LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY STAYS NO. 1 IN AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION 1 SECOND RANKING

 

21 Teams Have Played Games So Far This Season During Pandemic

 

UNION LAKE, Mich. – (February 24, 2021) – Lindenwood University keeps the top spot in the 2020-2021 American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 Ranking No. 2.  The Lions (8-0-0) remained undefeated after sweeping Iowa State University (10-5-1) in the friendly confines of the Centene Community Center in Maryland Heights, Mo.  Saturday evening, Blake Finley broke a 2-2 tie early in the 3rd period as the Lions held on for the 3-2 win.  Sunday afternoon, Stephen Friedland made 24 saves for the shutout while Andy Willis got the game-winner in the 2nd period as the Lions completed the sweep 2-0.  Despite the sweep, the Cyclones moved into the No. 5 position.

 

While there are 72 teams fielding teams in Men’s Division 1, only 21 teams have played at least one game this season so far.  To reflect these numbers, the rankings will only contain 10 teams.

 

No. 2 Adrian College (10-1-0) swept Ohio University in their fourth consecutive matchup against each other.  Friday night at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio, the Bulldogs trailed 2-1 heading into the 3rd period before scoring four unanswered goals for a 5-2 win.  Matteo Digiulio first tied it at 2-2 on the power play before connecting on the game winner just 3:24 later.  Saturday night back at Arrington Arena in Adrian, Mich., goaltender Michael Barrett made 28 saves as Adrian shutout the Bobcats 5-0.  The Bulldogs special teams provided the difference as the power play unit tallied 4 goals on 8 attempts while holding the Bobcats scoreless during their 8 attempts.

 

No. 3 Liberty University (2-2-0) was idle this past weekend

 

No. 4 Minot State University (13-2-1) swept rival University of Jamestown.  Friday night, the Beavers roared back from a 2-0 deficit late in the 3rd period to force overtime.  Davis Sheldon got the Beavers on the board with only 2:12 left in regulation before Drew Carter netted the game-tying goal with 0:47 remaining and the goaltender pulled to tie the game at 2-2 and send it into overtime.  That didn’t last long as Paul O’Connor scored the game-winner only 0:26 into the extra frame for the 3-2 win.  Saturday night, Eric Soar broke a scoreless tie with only 2:59 remaining in the 3rd period to lead the Beavers to the 1-0 victory.  Chad Duran made 30 saves for the shutout win, while counterpart Tyson Brouwer made 33 saves after turning away 43 shots on Friday night.

 

Rounding out the Top 10 were No. 6 Ohio University (1-7-0), No. 7 Indiana Tech (7-4-1), No. 8 Lawrence Tech (1-0-1), and No. 9 Davenport University (2-1-0), and No. 10 Missouri State University (4-5-1).

 

The CSCHL leads the way with three of its member teams ranked, while the GLCHL and the WHAC have two of its member teams ranked.

 

The ACHA uses two computer rankings generated by USHSHO.com, Ranking A (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 7) and Ranking B (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 1), and come up with an average of the two rankings.  The ACHA will then use the list generated from the average for its weekly ranking.  Ties will be broken using the higher ranked team from Ranking B until the Top 10 teams are listed.  All games that go to overtime will be scored as ties in the computer ranking.

 

Over the past 17 seasons, 12 different schools have won the ACHA Men's Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Minot State (2), Adrian, Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.

 

With the conclusion of the ACHA’s 29th season, there have been a total of 14 schools that have won the ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championship:

 

• Penn State (5 times)
• Ohio (4)
• Lindenwood (3)
• Central Oklahoma (2)
• Illinois (2)
• Minot State (2)
• North Dakota State (2)
• Adrian
• Arizona State
• Davenport
• Delaware
• Iowa State
• Oakland
• Rhode Island

 

The 2021 ACHA Men's Division-I National Championships will be hosted April 15-20 for the first time at the Maryville University Hockey Center (MUHC) in Chesterfield, MO. This will be the tenth year of the 20-team format and will celebrate the ACHA’s 30th anniversary.

