Thursday, November 21, 2024

Men’s Notes: Goal Suppression Front and Center for MSU-MTU Clash

Key CCHA Series Features Two of NCAA’s Best Defensive Teams

One of the most compelling matchups in NCAA Division I men’s hockey this week will play out in Houghton, Mich., where No. 20 Michigan Tech will host No. 17 Minnesota State.

To the surprise of no one – both teams received first-place votes in the CCHA preseason coaches and media polls – the Huskies and Mavericks are jockeying for early-season positioning atop the conference standings: first-place MTU has won each of its first four CCHA contests, while the third-place Mavericks have lost just one of their first six (3-1-2) conference tilts.

For additional flavoring, this weekend’s series is also a rematch of last year’s CCHA semifinal, which the Huskies claimed on their way to a Mason Cup championship.

Limiting offense is a strength for both teams. MSU is yielding just 1.5 goals against per game, a number topped only by top-ranked Denver (1.4), while MTU is tied for sixth at 1.8 per contest. It’s obvious, then, that the goaltenders will be front and center throughout the weekend.

For the Mavericks, workhorse Alex Tracy (Jr., Chicago) has started all 14 games with a sparkling 1.35 goals against average and a .947 save percentage. Both figures are top-three marks nationally. His three shutouts also tie him for the national lead with Boston College sophomore Jacob Fowler.

At the other end of the ice, MTU coach Joe Shawhan has split his goaltending workload right down the middle, starting grad transfer Derek Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.) and junior Max Vayrynen (Espoo, Finland) four times each. The duo has responded by combining for a stellar .930 save percentage.

These two conference rivals met five times last season. Three of the games were decided by a single goal – including the aforementioned playoff clash – while the other two were essentially one-goal affairs (an empty-netter resulted in a two-goal margin in both).

Expect two more classics this weekend.

Daily Scoreboard | Weekly Schedule | Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Must Read:

College Hockey News: Rowe/Slukynsky tandem working well for Western Michigan

College Hockey News: Fusco forsakes huge family legacy to make big impact at Dartmouth

College Hockey News: SCSU freshman Burnevik turns ‘elite work ethic’ into hot start

College Hockey News: Team of the Week: Michigan State

Denver Post: DU goalie Matt Davis is authoring quite an encore, and the Pios look title-worthy again

Duluth News Tribune: Here’s what is planned for Adam Johnson Memorial Night

EP Rinkside: Scout’s Notebook: Jacob Fowler off to dominant start for Boston College

Grand Forks Herald: UND’s next destination game will be in Austin against Michigan State

NHL.com: Borgesi, Holt among top undrafted defensemen to watch in NCAA hockey

NHL.com: Celebrini, Smith ‘two peas in a pod’ with Sharks

State News: Wes McCauley is a beloved referee in professional sports, and it all started at MSU

USCHO: Minnesota looking to rebound after ‘a blunder 10 seconds into the game’ costs Gophers

USCHO: With young core on back end, UMass hoping to find more consistency

Must Hear:

CHN Insiders: Top teams remain hot

Inside Atlantic Hockey: Featuring Air Force coach Frank Serratore, forward Austin Schwartz

Parting Schotts: Union coach Josh Hauge looks back at St. Lawrence-Clarkson weekend

The CCHA Show: Featuring College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Sean Hogan

UND Hockey Podcast: UND is headed to Austin

USCHO Weekend Review: Denver remains perfect amid weekend of splits

That’s a Fact, Jack:

Quinnipiac grad transfer F Jack Ricketts (Oakville, Ontario) needs one more goal to become the first active NCAA Division I men’s player this year to reach 50 tallies for his career:

Active NCAA Career Goal Leaders
Rk.	Player, School	G
1.	Jack Ricketts, Quinnipiac	49
2.	Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross	47
	Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota	47
4.	Joey Baez, Army West Point	45
	Jack Devine, Denver	45

A 19-goal scorer a year ago, Ricketts has three goals and five points in his first 10 games as a Bobcat after transferring from Holy Cross.

Count Your Blessings:

Senior G Guy Blessing (Chandler, Ariz.) has backstopped Air Force’s current four-game winning streak, holding opponents to one goal or fewer each time out, including a pair of shutouts. He stopped 104 of 106 shots (.981) in back-to-back Atlantic Hockey sweeps of Canisius in Mercyhurst, earning AHA Goaltender of the Week honors both times.

In six conference games this season, Blessing has gone 5-1-0 with a 1.01 goals against average and .962 save percentage.

