine into town this weekend. It’s a big test for the Thunder, who are in the NCAA tourney for the first time and up against the two-time reigning national champs.
Hobart didn’t play last weekend as it had a bye and you never know how that time off might affect a team. This is a Hobart team, though, that has put up 120 goals while giving up only 28. Tanner Daniels leads the team in goals (18) and assists (21). It’s also worth noting that Hobart is 15-0 at home.
But don’t overlook Trine. The Thunder took care of business against Oswego in the first round and are feeling good about their chances of being road warriors. Trine has tallied 103 goals on the year and given up 60. Logan Furstenau leads the team with 11 goals. Trine doesn’t have that one player who has scored a ton of goals, but its balanced attack has been huge for the team this season. The Thunder will need to be at its best in all facets to have a shot at the upset. Hard to bet against the champs here, but don’t be surprised if Trine finds a way – Hobart, 4-2
Hamilton v. Curry
TC – Two teams that feature their respective conference’s goaltender and or player of the year winners in Curry’s Shane Soderwall and Hamilton’s Charlie Archer. The Colonels enjoyed a week off and now look to get right into their quarterfinal matchup with a team that plays a lot like they do. Lots of talent on both benches but look for an unlikely player scoring the game winner in overtime to cap off an amazing and highly entertaining hockey game – Curry, 3-2
BL – The Colonels haven’t lost since early December and take a 16-game winning streak into their matchup with Hamilton.
One of the keys to their success has been Shane Soderwall, who is in the running for the Sid Watson Award, which is given to the top player in D-III Hockey. Soderwall has eight shutouts this season and 13 in his career. If he’s playing his best, the second-ranked Colonels are going to be tough to beat.
Hamilton has won four in a row and while the Continentals are on the road for this one, that might not be a big deal. Hamilton is 13-3 away from home this year. The Continentals have 21 wins on the year, the most in program history, and are in the round of eight for the first time since 2017. Like Curry, Eighth-ranked Hamilton has a player of the year candidate in Luke Tchor, who has come through with 16 goals and 17 assists on the season – Curry, 4-3
Geneseo v. Aurora
TC – The Knights go west to face a high-powered opponent in the Spartans. Funny, in that I think the Knights have shown that ability very recently when they put a seven-spot up on Utica in the UCHC title game. Not expecting that much fireworks in this one but there will be chances for both teams and Zach Purcell steps up with a big goal and Adam Harris stands tall in the Knights goal to help the visitors advance to the Frozen Four – Geneseo, 4-3
BL – Fourth-ranked Geneseo has won 20 or more games eight times and looks to add to its win total this week. The Ice Knights have won three in a row and are 13-1-1 at home this season. Peter Morgan has played a huge role in Geneseo’s success, scoring 14 goals and dishing out 24 assists. The Ice Knights also have two capable goalies in Ada Harris and Jacob Torgner, who hve split time. Both have saved more than 90 percent of the shots they’ve faced.
Aurora has been among the top teams nationally all year and is no doubt a real contender for the national title. The Spartans are in the NCAA tourney for the first time and have 24 wins, the most in program history. They also have a Sid Watson Award finalist in Hassan Akl, who has been nothing short of impressive for the Spartans. He leads the nation in points and assists. He has 38 goals to go along with 13 assists and will be a big key to success for Aurora on the road this weekend. I know Geneseo is at home, but Aurora is no pushover.
This should be an entertaining game as both teams are averaging close to five goals per outing. Last team to touch the puck might win it – Aurora, 5-4
St. Norbert v. Utica
TC – This matchup is very intriguing as the five-time national champions from St. Norbert travel to face a Utica team seeking a trip back to the Frozen Four that my also include hosting it. A lot of motivation for both teams but this is a game where home-ice is the difference as the Pioneers get a big game from Ryan Piros and great special teams contributing on the scoresheet but need an ENG to finally put the Green Knights away – Utica, 5-3
BL – The Pioneers dominated their tourney opener against Fitchburg, winning 5-1, and are facing a team from the west for the first time since the opening weekend of the season when they battled Adrian. The two teams split that series. Jakob Breault has been key for the sixth-ranked Pioneers, scoring 15 goals and dishing out 17 assists, fueling an offense that averages 4.4 goals per game.
The Green Knights are unbeaten in their last 11 games and put that streak to the test this weekend. They are 9-2 away from home and have won an NCAA tourney record 35 games in the postseason. The one-two punch of Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky are key for the Green Knights. Fraser leads the team in goals (21) and Dombrowsky is the assist leader (33). I like the third-ranked Green Knights in this one – St. Norbert, 4-2
So, clearly the east v. west theme carries over to the writer picks which certainly will make things interesting. It is a full day of hockey with afternoon games turning into evening affairs and at the end of the day we will know who will be playing in the Frozen Four and where it will be played to decide the national champion for the 2024-25 season. Seriously, does it get any better than this? – “Drop the Puck!”
