What a blur that was!
Just like Santa’s fantastic trip around the globe on Christmas Eve, the first half of the 2025-26 season went by in a flash leaving us wanting much more in the New Year!
And so, in the spirit of the season, and in advance of the annual requests to the jolly old elf on behalf of hockey teams across the country, here is a little song parody to get all D-II/III hockey fans in the mood as they celebrate the holiday season and await the second half sprint to conference and NCAA glory in 2026 – feel free to sing along:
(D3) Winter Wonderland
Original song and lyrics by Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith
Goal horns blare, are you listening
On the ice, sticks are glistening
A wonderful sight, fans cheer with delight
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
Gone away is the first half
Here to stay is the playoff path
More games to be played,
On the road to the NCAA
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
In the rink we’ll be cheering our teams on
Dreaming that they’ll go all the way
Santa says, “Get the Zamboni ready”
We’ll reply, “Okay —
He can clear the ice while he’s in town!”
Later on, we’ll conspire
Studying stats by the fire
To face teams that are ranked,
With the game plans we’ve banked
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
(Goal horns blare) Are ya listenin’
(On the ice) Refs are whistlin’
A wonderful sight, we’re happy tonight
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
Gone away is the boo bird
Here to stay is the cheer bird
He sings our school song,
As we skate along
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
To face unafraid
Post-season plans we’ve made
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
Hockey in a D3 wonderland
So now that everyone is in the true holiday spirit (I assume some may have actually sung along), here is what just may be on letters to the North Pole from conferences and teams looking brightly to the second half of the season.
CNE
Well Santa, we certainly have seen this act before with Curry, Endicott and UNE all ranked in the early season action. While a race between the three always creates great excitement, how about a dark horse to make things interesting. Shawn McEachern’s Suffolk Rams have been flying under the NORAD radar that tracks you so well Santa on Christmas Eve. They have been very good in conference so far so let’s see some Christmas magic extended to freshman netminder Austin McNicholas and forwards Daniel McKiernan and Marko Giourof for more solid play in the second half.
Independents
Just two teams here Santa and Salve Regina already got its present with admission to the CNE for next season. However Jolly Old Elf, coach Jay Punsky’s boys have merited attention with their great start to the season even getting some poll votes along the way. Is this the year an independent team merits some discussion for a tournament berth? That would certainly shake some things up so see what you can do to keep the Seahawks flying high in the second half including some fun hockey in Tampa, Florida against Tufts and Geneseo.
For the Hiram Terriers, let’s see some continued growth from this first-year team as they try to not only establish their program but college hockey in the mid-American region of the country as the only team in the Ohio area for D-III. Santa, let’s make sure The Pond – Ice Rink & Sports Complex is merry and bright and full of fans with some great teams coming to play in 2026.
Little East
Just like the CNE race, it isn’t a surprise to see Plymouth State, Norwich and Babson among the league leaders at the semester break. While that may delight the pre-season pollsters, it would be great to see some other teams in the mix starting with the Huskies from Southern Maine. Santa, Coach Pinchevsky’s team has been exciting to watch, and it would be great to see them battle at the top in the second half with Kadin Ilott and Ben Aucoin leading the way.
Oh, and if you don’t mind Mr. Claus, how about a stellar showing in the first ever Lobster Pot Tournament featuring the four Maine schools on January 2-3 in Falmouth, ME? Great to see Bowdoin, Colby, UNE and USM in an in-season Maine D-III extravaganza, so how about helping the Huskies make some noise against some perennial powers to ring in the New Year!
MAC
While it appears the battle at the top will be amongst Neumann, Stevenson and Wilkes in the second year of the MAC, how about some “A-Team” action to spice things up in the second half. Santa, both Alvernia and Arcadia have shown flashes in their game and an ability to compete with anyone. Graduate student Frazer Dodd has been a long-time standout for Alvernia and so too has senior Cody Mastay for Arcadia, so how about a couple of veteran players on dark horse teams getting some of your Christmas magic to spice up the race after the new year.
MASCAC
While Fitchburg State, Anna Maria and Westfield State all got off to strong starts in league play, there seems to be something amiss on the competitive landscape. Santa, we know you love the cold and snow but so too do the Vikings and a return to last year’s form for Salem State would be a welcome addition to the battle for this year’s title. Don’t need anything major here, just a return to the consistent game coach MacInnis’ group displayed last season with forward Landyn Greatorex and goaltender Will Nepveu rekindling the ghosts of a season past that got the Vikings to the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
MIAC
In a league with four “Saint” teams in the mix, it only seems appropriate to ask “Saint Niklaus” for a little saintly assistance in a conference that only sees six points separating first from seventh and nine points covering the whole conference from top to bottom. The MIAC consistently has been a roller coaster and Santa we want more of that ride particularly with the Johnnies, Oles, Saints and Cardinals in the mix. Lots more league action to come in the New Year so Santa, please make sure the boys are healthy and rested for the important conference games yet to come.
