The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

[Snively65]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

AIC jumped four places, but looks like the school up the street will not only beat that leap, but maybe by a lot more?

What is the record for the number of slots that a team has moved up in one year? Yale? Union? Providence?

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

#46 – Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
Points: 6.4592
Points in 2018-2019: -0.0472 (Rank: 51)
Points in the 2010s: 1.6139 (Rank: 50)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: WCHA Tournament Semifinalist – 2014.

It was a very difficult decade for the UAA Seawolves, as the program failed to achieve even a top-half conference regular season finish in the decade. Anchorage started the decade with mild success, combining to win 27 games in the first two seasons of the 2010s, their best 2-year stretch since 1998-2000. Unfortunately, hiccups plagued the Seawolves the following seasons, losing 50 games the following two seasons, which led to the departure of bench boss Dave Shyiak. However, it appeared that Alaska Anchorage had turned the ship with the hire of Matt Thomas, as the Seawolves had their best campaign of the decade in 2013-2014, producing a winning season for the first time ever as a member of the WCHA. UAA advanced to the WCHA Tournament Semifinals, their only appearance of the decade, but dropped a 5-4 overtime heartbreaker to MacNaughton Cup Champion Ferris State. Anchorage would not be able to repeat that success in the remainder of the decade. UAA failed to make another WCHA Quarterfinal appearance and largely languished at the bottom of the conference standings. Indeed, the Seawolves managed only 33 wins in the last half of the decade, losing at least 20 games in each season. While the results on the ice have disappointed, the biggest gut punch for the program have come off the ice. The advisement by the Shady 7 that they will leave the WCHA, coupled with state finance problems, have put the storied Seawolves program on the brink of extinction. As a result, and similar to Huntsville and Alaska, the focus for the UAA hockey fanatics, the key in the 2020s will be to get the program back on solid footing before putting its focus back towards on-ice results. Hopefully, the Seawolves will be able to re-establish the program and set its sights back on lifting hardware in the very near future. – Fighting Sioux 23


#47 – Merrimack Warriors
Points: 5.4395
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0282 (Rank: 38)
Points in the 2010s: 2.3502 (Rank: 44)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2011 Northeast Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Hockey East Regular Season 4th Place – 2010-2011. Hockey East Tournament Runner-Up – 2011.

Merrimack College largely struggled in the 2010s; however, the program had some success early in the decade. Following a 16-win season in 2009-2010, the school’s first 15+ win season in over a decade. The next season would be the Warriors’ highlight campaign for the decade. In 2010-2011, Merrimack won 25 games, the most for the program since joining Hockey East in 1989. MC also advanced all the way to the Hockey East Tournament Championship Game for the first time in program history, before falling to Boston College in a back-and-forth barnburner. The Warriors earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the school’s first trip since joining Hockey East. Despite holding a 3-1 lead midway through the contest, Merrimack fell to eventual National Semifinalist Notre Dame 4-3 in overtime. Merrimack had another winning season in 2011-2012, but were unable to repeat that feat the remainder of the decade, as its best campaign was a 15-16-6 effort in 2016-2017. While the 2010s were an improvement from the 2000s for the Warriors, they will need to get back to their 2010-2011 form, compete for hardware, and earn more national success if they wish to climb in these rankings. – Fighting Sioux 23


#48 – Mercyhurst Lakers
Points: 5.2584
Points in 2018-2019: 0.2031 (Rank: 28)
Points in the 2010s: 1.7913 (Rank: 49)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Champions – 2013-2014, 2017-2018. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Runner-up – 2013, 2015.

The Mercyhurst Lakers are one of the best teams in Atlantic Hockey to not make the NCAAs in the past decade. They had a pair of regular season titles. The first was in 2014, and the second was in 2018. In both of those years, the Lakers lost in the conference semifinals in overtime. Both regular season titles were coupled with 20 win seasons. The Lakers also won 20 wins in 2012. Mercyhurst went to the Atlantic Hockey championship game twice, losing 7-2 to Canisius in 2015 and 5-1 in 2015 to RIT. The Lakers were at or above .500 6 times in the decade. In spite of a disappointing 2018-19 season, Joe Duszak earned ACHA 2nd team All American Honors. He will need to anchor the Lakers as they look to rebound from a tough 2019 campaign.. – komey1

#49 – Holy Cross Crusaders
Points: 4.9048
Points in 2018-2019: -0.0437 (Rank: 49)
Points in the 2010s: -0.057 (Rank: 60)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Runner-up – 2015-2016. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Semifinalist – 2011.

