NCAA Journal: Hockey East Week One Roundup

This week had it all, non-conference matchups and the conference opener alike for Hockey East, with seven of the 10 teams starting play in the 2024-25 season. We’ve got some way-too-early notes for some of these teams, and promising (or not so promising) signs for others. Let’s hop right in. 

National rankings are updated through Oct. 1 and are USCHO/USA Hockey

Non-Conference

#13/13 Northeastern at #12/12 Penn State (AHA)

Thursday: Northeastern 3, Penn State 1
Friday: Penn State 2, Northeastern 1

Well my prediction last week was exactly correct, even if I got the order wrong. The Huskies and Nittany Lions played each other about how I expected: hard and with tensions running high. It was clear these two teams do not like each other, with a combined 13 penalties on Thursday – and some good old fashion taunting – before just four the following day. 

The answer to Northeastern’s question in goal was Paige Taborski, their senior netminder who has the only NCAA-game experience thus far on their roster. She played well, making 46 saves on the weekend, including some crucial ones in the first game.

The real star was the Northeastern penalty kill, which was a perfect 7-for-7 across the two contests. Their power play on the other hand wasn’t so hot. While Lily Shannon did score the eventual game winner on the advantage on Thursday, the team proceeded to give up Friday’s game winner while Penn State was short handed. Not great, but not something that won’t be addressed before this upcoming weekend. 

Merrimack vs. #8/8 St. Lawrence (ECAC)

Friday: St. Lawrence 3, Merrimack 0

Scoreboard aside, this was a far more evenly matched contest than I originally expected. The Warriors kept up in the shot count, falling behind early but climbing back to finish at 28-24. Not to mention one of the three goals they gave up was on an empty net in the final minutes. 

The defensive side of things really stands out for Merrimack. The team blocked a collective 13 shots, led by freshman defender Abby Poitras, who had three. Plus, the team performed relatively well in the faceoff dot, winning 19 of 40. 

What really caught my interest was the ability to keep St. Lawrence’s power play from not only scoring, but also a single shot on goal. And while one attempt doesn’t tell the whole story, it was intriguing to see if that would continue against BU – but we’ll get there later. 

Holy Cross at RPI (ECAC) 

Friday: Holy Cross 3, RPI 2
Saturday: RPI 2, Holy Cross 0

Ok so a split weekend series is pretty close to the win-and-a-tie prediction I had, so I’m giving myself half credit here. The Crusaders jumped into the game early on Friday, scoring just 18 seconds in thanks to Taylor Cantelon. RPI was able to find their footing, taking a 2-1 lead under two minutes into the third period. However, a short handed goal from Michela Lio, and a PP tally from Alexia Moreau got Holy Cross the win to open the year. 

The PPG for the Crusaders was the only one they scored on 10 attempts on the weekend. Yes, you read that right – 10 penalties committed by RPI across two games. Holy Cross definitely didn’t have the worst PP in the league last year, and they scored when it mattered on Friday, but a 10% conversion rate will have to come up (and I expect it to). 

Brooke Loranger had herself a decent weekend, even with the loss on Saturday. She made 36 saves on 40 shots, and seems capable of maintaining the main starters job for the season to come. The other name that jumped out was defender Emma Min, who has picked up where she left off last year as the leader in blocked shots for the Crusaders. She got in the way of nine across the two games, the most of any player from either team. 

Maine vs. #10/T-9 Quinnipiac (ECAC) 

Friday: Quinnipiac 7, Maine 0
Saturday: Quinnipiac 4, Maine 0

There isn’t a lot to say about Maine that wasn’t predicted going into the weekend series. I expected them to get maybe a goal or two, but this was always QU’s series to lose and they showed why in both contests. 

It started in the faceoff dot, a place the Black Bears really struggled a season ago, where they won just 46.5% of the time. The Bobcats were dominant on draws, winning 66 of 105 on the weekend, and Maine couldn’t keep up from there. 

They were able to limit QU to just one PPG on five attempts however, something I noted they needed to do in order to succeed in this series. It just wasn’t enough, unfortunately. 

Luckily Maine will get a week off to recalibrate before opening Hockey East play on Oct. 11th. 

#9/T-9 UConn vs. #2/2 Minnesota (WCHA)

Friday: Minnesota 4, UConn 1
Saturday: Minnesota 3, UConn 2 in OT

This was my matchup of the week for good reason – the on-ice play did not disappoint. 

The Gophers got out early on Friday scoring four goals in the opening 20 minutes, including the first career goal for rising-star Chloe Primerano. Also of note, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Abbey Murphy is still lights out on the score sheet, and she wreaked havoc on the UConn defense all weekend with three goals and an assist.

I did find it interesting that the Huskies opted to split the series between Tia Chan and Megan Warrener. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a knock on either goaltender, but after a tough start on Friday, Chan rebounded to finish with 34 saves, and I thought they’d look to continue riding the hot hand. But the decision did make sense, as Warrener made 45 of her own in the Saturday contest. 

