Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
Highlights include Minnesota State's pivotal sweep over Augustana in the CCHA, Boston College extending its winning streak to nine games, and Western Michigan's strong performance against St. Cloud State. Additional discussions cover Ohio State's dominance over Notre Dame in the Big Ten, surprising developments in Atlantic Hockey, and potential Hobey Baker Award candidates such as Ryan Leonard, Isaac Howard, and others. The episode also delves into standout goaltenders for the Richter Award, emphasizing the importance of sufficient playing time for award consideration.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Minnesota State in the CCHA
03:10 Boston College's winning streak
05:37 Western Michigan's strong performance
08:08 Ohio State's surprise season
09:49 Penn State's climb in the PairWise Rankings
12:47 Maine's quiet rise in Hockey East
18:32 Atlantic Hockey shake-up
25:14 Hobey Baker and Richter frontrunners
37:48 Conclusion and sign-off
Highlights include Minnesota State's pivotal sweep over Augustana in the CCHA, Boston College extending its winning streak to nine games, and Western Michigan's strong performance against St. Cloud State. Additional discussions cover Ohio State's dominance over Notre Dame in the Big Ten, surprising developments in Atlantic Hockey, and potential Hobey Baker Award candidates such as Ryan Leonard, Isaac Howard, and others. The episode also delves into standout goaltenders for the Richter Award, emphasizing the importance of sufficient playing time for award consideration.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Minnesota State in the CCHA
03:10 Boston College's winning streak
05:37 Western Michigan's strong performance
08:08 Ohio State's surprise season
09:49 Penn State's climb in the PairWise Rankings
12:47 Maine's quiet rise in Hockey East
18:32 Atlantic Hockey shake-up
25:14 Hobey Baker and Richter frontrunners
37:48 Conclusion and sign-off
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to us Echo.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Weekend review from Monday, February tenth, twenty twenty five. This
episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division one Frozen
four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis. Get your
tickets now at NCAA dot com slash Frozen four. I'm
met Trefsker alongside Jim Connolly and Derek Scooley. The biggest series,
(00:37):
at least the one most consequential in a conference may
have been in man Cato this weekend Number fifteen Minnesota
State swept Number seventeen Augustana four to one and two
to one. They take control of the CCHA. As we
head into the final weeks, Minnesota State has the best
winning percentage and it's going to be winning percentage because
of an uneven schedule in the league six ninety seven.
(01:00):
That's ahead of Augustana is six nineteen and Bowling Green
not too far behind at five ninety one.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Talked a little.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Bit last week that this could have been a series
that if Augustana clinched it or swept it, that they
could have clinched the outright CCHA title. That it wouldn't
have been possible to catch them in terms of winning percentage,
but that shows how quickly six points changed things. Instead
of sweeping, they got swept all six points to Minnesota State.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
They now have they're really in the driver's seat.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I don't see Bowling Green catching them in the short
amount of time left in Augustana, they don't play as
many games, just two more league games left, so then
their chance of catching the net goes by the wayside
as well. So Minnesota State is all but wrapped up
the CCHA with a couple of weekends left.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I want to know about that.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
I might disagree with you on that one because I
think if Augustana wins their two games, up their winning percentage,
and with Minnesota State and all those teams having more games,
if they don't win those games out then you're in
winning percentage problems. And I think that's the difference in
this league compared to the rest, that you can't look
(02:17):
at the standings and go, here's how things are that
we have done a couple of times and realize that
it is.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
I'm not a mathematician, but I see Jimmy writing and
got his calculator out right now so.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
They'll fact check that.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
But we're going to talk a lot coming down here
about Hoby, Baker candidates, Richter candidates, all this. Alex Tracy
is absolutely playing out of his mind for Minnesota State
right now. If he's not the best boy in that league,
I don't know who is. And prove it this weekend.
Prove it this weekend with what a good series that
(02:53):
was and two one victory on.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Saturday.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
So I think that those are things that you have
to watch down the stretch as far as the winning
percentage of that and Alex Tracy being the top one
of the top players in that league.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Let's talk about Boston College. They extended their winning streak
to nine and oh after wins over Northeastern eight to
two in the bean Pot Semis and then New Hampshire
four to two. BC plays BU tonight in the Beanpot Final.
BC is a team that going down the stretch around
Thanksgiving and even their first game back a lost to
(03:32):
Merrimack after the semester break, We're like, Oh, what's going
on with BC? Or they really what they are supposed
to be?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Apparently they are, yes, And obviously the way that they
won last Monday night, winning going away against Northeastern. But
I thought that their Friday game against New Hampshire was
quite impressive. They fell behind two to one in that game.
In the third period, I ain't had to fight them.
(03:59):
I think it was twenty one seconds after giving up
the go ahead goal, they tied it. Then it was
a fluky bounce for the game winning goal. But THENBC
had the press, they found a way to get the
fourth goal. They they found a way to grab control
of that game when it looked like they were in
a pretty desperate situation.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So that's what winning teams do, and they seem to
be really playing well.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
You go back that lost to Merrimack where they gave
up lost five goals of the game after leading to nothing.
Seems like a distant memory now because they've gone nine
to zero since then.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
You talk about the bean pot, the favorites coming out
and winning both win by six. I wonder if that's
some sort of record, if the margin of victory between
the two games six, It was a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I just this nineteen seventy three, I happen to look
it up.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Okay, so nineteen seventy three, and the other shocking thing
that I saw this morning was first time they've played
in the finals since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
That's surprising as well.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Surprises going on and the beating problem should make for
a fun bean pot Monday, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And in a rivalry game like that, even though BC
has handled BU this year, you never know what might
happen out of that.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Did Jimmy Cock check me on Augustana probably do it? Now?
Hold on?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Oh, we're stilling note, but wow, you got a lot
of moth going.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
It's a lot of maths to do that. Yes, yeah,
they can catch them at Minnesota State go zero and four.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's possible.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So you're saying they have a chance day.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
August Stanna has a chance. They have to get two
wins this weekend.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Though, back to our rundown here. Number four Western Michigan
bounced back from an OT loss last weekend at Colorado College.
They swept Saint Cloud State six nothing and four to one.
So now the Broncos have a three point lead over
Arizona State and the NCC standings and two games in
hand on both the Sun Devils and third place Omaha.
(05:57):
Western Michigan is nine to one and oh since the
start of twenty they're sitting right now in fifth in
the pair wise and the people who do the odds
and the number crunching say they got about a fifty
to fifty chance of moving into the top four. Although
I might make the case that being the top number
two seed isn't a whole lot different in what you're
(06:17):
going to match up against than being the last number
one seed.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There's definitely almost no difference at all.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
The biggest difference comes in that regional final game. If
you're it's number one verse number two, who's the home team,
that's the only difference.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But if you're four or five, you're.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Probably playing each other in that game, and it doesn't
make too much of a difference.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That's on Western Michigan's mind, but certainly winning the NCAAIGHTC
Championship regular season for the first time, that certainly would be.
And they have put themselves in a great position the
way that they're playing right now, going out and handling
Saint Cloud and we've shaken our head. What happened to
Saint Cloud State this year? I don't have an answer
(07:05):
to it. But they went out and handled them six
nothingk full one. That's two pretty decisive wins.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I think the number was they were something like nine
and one, say cloud, and then Isaac Posh got hurt,
and then I think that the wheels have fallen off
the bus. But I think I saw a tweet that
said he was back. But obviously that didn't help. But
when you lose your starting goalie, and those are a
(07:32):
big wasp, not just a big wash as far as
you're the difference in goalies mentally, mentally, the way you
play a little tighter, you give up something that shouldn't
be happening. Then you're in the back of your mind.