 

2020-2021 ACHA Men's Division 1 Ranking #2

Rank     School Name     M1 Record     Previous     Conference

1     Lindenwood     8-0-0      1     CSCHL

2     Adrian     10-1-0     2     GLCHL

3     Liberty     2-2-0     5     ESCHL

4     Minot State     13-2-1     6     INDEP

5     Iowa State     10-5-1      8     CSCHL

6     Ohio     1-7-0     7     CSCHL 

7     Indiana Tech     7-4-1     10     WHAC

8     Lawrence Tech     1-0-1     9     WHAC

9     Davenport     2-1-0     3     GLCHL

10     Missouri State     4-5-1     13      WCHL

# # #

About American Collegiate Hockey Association

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of almost 500 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States.  Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide.  The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 30th season in September 2020. For more information, visit achahockey.org.

 

 

 

Liberty University takes over #1 in Women’s Division 1 Rankings.

 

South Bend, Indiana (2/23/01)- The halfway point of the spring season was marked by a change at the top of the rankings in Women’s Division 1.  After Lindenwood University held the spot for the first two polls, Liberty overtook the Lions on the strength of a 3-0 Midwest road trip last weekend.  This trip included an 8-1 win for the Fla over Lindenwood on their home ice. 

 

The ranking was also expanded to recognize ten teams, as Aquinas College began play and was placed in the #8 slot.   The top seven teams remained the same, with the only changes being Liberty and Lindenwood flipping spots as well as Midland and McKendree, who last week were in a virtual tie, being separated, with the Warriors holding onto the fifth seed. 

 

With just over a month left in the regular season, the next ranking period, which includes games through March 7th, will see several key matchups in determining where teams will end up at the end of March.  Many of the games involve #5 Midland University, who have a two-game series at #4 Minot State this upcoming weekend, followed by a road trip to #6 McKendree University for two games the following week. 

 

The penultimate rankings are scheduled for release on March 7th at 6pm EST.  The 2021 ACHA Women’s Division 1 National Championships will be held in Minot, North Dakota at the Maysa Arena.  The tournament will start on Thursday, April 15th. 

 

This year’s format will see the top six teams in the nation compete in two pools to advance to the semi-finals.  The National Championship game will be played on Monday, April 19th. 

 

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of almost 500 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 30th season in September 2020.

For more information, visit achahockey.org

 

Click here to see Rankings #3

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACHA REVERSES COURSE, WILL HOLD MEN’S DIVISION 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GRAND RAPIDS IN APRIL 2021

 

PATTERSON ICE CENTER TO HOST MODIFIED TOURNAMENT

 

TROY, Mich. (February 22, 2021) – The American Collegiate Hockey Association, the governing body for non-NCAA college hockey in the United States, announces that the 2021 Men’s Division 3 (M3) National Championships will be held at Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from April 15-20, 2021.

 

“Since our announcement earlier this month about the M1, M2 and W1 National Tournaments, we have seen several states reduce their restrictions on COVID-19 protocols which has led to more M3 teams being permitted to compete this Spring by their respective institutions,” said ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett.  “This being the case, we feel hosting a National Tournament in April is now justified and I’d like to thank M3 Vice President Steve Hyjek and Commissioner Derek Conner for their efforts to make this happen for our student-athletes and coaches.”

 

The M3 National Tournament will consist of eight teams playing in two pools of four teams.  Pool play will start on Thursday, April 15th and end on Saturday, April 17th.  The top two teams in each pool will play in cross-over semi-final games on Monday, April 19th with the winners meeting in the M3 National Championship game on Tuesday, April 20th.

 

“I am thankful for our teams, players and coaches that have persevered in this tumultuous year to be able to provide this opportunity to play for a National Championship.  We look forward to a great week of hockey this April to showcase our best teams at the M3 level,” stated ACHA M3 Commissioner Derek Conner.

 

“We are currently working with local health care authorities in the area to develop a COVID-19 mitigation plan for the Tournament in an effort to ensure the health and safety of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and visitors,” said Barnett.  “We hope to have these details finalized and announced in the coming weeks.”

 

For further information, please contact ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett at cbarnett@achahockey.org.

From The Post

By Eli Feazell

 

Max Karlenzig always plays hockey to win ... while having as much fun as possible. 

The Ohio freshman goaltender plays desperate. He dives around, throws his limbs out and will sacrifice his body to stop the puck and make a save.

But he also enjoys when he can just keep a relaxed but solid stance. Either way, Karlenzig has fun on the ice.

