USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) has more than 900 league alumni playing NCAA Division I hockey this season and many of them factored heavily in the opening weekend of Conference playoff action. 

“The USHL again has shown a bonding connection to college hockey, “ said USHL President and Commissioner Bill Robertson. “USHL players are spread all over college hockey during this special time of year and we wish all our USHL alumni the very best as they advance forward into the 2022 NCAA Tournament.”

Check out how the first set of series played out, as well as the upcoming schedule for each of the six NCAA DI conferences below. 

Bentley defeats Niagara (2-0)

• Colin Rutherford (Des Moines Buccaneers / Tri-City Storm / Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2015-17) scores twice, including the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 1

• After an assist in Game 1, Cole Kodsi (Omaha Lancers / Chicago Steel / Madison Capitols , 2017-20) records a pair of goals in Game 2 to lead Bentley to the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals 

Mercyhurst defeats Holy Cross (2-0)

• Paul Maust (Green Bay Gamblers, 2017-19) was the overtime hero for Mercyhurst in Game 1, scoring less than four minutes into the extra frame and Kyle McClellan (Omaha Lancers, 2019-20) made 32 saves in the 2-1 win

• Maust scores his second goal of the series, a third period game-winner and McClellan turns aside 42 shots in the second 2-1 win of the series

Upcoming Series:

• Quarterfinals: Bentley @ American International College 

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (7:05 p.m. EST)

• Quarterfinals: Mercyhurst @ Canisius

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (8:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (7:05 p.m. EST)

• Quarterfinals: Air Force @ Army

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (5:05 p.m. EST)

• Quarterfinals: Sacred Heart @ RIT

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:05 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (5:05 p.m. EST)

• Semifinals: Friday, March 18 (4:00 p.m. EST & 7:30 p.m. EST)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (7:30 p.m. EST)

Michigan defeats Michigan State (2-0)

• Luke Hughes (USA Hockey NTDP, 2019-21) scores the game-winning goal while Erik Portillo (Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2019-20) makes 23 saves in a 4-1 win

• Hughes (0-3-3) and Johnny Beecher (USA Hockey NTDP, 2017-19) (2-1-3) each record three-point games and Portillo has a 23-save shutout to send #2 Michigan to the Semifinals

Notre Dame defeats Wisconsin (2-1)

• Brock Caufield (Green Bay Gamblers, 2015-18), Dominick Mersch (Lincoln Stars / USA Hockey NTDP, 2014-18) and Zach Urdahl (Lincoln Stars / Des Moines Buccaneers, 2018-21) all find the net and Jared Moe (Waterloo Black Hawks, 2017-19) makes 49 saves as Wisconsin takes Game 1, 3-1 

• Trevor Janicke (USA Hockey NTDP / Central Illinois Flying Aces, 2016-19) finds the game-winner for Notre Dame with 21 seconds remaining in regulation and Graham Slaggert (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / USA Hockey NTDP, 2015-18) picks up his second point of the night (1-1-2) as Notre Dame evens the series with a 3-2 win

• Notre Dame finishes the come-from-behind series win with a 4-2 win as Slaggert (0-2-2) and Janicke (1-1-2) each pick up another pair of points

Penn State defeats Ohio State (2-1)

• Georgii Merkulov (Youngstown Phantoms, 2019-21) scores twice (2-0-2) as the higher-ranked Buckeyes take Game 1, 4-3

• Penn State evens the series in a back-and-forth Game 2 battle as Ryan Kirwan (Green Bay Gamblers / Madison Capitols, 2019-21), Christian Berger (Madison Capitols / Omaha Lancers, 2016-20) and Ben Schoen (Youngstown Phantoms / Tri-City Storm, 2018-21) each pick up a pair of points 

• Kirwan opens the scoring for Penn State and Paul DeNaples (Sioux Falls Stampede, 2016-18) and Connor MacEachern (Youngstown Phantoms, 2018-19) pick up assists on the series-clinching goal in a 2-1 win

Upcoming Series:

• Semifinals: Notre Dame @ Michigan

  • Saturday, March 12 (6:30 p.m. CST)

• Semifinals: Penn State @ Minnesota

  • Saturday, March 12 (9:00 p.m. CST)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (TBD)

Colgate defeats Yale (2-0)

• Colgate takes Game 1 but Ryan Carmichael (Fargo Force / Lincoln Stars, 2018-19) picks up an assist for Yale in the 3-2 loss

• Colgate closes out the series with a 5-1 win, led by a three-point (1-2-3) effort from Griffin Lunn (Bloomington Thunder / Central Illinois Flying Aces / Sioux Falls Stampede, 2016-18) while Ross Mitton (Fargo Force / Omaha Lancers / Lincoln Stars, 2017-20) caps off the Colgate scoring with an empty-net insurance goal 

Union defeats Princeton (2-0)

• Brandon Estes (Youngstown Phantoms, 2016-17) picks up the game-winning goal late in the third period for Union as they take a 1-0 series lead with a 3-2 Game 1 win

• Union closes the series with a 5-1 win as Liam Robertson (Youngstown Phantoms, 2018-19) and Chaz Smesrud (Madison Capitols, 2018-19) each pick up a goal and an assist 

St. Lawrence defeats Brown (2-1)

• Aleksi Peltonen (Omaha Lancers, 2017-19) scores and adds a pair of assists for St. Lawrence as they take a 1-0 series lead with a 4-1 victory in Game 1

• Brown evens the series with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 2 as Wyatt Schlaht (Lincoln Stars, 2018-19) picks up an assist on Brown’s first goal of the game

• St. Lawrence comes from behind for a 4-3 overtime win as Jordan Steinmetz (Sioux City Musketeers, 2018-19) picks up an assist on the series-clinching goal

RPI defeats Dartmouth (2-1)

• Dartmouth opens the series with a 3-2 Game 1 win as Jeff Losurdo (Fargo Force / Madison Capitols, 2016-17) tallied the eventual game-winning goal near the end of the middle frame

• RPI answers back in Game 2, taking a 3-2 win of their own as Simon Kjellberg (Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2018-19), Mason Klee (Lincoln Stars / Sioux Falls Stampede, 2017-19) and Jakub Lacka (Central Illinois Flying Aces, 2017-18) provide the offense, each scoring a goal in the win

• Kjellberg adds a pair of goals and three points (2-1-3) in a 5-3 series-clinching Game 3 win

Upcoming Series: 

• St. Lawrence @ Quinnipiac 

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (TBD)

• Colgate @ Cornell 

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (TBD)

• RPI @ Harvard 

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (TBD)

• Union @ Clarkson 

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:00 p.m. EST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (TBD)

• Semifinals: Friday, March 18 (TBD & TBD)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (TBD)

Upcoming Series: 

• Opening Round: New Hampshire @ Boston College (Wednesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST)

• Opening Round: Vermont @ Providence (Wednesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST)

• Opening Round: Maine @ Merrimack (Wednesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST)

• Quarterfinals: 

  • Boston University @ Connecticut (Saturday, March 12 at 4:30 p.m. EST)

  • TBD @ University of Massachusetts-Lowell (Saturday, March 12 at 4:30 p.m EST)

  • TBD @ University of Massachusetts (Saturday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST)

  • TBD @ Northeastern (Saturday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. EST)

• Semifinals: Friday, March 18 (4:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. EST)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (7:00 p.m. EST)

Upcoming Series: 

• Quarterfinals: Nebraska-Omaha @ Western Michigan

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:05 p.m. CST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (7:05 p.m. CST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (7:05 p.m. CST)

• Quarterfinals: Minnesota Duluth @ St. Cloud State

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. CST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (6:00 p.m. CST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (6:00 p.m. CST)

• Quarterfinals: Colorado @ North Dakota

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:07 p.m. CST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (6:07 p.m. CST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (6:07 p.m. CST)

• Quarterfinals: Miami @ Denver

  • Game 1: Friday, March 11 (7:00 p.m. CST)