So I think that having the loss of their top goalie,
(07:52):
I think that really hurt them, not only physically in goal,
but mentally, and we scratch our heads. Maybe that's it,
maybe it's not, but I think that any time you
lose your number one, you're bound for a step back
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
We were talking last week about which was the tougher
team to face in the Big Ten right now, Ohio
State or Notre Dame going down the stretch, and you
guys battle that out a little bit, but I think
we saw the answer. Number nine. Ohio State swept Notre
Dame two five to one games. It seems like the
(08:28):
Buck guys are the surprise team in the Big Ten
this year. I think we've been saying that right along,
but they're continuing to prove it.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
When it does. I get to sure Derek will like this. Derek,
You're probably right for the fact that, yes, it is
a much tougher opponent than Notre Dame. At this point
in the season, it seems like the Buck guys are
playing really well. And to put those two types of
win two games up, two five one wins back to
(08:58):
back against the same team this late in the season,
it just feels like that second night you get such
a pushback, and somehow Ohio State didn't fall victim to
that pushback.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
They handled this.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Really well, and because of that you now have it
looks like that you can definitively say that Minnesota has
the toughest schedule. They have to play Ohio State in
these last to three weekends, where Michigan State will have
to take on Notre Dame. Not that's too easy games,
but at least I can admit that is probably the
(09:31):
easier of the two schedules.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You know what, what's surprising and we're sitting here talking
about it. And first of all, Michigan State has two games,
Minnesota has two games in hand, but right now they're
five points back.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
They could technically take over there.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
But the one thing that we haven't talked about, ten
States done pretty well, especially in the pairwise of climbing lately,
they're not really great in the record, but they once
again I see I saw another tweet that said they're
playing pretty well right now. They've moved their way up
to sixteen. They're fourteen, eleven and three. They are in
(10:10):
last place in the Big Ten. But I think that
each of those teams have Penn State. Those aren't going
to be gimmes, especially if you know that you're started
to get on the outside of the bubble. You might
see a rejuvenated Penn State team when they get both
Michigan State and Minnesota down the stretch. So something to
(10:30):
watch right there. That's something that's that I was shocked
when I read it and then I looked at it
and whether they're second to last in the league, they're
only really eight points out of third fourth place, and
they have two games of hand. So watch out for
the Nittney Lyons and watch them potentially play spoiler and
(10:53):
maybe creep up at fourteen spot if they can start
knocking off of Michigan State Minnesota and if.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
They are six one in one of their last eight
games the Nitneyllions, and they have climbed all the way
to sixteenth in the pair wise, they have a little
bit of passing left to do because you have Corni
Piac ahead.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
They are holding the place for the ECAC right now, but.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
It's not out of the realm that Penn State could
win a few games here down the stretch, maybe win
get past that first round of the playoffs, and next
thing they're sitting fourteen, thirteen twelve the pair wise, they're
now the bubbles team.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Meanwhile, Penn State, with the sweep of Wisconsin over the weekend,
pretty much ended the Badgers' chances other than a big
ten championship win. Knocking the Badgers to twenty first in
the pairwise in five games under five hundred, that's pretty
much out of reach right.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Now, untenable now for Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
We actually are and should be talking about Penn State
and the pairwise, not Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
That changed really quick.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And right now, if it was to start today, they'd
play who Ohio State and they if they could get
by Ohio State on the road in the playoffs, that's
a pretty big feather of their cap pairwise. So they
and they have beat Ohio State, they've tied them, and
they beat him in overtime. They did lose to them
(12:20):
at the b in the hear, but that was the
start really of their six.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
One and one stretch.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Here after beating comcius a tie and a winover Ohio State,
winning at a loss against Michigan, now a sweep on
the road at.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Wisconsin, You're starting to see him climb up.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
You get a couple, you get one of two at
Michigan State and then maybe get one of two against
Minnesota at home, you might see them up in that area.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Back E's number five, Main had a pretty good road
weekend at Providence at three to three tie on Friday
before winning in overtime one nothing on Saturday. That's put
Main at fourth in the pair wise again, the number
crunchers say a fifty seven percent chance to stay in
the top four and be.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
A number one seed.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
This is a very good main team that somehow, maybe
it's because I'm not in the middle of hockey, Eastland
seems to have snuck in there.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
And they're quietly the one team that seems to be
giving Boston College the biggest challenge for first place. But
the Eagles that they keep We mentioned that they keep
doing things right. They've won nine to row. They only
have a three point or a one game lead on
first place in Hockey East these two teams. Bat does
hold the tiebreaker having swept Maine, but these two teams
(13:38):
have really gone toe to toe. Throw Boston University in there.
They're six points behind Boston College the two games. Everybody
has played seventeen in that group, so they still have
the same seven games left to play here this season.
I feel like Maine has quietly is a good word
at We've talked about them, We've talked plenty about them.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
They've done some really good things.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
They'll have a great rivalry series this weekend at home
against New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
That's the border battle.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
That's the one that fans will stand in line for
five hours outside Alfonda Rainer and the minus five degree
temperatures to get in line for that one.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
This is that some big hockey to be played.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
But if Maine were to win the regular season championship
in Hockey East, It can't surprise anybody.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
On the other side were not worried about Providence a
couple of weeks ago, and now they they they have
a good weekend and they're starting to solidify themselves. Wrong,
we've been we talked about they were having a little
bit of an issue.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Yes, certainly they've January has been a month where they've
struggled to score goals a little They only have one
game where they scored more than three goals this month.
They've been shut out a couple of times. They had
one goalie against Boston College in one of their games.
So yet they've struggled in Here's two games that they
(15:05):
were in a pretty good position, had the lead on
Friday and lost that and in a three to three tie,
and only got one point out of the hockeyst standings
for the weekend because of the fact that they actually
get yes, they got two points because the second one
was an overtime loss. But they lose the shootout on Friday,
they lose the game in overtime on Saturday, so Maine
(15:27):
gets four out of six points on the road. That's
certainly has solidified things and the pairwise, and you have
Providence is a little bit of a concern. The goals
aren't popping in the way that they once were for
this Friar's team.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But still there's pretty solid at six right now.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Pairwise, they're fine, no doubt, but they're below five hundred
in Hockey Eat, so they're right at five hundred. I
guess you could say, I don't have the standings in
front of you, but they're not exactly barnstorming through Hockey East.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Here.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Their league record right now six six and five, so
exactly five hundred.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Leading into you're either going to see bu on a
really high or really low.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Leading into this weeknd of gets Providence.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Number two Michigan State in the longtime arch rival number thirteen.
Michigan split their weekend series. The Wolverines won at One
on Friday two to one, and then in the game
at Little Caesars Arena, the duel in the d is
that what they call it?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Twenty something thousand people. Radio guy Mike Pursudo was there
is green and white. He said it was just banging there.
He said that rivalry is back.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
A six to one win in Detroit for Michigan State
on Saturday not surprising to see a rivalry like that
have a mild upset in one game, but then Michigan
State really came back on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, I thought that there was going to be one
game that Michigan was going to win. It would have
been the neutral site game. But that's a good road
win for them in Lansing on Friday night. It has
I'd love to say it's solidified that they're pairwise, but
it really hasn't. They still sit in a very tenuous
position in the pairwise right now twelve. I don't think
(17:18):
that it's really feasible that they're going to jump up
and catch a team like loll at eleven. But they
have a team like U Mass that has been coming
on in Hockey East. Now they're right on their heels.