Growing up in Chicago, Karlenzig often rooted for the Blackhawks, but he always cheered for former Penguins and current Las Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, his favorite player. Fleury still reminds Karlenzig of why he plays in the first place.

“(Fleury) always has a smile on his face,” Karlenzig said. “He’s always having fun. It just reminds me that that’s what I’m supposed to be doing out here. The biggest factor in hockey is to have fun. Just go out there and smile.”

Karlenzig has played hockey ever since he was a child, but a big moment in his hockey career came when he joined the Fresno Monsters of the Western States Hockey League (now a part of the United States Premier Hockey League) for the 2017-18 season. He played in Fresno for three years and had plenty of time to build memories in the central California city. 

Other than playing packed games at Selland Arena with the Monsters, Karlenzig’s fondest memories come from being around his teammates. Whether it was in the locker room, on the bus or in hotel rooms, the people around Karlenzig made the most of Fresno to him.

Karlenzig doesn’t know how to compare Fresno with Athens, but he seems to have a preference for his new home in Ohio already. 

A lot of people around Karlenzig get the wrong idea of Fresno whenever he tells them it’s in California. Like many, they automatically associate California with beautiful cities, coastlines and beaches. Fresno, however, is in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley, and it doesn’t have the scenic beaches and Hollywood lifestyle like coastal California cities.

He loved Fresno, but he also wanted something a bit different.

He originally wasn’t interested in playing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and, instead, had his sights on the NCAA. However, after meeting Ohio coach Cole Bell at an annual WSHL showcase in Las Vegas, he was asked to come down to Athens for a visit on one of his free weekends.

Karlenzig met the team and staff, saw the facilities and toured the university and campus life. He knew then Athens was where he wanted to be.

“I just kind of fell in love,” Karlenzig said. “I felt like I fit right in.”

Karlenzig enjoys being on a campus that isn’t small but also isn’t as big as other colleges, such as Ohio State University. 

“Everything seems to be close enough to where you can walk around and get to certain places,” Karlenzig said. “Your friends aren’t too far.”

Even though Fresno State University was near his old team, he prefers the college life Athens and Ohio University have far more.

Outside of hockey, video games are one of Karlenzig’s biggest hobbies. He’s been playing them ever since he was little, and right now, he enjoys Rocket League, Call of Duty, NBA 2K and FIFA. Rocket League has especially been one of his favorites ever since it was released in 2015.

“My buddy showed me that game when it first came out,” Karlenzig said. “I was like, ‘I can’t stop playing now.’”

Other than video games, Karlenzig also enjoys playing other sports, such as volleyball or soccer, although it’s been a bit difficult for him to play those in public with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When the coronavirus stopped Karlenzig and the other Bobcats from playing much longer than they were used to, he didn’t worry about switching teams during the strange times. But he was nervous going into his first game. What would his form look like? How would it even work at the collegiate level?

Karlenzig didn’t let his nerves get to him in his first game, and now, he’s become a regular starter for Ohio as a freshman. Feeling more comfortable with the team around him, he’s now finally getting back to having fun while playing hockey. 

(Originally published at https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2021/02/ohio-hockey-feature-max-karlenzig)

From The State Press

By Ike Everard

 

When the New Jersey Tigers stepped onto a nondescript field in New Brunswick to face the Rutgers Queensmen in front of 100 fans, none of the 50 players could have imagined the bright lights and roaring crowds of Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Nor could they have imagined the multi-million dollar contracts bestowed upon pro athletes.

The players on that field in Central New Jersey were very different from the collegiate athletes gracing gridirons today. One, William Gummere, went on to the state Supreme Court. Another, William J. Legget, became a clergyman of the Dutch Reformed Church. In a scene where athletics have become the cash cow of major universities, the spirit of the game can take a back seat.

Enter club sports. Just under the topsoil that is NCAA division one competition lies the subsoil of abbreviations which includes the ACHA, NCBA, CWPA and more. These leagues provide outlets for athletes who fall below the D1 level to continue their careers and compete at a high level. While they may not come with the fanfare of a marching band or the scholarships awarded to the top athletes, their charms lie just below the surface.

Arizona State University has over 60 sports club programs, though that number changes often based on interest. These are open to all students, although many have tryouts and cut policies. Teams vary from the quidditch club, which plays a humanized version of the wizard-centric sport on the SDFC lawn, to the ultra-competitive ACHA club hockey team.

