Nationals Representatives – D2 – AAU College Hockey National Tournament

Nationals Representatives - D2

NEIHC AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

Bishop’s Gaiters – Seed #2 / Pool B / 13-3-0

Anna Maria College Amcats – Seed #4 / Pool D / 17-1-0

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers – Seed #12 / Pool B / 13-7-1

The New England Independent Hockey Conference (NEIHC) is represented at AAU Nationals by three division two squads. Anna Maria College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Bishop’s University are headed to Jacksonville, FL, on March 18th to compete for a national title.

Bishop University (13-3-0) will be the two-seed at AAU Nationals, leading the way for the NEIHC division two teams. Center Lucas Throne and Left Winger Marc-Antoine Lagace are significant reasons for Bishop’s University’s success this season, eclipsing 25 points. In Jacksonville, the Gaiters will face Pool B against nine-seed SUNY-Brockport, 12th-seed Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and 19th-seed FAU Owls. Bishop’s University looks to bring home the title in its second consecutive appearance to the AAU National tournament.

Anna Maria sits in the middle of the pack as the fourth seed in Jacksonville. Anna Maria College had the best record amongst the NEIHC division two teams, securing a 17-1-0 record. Nick Levasseur was the leading scorer for the Amcats with a dominant 43-point season, which led NEIHC Division 2. The goaltending of Ben Hardy, who had a 5-1 record with a 2.17 goals against average(GAA) and a .947 save percentage (SV%) helped secure the regular season title for the Amcats. Anna Maria will be in Pool D at AAU Nationals as they take on seventh-seeded Middle Tennessee State, fourteenth-seed Kutztown, and seventeenth Embry-Riddle. Anna Maria College will look to build on their strong regular season en route to a national title.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy rounds out the NEIHC division two teams at AAU Nationals. The Buccaneers finished second in the division with a 13-7-1 record going into the playoffs. Constantino Marrocco led Massachusetts Maritime Academy with 23 points, 12 goals, and 11 assists. The Buccaneers will be in pool B, facing off against second-seed Bishop’s University, ninth-seed SUNY-Brockport, and 19th-seed FAU.

– Gavin Coker, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter

Empire AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

Farmingdale State College Rams – Seed #10 / Pool A / 15-11-3

Only one team from the Empire Collegiate Conference qualified for the Division 2 AAU Nationals: the Farmingdale State Rams.

Farmingdale State’s AAU Nationals presence does not end with its Division One program. Like its D1 counterparts, Farmingdale is the top-ranked Empire Conference team. It is hunting to improve its 15-11-3 record and cap off its season with a National Championship after winning its conference championship.

Top sniper Brendan Dixson leads the Rams in goals(24) and assists(21). Dixson powers an offense that averages over five goals per game. Goaltender Luke Richardson has started nearly every game for Farmingdale State, taking the net in 26 of 29 games. Richardson went 13-10-3 with a 3.58 goals-against average and a 0.889% save percentage.

In Pool A, the Rams will start by facing 11th-seeded Wake Forest, followed by 20th-seeded Lynn University, and then wrapping up pool play against top-seeded Florida Atlantic.

– Caroline Delaney, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter

DVCHC AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions – Seed #8 / Pool C / 14-9-1

Kutztown Golden Bears – Seed #14 / Pool D / 9-6-4

Two teams from Division 2, the Kutztown University Golden Bears and Penn State University at Harrisburg, will represent the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference at the AAU Nationals.

The Kutztown Golden Bears are the 14th seed in the Division 2 bracket, facing strong competition in Pool D. The Golden Bears will take on fourth-seed Anna Maria, seventh-seed Middle Tennessee State, and 17th-seed Embry Riddle in a round-robin tournament to open Nationals. The Golden Bears enter Nationals with a 9-6-4 record on the season, led by Stephen Graney, who had 15 assists while tallying six goals.

Kutztown fell short in the DVCHC championship game to Penn State Harrisburg, losing 3-1. The Golden Bears advanced to the championship game after defeating Neuman 5-1 in the semifinals. This will be the fourth appearance at the AAU National Championships for Kutztown.

The Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions are the second team from DVCHC division two to make the trip south with a dominant season. Jake Stasyk led the way this season with 17 goals and 14 assists as Penn State sits atop their conference with a 14-9-1 record.

The Nittany Lions knocked off Kutztown to win their second straight conference championship. For their strong regular season and conference crown, Penn State Harrisburg earned the eighth seed at the Division 2 AAU Nationals and will play in Pool C.

They will kick off the tournament against 13th-seeded Miami, take on 17th-seeded Paul Smith’s College, and then wrap up pool play against third-seeded High Point. This will be Penn State Harrisburg’s third straight Nationals trip as they look to capture their first National Championship.

– Gavin Coker, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter

UNYCHL AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

SUNY Brockport Eagles – Seed #9 / Pool B / 16-4-1

Niagara Purple Eagles – Seed #15 / Pool E / 15-9-0

Paul Smith’s College Bobcats – Seed #16 / Pool E / 17-9-0

Division 2 will feature three teams representing the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League: SUNY-Brockport, Niagara, and Paul Smith’s College.