Arizona State right on their heels, So not a lot
of room for errors. Still from Michigan, but that went
on Friday night, a road wind that at Michigan State
(17:40):
that goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You had a big I think it was all over
the internet. A big day for the Duke family.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
One of the Dukes scored his first career goal in
the afternoon for Campa Bay against the Red Wings, and
the other younger ones scored the goal that night. Can't
write a better story than that for a family growing
up playing hockey in Missie Sha.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Get it was scoring into the same net and everything.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah, you can't make that stuff up.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
That's a neat little tidbit that I don't know if
a lot of people caught, but it's got a lot
of college airplay on it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
And Dad obviously a Western Michigan alumn.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
They were in Cleveland, they put the boys played all
over in Detroit. Been a It was a great story
to follow once they they showed him side by side too.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
It's great.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Lastly, before we go to our break, a bit of
a shake up at the top of Atlantic Hockey Army,
who I think is the most surprising team in that
league this year, got five out of six points against
Sacred Heart at home at Tate Rink, while Holy Cross
on the road swept Our I t and Bentley swept
an injury riddled Robert Morris, team's pardon.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Coach is injured too.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Oh he's got it, he's got he's got a rough
voice right now.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yelling at your players. Just not a concur or maybe
other people.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So I hear Sacred Heart and Holy Cross are now
tied to top the standings and Bentley's one point back,
but both holy Cross and Bentley have two games in hand.
I'll just say I've seen all three of those teams
up close this season, and I'd say right now, by far,
holy Cross is the class of Atlantic hockey. They've been
(19:23):
getting terrific goaltending all season from Thomas Gale. In fact,
all three of those teams have had great goaltending this season,
but offensively, holy Cross is just really strong upfront, including
one of the Hobie Baker candidates, Liam mcclinsky. But this
is the chance for both Bentley and holy Cross to
(19:45):
take advantage of it. The funny thing about this whole
thing is we're not going to know how that league
shakes out until Monday the twenty fourth. Everybody's supposed to
stop playing on the twenty second, but there's that holy
Cross Aic game that dribbles over to the twenty four
when Aic had no goalies, which sounds like a familiar tune,
but they had to. Originally it looked like that would
(20:08):
be a forfeit, and then that got postponed. But that
could determine who the first place team ends up being
in the league, and it could determine the entire shakeup
of the bottom six and who is going to go
where on Saturday March first, you might not know until
that game's over. On Monday night, the twenty fourth, who
has to fly out to air Force, for example, for
(20:29):
a game. So that really messes things up. But I'm
just going to say, I think right now it's holy
Cross's league to lose. The way they're playing right now.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
They put a good stretch together, and we've seen we
saw a Sacred Heart at the begin here, but since Christmas,
I've seen Sacred Heart army. And then this past weekend
Budley and I would disagree with you a little bit.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Ed.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I thought I didn't think holy Cross's offense was outst
We went to a shootout with them, and they scored
too late to beat us three to one or four
to two. One of the they all blown together right now,
but it.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Was late goals.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
But I thought their structure and their defense was outstanding,
and then when you got past that, you found a
way to get to it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Thomas Gale was really good.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Nothing to take away from Bentley this past weekend, but
I just I think the structure that holy Cross is
playing with right now. It leads them to that and
they thought. You think you saw a lot of frustration
on Sacred Heart because it has been theirs all year long,
and then you saw the kind of a little bit
(21:40):
of a dust up at the end of the Army
Sacred Heart game because of the frustration of Sacred Heart.
Now you're looking right now at potentially two teams passing
Sacred Heart because they have games in hand and that
they're hot right now. Bentley's hot, they beat Army earlier
in the week, they beat up. But you're seeing Sacred
(22:02):
Heart right now with forty seven points and they're tied
with the They're tied with holy Cross, and holy Cross
is two games in hand, Beley one point behind them
with two games in hand. So I think that there's
this final three that are going to battle it out.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
For the remaining.
Speaker 5 (22:22):
The top seed, and it's it's going to be to
watch holy Cross and Betley have a game and Bentley
and Sacred Heart have a game.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Those are going to be some really good games down
the stretch.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I was just about to say, I like the fact
that some of these teams actually are going to intertwine
over the last couple of weekends here that there are
some single games out there for them to play.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
You mentioned at schools.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
It's easy to talk about holy Cross and certainly they
sit in the cap or a seat, but Bentley really
helped themselves this past week. Nine points in a week.
You don't get that. You walk into a three game
week as a coach will probably sit there saying six
out of nine would be nice, seven out of nine
would be great. Nine out of nine probably doesn't even
go across your mind. You'd love to think that you
(23:09):
can win all three. But credit to Bentley, credit to
holy Cross. They're playing their best right now. And I
don't believe for a minute that Sacred Heart will just
will to die here.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They're too good of a team.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
They will they'll fight even if they don't win the
regular season.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I think they're going to be a tough out the playoffs.
Only Cross has scored seventy eight goals so to End's
offensive the twenty two games, but they've only given up
thirty nine.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Contrasts that Bentley, who's given up forty seven and Sacred
Heart who's given up sixty two.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
So they've given up thirty nine.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Goals and the next Yeah, the next closest is they've
got another one in forty seven, which is air Force.
After that year thirty nine compared to sixty two. That's
where it's structure and defense. I think Jalen Words said
it yesterday. Defense wins championships and a good.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Goalie and a good quarterback. But anyway, let's let's take
a break. We're going to come back and talk a
little bit of Hoby Baker. This episode is sponsored by
the NCAA Men's d one Frozen four April tenth and
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Speaker 3 (25:08):
We're back with the usc CHO Weekend Review. We're going
to talk some Hoby Baker. Who are some candidates right there?
There's some very obvious ones. Maybe we should hit the
obvious ones first and then see who maybe might be
a dark horse.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I got Isaac Howard. Yeah, that's an obvious one. Yeah,
that's the easiest one. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Out here in the East, there's a strong, obviously a
strong bias toward Boston College. And obviously Brian Leonard has
done some great things. But I don't just put this
trophy in his hand. I think a lot of BC
fans and Hockey East fans are already starting to award
everything to Brian Leonard.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
There's going to be a lot of challenge. And you
mentioned as a coward.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I think Snugger Root at Minnesota and eight think at
Penn State. I think has five goals in his last
four games alone. He's playing some really good hot. There's
plenty of names, and this is one of the years
that this is not a slam dunk.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
There's nobody running away with this.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Yes, Leonard has twenty three goals, BA Howard has twenty two,
Fink has twenty one, Snuggarut has twenty.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
There's a lot of goals scoring going on out there.
And when we're not.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Even looking at players that just have a ton of assists,
like Divine at Denver with thirty three assists at forty
two points. Already, there's some high scoring players out there.
I don't think there'll be a lack of candidates, but
I also don't think there's going to be one clear
cut player that's running away with this right into the
month of April.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
And you're also looking at seeing William two, who arguably
can be the best defenseman in college hockey at least
out West. You've got a lot of different candidates you're
talking about. You named a lot of the guys that
I was going to go with, but the funny thing
is you didn't even mentioned game Perro. These are there's
some pretty good guys that are out there that are are.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Just you're not going to get.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
There's not that one candidate right now other than probably
Leonard and Howard that you probably could say. Those are
going to get a lot of people talking about it.
