2024-25: D3whky

[Lord_Zubin]

No russ i dont remember something that happened over 40 years ago during the 1st reagan administration. In fact you've been posting on this website longer than I've been alive.
Genuinely curious of how u learned the news was it in the papers or did u hear on that new fangled cable tv of yours??

 

[Ditra]

Northland is officially closing this spring. They won't be attempting to stay open like they did last year.

They went 0-19 with a roster of 16. Their best scorers were junior Kyleigh Moffatt with 7 points in 19 games and sophomore Kennedy Gruhlke with 5 points in the same number of games. Northland Women's Hockey will go out on a 33 game losing streak dating back to last season unless they can win one their final two home games or their WIAC play-in game on the road. All three games are against UW-Superior who they have not beaten since they won a first-round matchup in February 2023, their only win against Superior in their 9 seasons of play.

The players may get looks from teams with small rosters themselves. Hilbert especially would be wise to see how many of their eligible players might be willing to come east. If you were to combine Northland's players with eligibility left to Hilbert's roster that has no seniors you would end up with 23 players, 17 skaters and 6 goalies. Convince half the goalies to play out and you have a full roster with 2 scratches...

This leaves the WIAC women's hockey conference down to 4 teams again. LaCrosse and Stout have ACHA club teams, why won't they elevate to varsity? Can someone get their ADs on record?

EDIT: I added clarification on their possibility of ending the program on a 30+ game losing streak including history against their final opponent UW-Superior.

Not to be cruel, but maybe these players would be served just as well playing on a club team if they move on to another school. Losing 30+ is probably worse than Finlandia.

 

[Mr. PDub]

Not to be cruel, but maybe these players would be served just as well playing on a club team if they move on to another school. Losing 30+ is probably worse than Finlandia.

Bobroski actually had 10 kids coming in for next season, he had been working it pretty hard. Those 10 may also be looking for places to play...have to assume there are a handful that would fit somewhere.

 

[Scott_TG]

A little more clarity in the SUNYAC after Canton defeats Morrisville and Cortland comes back late in the third and ties Oswego.

The only spot up for grabs is #4. If Canton wins or ties they take it. Morrisville needs to win. #3 seed Cortland will travel to #2 seed Plattsburgh. #1 Oswego hosts the 4 seed.

Colby defeated Middlebury 3-0, and it may be enough to jump Plattsburgh in the NPI as the last projected at large bid.

Bowdoin defeated Williams who are coming off wins against #1 Middlebury and #8 Plattsburgh.

 

[Scott_TG]

Hamline defeats #3 Gustavus. Augsburg wins 3-1 over St. Mary's.

Augsburg needs one point to clinch the 1 seed. Hamline will be the #3 seed. SMU will be the #4 seed if the Augsburg announcer is correct. He says St. Olaf or St. Benedict will be the #5 playing at SMU in a 5 vs 4 game.

 

[spwood]

Colby defeated Middlebury 3-0, and it may be enough to jump Plattsburgh in the NPI as the last projected at large bid.

As predicted, Colby has jumped Plattsburgh as of this morning... Plattsburgh probably needs to beat Cortland this weekend in the SUNYAC semi-final or their season is over... It may be over if they don't win SUNYAC...

 

[VTpucksouteast]

Wild night yesterday. What’s crazy, is that with the limited amount of games yet, outside of Middlebury/Amherst, I don’t think anyone’s a lock for an at-large bid regardless of what happens the rest of the way.

 

[Scott_TG]

I think Augsburg, UWRF and GAC are in great shape and just as secure as Midd and Amherst. I wouldn't be nervous if I were them.

I think Oz should feel pretty comfortable if they can win outright today.

 

[4and20]

Colby back to back shutouts over Middlebury

 

[VTpucksouteast]

I think Augsburg, UWRF and GAC are in great shape and just as secure as Midd and Amherst. I wouldn't be nervous if I were them.

I think Oz should feel pretty comfortable if they can win outright today

I think RF and Auggie are now fine. GAC is in a very precarious spot. I think they’re right on the bubble and Oz/Colby will now jump them.

 

[SHockey98]

Gustavus in a tight battle again, losing to Hamline. I’m thinking this is the end of the road for Carroll. This team has quit on him. The effort is putrid

 

[4and20]

Gustavus in a tight battle again, losing to Hamline. I’m thinking this is the end of the road for Carroll. This team has quit on him. The effort is putrid

Must be why they scored with 00.5 seconds left to go to over time and win in over time.

 

[SHockey98]

Must be why they scored with 00.5 seconds left to go to over time and win in over time.