The problem here, I’d argue, was the lack of offensive power the Huskies provided. The team had just 10 shots on goal on Friday and 13 on Saturday, which makes sense against a team as highly talented as Minnesota. It cost the Huskies, however, as Minnesota chipped away on Saturday to come back from a 1-0 and 2-1 deficit to win in overtime. 23 shots on goal across two games is definitely something that needs to be improved upon for UConn, especially with Penn State coming to Storrs this weekend. 

Boston College at Stonehill (NEWHA) 

Saturday: BC 5, Stonehill 1

I already touched on the game in the NEWHA weekly roundup, but from a Boston College perspective this game went about as planned. Last year's Hockey East Rookie of the Year Sammy Taber picked up right where she left off, adding two points off a goal and an assist in the win. 

Both special teams units saw substantial amounts of time, with six infractions called on each team. The Eagles had 10 shots on goal throughout their time on the PP, but were unable to beat the Skyhawks on the player advantage. It should be noted, however, that three of the power plays were reduced in time due to infractions called to make it four-on-four.

Otherwise, BC did a solid job shutting down Stonehill offensively, limiting them to 18 SOG and tallying 43 of their own. Sophomore goaltender Bailey Callaway saw her first game action of the season, playing in over 29 minutes and making six saves. Grace Campbell played the first 30 minutes, and made 11 saves of her own, after giving up the only goal against. 

Conference

Merrimack at Boston University 

Tuesday: BU 7, Merrimack 1

Spoiler alert from above: the Merrimack PK did not perform well against the Terriers. It was a drubbing, with BU scoring three times on six attempts, with goals from Lindsay Bochna and two from Tamara Giaquinto. 

The Warriors' one conversion came off one of the bizarrest plays I’ve ever seen, a PP tally of their own late in the first period.

However, it devolved in the second and the Terriers never looked back, scoring six unanswered for their first win of the season. Calli Hogarth was pulled after 30 minutes of play time, allowing freshman goaltender Margaux Favre to see her first minutes in the NCAA. It wasn’t the best debut, with three goals against on 15 shots, but it definitely could have been a lot worse based on how BU was playing. 

In the opposite crease, it was nice to see Mari Pietersen perform well after she struggled mightily last season. The sophomore made 16 saves en route to her first win of the season. 

Next Week: 

We’ve still yet to see Vermont, New Hampshire, and Providence on the ice in the regular season. That changes Friday for all three squads, with games scheduled against opponents from the ECAC and NEWHA. 

Both Northeastern and UConn continue their non-conference slate against top-15 opponents, this time against Quinnipiac and Penn State respectively. Not to mention, BU, fresh off their 7-1 win, heads to St. Paul to play Minnesota on Friday and Sunday. All 16 games this weekend are worth viewing, although there’s one series that stands out above all of them. 

Matchup of the Week

Boston College vs. #1/1 Wisconsin

There’s a lot of contenders for this week's highlighted matchup, especially considering how close UConn and Northeastern should play their opponents. However, there’s one answer here, and it has to be Wisconsin at BC. 

Last year, the Eagles were up 3-2 on the Badgers heading into the second period of game one of their weekend series. Yes, Wisconsin proceeded to come back and win 5-3, and then demolished BC 12-2 the following day. However, BC showed they can compete with a top team like Wisconsin – and this year’s team is arguably better than the one they iced last year. 

On the opposite side, you have a Wisconsin team coming off 12-0 and 8-1 wins over Lindenwood last weekend. They’re now ranked No. 1 in the country, and are poised to be one of the toughest teams in the NCAA once again this year. But for some reason, I think BC keeps this series close, for one game at the very least.

Plus, Friday’s matchup is available nationally on ESPNU. It’s the perfect game to tune in, and both sides will bring a high energy, engaging matchup to the national stage. 

Full Upcoming Schedule:

All times in EST, streaming details available here

Friday: 

UConn vs. Penn State (AHA) - 3 PM

Vermont at Clarkson (ECAC) - 6 PM

New Hampshire vs. Assumption (NEWHA) - 6 PM

Boston College vs. Wisconsin (WCHA) - 6 PM

Providence vs. Saint Michael’s (NEWHA) - 6 PM

Holy Cross vs. Saint Anselm (NEWHA) - 6 PM

Northeastern vs. Quinnipiac (ECAC) -  7 PM

Boston University at Minnesota (WCHA) - 7 PM

Saturday: 

UConn vs. Penn State (AHA) - 3 PM

Vermont at Clarkson (ECAC) - 3 PM

New Hampshire vs. Assumption (NEWHA) - 7 PM

Boston College vs. Wisconsin (WCHA) - 6 PM

Providence vs. Saint Michael’s (NEWHA) - 2 PM

Holy Cross at Saint Anselm (NEWHA) - 7 PM

Northeastern vs. Quinnipiac (ECAC) - 3 PM

Sunday: 

Boston University at Minnesota (WCHA) - 2 PM

Tuesday: 

Providence at Quinnipiac (ECAC) - 6 PM 

Teams Not in Action: 

Merrimack & Maine