But you've got a lot of next group, the wably
ten is going to be the interesting one. You're going
to be able to debate the eight through fourteen pretty easy,
and you might have seven that are you like, yeah, yep,
(27:26):
and you're going to have the well, I think we
all can agree that Leonard and Isaac Howard are going
to be in the final ten, and then you're probably
going to have a few more snugger it'll get in there.
He's he'll get in the final ten this year. And
then after that got you mentioned like Jack, Divine and
I mentioned BOOLI of it. You go down the list
(27:48):
and amount of cockey always gets one. But Clints he
was a finalist last year.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
He should be the slam dunk for Atlantic Hockey this year.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Yeah, and you mentioned Divine and Bulliam from Denver, but
then there's also Aiden Thompson out there from Denver. And
when you get a situation with three guys from a
team or something like Pero and Leonard from BC, that
really makes it tough because you're in an essence splitting
some votes there too.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I think as a school, marketing is very important of
HOBE candidates that when you have two or three it
makes it much more difficult to market and find it. Fine,
you don't want to play a favorite, but I think
as a school, as a coaching staff, sometimes you have
to look, if I am Denver right now, I probably
(28:36):
say Divine because of just share points, probably is the
guy who i'd market the most. But you have Thompson,
He's been fantastic. Ya have Bullyam. I think Boston College
they go, they probably gravitate a little bit toward Ryan
Leonard because of the goals. We've always said Hobi loves goals.
I think that hasn't changed, So I think that we
(28:58):
push him a little over Paro. You've got to still
give some credence to both players. What if you start
marketing one player today and the other guy goes knots
in the last month and a half of the season.
Next thing, I think that would We can tell the
story of Connor Hellibuck. It wasn't even considered a candidate
for the Hoby Baker Award the year he won the
(29:19):
Richter Award, and there were goaltenders that were all selected
as Richter as Hobe finalists that year in Hellibuck wasn't
even mentioned that happens.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
It was all because he had such.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
An believable finish of the season. So you have to
let the last six weeks play out before we really
get too deep into picking our candidates. But I think
we've given a good representative list at this point.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I want to mention two things.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
One, Quinn Finley at Wisconsin, a team that has been
a little disappointing, that he's having a really good sophomore season.
So that's somebody we didn't mention, and we didn't mention
you brought up Hellibuck. We didn't mention any goalies, And
seems like you've got to be just above and beyond anymore.
I know we can go back to a couple of
(30:09):
years ago and say, oh, yeah, you get a goalie
in there, Dryden McKay. But I think it's harder and
harder with the Richter being a separate award right now,
and there are probably three or four goalies who you
could throw in that mix, but I don't know if
any get in there. Maybe one will sneak into that
top ten.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I got to see Alex Tracy getting in there.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
I could see Alvin Boya, maybe Jacob Fowler at Boston College.
I think the thing that you have to do in
the modern game with the Richt Award is you cannot
split time. You have to own the net for your team.
Any goaltenders that split time, I don't care what your
winning percentages what your goals against average is. I think
(30:48):
the modern candidacy for Hobe Baker. In terms of a goaltender,
you have to be the guy that your team rides.
You have to play eighty five to a minimum. See
when you look at goaltenders Tracy, he's got thirty decisions,
thirty gage and follower. He has twenty three decisions in
(31:09):
twenty four games, Boy twenty six and twenty six. So
these guys have played most of the time. But then
I look at a Christian Stover for Bowling Green.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
He's nine to one three.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
He's got a one point seven goals against a nine
to forty eight save percentage, but he's only played in
thirteen games. So I think that is one of the
things that you have to focus on. If you're going
to be a candidate for the whole being your goaltender,
you better be playing all the men.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Two people we didn't talk about Cole O'Hara and UMass.
He's got third points. But here's the sneaky one and
everybody's going to go. They recognize the name mac Kadowski
at Army, he's got eleven goals. He's got eleven goals
and thirty one points. We talked about mcclinskey. He's got
(32:01):
thirty three points eighteen goals. But a defenseman to have
eleven goals, he is by far the leading scoring goal
scoring defenseman in the nation.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
That's pretty whole.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Bucketed those that weekend against Mercihers though, right.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Not a whole bucket. Maybe three. I guess that's a
smaller bucket.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
That's a big percentage.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
But yeah, he is terrific. He is terrific.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Is he somebody who slipped under the radar when recruiters
who were out there.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I think it's you look at the name and then
you wonder is he going to go to Penn State?
And obviously do you want to coach your kid and
all that kind of stuff. But he didn't have a
he was fined in junior hockey. Like in junior hockey,
it just pulled up his league prospects. He's he played
for Pittsburgh peng was a leade. Then he went to
Springfield and the North America League. Had twelve points in
(32:52):
twenty two games this first year. The next year he
played fifty six games that only had twenty points. He
had three goals in his year in the North American
League last year at four. This year he had eleven.
So he's really taken a maturity step, and sometimes that
happens as you get older.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
He's he's twenty three years old.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
He's found a way to get himself on a power play.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
He's got thirty one points.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
He's got more points this year in college hockey that
he did as U a teen year for Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
It's he's a big kid and he can shoot a pocket.
He's six ' three. That's a yeah, that's a late
bloomer for you.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Thought.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
I thought his skating skill I saw him on Tuesday night, Bently.
I thought his skating skills stood up. He's your prototypical
offensive defense, gets the puck in his own and he
can skate it out. He can make that first pass too,
but his offensive side does great things in the power
play for them.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I think that's a really good name to bring up
a dark horse. It will be tough to get him
in if he doesn't get it. He's just a candidate
from Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Cock.
Speaker 5 (34:04):
You talked about mcclinsby. I want to throw another one
out there that potentially.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Is probably I bet he probably has to get up
closer to forty points to make that top ten, but
I think he certainly has he's going to he'll get
some boats.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
I think in terms of Atlantic cock candidate.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
We covered the Richter guys in the midst of talking
about the Tobe Baker anybody else for the Richter that
we overlooked that we should mention before we wrap up.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
I think goaltenders are They're hard to handicap. And I
know that the actual director vote because I am on
the committee, that the next vote is today, so we'll
have some real clarity by the end of this week.
There's some names out there, and I think the one
that kind of stands out as the brand name that
(34:54):
we're not talking about is Trey Augustine. But his goals
against his crept over to his save percentage nine twenty six.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It's good. That's a good save percentage.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
But I feel like in the modern goaltending numbers, you
have to be in the nine forties, you have to
be under two goals against. But Augustine just brand name,
household name, very recognizable to fans of Team USA and
stuff like that. So I bet he'll get some real
consideration for Victor this year as well.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Josh Kotaie and Augustana. I don't think we mentioned him.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Fantastic numbers, great things to bring this program really to
relevancy right out of the gate.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Those are really good numbers.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
If you could take Western Michigan's goaltenders and combine them,
you'd have a you have.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
A Whoby winner. Yes with large ski so the skin
ski and row.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
How I'm a bad pronouncer one six, two and nine
four two Cameron Rowe one seven, three ninth three two
three four. Yeah, those are like you're talking. You had
combine those and you've got a Hoby Baker a winner.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Maybe I mean you go back if you took some
of the great goaltending dooms, the Mike Dunham guard Snow
of May years ago, if there was a Richtor reward,
they probably would have tied for the top of the
ballot that year. But I still think I think even
in Brictor, it's hard to find a goaltender that shares
(36:34):
the net say that they are the best goaltender in
the country. They it's just there's too many goaltenders out
there playing one hundred percent or ninety eight percent of
their team's minutes that deserve more recognition.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
You'll see that's one name to remember for the future.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
In any case, we'll see as the Brickter finalists come out.
