Matthew Semisch

NCHC ColumnistMatthew Semisch joined USCHO in 2007 as a arena reporter covering Omaha. He later became a WCHA columnist for USCHO before taking a similar role covering the NCHC. He currently works as the sports editor at the Bottineau Courant in Bottineau, N.D.

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: Penn State’s Lugris taking on enjoyable role as ‘a catalyst’ in helping to build, grow local sled hockey program

by

Game recognizes game. And every so often, game helps game level up. Over the past few years, a local sled hockey team in State College, Pennsylvania, has developed a fan following among Penn State’s men’s hockey program. Nittany Lions coach Guy Gadowsky approached the State College Coyotes, who practice out of PSU’s Pegula Ice Arena, … Read more

NCAA Hockey Tournament Maryland Heights Regional Preview: Michigan State, North Dakota, Michigan, Western Michigan

by

Maryland Heights Regional, March 29-31 Centene Community Ice Center, Maryland Heights, Mo. Friday, March 29, 5:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU No. 1 Michigan St. (24-9-3) vs. No. 4 Western Mich. (21-15-1) Friday, March 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU No. 2 North Dakota (26-11-2) vs. No. 3 Michigan (21-14-3) Sunday, March 31, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 Maryland … Read more

NCAA Hockey Tournament Springfield Regional Preview: Denver, Maine, Cornell, Massachusetts

by

Springfield Regional, March 28-30 Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, Mass. Thursday, March 28, 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN2 No. 1 Denver (28-9-3) vs. No. 4 Massachusetts (20-13-3) Thursday, March 28, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNews No. 2 Maine (23-11-2) vs. No. 3 Cornell (21-6-6) Saturday, March 30, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN2 Springfield Regional Championship DENVER … Read more

NCAA Hockey Tournament Sioux Falls Regional Preview: Boston University, Minnesota, Omaha, Rochester Institute of Technology

by

Sioux Falls Regional, March 28-30 Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, S.D. Thursday, March 28, 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU No. 1 Boston U. (26-9-2) vs. No. 4 Rochester Institute of Technology (27-10-2) Thursday, March 28, 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU No. 2 Minnesota (22-10-5) vs. No. 3 Omaha (23-12-4) Saturday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. … Read more

Monday 10: Busy week of college hockey wraps with six conference champions, field of 16 named for 2024 NCAA tournament

by

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature. 1. No surprises among NCAA tournament’s top seeds The PairWise Rankings ensure that there are never any big omissions from the NCAA tournament field, and to that same end, the four No. 1 regional seeds generally belong … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Moving on to NCHC semifinals a major accomplishment for Omaha as Mavericks ‘staying present and trying to find ways to keep improving every single weekend’

by

Coming back from one game down last weekend to beat 10th-ranked Colorado College on the road in the first round of the NCHC playoffs all but guaranteed No. 12 Omaha what would be the Mavericks’ first NCAA tournament berth since 2021. The noteworthiness of Omaha’s success in Colorado Springs didn’t stop there. A sixth win … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Confident Minnesota Duluth squad facing Denver in NCHC playoffs, looking to ‘go grind it out like we always do’

by

Looking back through our 2023-24 NCHC season preview, I wrote the following about Minnesota Duluth, before picking the Bulldogs to finish fifth in the league: “There are only four freshmen, and I like the level of continuity this squad has now, only a year after there was a lot to replace. The issue is that, … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Penrose Cup champs for 2024, North Dakota aims to keep winning as Fighting Hawks ‘want to keep moving forward here with the momentum that we’ve got’

by

Third-ranked North Dakota’s 3-0 home win Saturday over No. 12 Western Michigan saw the Fighting Hawks capture their fourth Penrose Cup title in five years, as the NCHC’s regular-season champion. That kind of regular success always looks a little bit different from one year to the next, and this season has been no exception. Seven … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha coach Gabinet reflects on Kemp’s retirement announcement, says, ‘We wouldn’t have what we have today without his time and dedication to hockey in Omaha’

