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