It's going to be a few more weeks for it
from the coaches for the Hoby Baker, but we'll keep
an eye on it as we go forward. That'll wrap
this edition of Weekend Review. This episode has been sponsored
by the NCAA Men's Division One Frozen four April tenth
and twelfth in Saint Louis, Missouri. Get your tickets now
(37:12):
at NCAA dot com, slash Frozen four for Jim Connelly
for Derek Scooley. I'm ed Trefsker and this has been
usc CHO Weekend Review
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to us Echo.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Weekend review from Monday, February tenth, twenty twenty five. This
episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division one Frozen
four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis. Get your
tickets now at NCAA dot com slash Frozen four. I'm
met Trefsker alongside Jim Connolly and Derek Scooley. The biggest series,
(00:37):
at least the one most consequential in a conference may
have been in man Cato this weekend Number fifteen Minnesota
State swept Number seventeen Augustana four to one and two
to one. They take control of the CCHA. As we
head into the final weeks, Minnesota State has the best
winning percentage and it's going to be winning percentage because
of an uneven schedule in the league six ninety seven.
(01:00):
That's ahead of Augustana is six nineteen and Bowling Green
not too far behind at five ninety one.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Talked a little.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Bit last week that this could have been a series
that if Augustana clinched it or swept it, that they
could have clinched the outright CCHA title. That it wouldn't
have been possible to catch them in terms of winning percentage,
but that shows how quickly six points changed things. Instead
of sweeping, they got swept all six points to Minnesota State.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
They now have they're really in the driver's seat.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I don't see Bowling Green catching them in the short
amount of time left in Augustana, they don't play as
many games, just two more league games left, so then
their chance of catching the net goes by the wayside
as well. So Minnesota State is all but wrapped up
the CCHA with a couple of weekends left.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I want to know about that.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
I might disagree with you on that one because I
think if Augustana wins their two games, up their winning percentage,
and with Minnesota State and all those teams having more games,
if they don't win those games out then you're in
winning percentage problems. And I think that's the difference in
this league compared to the rest, that you can't look
(02:17):
at the standings and go, here's how things are that
we have done a couple of times and realize that
it is.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
I'm not a mathematician, but I see Jimmy writing and
got his calculator out right now so.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
They'll fact check that.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
But we're going to talk a lot coming down here
about Hoby, Baker candidates, Richter candidates, all this. Alex Tracy
is absolutely playing out of his mind for Minnesota State
right now. If he's not the best boy in that league,
I don't know who is. And prove it this weekend.
Prove it this weekend with what a good series that
(02:53):
was and two one victory on.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Saturday.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
So I think that those are things that you have
to watch down the stretch as far as the winning
percentage of that and Alex Tracy being the top one
of the top players in that league.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Let's talk about Boston College. They extended their winning streak
to nine and oh after wins over Northeastern eight to
two in the bean Pot Semis and then New Hampshire
four to two. BC plays BU tonight in the Beanpot Final.
BC is a team that going down the stretch around
Thanksgiving and even their first game back a lost to
(03:32):
Merrimack after the semester break, We're like, Oh, what's going
on with BC? Or they really what they are supposed
to be?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Apparently they are, yes, And obviously the way that they
won last Monday night, winning going away against Northeastern. But
I thought that their Friday game against New Hampshire was
quite impressive. They fell behind two to one in that game.
In the third period, I ain't had to fight them.
(03:59):
I think it was twenty one seconds after giving up
the go ahead goal, they tied it. Then it was
a fluky bounce for the game winning goal. But THENBC
had the press, they found a way to get the
fourth goal. They they found a way to grab control
of that game when it looked like they were in
a pretty desperate situation.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So that's what winning teams do, and they seem to
be really playing well.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
You go back that lost to Merrimack where they gave
up lost five goals of the game after leading to nothing.
Seems like a distant memory now because they've gone nine
to zero since then.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
You talk about the bean pot, the favorites coming out
and winning both win by six. I wonder if that's
some sort of record, if the margin of victory between
the two games six, It was a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I just this nineteen seventy three, I happen to look
it up.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Okay, so nineteen seventy three, and the other shocking thing
that I saw this morning was first time they've played
in the finals since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
That's surprising as well.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Surprises going on and the beating problem should make for
a fun bean pot Monday, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And in a rivalry game like that, even though BC
has handled BU this year, you never know what might
happen out of that.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Did Jimmy Cock check me on Augustana probably do it? Now?
Hold on?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Oh, we're stilling note, but wow, you got a lot
of moth going.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
It's a lot of maths to do that. Yes, yeah,
they can catch them at Minnesota State go zero and four.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's possible.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So you're saying they have a chance day.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
August Stanna has a chance. They have to get two
wins this weekend.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Though, back to our rundown here. Number four Western Michigan
bounced back from an OT loss last weekend at Colorado College.
They swept Saint Cloud State six nothing and four to one.
So now the Broncos have a three point lead over
Arizona State and the NCC standings and two games in
hand on both the Sun Devils and third place Omaha.
(05:57):
Western Michigan is nine to one and oh since the
start of twenty they're sitting right now in fifth in
the pair wise and the people who do the odds
and the number crunching say they got about a fifty
to fifty chance of moving into the top four. Although
I might make the case that being the top number
two seed isn't a whole lot different in what you're
(06:17):
going to match up against than being the last number
one seed.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There's definitely almost no difference at all.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
The biggest difference comes in that regional final game. If
you're it's number one verse number two, who's the home team,
that's the only difference.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But if you're four or five, you're.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Probably playing each other in that game, and it doesn't
make too much of a difference.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That's on Western Michigan's mind, but certainly winning the NCAAIGHTC
Championship regular season for the first time, that certainly would be.
And they have put themselves in a great position the
way that they're playing right now, going out and handling
Saint Cloud and we've shaken our head. What happened to
Saint Cloud State this year? I don't have an answer
(07:05):
to it. But they went out and handled them six
nothingk full one. That's two pretty decisive wins.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I think the number was they were something like nine
and one, say cloud, and then Isaac Posh got hurt,
and then I think that the wheels have fallen off
the bus. But I think I saw a tweet that
said he was back. But obviously that didn't help. But
when you lose your starting goalie, and those are a
(07:32):
big wasp, not just a big wash as far as
you're the difference in goalies mentally, mentally, the way you
play a little tighter, you give up something that shouldn't
be happening. Then you're in the back of your mind.