Won’t matter. They’ll be out of the tournament. Not good enough.

 

[Scott_TG]

Here's what the tournament projection looks like assuming the 1 seeds all win (which I don't even know how many times that has happened)

Bid	Team	NPI	Seed
Pool C	Middlebury	1	1
MIAC	Augsburg	2	2
NESCAC	Amherst	3	3
Pool C	UW-River Falls	4	4
SUNYAC	Oswego	5	5
Pool C	Colby	6	6
Pool C	Gustavus Adolphus	7	7
CNE	Endicott	8	8
NCHA	St. Norbert	10	9
MAC	Wilkes	14	10
UCHC	Nazareth	16	11
NEHC	Norwich	17	12

Separating the Autobids from the Pool Cs:

Bid	Team	NPI
MIAC	Augsburg	2
NESCAC	Amherst	3
SUNYAC	Oswego	5
CNE	Endicott	8
NCHA	St. Norbert	10
MAC	Wilkes	14
UCHC	Nazareth	16
NEHC	Norwich	17

Bid	Team	NPI
Pool C	Middlebury	1
Pool C	UW-River Falls	4
Pool C	Colby	6
Pool C	Gustavus Adolphus	7

Keep in mind, these rankings will change slightly depending on the conference tourney results.

Middlebury is a lock.

If UWRF gets upended in the WIAC playoffs it would take that one loss knocking them down 2 to 3 spots to put them in danger. That is possible as they have the 2nd worst SOS rank in the top 10 of the NPI.

Colby and Gustavus are the most vulnerable. Making it through to the finals should bolster their cases and move other teams to the bubble. Both of them will be rooting for Cortland to win the SUNYAC semi against Plattsburgh to knock the Cardinals out of both Pool A and Pool C contention. If Plattsburgh wins, depending on how that boosts their NPI and losses in the NESCAC and MIAC affect Colby and GAC the Cardinals have a chance of jumping them, though as a Cardinal fan I'm not optimistic. I think winning their QFs will be enough to give Colby and GAC separation to try and ride out the conference championship rounds

 

[Scott_TG]

Brian Becker has been named the permanent Head Coach of Hilbert effective immediately, replacing Interim Head Coach Emma Knoll a 2023 grad of King's College who was hired to be a first-time assistant ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The press release indicates that Knoll will have a role on the team going forward, so she may simply be reverting to her intended role.

Becker is a native and resident of Hamburg where the college is located. He was a late addition to the coaching staff just after Knoll took over as the interim, with a focus on strength and conditioning as well as working with the D corps. Becker has experience as the Varsity AC and JV HC of Frontier HS in Hamburg and the HC of St. Francis Prep following that, with successful outcomes at both schools.

The Hilbert AD cited Becker's 10+ years of experience as a coach and deep ties and knowledge of the western NY hockey scene as important factors for choosing to lead the team into their first season in the UCHC. With Utica and Nazareth already ranked programs at the top and debutante St. Johns Fisher being led by a head coach who already has an NCAA DIII championship ring and has recruited players from very respected programs, I think an experienced coach is probably a good idea. And Becker having deep roots in the area gives some hope he will stick around to help the Hawks make a go of it.

The release also says that goalie coach Stephen Hurtubise will also return. Hurtubise also came on to the staff as the goaltending coach shortly after Knoll becoming the interim. Hurtubise was the head of coach of the Canisius men's ACHA team from 2011-2022 and the Director of Hockey Operations for the same from 2022-2024. A man of many jobs, Hurtubise is: the commissioner of the Northeastern Collegiate Hockey League, a conference in the ACHA; an assistant skills coach for the National Hockey League’s health and wellness program of the on-ice officials; and the director of hockey development with the Golden Griffins in the ACHL.

Hurtubise seems the most eminently qualified of all three but I imagine a HC gig would force him to give up the other ones he's picked up

Hilbert seems to have a passable coaching staff (I've seen much worse tbh) so maybe they can get a full complement of players next season.

 

[Scott_TG]

Beloit College in Beloit, WI will be trying to be Northland what UD was to Finlandia or what WNEU did for Becker.

They have announced varsity programs starting in 2025-26 and hired Northland's coaching staffs for both genders.

If we count Northland's history against them, Beloit will be starting out with a 33 game losing streak that started on January 7, 2024 and continued through the end of this season.

This also means that the Soaring Eagles players and families who reportedly have found the grass is not greener with Heaney will not be seeing Jake back in Elmira as some half-jokingly remarked when the Northland news broke...