Goalkeeper Bronson Moore grew up playing hockey in Washington. He developed quickly, playing in front of some of the sport’s top recruiters. With a decision to make about the quality of his education, he took his talents to ASU’s club team.

“Guys that want to go to a bigger school, have a big college experience, will go this route and play for us,” Moore said.

His story is not uncommon. Players liken the competition level of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, which the club devils compete in, to that of a division three program.

Clayton Lackey, another hockey player, played two years of junior hockey before deciding on Arizona State.

“I still had aspirations of playing D1,” Lackey said. “When I was in Dallas, I realized that might not be a realistic thing I could achieve.”

Club teams are generally composed of athletes who played their sport in high school, but lack the ability or interest to play at the division one level. ASU provides a platform for students to organize and compete against other schools and grants funding to those who perform the best on a variety of metrics. These include attendance at community events, volunteer hours and of course, wins.

“Me and my friends, we never really had conversations about club hockey,” Lackey said. “Once I moved out here, I learned how serious club hockey is and how it actually is competitive. We do all the stuff an NCAA team does.”

The desire to win, simply as a product of a competitive nature bred over years of intense athletic training, is at the forefront of any game. It manifests itself at every level of collegiate competition, and drives participants forward. For ASU’s club athletes, that means pushing just as hard in the classroom as on the field.

“We need to be successful in school, and if we’re not finding that success that we want then he [coach Tait Green] is totally OK with us stepping away for a day or two just to get back on track,” Lackey said. 

“It’s definitely much more school-based,” Moore said. “The NCAA guys have a lot more structure as far as the athletic side.”

Another piece in the equation is the fan support garnered by NCAA teams. Attendance at club events is low, but that doesn’t stop athletes from soaking in the atmosphere of playing an intercollegiate sport.

“We’ve been trying to make our field more accessible to any audience coming,” Senior lacrosse captain Megan Wijesinghe said.

She believes a new field built for club sports will enhance the audience experience and grow awareness.

As for funding, what isn’t covered by ASU’s tier system must be made up by the teams themselves. Most have robust fundraising schemes. Money coming from club dues paid by the players as well as community and booster donations allows teams to travel around the state and country.

Wijesinghe is the president of sports clubs and a member of the women’s lacrosse team. She pushes her team to participate in events which earn them points, which then translate into money from the school.

“You can get points by volunteering, doing some fundraising stuff,” Wijesinghe said. “With COVID, it’s been really hard to get people to do that.”

So what drives players to continue balancing their time between a sport in which they likely will not go pro in and a full course load?

“It’s a special time in your life,” Moore said. “It’s the last four years you get to play hockey.”

It was this love that brought sophomore Aashish Yadav to create the swim club in March of 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic brought the country to a halt, Yadav looked for ways to maintain his personal connections. After walking through the club fair and realizing there was no outlet for his passion, Yadav took matters into his own hands.

 “I just thought, you know, maybe I should start the swim club,” Yadav said.

In a normal year, the team would compete against other schools around the state. According to Yadav, UA and NAU started swim clubs last spring as well. Yadav said what he’s most looking forward to, however, is the opportunity to travel.

“There’s always a meet at the very end of the season, which is nationals for all the swim clubs,” Yadav said. “It’s a super fun meet from what I've heard from a bunch of friends, and we’ll definitely make it out there.”

The club sports community is a tight one. Players look out for each other with an understanding that everyone is there for the same purpose. Even players at rival schools acknowledge the bonds that bring them together.

“We have a little bit of a rivalry with GCU,” ultimate frisbee team captain CJ Sowards said. “If you see us playing GCU, everyone is doing everything they can to absolutely dominate GCU. And it’s for no other reason than we play them all the time and we kind of have everyone’s number.”

Sowards is a classic example of the type of athlete who excels in the club environment. He didn’t begin playing ultimate until his senior year of high school in Minnesota, but has since grown into a leadership role.

“That just grew and elevated me into trying to make ASU into the best ultimate frisbee school there is,” Sowards said.

That leadership is especially important now. The frisbee team has no coach, and so it falls to team leaders like Sowards and his roommate Ethan Gaiser to create a winning environment.

