Fighting Sioux 23
New member
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
#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
