Dear Santa – we all know the greatest team sport is the game of hockey! It is where “we” is more important than “I” and where everyone doing their job from the crease out makes the difference in consistent performance and results.
Wow, Big Guy, that kind of sounds like all your elves who always seem to put the “we” first. A group that massively delivers results around the world to the satisfaction of good children on the nice list and even manage to keep their coach (that’s you Santa) happy and mostly jolly for your annual around the world pilgrimage on Christmas Eve. No doubt that your team knows about self-sacrifice and dedication and commitment like all the players and coaches who are catching their breath over the holidays following an exhilarating first-half of hockey filled with dominant performances, abundant surprises, an extremely competitive landscape and of course, dreams and goals of conference glory and national championship invitations swirling in every team’s collective heads over the holiday season.
So, Jolly Old Elf, we will make sure there are ample milk and cookies awaiting your delivery schedule so painstakingly architected by your team with the expectation that you can deliver on the requests found in the balance of this letter prioritized as you and the elves like it – by conference and in alphabetical order.
CNE
With everyone having played eight games, the top three (Curry, Endicott, and UNE) are separated by just three points in the standings. Both Suffolk and Wentworth are within sight of the league leaders so let the second half produce some drama not just for the expected contenders but a great underdog story we can all climb aboard the Upset Express for. Goaltender CJ Hapward has found a home with the Suffolk Rams and proven he can backstop a team that believes into wins as evidenced by last weekend’s pair of 1-0 shutout victories over Johnson & Wales. Santa let’s make sure the battle for the 40th anniversary title is a memorable one with some excitement and surprises along the way.
The offensive statistical battles in the CNE are heavily weighted to the top three teams but the talent is worthy of the accolades they display on the scoresheet each game. Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov is seeking a third conference Player of the Year award which would cement his legacy among the best at Endicott and in the conference. Keep him and all his fellow competitors healthy so we can witness the winter magic they can all produce with a stick and puck in the second half.
Independent
After a slow start to the season, Keene State (who will play in the Little East next season) ended the semester on a three-game win streak leveling their record at 5-5-1. The fledging Owls are in their first season at the D-III level but coach Bobby Rodrigue has the boys playing with some pace and aggression as they have acclimated to the college game. Santa let’s do something for the little guy literally – Marcus Chrisafideis may only be 5’6” but he is on pace for a 20-goal season and over 30 points if he continues his torrid scoring from the first half. Let’s keep some magic in his stick for the second half where the Owls will face some perennial powers including Curry, Plattsburgh, and Amherst.
MAC
Santa, the MAC is something old and new as this year’s conference has expanded to eight teams and the champion receives and auto-bid to the NCAA tournament. Lots of motivation for all the teams who currently looking up at a Wilkes team that started fast. There is a lot of talent across these rosters and already Arcadia, Neumann, and Stevenson have shown they can be worthy contenders when they are on their game. Let’s bring the magic of the holidays forward into the second half where the point spread in the standings shrinks and creates some extra drama for playoff seeding and tournament matchups.
Stevenson’s Liam McCanney has represented excellence on the ice for the Mustangs garnering All-American honors in two of his seasons. Santa, all great players have that Century Club distinction and often in both games played and points. Let’s keep the Mustangs’ power forward on track for achieving both with room to spare which will help jump start Stevenson back into the battle for the top spot.
MASCAC
The Plymouth State Panthers entered the break in a customary position atop the MASCAC standings going a clean 5-0-0 to start the campaign. Both Fitchburg State and newcomers Anna Maria are not far back setting up an exciting race to challenge PSU’s recent dominance and multiple consecutive championships. Oh Santa, if any conference shows off your elfin work ethic it is the MASCAC where upsets astound with a great deal of frequency. Please keep this race wide open right to the bitter end and prove that the teams that want the title will need to go and take it from the incumbent who is not likely to part easily with their crown.
While PSU has a lot of front-end talent among the league leaders for offensive statistics, it is sophomore Collin Patterson from Massachusetts-Dartmouth who leads the league in goals and points (8G – 8A – 16 Pts) at the break. CP18 may be one of the most under-rated players at the D-III level but for anyone who has seen him knows he is dangerous anytime the puck and his stick meet. Santa keeps Mr. Patterson’s productive game on track for all to see and for the Corsairs to take advantage in moving up the MASCAC standings
NE-10
Assumption holds a small advantage in the conference standings entering the break where the top four teams are separated by just four points. Consistency across the board has been a challenge for many of the NE-10 teams who will need that disciplined approach to playing a full sixty minutes in the second half if they want to contend for a conference title in March. It always seems to be anyone’s title who wants to step up and grab it and the second half always plays out much larger than the first. Let’s keep things unpredictable on the ice Mr Claus so that even the playoff positions are highly contested.