Fab Freshman:

Another Atlantic Hockey goaltender is also riding a notable four-game winning streak.

Sacred Heart’s season-long four-game winning streak has coincided with freshman Ajeet Gundarah’s (Richmond, British Columbia) first four NCAA starts. The BCHL’s Best Goaltender in 2023-24 with Surrey, Gundarah made his collegiate debut Nov. 2 with a relief appearance in a loss to Bentley. It’s been his net ever since, and he’s responded with a steady .922 save percentage in consecutive sweeps of Mercyhurst and Robert Morris.

Gundarah and the Crusaders will look to stay hot with a home series this weekend against RIT.

Milestone Watch:

Providence F Nick Poisson (Gr., Vancouver, British Columbia) and Minnesota F Jimmy Snuggerud (Jr., Chaska, Minn.) both enter the weekend with 99 career points, leaving them on the doorstep of an exclusive club:

Active NCAA Career Scoring Leaders
Rk.	Player, School	Pts
1.	Lukas Sillinger, Arizona State	128
2.	Jack Devine, Denver	127
3.	Carter Wilkie, North Dakota	114
4.	Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ohio State	109
5.	Lynden Breen, Maine	105
6.	Ayrton Martino, Clarkson	103
7.	Nick Poisson, Providence	99
8.	Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota	99
9.	Cameron Berg, North Dakota	92
	Jack Ricketts, Quinnipiac	92
	Hudson Schandor, UConn	92

Clarkson senior F Ayrton Martino (Toronto) became the most recent member of that exclusive club when he notched a pair of assists during a Nov. 2 tie with Alaska.

Fit to Print:

“I know I’m not expected to play THAT well every night. What I’ve been focusing on this year is just raising my floor. So, it’s not about my highest highs – it’s how low is my lowest low?”

— DU G Matt Davis (Sr., Calgary, Alberta), referencing his tournament MVP performance at the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four. Davis is 11-0-0 this year with a 1.46 goals against average and .937 save percentage (source: Denver Post).

NHL Note of the Week:

Heading into Thursday night’s game against San Jose, the St. Louis Blues have deployed an all-NCAA blueline in each of their last three contests.

In each of those three games, St. Louis has dressed former college hockey defensemen Justin Faulk (Minnesota Duluth, 2010-11), Matthew Kessel (UMass, 2019-22), Colton Parayko (Alaska, 2012-15), Scott Perunovich (Minnesota Duluth, 2017-20), Corey Schueneman (Western Michigan, 2015-19), and Ryan Suter (Wisconsin, 2003-04).

Four other teams have boasted an all-NCAA defense corps in at least one game since 2014-15: St. Louis in 2023-24, the New York Rangers in 2020-21, Carolina in 2016-17, and Pittsburgh in 2014-15.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Bemidji State’s 3-1 victory over No. 3 Minnesota on Sunday was BSU’s first-ever home win over its in-state rival … Alaska Anchorage freshman F Dimitry Kebreau (Silver Spring, Md.) had four assists in Saturday’s 6-1 win over Alaska, matching this year’s NCAA season high … Ryan Leonard (So., Amherst, Mass.) has scored the game-winning goal in each of Boston College’s last three wins and in four of its last five … Arizona State’s 3-2 win over NCHC rival Omaha last Saturday was the Wildcats’ first-ever conference victory in the program’s Division I era … According to Denver SID Ron Knabenbauer, Zeev Buium’s (So., San Diego, Calif.) hat trick in Friday’s 5-2 win at North Dakota was the first by a Denver defenseman since Ryan Caldwell on Feb. 14, 2004 against Minnesota State, and the first on the road since Ian DeCorby on Dec. 29 at St. Cloud State … DU has won 21 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Longest Active NCAA Point Streaks:

12 games, F Aidan Thompson (Denver)
- 9-11—20, began Oct. 5 at Alaska Anchorage
9 games, F Sam Harris (Denver)
- 8-6—14, began Ov. 18 vs. Northeastern
8 games, F Brandon Buhr (Union)
- 4-5—9, began Oct. 18 vs. Mercyhurst
8 games, F James Reeder (Denver)
- 3-5—8, began Oct. 25 vs. Wisconsin

Longest Active Goal Streaks:

5 games F Liam McLinskey (Holy Cross)
- 5-2—7, Began Nov. 7 vs. AIC
4 games, F Stiven Sardarian (Michigan Tech)
- 4-2—6, began Nov. 1 at Northern Michigan
4 games, F Evan Werner (Michigan)
- 5-2—7, began Nov 1. at Boston University

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 93% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players earn their degree!