USCHO Weekend Review

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
We look at quarterfinal results in Hockey East, NCHC, and ECAC Hockey, including Northeastern's upset of Boston College, North Dakota's road sweep of Omaha, and Cornell's sweep of Colgate.
In semifinal results, we look at the AHA and Bentley's sweep at Sacred Heart and Holy Cross winning two at home against Army West Point, bringing an end to Brian Riley's tenure as the Black Knights' head coach. In the Big Ten, Ohio State advance in overtime past Penn State and Michigan State's lone goal vs. Notre Dame advanced the Spartans and meant the final game for Jeff Jackson as coach of the Fighting Irish. In the CCHA, both Minnesota State and St. Thomas advanced, but the Tommies' ineligibility for the NCAA tournament means the Mavericks picked up the autobid.
We also look at the PairWise rankings, where 12 teams are in and on the bubble are Michigan, Penn State, and Quinnipiac. Only the Bobcats control their own destiny among those three.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Northeastern's upset over Boston College and Hockey East Quarterfinals recap
04:54 Hockey East Semifinals preview
07:32 NCHC Quarterfinals recap
10:14 ECAC Quarterfinals recap
15:25 Atlantic Hockey Semifinals recap
22:43 Big Ten Semifinals recap
26:37 Ohio State's remarkable season
27:06 Jeff Jackson's legacy
27:56 Michigan State and tournament seeding
28:26 CCHA championship scenario
32:35 NCAA Tournament bubble wWatch
44:02 Potential Regional matchups
46:19 Wrapping up and final thoughts

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review the championships of this weekend and the mechanics of assembling the bracket in this special March 24, 2024 edition.
In this episode:

• Michigan Tech wins CCHA on Friday
• Cornell downs Cinderella St. Lawrence to win ECAC
• RIT takes AHA title
• Boston College cruises to the Hockey East title over BU
• Michigan State wins in overtime over Michigan for first Big Ten title
• Denver is victorious in penultimate NCHC Frozen Faceoff
• Selection Sunday: What is the committee's process?
• A look at Jim's final Saturday night bracketology: https://www.uscho.com/2024/03/23/bracketology-final-after-plenty-of-stress-and-two-hosts-qualifying-for-the-field-seeding-this-tournament-is-easier-than-youd-believe/

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Division I Men's Frozen Four, April 11 and 13 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit ncaa.com/mfrozenfour

USCHO podcasts are going on the road, and you can join us for live broadcasts during the 2024 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn., including Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT.
USCHO Frozen Four Live! with Ed Trefzger, Jim Connelly and Derek Schooley will have live events featuring special guests and giveaways on four days at Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub, 258 7th St W, near the Xcel Energy Center.
Guests were:

• Jeff Schulman, NCAA D-I men's ice hockey committee chairman and Vermont AD
• Jeff Fulton/Erik Martinson, NCAA officiating
• Michelle Morgan, AHA
• Sadie Lundquist, College Hockey Inc.
• Andrew Mahoney, Boston Globe

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
We recap No. 9 Maine's dramatic sweep of No. 7 Quinnipiac and Augustana's surprising victories over No. 12 Omaha. The discussion includes North Dakota's struggles, Michigan's split series with St. Cloud, and Alaska's surprising win against Notre Dame. Highlights also feature Denver Pioneers' banner-raising ceremony and consecutive wins over Northeastern, Ohio State's strong defensive start, and Western Michigan's offensive prowess. Robert Morris' sweep over Miami and the comparative performance of conferences like Atlantic Hockey and Big Ten are also analyzed, underscoring the competitive and unpredictable nature of the season.
Times are approximate:
00:00 Introduction and Hosts
00:32 Maine vs. Quinnipiac Recap
04:00 Augustana's Impressive Start
06:08 Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
09:24 Michigan vs. St. Cloud Series
11:42 Alaska's Upset Over Notre Dame
13:45 Challenges for Alaska and Independent Teams
17:05 Challenges of Alaska Trips
18:40 Denver Pioneers' Banner Raising
20:31 The Difficulty of Sweeping Series
24:57 Ohio State's Impressive Start
28:02 Western Michigan's Strong Performance
30:27 Robert Morris' Successful Weekend
34:15 Conference Performance and Wrap-Up

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
No. 1 Denver continues its winning streak, while Boston College faces challenges ahead without their top goaltender on Tuesday. Minnesota splits with Bemidji State, and Michigan State likely rises to No. 2 in the USCHO poll. They look at Dartmouth's win over Cornell, and Colorado College's weekend results at Western Michigan. The discussion shifts to AIC's surprising move to Division II, pondering the implications for the program and college hockey expansion.
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and Hosts
00:26 Denver's dominance and North Dakota's struggles
03:18 Boston College's loss at UConn, Fowler suspension
08:51 Minnesota vs. Bemidji State split
12:44 Michigan State's impressive streak
14:53 Dartmouth's surprising performance
16:35 Colorado College and Western Michigan showdown
17:55 NCHC Standings and Team Analysis
21:32 Balancing league schedules: challenges and solutions
26:34 Providence vs. UMass
28:37 Wisconsin's turnaround
31:18 Quinnipiac's prospects at 5-5-0
32:36 AIC's announced drop to D-II
42:24 The broader impact on college hockey
45:22 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up