“We do a lot of film room sessions together, much like a D1 athlete would do,” Sowards said. “But we teach that all to ourselves, and then we have to find a way to go and do nutrition on our own. We don’t have a nutritionist like D1 athletes do.

While the Carson Student-Athlete Center, home to D1 athletic programs at the school, recently received a $2.2 million upgrade, club athletes like Sowards have to find workouts on Youtube.

“It’s definitely a lot more challenging without the staff that a D1 athlete has,” Sowards said. “The level of work is probably similar, but we don’t get the level of support.”

Wijesinghe expanded upon the coaching process, saying each team is in charge of finding its own coach.

“Most of the time the president or the VP will find the coach and bring them to a practice,” Wijesinghe said. “It’s a student-based process.”

That’s not to say the University leaves its club athletes in the cold. Program directors like Ethan Cobb have made it their mission to support those who seek to play a sport at the club level.

“I want to help mentor student leaders to develop transferable skills,” Cobb said. “We have 1,200 athletes that are part of sport clubs. This allows them to come together and form a community.”

Cobb played club sports himself in college, starting with baseball before switching to bowling.

“I gained an appreciation for what sport clubs were,” Cobb said. “An ability to keep playing at a high level, even though it isn’t what is perceived as the highest level.”

For Moore, club sports also meant an opportunity to get noticed. Through the goalkeeper’s hard work and dedication to his club, he became the first player ever to move up from the club team to D1.

“You play on a much bigger stage,” Moore said. “The club team is much more of a hockey community stage, whereas with the NCAA team it’s a national stage.”

He recently made his on-ice debut, playing 14 minutes against the University of Minnesota. Moore’s former teammates were thrilled.

“[Head coach] Greg Powers actually sent a text between periods saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to have Bronson play,’” Moore said. “One of my old teammates was working as a valet and he just stopped taking cars. He paid for some streaming service and pulled it up and was sitting there watching it.”

While Moore’s journey is unique, it exhibits the common ties which bind all club sport athletes, current and former: motivation, passion and above all, a genuine love for their sport.

“I’ve always liked competition,” Wijesinghe said. “Games to me are just some of the funnest things in the world.”

(Originally published at https://www.statepress.com/article/2021/02/spmagazine-club-sports-bring-competition-community-to-asu)

From Grand Valley Lanthorn

By Holly Bihlman

 

While some of Grand Valley State University’s sports teams have been getting their seasons back up into full swing again, the men’s club hockey team has been on hiatus for the past year while waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic.

As hard as it has been for student athletes to maintain their physical strength and motivation without competing in a season, the hockey team has had a strange and coincidental advantage taking this year off.

After last season, they made the jump up to the D1 league with an influx of new players. Now, they have nothing but time coming into the 2021-2022 season with a whole new group of guys ready to play.

Despite all of the obvious setbacks and disappointments that come with missing out on a whole year of playing, the players, as well as coach Carl Trosien, have kept their heads up and set their minds to the future. With a team made up of freshman and sophomores right now, Trosien is excited to be able to get the guys practicing together and getting to know each other.

“This was a perfect time for us to have a pause, have a year and reevaluate some things,” Trosien said. “We were able to sit down with the administration and Rec and Wellness and make some big overhauls to the hockey program.”

This season started off as an exciting leap forward for the GVSU hockey team as they were moved to D1. This news was then accompanied by some of the disadvantages caused by COVID-19. The rinks were closed for the first few weeks of the fall semester, only to open back up and close down again just five weeks later.

The guys have been working as hard as they can in the time that they have, but there’s no fighting the virus.

“School started, numbers blew up and that was the end of it,” Trosien said. “We had a positive test on the D3 team and a positive test on the D1 team. The protocols that were in place worked, so that’s always nice that the process works, and we were able to get things shut down in a timely fashion and take a break. I know more about infectious diseases than I ever wanted to, how about that.”

The inevitable swept away two extra weeks for the men’s hockey team, and because they’re a club team, they don’t have the advantage of getting tested every week like most other GVSU sports teams who are playing this season. Despite these limited practices and team bonding, this year has been harder than ever to keep the motivation up for both school and hockey.

