2024-25: D3whky

[VTpucksouteast]

Posted this over on the men's side, but I saw DIII Hockey News is apparently posting bracketology articles now. Thought I'd share here, some pretty good nuggets and visuals.

https://diiihockeynews.com/2025-wome...-january-14th/

[Doc4141]

With all due respect, Manhattanville just lost a home game to Rivier. I don't think they're a good team, which is a shame for a once proud program.

Yeah... they outshot and outplayed them all game. The puck was in the Rivier end for most of the game. Rivier's goalie played great and won the game for them. It happens. Doesn't get any easier with Conn College, Oswego, Utica and NAZ coming up over the next 4 weeks.

[Scott_TG]

Here's the latest bracketology based on the current standings and the unofficial NPI on the USCHO site. I went with Augsburg as this projected bracket doesn't change much regardless of who the MIAC winner is...

Bid	Team	NPI Rnk	Seed
CNE	Endicott	6	6
MAC	Wilkes	19	10
MIAC	Augsburg	9	8
NCHA	SNC	12	9
NEHC	Norwich	24	12
NESCAC	Middlebury	1	1
SUNYAC	Oswego	4	4
UCHC	Nazareth	20	11
Pool C	Bowdoin	2	2
Pool C	Amherst	3	3
Pool C	Plattsburgh	5	5
Pool C	UW-River Falls	7	7

First Round

Norwich at Plattsburgh
SNC at Augsburg
Wilkes at Oswego
Nazareth at Endicott

QF
Platts/Nor at Middlebury
Augs/SNC at UW-River Falls

Oz/Wilkes at Bowdoin
End/Naz at Amherst

[Scott_TG]

DIII Hockey News Poll:

1) Midd
2) UWRF
3) GAC
4) Amherst
5) Adrian
6) Plattsburgh
7) Oswego
8) Augsburg
9) Cortland
10) Bowdoin
11) Utica
12) Hamline
13) UWEC
14) Endicott
15) SNC

Biggest gulfs between the two poll voters appear to be Hamline and Colby. SNC has the most numer of votes outside the top 15 for USCHO which is why I don't think there is as much a difference of opinion there.

[Scott_TG]

New USCHO poll:

1) Middlebury
2) UW-River Falls
3) Amherst
4) Adrian
5) GAC
6) Oswego
7) Plattsburgh
8) Augsburg
9) Cortland
10) Bowdoin
11) Utica
12) UW-Eau Claire
13) Colby
13) Hamline
15) Endicott

Top 8 remains unchanged. Cortland, Bowdoin (despite the Endicott loss) and Utica all go up 1 spot. Eau Claire fell three spots after losing to a 1-win team. Colby and Hamline both jumped to tie at 13. Endicott joining the rankings.

[SHockey98]

Calling Manhattanville a bad team is a stretch...They played Wes on one day of rest after playing Saturday and Sunday. Right now...almost 50% of their schedule is against teams ranked in the top 15 in the country. Utica, Naz, Oswego, and Cortland. They also play two NESCAC teams as well. They have been very competitive for a team heavy with freshmen and sophomores.

With all due respect, Manhattanville just lost a home game to Rivier. I don't think they're a good team, which is a shame for a once proud program.

[Scott_TG]

Northland only has 12 skaters and 2 goalies? Sheesh. I knew the program and even the school itself were in a rough situation, and the PWHL Minnesota offseason coverage was whiny and sanctimonious enough to make me take the side of the people running the team and the league over Bobrowski and Darwitz, but that's brutal. Credit to them for being able to stay in any of these games at all.

When they were slated to close, the players that could found new schools. Northland will have to rebuild the confidence of prospective students that the school will remain open during their 4 year tenure. That they trimmed their academic offerings to reduce costs to stay open makes that harder as they will lose any players interested in the shut down majors.

[Besaid Aurochs]

Northland only has 12 skaters and 2 goalies? Sheesh. I knew the program and even the school itself were in a rough situation, and the PWHL Minnesota offseason coverage was whiny and sanctimonious enough to make me take the side of the people running the team and the league over Bobrowski and Darwitz, but that's brutal. Credit to them for being able to stay in any of these games at all.

[Scott_TG]

And #1 Midd gets upended! Conn College was 3-7 and coming off a 5-0 shutout loss to the Panthers coming into today's rematch.

Rai Schluter put Midd up early in the first. Claire Simmons would tie it 13:53 into the 3rd to force OT. OT would last 1:19 seconds as Caitlin Pierce netted the game winner for the Camels.

Midd will head into 5 straight games against teams that are ranked as of today. They host #3 Amherst, #11 Bowdoin and #7 Plattsburgh.

WNEU also pulls off an upset, winning the inaugural Mustang Cup tourney hosted by SUNY Morrisville with a 2-1 comeback win over Elmira.

Also, Aurora came into today 2-9-1 and took #15 Hamline into OT, but the Pipers would take it on a goal from Averie Martin.

[Scott_TG]

#6 Oswego splits the weekend with #7 Plattsburgh on a 2-0 win (ENG). Bednarik scored in the 2nd and the Lakers' leading scorer Hull netted the ENG on a hail mary from her defensive crease with 9 seconds left. Lakers with a great job on the penalty kill frustrating Plattsburgh's already anemic offense. The #7 Cardinals will hit the road to Morrisville and Buffalo the next two weekends. Oswego returns to the North Country next weekend to take on Potsdam twice before visiting #3 Amherst a week from Tuesday and then hosting Manhattanville for 2.