by

It’s been half his life since Omaha coach Mike Gabinet played for the Mavericks under current UNO executive associate athletic director Mike Kemp. The dynamics of their relationship have changed over the resulting couple of decades, but Gabinet’s respect for Kemp has only grown. This Tuesday, after it was announced last week that Kemp will … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After sweeping then-No. 2 North Dakota, Colorado College starting to ‘believe more and more and more’

by

Colorado College this week jumped up five spots to No. 10 in the latest USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll, the highest spot the Tigers have held in 12 years. Two blowout home wins last weekend against then-No. 2 North Dakota helped explain the Tigers’ big rise. More to the point, CC swept its four-game … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Miami getting rejuvenated mentally, physically with Denver next weekend, end of regular season approaching

by

It’s not uncommon for teams to hit a bye week at inopportune times, having been firing on all cylinders and perhaps viewing an extended break between games as a momentum-stopper. Miami is now in its last bye week of the season, with six games remaining. The RedHawks have dropped eight straight and are all but … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: North Dakota netminder Persson says return to Miami last weekend ‘was really fun to be out there, for sure’

by

Throughout his time in junior and high school-age hockey, North Dakota senior goaltender Ludvig Persson had never suited up against one of his former teams. So when he faced Miami last weekend on the road, the Swedish former RedHawk got maybe his biggest taste of culture shock since he began playing in the United States … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Colorado College netminder Mbereko keeps winning for Tigers, knows ‘always an opportunity to get better’

by

Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko was named Monday as the NCHC goaltender of the week, and it’s never a surprise when the Tigers sophomore receives that recognition. Sixty-one saves over two 2-1 overtime wins last weekend at then-No. 12 Western Michigan gave Mbereko the conference’s weekly goalie award for the fourth time this season. Also last … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: St. Cloud State looking to give special teams a boost moving forward as Huskies aiming for NCAA tournament berth

by

We’re not saying polls and standings lie, but it’s hard not to notice that while St. Cloud State is tied for first place in the NCHC, the Huskies are listed 15th in the latest USCHO Men’s Division I Poll, behind three teams from their own conference. Huskies coach Brett Larson doesn’t believe his team came … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha’s road split with powerhouse North Dakota ‘feeds the belief that we’re right on the cusp’

by

Fresh off earning a road split against sixth-ranked North Dakota, Omaha this week re-entered the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll at No. 19. But for as competitive as the Mavericks were in Grand Forks, being ranked isn’t just about what you did over the previous week. This UNO team is as battle-tested as most anyone … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After strong first half of ’23-24 season, Western Michigan figuring out ‘a great recipe for long-term success’

by

Tenth-ranked Western Michigan’s road sweep last weekend against Lindenwood was a trip down memory lane of sorts for coach Pat Ferschweiler, while watching his Broncos start the second half of the season how they mean to continue. Friday’s come-from-behind 3-2 win and a relatively easy 6-1 victory Saturday at the Centene Community Ice Center saw … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Despite losing, ACHA powerhouse Minot State impresses in exhibition games against Colorado College, Denver

by

Last weekend’s exhibition games for No. 20 Colorado College and fifth-ranked Denver were looked forward to by many college hockey fans across the region, wanting to get their fix after the holiday break. I include myself among that number, but those games meant more to me than they probably did to most. Minot State, which … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: ‘Absolute rock star’ West, former national champion with Minnesota women’s team, fitting in as Colorado College’s director of hockey operations

by

It was only a month ago when Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte found out that Emily West, the Tigers’ first-year director of hockey operations and video coach, had scored a NCAA national championship game-winning goal on a penalty shot. “No (way),” Mayotte said, shortly before seeing YouTube footage of West’s goal for Minnesota in the … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Inconsistent Miami squad maintaining positive mindset as RedHawks ‘have to do better’ rest of season

by

The NCHC’s collective nonconference record so far this season has been nothing to sneeze at, winning at a .681 rate, second only to the Big Ten but having also played 15 more of those games. Miami has held up its end of the bargain in that regard, sitting at 5-2-1 in those games ahead of … Read more