“The disadvantages and the downside is just watching the kids suffer through it,” Trosien said. “We’ve seen a number of kids who are dealing with some of those mental health struggles that you hear about from nothing to do, no social life, no hockey, no competition. It’s not something I’ve seen a lot of over 15 years doing this. This year was different for sure.”

Regardless of what’s been stopping them from practicing on the ice as a team, the guys have been working harder than ever to maintain their physical strength when they can. Fifteen of the players are even traveling to Muskegon every week to work out with personal trainer and assistant coach Ron Clark.

“We’re going to do what we can do and we’re going to control what we can control, and we’re going to be ready in October,” Trosien said. “We were trying to balance being safe, being responsible and doing the right thing, while obviously wanting to prepare for hockey. I think we’re all hopeful and optimistic it’s going to be right on schedule.”

With the vaccine starting to roll out in the United States, the administration has been more confident in the return of club hockey in October 2021, just in time for the guys to start showing their new division what they’ve been working on for the past year. Gage Thrall, sophomore team captain, has been excited to get to know his new teammates on and off the ice.

“It gives us a little more time to come together and understand how we all play and we’re able to practice more on what we need to practice on,” Thrall said. “Transitioning from D2 to D1 is a big jump in leagues, and we saw that last year playing some D1 teams. We now know where we need to be.”

The team is practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays with each other as much as they can, and they’ve even joined the Club Sport Olympics where they play a different sport together each week. Thrall and his teammates are just looking forward to getting back to their regular routine of playing games every weekend and actually competing in the conference.

“Getting back on to the competitive side of hockey instead of just practicing all the time, and hopefully we’ll be able to get fans back into the rink by that time,” said Thrall.

Looking ahead, Trosien is also thinking about the big picture, two or three years into the future, thinking they’re going to be exceptionally prepared for game time. Because the team is so young as of right now, Trosien is hoping that this extra year of practice time will benefit them in the long run when they do have the older players on the team.

“There is going to be nights where we are going to be world beaters, and there are going to be nights where we’re going to be sitting in the office just shaking our heads like ‘what just happened,’” Trosien said. “Just because we are young, and we don’t have those veterans in the room that have done this two or three times.”

Despite the challenges and hurdles the men’s club hockey team has been through this season, they’re staying optimistic about their shot at next season’s conference, playing against some of the strongest teams in the country for the first time. This extra year of bulking up their skills and team relationships will serve them well when October rolls around.

“We’re well ahead of schedule, so next year the goal is that we have one of the strongest conferences in the country, and we expect to be right there,” said Trosien.

(Originally published at https://lanthorn.com/80473/sports/mens-club-hockey-team-uses-extra-year-of-time-off-to-smooth-out-transition-to-d1/)

From Billings Gazette

By William J Speltz

 

MISSOULA — A new University of Montana competitive club hockey program will soon be launched and will compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 2.

The goal is to provide student athletes the opportunity to play competitive hockey while earning a degree from the University of Montana. It's also a chance to promote UM to the larger hockey community in Montana and beyond.

Montana has had a club hockey program in the past but the new program will be much more organized with a beefed-up schedule, paid coaches and guidance from an executive board.

Mike Anderson, former assistant coach of the Missoula Junior Bruins, and Will Grossman, manager of the local Hockey Wolf store, have been appointed co-head coaches. The team will take the ice in the fall of 2021.

The Grizzlies will play a largely regional schedule in their first season, with games against teams like Montana State, the University of Providence (Great Falls), Montana State Northern (also entering its first season of ACHA), Eastern Washington, Idaho and Gonzaga.

The Griz team will play at the Glacier Ice Rink and plans to host around 12 home games during its first season. The official schedule will be released this summer.

The team has established an executive board including Ryan Geiges from the Glacier Ice Rink, Doug Coffin from the University of Montana and Tucker Sargent, board president and University of Montana Lacrosse coach.

Mike Anderson and Will Grossman are currently recruiting players from Montana and beyond who want to enroll at the University of Montana. Anyone interested in playing hockey should fill out a recruiting form at grizhockey.com/recruiting.