So I think that having the loss of their top goalie,
(07:52):
I think that really hurt them, not only physically in goal,
but mentally, and we scratch our heads. Maybe that's it,
maybe it's not, but I think that any time you
lose your number one, you're bound for a step back
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
We were talking last week about which was the tougher
team to face in the Big Ten right now, Ohio
State or Notre Dame going down the stretch, and you
guys battle that out a little bit, but I think
we saw the answer. Number nine. Ohio State swept Notre
Dame two five to one games. It seems like the
(08:28):
Buck guys are the surprise team in the Big Ten
this year. I think we've been saying that right along,
but they're continuing to prove it.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
When it does. I get to sure Derek will like this. Derek,
You're probably right for the fact that, yes, it is
a much tougher opponent than Notre Dame. At this point
in the season, it seems like the Buck guys are
playing really well. And to put those two types of
win two games up, two five one wins back to
(08:58):
back against the same team this late in the season,
it just feels like that second night you get such
a pushback, and somehow Ohio State didn't fall victim to
that pushback.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
They handled this.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Really well, and because of that you now have it
looks like that you can definitively say that Minnesota has
the toughest schedule. They have to play Ohio State in
these last to three weekends, where Michigan State will have
to take on Notre Dame. Not that's too easy games,
but at least I can admit that is probably the
(09:31):
easier of the two schedules.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You know what, what's surprising and we're sitting here talking
about it. And first of all, Michigan State has two games,
Minnesota has two games in hand, but right now they're
five points back.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
They could technically take over there.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
But the one thing that we haven't talked about, ten
States done pretty well, especially in the pairwise of climbing lately,
they're not really great in the record, but they once
again I see I saw another tweet that said they're
playing pretty well right now. They've moved their way up
to sixteen. They're fourteen, eleven and three. They are in
(10:10):
last place in the Big Ten. But I think that
each of those teams have Penn State. Those aren't going
to be gimmes, especially if you know that you're started
to get on the outside of the bubble. You might
see a rejuvenated Penn State team when they get both
Michigan State and Minnesota down the stretch. So something to
(10:30):
watch right there. That's something that's that I was shocked
when I read it and then I looked at it
and whether they're second to last in the league, they're
only really eight points out of third fourth place, and
they have two games of hand. So watch out for
the Nittney Lyons and watch them potentially play spoiler and
(10:53):
maybe creep up at fourteen spot if they can start
knocking off of Michigan State Minnesota and if.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
They are six one in one of their last eight
games the Nitneyllions, and they have climbed all the way
to sixteenth in the pair wise, they have a little
bit of passing left to do because you have Corni
Piac ahead.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
They are holding the place for the ECAC right now, but.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
It's not out of the realm that Penn State could
win a few games here down the stretch, maybe win
get past that first round of the playoffs, and next
thing they're sitting fourteen, thirteen twelve the pair wise, they're
now the bubbles team.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Meanwhile, Penn State, with the sweep of Wisconsin over the weekend,
pretty much ended the Badgers' chances other than a big
ten championship win. Knocking the Badgers to twenty first in
the pairwise in five games under five hundred, that's pretty
much out of reach right.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Now, untenable now for Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
We actually are and should be talking about Penn State
and the pairwise, not Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
That changed really quick.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And right now, if it was to start today, they'd
play who Ohio State and they if they could get
by Ohio State on the road in the playoffs, that's
a pretty big feather of their cap pairwise. So they
and they have beat Ohio State, they've tied them, and
they beat him in overtime. They did lose to them
(12:20):
at the b in the hear, but that was the
start really of their six.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
One and one stretch.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Here after beating comcius a tie and a winover Ohio State,
winning at a loss against Michigan, now a sweep on
the road at.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Wisconsin, You're starting to see him climb up.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
You get a couple, you get one of two at
Michigan State and then maybe get one of two against
Minnesota at home, you might see them up in that area.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Back E's number five, Main had a pretty good road
weekend at Providence at three to three tie on Friday
before winning in overtime one nothing on Saturday. That's put
Main at fourth in the pair wise again, the number
crunchers say a fifty seven percent chance to stay in
the top four and be.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
A number one seed.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
This is a very good main team that somehow, maybe
it's because I'm not in the middle of hockey, Eastland
seems to have snuck in there.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
And they're quietly the one team that seems to be
giving Boston College the biggest challenge for first place. But
the Eagles that they keep We mentioned that they keep
doing things right. They've won nine to row. They only
have a three point or a one game lead on
first place in Hockey East these two teams. Bat does
hold the tiebreaker having swept Maine, but these two teams
(13:38):
have really gone toe to toe. Throw Boston University in there.
They're six points behind Boston College the two games. Everybody
has played seventeen in that group, so they still have
the same seven games left to play here this season.
I feel like Maine has quietly is a good word
at We've talked about them, We've talked plenty about them.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
They've done some really good things.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
They'll have a great rivalry series this weekend at home
against New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
That's the border battle.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
That's the one that fans will stand in line for
five hours outside Alfonda Rainer and the minus five degree
temperatures to get in line for that one.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
This is that some big hockey to be played.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
But if Maine were to win the regular season championship
in Hockey East, It can't surprise anybody.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
On the other side were not worried about Providence a
couple of weeks ago, and now they they they have
a good weekend and they're starting to solidify themselves. Wrong,
we've been we talked about they were having a little
bit of an issue.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Yes, certainly they've January has been a month where they've
struggled to score goals a little They only have one
game where they scored more than three goals this month.
They've been shut out a couple of times. They had
one goalie against Boston College in one of their games.
So yet they've struggled in Here's two games that they
(15:05):
were in a pretty good position, had the lead on
Friday and lost that and in a three to three tie,
and only got one point out of the hockeyst standings
for the weekend because of the fact that they actually
get yes, they got two points because the second one
was an overtime loss. But they lose the shootout on Friday,
they lose the game in overtime on Saturday, so Maine
(15:27):
gets four out of six points on the road. That's
certainly has solidified things and the pairwise, and you have
Providence is a little bit of a concern. The goals
aren't popping in the way that they once were for
this Friar's team.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But still there's pretty solid at six right now.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Pairwise, they're fine, no doubt, but they're below five hundred
in Hockey Eat, so they're right at five hundred. I
guess you could say, I don't have the standings in
front of you, but they're not exactly barnstorming through Hockey East.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Here.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Their league record right now six six and five, so
exactly five hundred.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Leading into you're either going to see bu on a
really high or really low.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Leading into this weeknd of gets Providence.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Number two Michigan State in the longtime arch rival number thirteen.
Michigan split their weekend series. The Wolverines won at One
on Friday two to one, and then in the game
at Little Caesars Arena, the duel in the d is
that what they call it?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Twenty something thousand people. Radio guy Mike Pursudo was there
is green and white. He said it was just banging there.
He said that rivalry is back.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
A six to one win in Detroit for Michigan State
on Saturday not surprising to see a rivalry like that
have a mild upset in one game, but then Michigan
State really came back on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, I thought that there was going to be one
game that Michigan was going to win. It would have
been the neutral site game. But that's a good road
win for them in Lansing on Friday night. It has
I'd love to say it's solidified that they're pairwise, but
it really hasn't. They still sit in a very tenuous
position in the pairwise right now twelve. I don't think
(17:18):
that it's really feasible that they're going to jump up
and catch a team like loll at eleven. But they
have a team like U Mass that has been coming
on in Hockey East. Now they're right on their heels.
Arizona State right on their heels, So not a lot
of room for errors. Still from Michigan, but that went
on Friday night, a road wind that at Michigan State
(17:40):
that goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You had a big I think it was all over
the internet. A big day for the Duke family.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
One of the Dukes scored his first career goal in
the afternoon for Campa Bay against the Red Wings, and
the other younger ones scored the goal that night. Can't
write a better story than that for a family growing
up playing hockey in Missie Sha.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Get it was scoring into the same net and everything.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah, you can't make that stuff up.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
That's a neat little tidbit that I don't know if
a lot of people caught, but it's got a lot
of college airplay on it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
And Dad obviously a Western Michigan alumn.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
They were in Cleveland, they put the boys played all
over in Detroit. Been a It was a great story
to follow once they they showed him side by side too.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
It's great.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Lastly, before we go to our break, a bit of
a shake up at the top of Atlantic Hockey Army,
who I think is the most surprising team in that
league this year, got five out of six points against
Sacred Heart at home at Tate Rink, while Holy Cross
on the road swept Our I t and Bentley swept
an injury riddled Robert Morris, team's pardon.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Coach is injured too.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Oh he's got it, he's got he's got a rough
voice right now.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yelling at your players. Just not a concur or maybe
other people.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So I hear Sacred Heart and Holy Cross are now
tied to top the standings and Bentley's one point back,
but both holy Cross and Bentley have two games in hand.