NCHA
Santa, to be honest I think the boys from Adrian, Aurora, St. Norbert, and Trine have proven themselves worthy of the nice list just in surviving the tough schedule in the opening ten to twelve games of the season, and largely against each other. They say more is better so let’s add a fifth team to the nice list as the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) has shown they are a serious team to contend with. Seniors Seth Bernard and Jackson Hughes have been better than a point-per-game players for the Raiders, so let’s make sure their stockings are filled with second half points. Afterall, the only thing better than a four-team race is a five-team race, right?
NE-10
Mr. Claus it has been a while since Franklin Pierce has been a serious contender in the only D-II conference in the country. Sure, it is nice to see the usual suspects around the top of the standings but wouldn’t it be great to see the Ravens under first-year head coach and alum Conor Foley continue their early season success and challenge for both the regular season and conference championship? the Ravens struggled at the end of the semester in a couple of games with the defending champions from St. Michael’s, but the prodigal son has brought some magic of his own to the program so Santa how about a little more hockey spirit for FPU to challenge the rest of the way.
NESCAC
In a league where everyone beats each other up top to bottom, this is a league where the big guy in the red suit can have some impact with what he fills each team’s stocking with. Surely there will be no coal for these teams who have played all so well against non-conference foes, but Santa a NESCAC race without the Trinity Bantams feels like Christmas without snow – sure they had a tough start but a little elf-magic for some goals and a continued win streak in conference would be appreciated in Hartford. And on a second note, while you are in the area, new Amherst coach Eddie Effinger has taken over from Jack Arena and has his Mammoth finding their game. we know that you like the big woolly creatures so how about keeping their momentum going in the second half with continued strong goaltending from first-year Vincent Lamberti.
SUNYAC
Santa, this one is probably the most difficult ask – what do you get the league that has everything. Seriously, the defending national champions from Hobart joined this year along with Skidmore, Oswego is, well, the Lakers of old in a very young package and the competitive balance across the ten teams is as good as it has ever been. So tough to pick something to find a place on your sleigh… Ah, how about a little Christmas magic sprinkled on the teams outfitted in your all too familiar red, white and black! Would love to see Plattsburgh in their 50th year celebration and Cortland both battling at the top to challenge Hobart and Oswego. Afterall, we wouldn’t want those rabid fans in upstate New York to have to settle for a two-team race in the New Year, right?
UCHC
Sure, Santa we all love our traditions. You know, the things we can count on year after year like Utica delivering Teddy Bears in December and you delivering holiday joy on Christmas Eve. Well, we do love the new and exciting battles that Utica and Geneseo have brought to us starting with last season, but it would be great to see those Chatham Cougars and the newbie Cardinals from St John Fisher battling for the top half in the league against the incumbents. It also would be great to see Chatham’s Nick Cyprian get some overdue recognition for his stellar and consistent play and maybe throw in some early publicity for first-year forward Sam Ciappa at SJF as both are exciting to watch every time they step on the ice.
WIAC
Well, Santa, this is the final conference and those teams in Wisconsin certainly know how to make things interesting. Even the new guys from Beloit have made an impact early and having all six teams in the race would be a wonderful thing for the fans, not necessarily the coaches! Know the boys across Wisconsin are working hard to get some key points in conference games even before you arrive so it would be great if you could help them find some much-needed WIAC wins before the semester break and really set up some drama for the second half of the season. Oh, and Santa, the boys at Stout have been really good this year so could you spread a little of your Christmas magic on the sticks of Hayden Stocks and Maksis Brimanis to keep the goal-scoring train in motion.
So Big Guy in the splendid red suit, it looks like you have your work cut out for you this year with so many teams looking for more and better in the second half amidst a hockey landscape immersed in great parity. Hopefully, the asks are not too grandiose this year as the ultimate winners will be the fans who so love their school teams and have visions of championships dancing in their heads well beyond the evening when your sleigh orbits the earth.
Santa, thanks for always listening and hoping you too will catch some of the anticipated great hockey action as you recuperate from your Christmas labors in the New Year!
And to everyone in the D-II/III universe, no matter which holiday you celebrate come the chill of December, best wishes to all for the best of the season!