University of Southern Maine Huskies (Photo by Jacob Kindestin – @nobledogmedia)
This past weekend we saw some great matchups and some teams really stood out here whether it be due to big wins or meaningful results. We’re here to review it all and highlight some of the most intriguing storylines coming from this past weekend of play!
These Huskies run for fun
Southern Maine, led by third year Head Coach Matt Pinchevsky, are currently on record pace as a program and are a point clear of Babson & Norwich for first place in the Little East Conference. The Huskies currently sit at 7-6-1 overall, 5-1-1 in the LEC with a shootout win over #12 Babson (10-2-2).
In my preseason preview for the Little East, I chose Southern Maine as one of my two potential dark horses in the conference, due to their injury problems last season hindering their potential, along with the new conference playing into their favor geographically and matchup-wise, compared to their former home, the NEHC.
This season USM hasn’t fared well in the non-conference, but to their credit, they’ve played quite a solid non-league slate of opponents. The Huskies non-conference included Salve Regina twice (15-3-0), #15 Bowdoin (8-4-1), & Colby (7-4-2) in the inaugural Lobster Pot. Despite USM’s wins this season, prior to this weekend we were still waiting for that signature win (other than the shootout ‘win’ over Babson, but we’re looking for wins in the win column). Well, that win finally came as the Huskies defeated the former MASCAC auto-bid squad Plymouth State (8-7-0). The Huskies scored a trio of third period goals and outlasted the Panthers 5-4. Now, a fun fact that I had no clue about until I saw it for myself, USM’s remained unbeaten against Plymouth State dating back to 1998. The Huskies are 12-0-0 all time versus the Panthers but hadn’t faced them since 2008.
University of Southern Maine Huskies (Photo by Jacob Kindestin – @nobledogmedia)
Prior to this season, the Huskies hadn’t won more than 9 games in over 10 years until Coach Pinchevsky arrived and went 10-14-3 in year one of his early tenure. The program itself hadn’t won 10+ games since 2011-12 and now they sit only three wins away from that mark and we’ve got 11 games left, plus playoffs if the Huskies qualify, which currently, they’re obviously in an ideal spot. Now don’t take this as a “let’s come up with as many negative historical facts about Southern Maine”, but it’s reality and it shows truly what a turnaround their current head coach has had on the program. Bringing belief somewhere that for more years than not, didn’t have much reason for it once the season ended.
Currently leading in scoring for the Huskies is Ben Aucoin who had his record-breaking game earlier this season versus Saint Anselm where he scored six goals… he’s notched 13 goals and 2 assists on the season. Speaking of assists, their leader in assists is their captain defenseman Cole Brennan, Brennan has 8 assists and a pair of goals to go along with it.
Next up for Southern Maine is a road trip at UMass-Boston & UMass-Dartmouth, where in their first game vs UMB, they’ll see an old teammate of theirs as junior forward Matthew Sullivan transferred from Southern Maine to UMass-Boston this past offseason. Currently, Sullivan has yet to score this season, but has tallied nine assists. In his two seasons at USM he put up 17 & 14 points (16G & 15A), it’ll be interesting to see if the grass turns out to be greener come season end with his new Beacons squad.
Keep an eye on the Huskies the rest of the way and also… not everyone will understand the title of this section and that’s okay. Those who know, know.
The whirlwind that is Wisconsin-Stout
We talked earlier this year about the Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils after their quick start in WIAC & non-conference play, but they’ve kept it going and made it exciting along the way!
Most recently, the #13 Blue Devils (11-3-2) split their weekend on the road against Augsburg (5-7-2) & Concordia-Moorhead (4-7-1) with both games being decided in overtime. Their 7-6 OT win over Augsburg was a pure you-know-what show, featuring five 2nd period goals and four 3rd period goals, with three 3rd period goals coming all within one-minute seven-seconds of each other! To add to all of that, the tying goal from the Auggies came with just over one minute left in the game to send it to overtime. The eventual winner would be scored by Maksis Brimanis, his eight goal of the season. Meanwhile the player of the game for Stout was Hayden Stocks who had a pair of goals & assists for a four-point night.
University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils (Photo by Reese Kupsky Creative – @rk._creative)
In their game against Concordia after a 3.5-hour road trip, the Blue Devils started quite slow, falling down 3-0 early in the 2nd period and would be trailing 5-1 after the 2nd period as they gave up a shorthanded goal with just under five minutes left in the middle frame. The game might’ve seemed over, but Stout as they always seem to do this season, found a way to make it a game and scored four 3rd period goals to send it to overtime tied 5-5 with the tying goal coming on the powerplay with three minutes left. The tying goal was scored by Nicolas Pigeon, the player who returned to Stout after initially announcing his intention to transfer to Utica University this past offseason.
The heroics would come to an end as in overtime Will Hofer of the Cobbers fired in the winner to stop the unanswered barrage of Blue Devil goals and Stout returns home for their final two non-conference games this coming weekend against Gustavus (10-5-1) & #14 St. Olaf (7-2-4).
The Blue Devils were riding an eight-game unbeaten streak with seven-straight wins including a WIAC sweep over Wisconsin-River Falls (7-8-0). They currently sit 2nd in the WIAC standings, a single point behind Wisconsin-Eau Claire (10-4-1) who won the lone matchup between these two earlier this season quite convincingly, 5-1.
Hamilton continues to roll
The #3 Hamilton College Continentals (10-1-2) came into this season with high hopes coming off an NCAA tournament appearance and the first-ever NESCAC championship. Head Coach Rob Haberbusch is in his 14th year at the helm and holds a career record of 173-131-40 (.561), with two NCAA tournament appearances and the one NESCAC title as mentioned. Hamilton’s led by their star forward (widely regarded as arguably the best player in Men’s Division III) Luke Tchor (10G, 12A).
Hamilton College Continentals win the Utica University Thanksgiving Showcase. (Photo by YSM Media)
Currently, Hamilton sits atop the NESCAC an unbeaten 6-0-1 in league play, which includes their controversial shootout-winning ‘save’ at Middlebury which you can watch via the hyperlink. Most recently, the Continentals defeated #15 Bowdoin (8-4-1) & Colby (7-4-2) by the respective scores of 3-2 & 4-2 at Russell Sage Rink. Up next, Hamilton is dealt Tufts who seems to be able to beat highly ranked opponents, but it’s hit or miss with any regulars, so odds would say the Jumbos will give Hamilton quite the run for their money this Friday night. The following night they’ve got Amherst (6-4-2) who they already defeated earlier this season on opening night 5-1.
Both Tufts & Amherst sit tied for last with Trinity in the NESCAC standings, all with seven points, but there’s still a lot of hockey left in a conference where we saw the 7 & 8 seeded Bowdoin & Williams battle it out a few seasons ago in the championship game, in which Bowdoin advanced to the NCAA tournament with a 15-9-3 record. Coach Eddie Effinger of Amherst, formerly of St. Olaf, was famous for rolling into the MIAC playoffs with a just above .500 record and making NCAA tournaments, so this should be familiar territory for him as long as the Mammoths clinch a playoff spot.