  • Game 2: Saturday, March 12 (6:00 p.m. CST)

  • Game 3*: Sunday, March 13 (6:00 p.m. CST)

• Semifinals: Friday, March 18 (4:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. CST)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (7:30 p.m. CST)

Minnesota State defeats St. Thomas (2-0)

• Dryden McKay (Madison Capitols / Green Bay Gamblers, 2015-18) makes 11 saves for Minnesota State and Peter Thome (Waterloo Blackhawks / Omaha Lancers / Chicago Steel, 2015-17) makes 39 saves for St. Thomas as Minnesota State wins Game 1, 3-2

• Ondrej Pavel (Fargo Force, 2018-20) scores twice in a three-point performance (2-1-3) as Minnesota State closes out the series with an 8-2 win while Olympian Nathan Smith (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2017-19) and Brendan Furry (Omaha Lancers / Tri-City Storm, 2017-19) each add a pair of assists, Cade Borchardt (Madison Capitols / Sioux Falls Stampede, 2017-19) tallies a goal and an assist and seven other USHL alumni add a point including goals from Ryan Sandelin (Bloomington Thunder / Sioux City Musketeers, 2015-17) and Reggie Lutz (Chicago Steel, 2016-17)

Northern Michigan defeats Lake Superior State (2-1)

• AJ Vanderbeck (Sioux Falls Stampede, 2015-16) and Alex Frye (Chicago Steel, 2015-16) each tally a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win in Game 1

• Brandon Puricelli (Omaha Lancers, 2017-18) and Timo Bakos (Sioux Falls Stampede, 2019-20) score while Jacob Bengtsson (Waterloo Black Hawks, 2018-20) adds a pair of assists as Lake Superior State ties the series with a 3-2, Game 2 victory

• Northern Michigan closes out the series with a 5-4, come-from-behind victory in Game 3 as Vanderbeck tallies a trio of assists while Frye, Hank Crone (Fargo Force / Omaha Lancers, 2014-19), Tanner Vescio (Fargo Force, 2018-19) and Mack Byers (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2019-20) combine for four of the five Northern Michigan goals

Bemidji State defeats Bowling Green (2-1)

• Ryan O’Hara pots a goal (Waterloo Black Hawks, 2020-21), Sam Craggs (Waterloo Black Hawks / Youngstown Phantoms / Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2014-15 & 2016-17) tallies an assist and Christian Stoever (Madison Capitols / Youngstown Phantoms / Des Moines Buccaneers / Muskegon Lumberjacks / Sioux Falls Stampede / Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2017-21) stops 26 shots as Bowling Green wins Game 1, 2-1

• Craggs adds a pair of goals and Taylor Schneider (Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2018-19) a pair of assists for Bowling Green but Bemidji State evens the series with a 4-2 win in Game 2 behind a pair of assists from Will Zmolek (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2017-19), a goal from Brad Johnson (Fargo Force / Omaha Lancers / Sioux City Musketeers / Indiana Ice, 2012-17) and 27 saves from Mattias Sholl (Youngstown Phantoms, 2020-21)

• Ethan Somoza (Bloomington Thunder, 2015-17) scores as Bowling Green as Bemidji State closes the come-from-behind series with a 2-1 win in Game 3

Michigan Tech defeats Ferris State (2-0)

• Logan Pietila (Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2017-19) nets the overtime game-winner and Trenton Bliss (Green Bay Gamblers, 2016-18) adds a pair of assists as Michigan Tech bests Ferris State 3-2 in Game 1

• L. Pietila scores again and Jake Crespi (Tri-City Storm, 2017-19) adds a pair of assists while Blake Pietila (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2017-19) turns aside 32 shots in a 3-2 double overtime thriller as Michigan Tech moves on to the Semifinals

Upcoming Series:

• Semifinals: Northern Michigan @ Minnesota State (Saturday, March 12 at 6:07 p.m. CST)

• Semifinals: Bemidji State @ Michigan Tech (Saturday, March 12 at 6:07 p.m. EST)

• Championship: Saturday, March 19 (TBD)