The College of the Holy Cross did not have a very good decade. They only made the Atlantic Hockey conference semifinals one time back in 2010-11. The following 2 years, the Crusaders had 20 win seasons, but would be knocked out in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. They did have a run of 3 straight seasons where they finished in 3rd place in the conference. A couple years later, Holy Cross had a second place finish, and a third place finish two years after that. But the last playoff win was in 2015. The success they had in the regular season is due in no small part was to good goaltending. Matt Ginn was an all rookie goaltender in 2012 and was first team all conference in 2015. Paul Berratto also garnered first team all conference honors in 2018 for Holy Cross. Nationally, Matt Vidal won the Derek Hines Unsung Hero award. With six of their top eight scorers graduating, Holy Cross will need someone to step for the Crusaders to get back on track. – komey1


#50 – Alaska Nanooks
Points: 4.1415
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0075 (Rank: 41)
Points in the 2010s: 2.2502 (Rank: 46)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2010 Northeast Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: WCHA Regular Season 3rd Place – 2013-2014.

The Alaska Nanooks had moderate success in the 2010s. The decade began well, with the Nanooks winning 18 games, the program’s most since the 2001-2002 campaign, and making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. While the tournament appearance has since been vacated, the Nanooks played eventual national champion Boston College arguably better than any of the Eagles’ remaining opponents. The Nanooks entered the third period of their Northeast Regional Semifinal tilt tied at 1, but could not push ahead in the final stanza, falling to BC 3-1. Alaska also moved conferences in the decade, switching to the WCHA after the CCHA’s demise following the 2012-2013 season. Alaska started out strong in the WCHA, finishing in the top 3 in 2013-2014, and winning 19 games, the most for UAF in the decade, in 2014-2015. Recent seasons have seen Alaska struggle, but their biggest challenge in the 2020s will be the survival of the program. Budget cuts at the state level, coupled with the announcement from the Shady 7 of their intention to leave the WCHA, have put the Alaska faithful on the brink of losing their beloved Nanooks. Hopefully, Alaska can find stability, perhaps find new conference mates, and ultimately get back to competing for hardware in the very near future. – Fighting Sioux 23

[vizoroo]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

Good to see you back in business!
And congratulations to AIC and Korney1 for the memory of #16 defeating #1.

[komey1]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

Kudos to Komey1 for his six AHC write ups, which I think are pretty much spot on; such is life for many AHC fans.

Thank you. With the conference so generally top heavy, it was hard to find good highlights for some of the teams. I wanted to give each fan base something they can smile about for the last decade.

[Snively65]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

Kudos to Komey1 for his six AHC write ups, which I think are pretty much spot on; such is life for many AHC fans.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

#51 – Penn State Nittany Lions
Points: 3.8574
Points in 2018-2019: 0.2664 (Rank: 25)
Points in the 2010s: 3.8574 (Rank: 37)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2017 Midwest Regional Finalist. 2018 Midwest Regional Semifinalist.
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Big Ten Regular Season 3rd Place – 2015-2016. Big Ten Tournament Champion – 2017. Big Ten Tournament Runner-Up – 2019.

The Penn State Nittany Lions roared into college hockey as a Division-1 Independent squad in 2012-2013, and were nearly .500, winning 11 of their 23 tilts. The following season, Penn State joined the newly formed Big Ten Hockey Conference, and quickly ascended the ranks of a conference featuring many of the sport’s greatest programs. PSU secured its first winning season in program history in 2014-2015, and has not had a losing season since. The Nittany Lions had its best campaign to date in 2016-2017, winning a program record 25 games en route to the Big Ten Tournament Championship, garnering the program its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Penn State did not waste time making an impression on the national scene, crushing Union 10-3 to advance to the Midwest Regional Final, where the Nittany Lions fell to eventual national champion Denver. Happy Valley repeated its trip to the National Tournament in 2018, but again fell to Denver. PSU has shown itself to be both respected and feared across both the Big Ten, as well as at the national level. If the Nittany Lions can continue their strong play, they will likely continue to rise in these rankings. – Fighting Sioux 23


#52 – Alabama Huntsville Chargers
Points: 2.6205
Points in 2018-2019: -0.0099 (Rank: 46)
Points in the 2010s: 1.1187 (Rank: 53)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2010 Midwest Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: CHA Regular Season 3rd – 2010. CHA Tournament Champions – 2010.