I'll just say I've seen all three of those teams
up close this season, and I'd say right now, by far,
holy Cross is the class of Atlantic hockey. They've been
(19:23):
getting terrific goaltending all season from Thomas Gale. In fact,
all three of those teams have had great goaltending this season,
but offensively, holy Cross is just really strong upfront, including
one of the Hobie Baker candidates, Liam mcclinsky. But this
is the chance for both Bentley and holy Cross to
(19:45):
take advantage of it. The funny thing about this whole
thing is we're not going to know how that league
shakes out until Monday the twenty fourth. Everybody's supposed to
stop playing on the twenty second, but there's that holy
Cross Aic game that dribbles over to the twenty four
when Aic had no goalies, which sounds like a familiar tune,
but they had to. Originally it looked like that would
(20:08):
be a forfeit, and then that got postponed. But that
could determine who the first place team ends up being
in the league, and it could determine the entire shakeup
of the bottom six and who is going to go
where on Saturday March first, you might not know until
that game's over. On Monday night, the twenty fourth, who
has to fly out to air Force, for example, for
(20:29):
a game. So that really messes things up. But I'm
just going to say, I think right now it's holy
Cross's league to lose. The way they're playing right now.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
They put a good stretch together, and we've seen we
saw a Sacred Heart at the begin here, but since Christmas,
I've seen Sacred Heart army. And then this past weekend
Budley and I would disagree with you a little bit.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Ed.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I thought I didn't think holy Cross's offense was outst
We went to a shootout with them, and they scored
too late to beat us three to one or four
to two. One of the they all blown together right now,
but it.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Was late goals.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
But I thought their structure and their defense was outstanding,
and then when you got past that, you found a
way to get to it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Thomas Gale was really good.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Nothing to take away from Bentley this past weekend, but
I just I think the structure that holy Cross is
playing with right now. It leads them to that and
they thought. You think you saw a lot of frustration
on Sacred Heart because it has been theirs all year long,
and then you saw the kind of a little bit
(21:40):
of a dust up at the end of the Army
Sacred Heart game because of the frustration of Sacred Heart.
Now you're looking right now at potentially two teams passing
Sacred Heart because they have games in hand and that
they're hot right now. Bentley's hot, they beat Army earlier
in the week, they beat up. But you're seeing Sacred
(22:02):
Heart right now with forty seven points and they're tied
with the They're tied with holy Cross, and holy Cross
is two games in hand, Beley one point behind them
with two games in hand. So I think that there's
this final three that are going to battle it out.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
For the remaining.
Speaker 5 (22:22):
The top seed, and it's it's going to be to
watch holy Cross and Betley have a game and Bentley
and Sacred Heart have a game.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Those are going to be some really good games down
the stretch.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I was just about to say, I like the fact
that some of these teams actually are going to intertwine
over the last couple of weekends here that there are
some single games out there for them to play.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
You mentioned at schools.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
It's easy to talk about holy Cross and certainly they
sit in the cap or a seat, but Bentley really
helped themselves this past week. Nine points in a week.
You don't get that. You walk into a three game
week as a coach will probably sit there saying six
out of nine would be nice, seven out of nine
would be great. Nine out of nine probably doesn't even
go across your mind. You'd love to think that you
(23:09):
can win all three. But credit to Bentley, credit to
holy Cross. They're playing their best right now. And I
don't believe for a minute that Sacred Heart will just
will to die here.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They're too good of a team.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
They will they'll fight even if they don't win the
regular season.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I think they're going to be a tough out the playoffs.
Only Cross has scored seventy eight goals so to End's
offensive the twenty two games, but they've only given up
thirty nine.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Contrasts that Bentley, who's given up forty seven and Sacred
Heart who's given up sixty two.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
So they've given up thirty nine.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Goals and the next Yeah, the next closest is they've
got another one in forty seven, which is air Force.
After that year thirty nine compared to sixty two. That's
where it's structure and defense. I think Jalen Words said
it yesterday. Defense wins championships and a good.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Goalie and a good quarterback. But anyway, let's let's take
a break. We're going to come back and talk a
little bit of Hoby Baker. This episode is sponsored by
the NCAA Men's d one Frozen four April tenth and
twelfth in Saint Louis.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
The NCAA Men's Frozen four, the pinnacle of men's collegiate
ice hawk Any.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Question, Professor, NCAA Men's Hockey is back.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Are we ready?
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You prepared to hype your squad for all three periods?
Bring glory home to your kid? Oh, you're ready. It's
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Tome the NCAA Men's Frozen fourth, April tenth and twelfth,
twenty twenty five and Saint Loui.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Buy your seats today at NCAAA dot com. That's Frozen Pool.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
We're back with the usc CHO Weekend Review. We're going
to talk some Hoby Baker. Who are some candidates right there?
There's some very obvious ones. Maybe we should hit the
obvious ones first and then see who maybe might be
a dark horse.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I got Isaac Howard. Yeah, that's an obvious one. Yeah,
that's the easiest one. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Out here in the East, there's a strong, obviously a
strong bias toward Boston College. And obviously Brian Leonard has
done some great things. But I don't just put this
trophy in his hand. I think a lot of BC
fans and Hockey East fans are already starting to award
everything to Brian Leonard.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
There's going to be a lot of challenge. And you
mentioned as a coward.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I think Snugger Root at Minnesota and eight think at
Penn State. I think has five goals in his last
four games alone. He's playing some really good hot. There's
plenty of names, and this is one of the years
that this is not a slam dunk.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
There's nobody running away with this.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Yes, Leonard has twenty three goals, BA Howard has twenty two,
Fink has twenty one, Snuggarut has twenty.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
There's a lot of goals scoring going on out there.
And when we're not.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Even looking at players that just have a ton of assists,
like Divine at Denver with thirty three assists at forty
two points. Already, there's some high scoring players out there.
I don't think there'll be a lack of candidates, but
I also don't think there's going to be one clear
cut player that's running away with this right into the
month of April.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
And you're also looking at seeing William two, who arguably
can be the best defenseman in college hockey at least
out West. You've got a lot of different candidates you're
talking about. You named a lot of the guys that
I was going to go with, but the funny thing
is you didn't even mentioned game Perro. These are there's
some pretty good guys that are out there that are are.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Just you're not going to get.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
There's not that one candidate right now other than probably
Leonard and Howard that you probably could say. Those are
going to get a lot of people talking about it.
But you've got a lot of next group, the wably
ten is going to be the interesting one. You're going
to be able to debate the eight through fourteen pretty easy,
and you might have seven that are you like, yeah, yep,
(27:26):
and you're going to have the well, I think we
all can agree that Leonard and Isaac Howard are going
to be in the final ten, and then you're probably
going to have a few more snugger it'll get in there.
