Thursday, December 14, 2023

Men’s Notes: Veteran Veltri Standing Tall for Robert Morris

Fifth-Year Goaltender Keeps Busy After Transfer from Niagara

There are so many unknowns for a first-year NCAA Division I men’s hockey program. Or, in the case of Robert Morris University, a new old first-year program.

Following a two-year hiatus from the college hockey scene, RMU returned to competition this season, re-joining the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA). Faced with re-building a roster from scratch, leaning heavily on a mix of incoming freshmen and newcomers from the transfer portal, Colonials head coach Derek Schooley (Western Michigan ’94) knew he had certainty in one area: between the pipes.

Fifth-year goaltender Chad Veltri (Fox Chapel, Pa.), a veteran of 97 collegiate appearances, had transferred from Niagara and was not only a proven veteran, but was exceedingly familiar with the AHA scene.

Veltri has been every bit as advertised as the holiday break nears, logging a terrific .925 save percentage in 17 starts despite facing an average of nearly 40 shots per game. He pitched a 3-0 shutout in RMU’s second game of the season, a 33-save road win at Bowling Green. He’s turned aside 50 or more shots three different times. Last Friday, he stopped 38 of 39 shots in a 4-1 home win against Niagara. One day later, he stopped 50 of 51 in the return game at Niagara, a 3-1 Colonials victory.

“He is always very calm, cool and collected,” Schooley told College Hockey Inc. “Nothing bothers him. He is exactly what we needed and couldn’t ask anything more from him.”

That 88-save weekend performance against his former team – in RMU’s first sweep of the year – was the highest single-series save total this season by an AHA goaltender.

“To have a Pittsburgh native come home and help re-launch RMU hockey has been something special for both him and his family,” said Schooley.

Veltri and the Colonials will close out the first half of the season this weekend when they host non-conference opponent Arizona State.

Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Boston Two-Step:

They’ve each won five NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships, tied for fifth-most in the history of the sport, yet when Boston College and Boston University sat atop the national polls this week, it marked the first time those two storied programs were ranked 1-2 nationally in any college hockey poll at the same time.

Those spots are reversed in the Hockey East standings, where the Terriers sit in first place, four points up on the second-place Eagles. But regardless of positioning, BC (13-1-1) and BU (11-4-1) have clearly emerged as two of the best teams college hockey has to offer in 2023-24.

Unbe-Zeev-able:

Denver freshman D Zeev Buium (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) will enter the Pioneers’ Christmas break riding a 12-game point streak, having amassed four goals and 17 assists during that stretch.

According to research by College Hockey News, Buium’s 12-game point streak is the nation’s longest by a freshman defenseman in the last 21 years (national online records do not go back any further), topping last season’s 11-game streak by BU’s Lane Hutson (So., Chicago, Ill.).

In 18 games overall this season, Buium has 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) to tie for third nationally among all skaters. The second-youngest player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey this season behind only BU freshman Macklin Celebrini (Fr., Vancouver, British Columbia), Buium is eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Fit to Print:

“Growing up in Wisconsin, it’s always a dream to play [here]. This is one of my favorite places and probably the best place on earth, so there’s nowhere else you want to play, that’s for sure.”

— Wisconsin senior F Carson Bantle, a native of Onalaska, after scoring a hat trick on Wisconsin Night last Friday against Penn State (source: UWBadgers.com)

NHL Note of the Week:

The next point for Dallas captain Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin, 2004-06) will be the 1,028th of his NHL career and will tie him with Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch (Boston College, 1986-87) for 11th-most by a college hockey alumni.

Now in his 18th NHL season, the seemingly ageless Pavelski leads the Stars in points (26), goals (12) and power-play goals (six) through 27 games.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Minnesota junior F Rhett Pitlick (Chaska, Minn.) had his seven-game goal streak snapped Saturday at Ohio State. It was the longest in NCAA Division I hockey this season … AIC senior D Brian Kramer (Wexford, Pa.) scored his ninth goal of the season in last Friday’s 3-2 win over RIT, setting a new single-season school record for defensemen. Those nine goals also lead the nation’s defensemen this season … Union junior G Joe Sharib (Natick, Mass.) earned his first NCAA win in Friday’s 5-4 victory at Vermont … Colorado College’s sweep at North Dakota last weekend was the first for the Tigers in Grand Forks since 1993 … Arizona State has already played in a school-record-tying nine overtime games this season … Wisconsin (13-4-0, 7-2-0 Big Ten) has already matched the 13 wins the Badgers had all of last season … St. Cloud State was 7-0-0 in NCHC play after Friday’s win over Omaha, matching the Huskies’ best conference start (2001-02) in program history.

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 92% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players earn their degree!