The 2010s have been a wild ride for the UAH Chargers’ program. The Chargers surprised many by winning the last ever CHA Tournament Championship in 2010 to advance to the NCAA Tournament, where they met up with the top overall seed Miami Redhawks in the Midwest Regional Semifinal. While Huntsville hung with Miami for the full 60 minutes, they were unable to pull off the upset, falling to the eventual National Semifinalist 2-1. The Chargers then proceeded to play as a D-1 Independent the following three campaigns, playing a predominately road schedule. Unsurprisingly, UAH struggled, winning a combined 7 games in those three seasons. The Chargers then found a home in the WCHA, joining the conference in 2013-2014. Alabama-Huntsville gradually improved in the conference, winning 12 games in 2017-2018, its best campaign of the decade in the conference. Unfortunately for the Charger faithful, conference realignment may again throw a wrench into the program’s future, as the Shady 7 notified UAH following the 2018-2019 season that they are exploring leaving the WCHA in the near future. Accordingly, the key for the Chargers in the 2020s lies less in what the program can do on the ice, but to find a stable conference and sustain the program. – Fighting Sioux 23


#53 – Robert Morris Colonials
Points: 2.4337
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0706 (Rank: 34)
Points in the 2010s: 2.4033 (Rank: 43)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2014 West Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: CHA Regular Season Runner-Up – 2009-2010. Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Champion – 2014-2015, 2015-2016. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Champion – 2014. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Runner-up – 2016, 2017, 2018.

The Robert Morris Colonials started off the decade slowly by winning only 10 games in each of the first 2 years as members of the CHA. Fortunes changes when they moved to Atlantic Hockey after the CHA disbanded. As a member of Atlantic Hockey, Robert Morris has won at least 16 games each season, with 20 or more wins in 4 of those seasons. In 2015 and 2016, those seasons resulted in regular season championships. But it was 2014 that Robert Morris won the Atlantic Hockey tournament. They did it as a 5 seed and had to play an extra round. After needing all 3 games to beat Army, the Colonials swept UConn in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Robert Morris needed overtime to beat Canisius. They earned their NCAA ticket with a 7-4 win over Canisius in the Atlantic Hockey finals. However, they lost 7-3 to Minnesota in the NCAA tournament. Robert Morris will look to top a little bit of a slide in the upcoming decade. – komey1

#54 – American International Yellow Jackets
Points: 2.2207
Points in 2018-2019: 2.1506 (Rank: 12)
Points in the 2010s: 2.2134 (Rank: 48)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2019 NCAA West Regional Finalist.
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Champion – 2018-2019. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Champion – 2019.

The American International College Yellow Jackets did not have much of a sting during the last decade. In the first 7 years of the decade under Gary Wright, AIC only won a total of 54 games and cracked double digit wins only twice. When Gary Wright retired, Eric Lang took over and started to turn it around. Their win total has increased each of his 3 years. That was topped off with a regular season conference championship. But AIC was not done there, but they did things the hard way in the Atlantic Hockey tournament. They needed all three games to defeat Army in the first round. That was followed by an overtime game winner by Blake Christensen to lift the Yellow Jackets to a win over Robert Morris. Next up was a date for the Atlantic Hockey championship against Niagara. Once again, the game went into overtime and Hugo Reinhardt scored the game winner for AIC as they won their first conference tournament championship and bid into the NCAAs. Amazingly, the underdog story did not end there. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, the 16 seeded Yellow Jackets became the second ever 16 seed to win a game in the tournament by defeating St. Cloud State by the score of 2-1. Joel Kocur and Brennan Lapcheck tallied goals and Zackarias Skog stopped 33 shots to pull off the upset. Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets’ miracle run ended the following night when Denver shut them out 3-0. Since the Yellow Jackets only had 3 seniors, they look to be a contender for the near future in the upcoming decade. – komey1


#55 – Army Black Knights
Points: 1.6874
Points in 2018-2019: -0.0053 (Rank: 44)
Points in the 2010s: 0.3281 (Rank: 57)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season T-3rd Place – 2016-2017, 2017-2018. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Semifinalist – 2016, 2017.