He's he'll get in the final ten this year. And
then after that got you mentioned like Jack, Divine and
I mentioned BOOLI of it. You go down the list
(27:48):
and amount of cockey always gets one. But Clints he
was a finalist last year.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
He should be the slam dunk for Atlantic Hockey this year.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Yeah, and you mentioned Divine and Bulliam from Denver, but
then there's also Aiden Thompson out there from Denver. And
when you get a situation with three guys from a
team or something like Pero and Leonard from BC, that
really makes it tough because you're in an essence splitting
some votes there too.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I think as a school, marketing is very important of
HOBE candidates that when you have two or three it
makes it much more difficult to market and find it. Fine,
you don't want to play a favorite, but I think
as a school, as a coaching staff, sometimes you have
to look, if I am Denver right now, I probably
(28:36):
say Divine because of just share points, probably is the
guy who i'd market the most. But you have Thompson,
He's been fantastic. Ya have Bullyam. I think Boston College
they go, they probably gravitate a little bit toward Ryan
Leonard because of the goals. We've always said Hobi loves goals.
I think that hasn't changed, So I think that we
(28:58):
push him a little over Paro. You've got to still
give some credence to both players. What if you start
marketing one player today and the other guy goes knots
in the last month and a half of the season.
Next thing, I think that would We can tell the
story of Connor Hellibuck. It wasn't even considered a candidate
for the Hoby Baker Award the year he won the
(29:19):
Richter Award, and there were goaltenders that were all selected
as Richter as Hobe finalists that year in Hellibuck wasn't
even mentioned that happens.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
It was all because he had such.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
An believable finish of the season. So you have to
let the last six weeks play out before we really
get too deep into picking our candidates. But I think
we've given a good representative list at this point.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I want to mention two things.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
One, Quinn Finley at Wisconsin, a team that has been
a little disappointing, that he's having a really good sophomore season.
So that's somebody we didn't mention, and we didn't mention
you brought up Hellibuck. We didn't mention any goalies, And
seems like you've got to be just above and beyond anymore.
I know we can go back to a couple of
(30:09):
years ago and say, oh, yeah, you get a goalie
in there, Dryden McKay. But I think it's harder and
harder with the Richter being a separate award right now,
and there are probably three or four goalies who you
could throw in that mix, but I don't know if
any get in there. Maybe one will sneak into that
top ten.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I got to see Alex Tracy getting in there.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
I could see Alvin Boya, maybe Jacob Fowler at Boston College.
I think the thing that you have to do in
the modern game with the Richt Award is you cannot
split time. You have to own the net for your team.
Any goaltenders that split time, I don't care what your
winning percentages what your goals against average is. I think
(30:48):
the modern candidacy for Hobe Baker. In terms of a goaltender,
you have to be the guy that your team rides.
You have to play eighty five to a minimum. See
when you look at goaltenders Tracy, he's got thirty decisions,
thirty gage and follower. He has twenty three decisions in
(31:09):
twenty four games, Boy twenty six and twenty six. So
these guys have played most of the time. But then
I look at a Christian Stover for Bowling Green.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
He's nine to one three.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
He's got a one point seven goals against a nine
to forty eight save percentage, but he's only played in
thirteen games. So I think that is one of the
things that you have to focus on. If you're going
to be a candidate for the whole being your goaltender,
you better be playing all the men.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Two people we didn't talk about Cole O'Hara and UMass.
He's got third points. But here's the sneaky one and
everybody's going to go. They recognize the name mac Kadowski
at Army, he's got eleven goals. He's got eleven goals
and thirty one points. We talked about mcclinskey. He's got
(32:01):
thirty three points eighteen goals. But a defenseman to have
eleven goals, he is by far the leading scoring goal
scoring defenseman in the nation.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
That's pretty whole.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Bucketed those that weekend against Mercihers though, right.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Not a whole bucket. Maybe three. I guess that's a
smaller bucket.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
That's a big percentage.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
But yeah, he is terrific. He is terrific.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Is he somebody who slipped under the radar when recruiters
who were out there.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I think it's you look at the name and then
you wonder is he going to go to Penn State?
And obviously do you want to coach your kid and
all that kind of stuff. But he didn't have a
he was fined in junior hockey. Like in junior hockey,
it just pulled up his league prospects. He's he played
for Pittsburgh peng was a leade. Then he went to
Springfield and the North America League. Had twelve points in
(32:52):
twenty two games this first year. The next year he
played fifty six games that only had twenty points. He
had three goals in his year in the North American
League last year at four. This year he had eleven.
So he's really taken a maturity step, and sometimes that
happens as you get older.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
He's he's twenty three years old.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
He's found a way to get himself on a power play.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
He's got thirty one points.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
He's got more points this year in college hockey that
he did as U a teen year for Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
It's he's a big kid and he can shoot a pocket.
He's six ' three. That's a yeah, that's a late
bloomer for you.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Thought.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
I thought his skating skill I saw him on Tuesday night, Bently.
I thought his skating skills stood up. He's your prototypical
offensive defense, gets the puck in his own and he
can skate it out. He can make that first pass too,
but his offensive side does great things in the power
play for them.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I think that's a really good name to bring up
a dark horse. It will be tough to get him
in if he doesn't get it. He's just a candidate
from Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Cock.
Speaker 5 (34:04):
You talked about mcclinsby. I want to throw another one
out there that potentially.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Is probably I bet he probably has to get up
closer to forty points to make that top ten, but
I think he certainly has he's going to he'll get
some boats.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
I think in terms of Atlantic cock candidate.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
We covered the Richter guys in the midst of talking
about the Tobe Baker anybody else for the Richter that
we overlooked that we should mention before we wrap up.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
I think goaltenders are They're hard to handicap. And I
know that the actual director vote because I am on
the committee, that the next vote is today, so we'll
have some real clarity by the end of this week.
There's some names out there, and I think the one
that kind of stands out as the brand name that
(34:54):
we're not talking about is Trey Augustine. But his goals
against his crept over to his save percentage nine twenty six.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It's good. That's a good save percentage.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
But I feel like in the modern goaltending numbers, you
have to be in the nine forties, you have to
be under two goals against. But Augustine just brand name,
household name, very recognizable to fans of Team USA and
stuff like that. So I bet he'll get some real
consideration for Victor this year as well.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Josh Kotaie and Augustana. I don't think we mentioned him.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Fantastic numbers, great things to bring this program really to
relevancy right out of the gate.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Those are really good numbers.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
If you could take Western Michigan's goaltenders and combine them,
you'd have a you have.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
A Whoby winner. Yes with large ski so the skin
ski and row.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
How I'm a bad pronouncer one six, two and nine
four two Cameron Rowe one seven, three ninth three two
three four. Yeah, those are like you're talking. You had
combine those and you've got a Hoby Baker a winner.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Maybe I mean you go back if you took some
of the great goaltending dooms, the Mike Dunham guard Snow
of May years ago, if there was a Richtor reward,
they probably would have tied for the top of the
ballot that year. But I still think I think even
in Brictor, it's hard to find a goaltender that shares
(36:34):
the net say that they are the best goaltender in
the country. They it's just there's too many goaltenders out
there playing one hundred percent or ninety eight percent of
their team's minutes that deserve more recognition.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
You'll see that's one name to remember for the future.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
In any case, we'll see as the Brickter finalists come out.
It's going to be a few more weeks for it
from the coaches for the Hoby Baker, but we'll keep
an eye on it as we go forward. That'll wrap
this edition of Weekend Review. This episode has been sponsored
by the NCAA Men's Division One Frozen four April tenth
and twelfth in Saint Louis, Missouri. Get your tickets now
(37:12):
at NCAA dot com, slash Frozen four for Jim Connelly
for Derek Scooley. I'm ed Trefsker and this has been
usc CHO Weekend Review
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