(Originally published at https://billingsgazette.com/sports/university-of-montana-competitive-club-hockey-program-to-be-launched/article_669c7579-6c0e-52ac-a7f3-c9144f3cf487.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary repeats as #1 in latest Men's Division 2 Rankings

 

Men's Division 2 Rankings

 

(Troy, Mich. February 18, 2021)-  The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men's Division 2 has released its second rankings of the 20-21 season.  The University of Mary continues lead in the standings, garnering 10 of the 11 first place votes.  The top six teams remained the same in the poll, with the only change being Dakota College, NC State, and Iowa state being to separate in votes, after being a virtual tie after the first rankings.

 

Marian University and Williston State College saw the biggest jumps as the Sabres moved from #16 to #10 and the Tetons from #11 to #7.  East Texas Baptist University suffered the biggest fall in the rankings, dropping form #8 to #12.

 

New Teams in Rankings: Davenport University, Bowling Green State University

Teams that fell out of Rankings: Saint Cloud State University, Utah State University

 

The 2020-2021 Division 2 Ranking Committee is a 11 person group made up of the Regional Coordinators and M2 Coaches.  The next ranking period will include all games through February 28th.  The 2021 Men's Division 2 National Tournament will be held in /Madan/Bismarck, North Dakota, April 15-20 and hosted by University of Mary.

 

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of almost 500 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide.  The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 30th season in September 2020.

For more information, visit

achahockey.org

 

From Minot Daily News

By Ryan Ladika

 

When the Minot State Beavers women’s hockey team takes the ice during the ACHA Women’s Division I National Championships this spring, they will do so among familiar surroundings.

That ice will be of their home arena, Maysa Arena, here in Minot. It was announced earlier this week by the American Collegiate Hockey Association that the tournament will be held in the Magic City for the first time in its history.

“The players are thrilled,” Beavers head coach Ryan Miner said. “Every year we look to compete for a national championship, and usually there’s a lot of travel with it. Numerous nights in hotels. So the opportunity to be familiar with the rink, being able to host at your home rink definitely has sparked their excitement, and the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd will drive them to want to succeed and win a national championship.”

Bringing the tournament to Minot has been in the works since the news that the original host city, Boston, Massachusetts, would no longer be a viable option due to issues produced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ACHA has always partnered with NHL cities to host the tournament, and this year was the Boston Bruins’ turn. Miner explained that the last two seasons the event had been held in Dallas, Texas with the Stars, and in Columbus, Ohio with the Blue Jackets in the years prior to Dallas.

The process of bringing the event to Minot is far from complete, but all parties involved are working tirelessly to iron out the details over the coming weeks to ensure that the tournament is ready to go off without a hitch come April.

“We had to make sure that the dates were available, as we’re not the only user group at Maysa Arena,” Miner said. “We had to work with the park district, the boosters and the Minotauros to make sure the ice was available and that we could play games that weekend that the ACHA was looking for dates.”

After finalizing the dates, it was time to put in the bid to the ACHA. Factors such as hotels, restaurants and transportation services all had to be considered in a proposal that Coach Miner and the other involved parties hoped could not be ignored.

Because the tournament is not an official Minot State event, it is up to the City of Minot and the Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau to make the magic happen. Miner stressed that he and the university, as well as his hockey program, could not be happier to have been chosen.

“They’re thrilled,” he said of the sentiment around Minot State. “Any time a team gets the chance to host a national tournament at home, they’re going to be supportive. In that sense, when the tournament does come around, we’re going to be making a big push with the student population on campus to make sure they get out to the games and continue to support us.”

He added that the endeavor will be done as safely as possible with the COVID-19 cloud continuing to hang overhead. Nothing has been set in stone yet, but the event will be held under the guidance of the State of North Dakota and City of Minot’s COVID-19 regulations.

“Right now, we’re in ‘green,’ which is a positive because it allows us to bring in more fans through the door,” Miner said of Minot’s current risk level. “That total number will be determined by, most likely, the City of Minot. And then on the league’s capacity, it’ll be up to them to decide what they want to do in terms of mask requirements.”

As reported by the Minot Daily News in late January, Minot Mayor Shaun Sipma lifted the citywide mask mandate, effective at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 29.

While the finishing touches are hammered out over the coming weeks, Miner added that he and his hockey program, as well as Minot State, will be standing by to help in any way possible. The focus for the team, though, is simply to play in the tournament and have the opportunity to win on home ice with the city’s support.

“This is an opportunity for our program that’s fairly new to show ourselves off to the community and an opportunity for a Minot team to win on home ice,” he continued. “It’s an exciting time and an exciting opportunity, and we’re looking forward to getting the community’s support.”