The Army Black Knights never really quite got going during the decade. They only had 2 seasons where they were .500 or better. They finished third in Atlantic Hockey in their best year in 2016-17 where Army went 18-14-5 and went to the conference semifinals. That team had five players with 20 points or more, leave by Conor Andrle with 28 points. Brendan Soucie led the Black Knights in goals 15. Parker Gahagen was the goalie for all the wins, including 5 shutouts. That season was followed up by a 15-15-6 season and another top 4 finish in the standings. However, Army could not advance and were knocked off in the quarterfinals by eventual conference tournament. – komey1

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

Well, let's begin this season's countdown!!

#56 – Canisius Golden Griffins
Points: 1.5758
Points in 2018-2019: 0.2024 (Rank: 29)
Points in the 2010s: 01.5584 (Rank: 51)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2013 East Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Champion – 2016-2017. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Champion – 2013.

The Canisius Golden Griffins enjoyed several successful seasons in the past decade. The highlight of that time period was when they won the Atlantic hockey tournament championship and made it to the NCAAs in 2012-13. They did it the hard way, as they had to play in the first round. Canisius started the Atlantic Hockey tournament with a sweep of Bentley by scores of 4-0 and 2-1. That was followed by a sweep at Air Force with a pair of 4-3 wins. In the conference semifinals, Canisius upset #15 ranked Niagara by a score of 5-3. The Golden Griffins concluded their improbable journey with a 7-2 blowout of Mercyhurst. The Cinderella story would end in the NCAA tournament, however, as Quinnipiac erased a 2-goal deficit to win 4-3. Canisius also won a regular season title in 2016-17. That season ended in a 6-2 loss in the conference semifinals to Robert Morris. Overall, Canisius advanced to the Atlantic Hockey semifinals 5 times in the decade, but their only win was in the season they made the NCAAs. Canisius will look to rebound from a disappointing season where they were a preseason favorite, only to bow out in the first round of the conference tournament. – komey1


#57 – Arizona State Sun Devils
Points: 0.674
Points in 2018-2019: 0.6217 (Rank: 19)
Points in the 2010s: 0.674 (Rank: 55)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: 2019 Midwest Regional Semifinalist
Conference Achievements in the Decade: None (Independent)

College hockey’s newest member, and only representative from the Pac 12 conference, did not exactly burst onto the scene. As to be expected, Arizona State struggled in its initial campaign, winning just three games in 2015-2016. The Sun Devils gradually improved the following season, capturing their first ever double-digit win total in 2016-2017, and won an additional eight games in 2017-2018. However, the program’s most impressive season, and perhaps a harbinger of things to come, was its 2018-2019 campaign. Led by its first-ever Division 1 All-American, goalie Joey Daccord, ASU won 21 games, doubling the program’s historical total. That was good enough to earn Arizona State an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where the Sun Devils fell just short in a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac in the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal. ASU will look to continue this success into the 2020s, and will also look to find a conference home in college hockey’s seemingly ever-changing conference landscape. If the Sun Devils are able to accomplish those feats, look for the program to continue its rise in these rankings. – Fighting Sioux 23


#58 – Connecticut Huskies
Points: 0.5864
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0554 (Rank: 35)
Points in the 2010s: 0.3931 (Rank: 56)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season T-3rd – 2013-2014. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Semifinalist – 2011, 2013.

Connecticut had a dismal start to the decade, winning just seven game in the 2009-2010 campaign. Fortunately for the Huskies faithful, they were able to turn things around in a big way. In 2011, UCONN advanced to its first conference tournament semifinal since 2007. Connecticut repeated this feat in 2013, when the program had its first winning season and only Top-3 regular season finish in the decade despite an in-season coaching change that saw the departure of long-time bench boss Bruce Marshall. In 2013-2014, under the tutelage of new coach Mike Cavanaugh, UCONN secured another winning season. While the Huskies failed to capture an Atlantic Hockey title, they managed to secure perhaps the program’s biggest victory by joining Hockey East following the 2013-2014 campaign. Connecticut had some early struggles in the new league, finishing ninth, eighth, and ninth respectively in their first three seasons. However, the Huskies had one of the program’s best campaigns in 2017-2018, finishing fifth in Hockey East before bowing out to perennial powerhouse and eventual conference tournament champion Boston University in the tournament quarterfinals in a pair of one-goal games. 2018-2019 was a struggle for UCONN, but with eight NHL Draft Picks, including second rounders Vladislav Firstov and Ruslan Iskhakov, the Huskies look poised to push for some conference hardware, the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, and a move up in these rankings by the end of the next decade. – Fighting Sioux 23

#59 – Sacred Heart Pioneers
Points: 0.1774
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0069 (Rank: 42)
Points in the 2010s: 0.033 (Rank: 59)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Runner-Up – 2009-2010. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Runner-Up – 2010.