Defenseman David Ciancio has had a first half where defense was far from all he did on the ice. The star blueliner for the Purple Knights is third in the conference in goals and sixth in assists at the break and combined with fellow D-man Case Kantgias, the two have combined for 24 points in the first half. Let’s make sure these 200-foot players have an excellent second half and keep St. Michael’s in the championship hunt.
NEHC
Hobart has continued their juggernaut roll like Santa attacking some freshly baked Christmas cookies with a cold glass of milk chaser. The Statesmen are 10-0-0 and are outscoring opponents by a 50-9 margin. While there is little or no chance a Mark Taylor team would ever become complacent, the rest of the league will surely be targeting their shot at the defending champions not only in the second half but also come playoff time. Let’s make sure the expanded NEHC in its final year as a conference displays the depth and talent we have come to expect in recent years.
Hey, Mr. Claus, two requests on the NEHC list for your consideration. First, forward Luke Chakrabarti from VSU-Castleton has shown great skill and scoring talent in his rookie season with the Spartans. While he leads the conference in scoring, please help him and his teammate Andrew Stefura continue to display the depth and ability that each team in the NEHC brings to the ice every night. Second, it probably should not be a surprise that the top five players in plus/minus are all from Hobart. Not sure this has ever happened for a full season but if the Statesmen continue to dominate in the second half, it would be great to have one of the most telling hockey team stats reflect that dominance.
NESCAC
The standings at the semester break are nothing short of intriguing as not only is Trinity not among the top five (largely due to games played or a lack thereof) but after Hamilton, Conn College, Colby, Bowdoin, and Williams are all in the upper echelon. Santa, if this could stay true with the roller coaster each weekend has brought to scoreboard watching, it certainly will be a great race for playoff eligibility and position along with a dynamic conference tournament. Please make it so as the parity among high-performing teams is as good as it has ever been in the NESCAC today.
Colby has certainly found their offense early with junior Reese Farrell and sophomore Jayden Grier (son of San Jose Sharks GM, Mike Grier) lighting the lamp early and often for the Mules. The duo has already combined for twelve goals with six apiece in the shorter first half seen by NESCAC teams so Santa, please keep this dynamic duo producing goals in volume and helping Blaise MacDonald’s squad to stay in the battle at the top of the standings.
SUNYAC
The eight team configuration for the conference this season has already produced some dramatic results with no team going unbeaten in the first half and Buffalo State holding the top spot based on an extra game played and won in conference action. The records are close as are the point gaps with only six points separating teams one through seven. This race could be the most interesting of all across conferences in the east so here is my request of the Big Red Elf, let’s continue the success in Buffalo and throw in a tough Fredonia squad to battle the usual suspects including Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Cortland.
They say there is no place like home and if that is true, then Santa you must really love the North Pole! Back to SUNYAC hockey for a moment and maybe some home cooking magic for Cortland that has been undefeated on the road and just 1-3-0 at home where the losses have included non-conference games with Adrian and Curry. Tough to contend if you can’t defend your own barn so, please help the Red Dragons regain their mojo on home ice in the second half.
UCHC
This season’s edition of the UCHC is quite different with just six teams and a clear-cut stratification with the top two of Geneseo and Utica and the rest of the league at the halfway mark. Things could certainly change after the holidays but if the two games played between the Pioneers and Knights last weekend are any indication of action to come then more, please- definitely, more. A college hockey game with zero penalties that had the crowd riveted – make sure this style for action makes the “nice list” requirements Santa as anyone will tell you the game is more fun when it is 5-on-5 and up and down the ice action.
Santa, as you know it is a team game and puck possession is so important to creating offense. With that in mind, it is incredible that Utica’s Jakob Breault is 200-87 (.697) at the dot for the Pioneers. He has 200 face-off wins which is almost 70 more than the next closest rival. Big guy you know I aspire in my prognostications to be 70% successful (still waiting on that gift) but it would be nice to share that success rate with Breault who is so close to an incredible number and face-off dominance.
Well, not too much asked for this year as we are already enjoying some great hockey and hard work shown by all the teams and coaching staffs who are definitely emulating the intensity, focus and urgency on display by Team Santa and the elves on the shelf and elsewhere. We all know you will be busy in less than two weeks but please make certain all of our D-II/III players and families enjoy the spirit of the holidays, whichever they celebrate and return to the second semester rested and ready for the sprint to the finish of the 2024-25 season.
Wishing all fans of the greatest of team sports the joy of the season and a healthy and Happy New Year!