(Originally published at https://www.minotdailynews.com/sports/local-sports/2021/02/msu-hockey-excited-to-host-acha-womens-division-i-national-championships/)

 

LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY STARTS NO. 1 IN AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION 1 FIRST RANKING

 

19 Teams Have Played Games So Far This Season During Pandemic

 

UNION LAKE, Mich. – (February 17, 2021) – Lindenwood University takes the top spot in the 2020-2021 American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 Ranking No. 1.  The Lions (6-0-0) were idle this past weekend after starting the season with sweeps of Maryville University, Missouri State University, and Ohio University.

 

This marks the first ranking since the 2019-2020 season was abruptly cancelled in March of 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  As a result, the 2020 ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championships were not contested. 

                                                                                                                                        

While there are 72 teams fielding teams in Men’s Division 1, only 19 teams have played at least one game this season so far.  To reflect these numbers, the rankings will only contain 10 teams.

 

No. 2 Adrian College (8-1-0) handed No. 7 Ohio University its fifth consecutive loss to start the season with an 8-4 home win at Arrington Arena on Thursday.  Tyler Fyfe sniped two power-play goals as seven different Bulldogs lit the lamp.  The Bobcats got revenge Friday night handing Adrian its first loss of the season (2-1) in the friendly confines of Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio.  Andrew Wells got the game-winner in the second period while Max Karlenzig was stellar in goal making 40 saves to notch the win.  

 

No. 3 Davenport University (2-1-0) and No. 4 Calvin University (2-1-0) split a pair of home-and-home games with each team winning on the road.  The Knights won 6-3 Friday night as Jared Virtanen and Riley Robertson each had a pair of goals and Darin Fox made 48 saves.  The Panthers exacted revenge on Saturday 5-3 as Jonathan Dubbink had 2 goals and an assist while Alexander Rogers turned aside 36 shots.

 

No. 5 Liberty University (2-2-0) swept No. 7 Ohio University on the road at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio to start the week, as the Flames and Bobcats played on Monday and Tuesday.  Liberty won 4-2 on Monday as Cedric Lesieur made 31 saves and Colin Baird broke a 2-2 tie early in the 3rd period for the game-winning goal.  and shutout the Bobcats 2-0 On Tuesday, goaltender Hunter Virostek stopped all 21 shots for the 2-0 shutout win while Quinn Ryan got the game-winner midway through the 2nd period.

 

Rounding out the Top 10 were No. 6 Minot State University (11-2-1), No. 7 Ohio University (1-5-0), No. 8 Iowa State University (10-3-1), No. 9 Lawrence Tech (1-0-1), and No. 10 Indiana Tech (4-4-1).

 

The CSCHL and GLCHL lead the way with three of its member teams ranked, while the WHAC has two of its member teams ranked.

 

The ACHA uses two computer rankings generated by USHSHO.com, Ranking A (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 7) and Ranking B (Wins with Maximum Goal Differential of 1), and come up with an average of the two rankings.  The ACHA will then use the list generated from the average for its weekly ranking.  Ties will be broken using the higher ranked team from Ranking B until the Top 10 teams are listed.  All games that go to overtime will be scored as ties in the computer ranking.

 

Over the past 17 seasons, 12 different schools have won the ACHA Men's Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Minot State (2), Adrian, Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.

 

With the conclusion of the ACHA’s 29th season, there have been a total of 14 schools that have won the ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championship:

 

• Penn State (5 times)
• Ohio (4)
• Lindenwood (3)
• Central Oklahoma (2)
• Illinois (2)
• Minot State (2)
• North Dakota State (2)
• Adrian
• Arizona State
• Davenport
• Delaware
• Iowa State
• Oakland
• Rhode Island

 

 

The 2021 ACHA Men's Division-I National Championships will be hosted April 15-20 for the first time at the Maryville University Hockey Center (MUHC) in Chesterfield, MO. This will be the tenth year of the 20-team format and will celebrate the ACHA’s 30th anniversary.

 

2020-2021 ACHA Men's Division 1 Ranking #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About American Collegiate Hockey Association

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of almost 500 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States.  Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide.  The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 30th season in September 2020. For more information, visit achahockey.org.