#13 Nazareth shuts out host Morrisville in the consolation game of the Mustang cup. The Golden Flyers have a fairly light schedule the rest of the month as they host Hamilton, visit Cortland (should be a challenge for both) and then Chatham and Hilbert twice. Morrisville will host Plattsburgh twice as I previously mentioned and then have a home and home against Cortland.

Notable games remaining today:

SNC takes their 4 game win streak and victory over #15 Hamline into today's game against #8 Augsburg.

Elmira vs WNEU in the Mustang Cup championship game.

#2 UW-River Falls takes on UWSP

#9 UW-Eau Claire will try to exact revenge for yesterday's upset loss to 2-9 Concordia (MN).

Trinity will try to snap a 4 game losing streak in today's rematch with #11 Bowdoin.

Wilkes will be going for a second straight win against MAC leader Arcadia in an attempt to tie the MAC standings.

[Scott_TG]

SNC upset #15 Hamline with a 4-2 victory. Tristan Wicklund put the Green Knights up within the first 90 seconds and they never trailed. Forward Kelsey Ross had 2 assists to lead the team in points as they were spread out among 8 players. Bonfe, Mahium and Zurawik had the other goals for SNC while Chamernick and Eder-Zdechiik had the Piper goals. SNC will get a great opportunity to continue building their NPI resume when they take on #8 Augsburg tomorrow. Hamline will take on Aurora who are now 2-9-2 following tonight's 3-0 shutout loss to said Auggies.

#11 Bowdoin ekes out a win against Trinity 2-1. Like leftover chicken, the Bantams get colder losing 4 straight and 5 of their last 6 after starting the season 5-0. Ava Imposimato got the Polar Bears started with her 4th of the season with 15:13 left in the first. Gabrila Gross tied it up 3:37 seconds into the 2nd but Bowdoin's game-winner came a bit under five minutes later as Luna Lu scored on the Power Play to give us the 2-1 final. The rematch is tomorrow at 4PM.


Concordia (WI) avenged their earlier loss to UWSP with a 3-1 win over the Pointers. Bauer, Gibson, and Spejcher scored for the Falcons while Molly Pohlkamp had the lone UWSP goal. Concordia is done for the weekend and will play 2 against what may well be a ranked SNC team next weekend while the Pointers host #2 River Falls tomorrow.

[Scott_TG]

Upset of the day as Concordia (MN) came into the day 1-9 on the season against #9 UW-Eau Claire but came away with a 3-1 win. The Cobbers struck first with a shorty from Mephis Mertens in the first. Eau Claire tied 3 mins into the 2nd but Morgan Sauvageau netted the game winner 81 seconds later. Mertens added insurance midway through the 3rd. Mertens is a Jr transfer from Franklin Pierce.
Wilkes beat Arcadia 3-2 in a battle of the top of the MAC.

Unranked Elmira defeated #13 Nazareth 3-1 in the first game of Morrisville's weekend tourney. Naz struck first but the Soaring Eagles went off for 3 straight.

#7 Plattsburgh handed #6 Oswego their first loss of the year in a 2-0 win. Norton with a PPG on her own rebound and Morris netted the 2nd on a gritty win of the puck on the end boards and beauty of a feed to the low slot from Kasprzak. This was one of the nastier games I've seen in a while with a lot of penalties for both sides and even more uncalled. Rematch is tomorrow at 1pm.

Notable matchups left today:

SNC vs #15 Hamline

Trinity (1-5 in their last 5 after a 5-0 start) against #11 Bowdoin. Bowdoin took their first loss earlier this week and the Bantams want to end a 3 game skid.

Concordia (WI) takes a 12-2 record into their game against a visiting 8-7-1 UWSP who is one of those 2 losses.

[LongGame]

Calling Manhattanville a bad team is a stretch...They played Wes on one day of rest after playing Saturday and Sunday. Right now...almost 50% of their schedule is against teams ranked in the top 15 in the country. Utica, Naz, Oswego, and Cortland. They also play two NESCAC teams as well. They have been very competitive for a team heavy with freshmen and sophomores.

Yeah, and William Smith is not a “bad team.” They took #6 Oswego to OT and lost to them twice by one goal, and they lost close games to ranked Norwich and Nazareth. Christ, the NESCAC hate on here is palpable.

[Doc4141]

Calling Manhattanville a bad team is a stretch...They played Wes on one day of rest after playing Saturday and Sunday. Right now...almost 50% of their schedule is against teams ranked in the top 15 in the country. Utica, Naz, Oswego, and Cortland. They also play two NESCAC teams as well. They have been very competitive for a team heavy with freshmen and sophomores.

[VTpucksouteast]

Wow a pretty bad day for the NESCAC in non-conference play as the normally dominant conference goes 2-3 on the day.

Suffolk defeats Conn College 3-2
Endicott over #12 Bowdoin 5-3
Utica over Williams 6-3

Hamilton defeats William Smith 3-0
Wesleyan defeats Manhattanville 2-1

Both of the NESCAC victories came against bad teams and they are 0-2 in games with a ranked team.

What’s even more wild is Wesleyan was losing a majority of the game and scored the winning goal with about 2 min left.

Hamilton vs. WSC was also scoreless for about 50 minutes before the Continentals finally pulled away