Sacred Heart had a great start to the decade. They won 21 games in the 2009-10 season and made it to the conference tournament final before falling to RIT. Then disaster struck. It would take 4 years to win their next 21 games. The low point was when Sacred Heart only won 2 game in 2012-13. After that dreadful season, the Pioneers have managed to get double digit win totals every year, but no winning record. They did manage to win 16 games last year and were a 4 seed in the conference tournament. However, they lost the quarter final series against RIT 2 games to 1. They will need to build on this improvement to do better this upcoming decade. – komey1


#60 – Bentley Falcons
Points: 0.0698
Points in 2018-2019: 0.0114 (Rank: 40)
Points in the 2010s: 0.0427 (Rank: 58)
NCAA Achievements in the Decade: None
Conference Achievements in the Decade: Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Runner-Up – 2013-2014, 2018-2019.

The Bentley Falcons seems to be on the cusp of doing big things in Atlantic Hockey, but never quite getting there. They were .500 or better five times in the last decade, and never won fewer than 10 games in a single season. However, they could never get past the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. The Falcons were upset in several of those quarterfinal rounds. Bentley did have some top-notch scorers during the decade, as 4 of the schools top 7 scorers in Falcon history played during the decade. Brett Gensler had 167 career points, which was good for second all-time in Bentley history. Andrew Gladiuk finished third in Bentley history in points with 153. Max French scored 143 points for 5th in team history and Alex Grieve was 7th with 128 points. Bentley is returning many of their top scorers from last year’s team that finished 2nd in Atlantic Hockey, so they may be looking to finally break through. – komey1

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

Sent my AHA report. Some of them could have been better, but so could some of the AHA teams.

Received. Thank you!

I am aiming to release #60-56 today, with #55-51 next weekend; #50-46 the weekend of 7/20-21; and #45-41 the weekend of 7/27-28. It may take a bit longer than that, as I did not get any volunteers for the WCHA/Shady Seven, B1G, and Hockey East teams.

[komey1]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I'd like to get this thread moving again. For those of you who have volunteered, please send your write-ups by the end of the month. My plan will be to get this thread moving at a decent clip starting in July with the following projected schedule: 60-41 in July; 40-21 in August; and 20-1 in September. The plan will be to release batches of 5 teams at a time (likely each Saturday/Sunday with the occasional off week).

Also, I'm still in need of volunteers for the WCHA, B1G, and Hockey East if anyone is interested (and could send their write-ups by June 30).

Sent my AHA report. Some of them could have been better, but so could some of the AHA teams.

[drshoen]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I did. I apologize for not getting back to you earlier, but thank you again for your help. Makes doing the countdown about a thousand times easier.

No problem at all, happy to help.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

FS23, I sent recaps to you, to the Hotmail email address I had from a couple years ago. Let me know if you got them (and if you didn't, let me know the best way to get them to you).

I did. I apologize for not getting back to you earlier, but thank you again for your help. Makes doing the countdown about a thousand times easier.

[drshoen]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I'd like to get this thread moving again. For those of you who have volunteered, please send your write-ups by the end of the month. My plan will be to get this thread moving at a decent clip starting in July with the following projected schedule: 60-41 in July; 40-21 in August; and 20-1 in September. The plan will be to release batches of 5 teams at a time (likely each Saturday/Sunday with the occasional off week).

FS23, I sent recaps to you, to the Hotmail email address I had from a couple years ago. Let me know if you got them (and if you didn't, let me know the best way to get them to you).

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I'd like to get this thread moving again. For those of you who have volunteered, please send your write-ups by the end of the month. My plan will be to get this thread moving at a decent clip starting in July with the following projected schedule: 60-41 in July; 40-21 in August; and 20-1 in September. The plan will be to release batches of 5 teams at a time (likely each Saturday/Sunday with the occasional off week).

Also, I'm still in need of volunteers for the WCHA, B1G, and Hockey East if anyone is interested (and could send their write-ups by June 30).

[MTUHuskies]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I wish Riley Sweeney had skated a couple more strides before trying to hit the empty net against SCSU...

Or Auk's broken stick against ND.

With my first comment I was thinking championship games.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1 - #60

I wish I had reason to worry about video review and net sizes in the last 45 years. [emoji20]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I wish Riley Sweeney had skated a couple more strides before trying to hit the empty net against SCSU...