The #9 seed, SUNY-Brockport, will be the first of the teams to hit the ice when they take on the #12 seed, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, in Pool B. Suny-Brockport has proved that it is one of the better teams in the conference, going on a seven-game win streak to start the season. The Golden Eagles’ biggest strength will be their offense. Owen Hughes and Quinn Malley have been the star-studded duo for this team, with a combined 38 points across goals and assists.

Let’s swing it over to Pool E, where a gauntlet is ahead for the #15-seeded Niagara Purple Eagles. The starting matchup will be against the #6 seed, Tampa, from College Hockey South. Niagara’s consistency with the penalty box makes this matchup an uphill battle. The Purple Eagles have three players who each have over 40 minutes in the box this season and two players who have over 30. This offense might have been able to make up for that slack against teams in the UNYCHL, but it will be difficult for them to overcome that struggle against a team that loves power-play goals.

Staying in Pool E, we see the #16 seed, Paul Smith’s College. The top-ranked team in the conference had a rough end to the regular season, losing three of its last four games. The Bobcats will face the #5 seed, South Florida, to start things off. For Paul Smith’s, the primary strategy will likely be the speed of its offense and how little the team spends in the box. The faster the Bobcats can score (with no penalties), the more likely they will be able to pull off a win against a dominant team like South Florida.

– Preston McAlhany, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter

College Hockey South AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

Florida Atlantic Owls – Seed #1 / Pool A / 19-5-1

Pool A opponents & (conference):

#10 Farmingdale State College Rams (Empire)
#11 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (ACCHL)
#20 Lynn Fighting Knights (College Hockey South)

CHS D2 Playoffs:

L vs Ole Miss in QF, 5-4 F/OT

W vs Tampa in 5th Place Game, 9-1

Leading Scorer(s): #88 Brady Baehser – 22 Goals, 24 Assists, 46 Points in 24 GP

South Florida Bulls – Seed #5 / Pool E / 20-6-1

Pool E opponents & (conference):

#6 Tampa Spartans (College Hockey South)
#15 Niagara Purple Eagles (Upstate New York)
#16 Paul Smith’s College Bobcats (Upstate New York)

CHS D2 Playoffs:

W vs Vanderbilt in QF, 4-3

W vs Clemson in SF, 5-3

L vs MTSU in CHS CG, 4-0

Leading Scorer(s): #17 Grant Dietz – 34 Goals, 26 Assists, 60 Points in 27 GP

Tampa Spartans – Seed #6 / Pool E / 13-9-0

Pool E opponents & (conference):

#5 South Florida Bulls (College Hockey South)
#15 Niagara Purple Eagles (Upstate New York)
#16 Paul Smith’s College Bobcats (Upstate New York)

CHS D2 Playoffs:

L vs MTSU in QF, 6-2

L vs Florida Atlantic in 5th Place Game, 9-1

Leading Scorer(s): #86 Tyler Hoffberg – 9 Goals, 22 Assists, 31 Points in 20 GP

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders – Seed #7 / Pool D / 22-6-1

Pool D opponents & (conference):

#4 Anna Maria College Amcats (New England)
#14 Kutztown Golden Bears (Delaware Valley)
#17 Embry-Riddle Ice Eagles (College Hockey South)

CHS D2 Playoffs:

W vs Tampa in QF, 6-2

W vs Ole Miss in SF, 4-1

W vs USF in CHS CG, 4-0

Leading Scorer(s): #11 Brendan Ogle – 25 Goals, 35 Assists, 60 Points in 28 GP

Miami Hurricanes – Seed #13 / Pool C / 10-12-2

Pool C opponents & (conference):

#3 High Point Panthers (ACCHL)
#8 Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions (Delaware Valley)
#18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (College Hockey South)

CHS D2 Playoffs:

L vs Clemson in QF, 6-5

W vs Vanderbilt in 7th Place Game, 7-2

Leading Scorer(s): #20 Elian Estulin – 19 Goals, 20 Assists, 39 Points in 24 GP

Embry-Riddle Ice Eagles – Seed #17 / Pool D / 5-16-2

Pool D opponents & (conference):

#4 Anna Maria College Amcats (New England)
#7 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (College Hockey South)
#14 Kutztown Golden Bears (Delaware Valley)

CHS D2 Playoffs: N/A

Leading Scorer(s): #14 Billy Callahan – 5 Goals, 9 Assists, 14 Points in 20 GP

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – Seed #18 / Pool C / 5-17-1

Pool C opponents & (conference):

#3 High Point Panthers (ACCHL)
#8 Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions (Delaware Valley)
#13 Miami Hurricanes (College Hockey South)

CHS D2 Playoffs: N/A

Leading Scorer(s): #7 Cullen Dorcas – 9 Goals, 16 Assists, 25 Points in 21 GP

FAU Owls – Seed #19 / Pool B / 16-6-0

Pool B opponents & (conference):

#2 Bishop’s Gaiters (New England)
#9 SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles (Upstate New York)
#12 Massachusetts Maritime Academy (New England)

CHS D2 Playoffs: N/A

Leading Scorer(s): #27 Christian Cuccia – 27 Goals, 43 Assists, 70 Points in 22 GP

Lynn Fighting Knights – Seed #20 / Pool A / 9-12-1

Pool A opponents & (conference):

#1 Florida Atlantic Owls (College Hockey South)
#10 Farmingdale State College Rams (Empire)
#11 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (ACCHL)

CHS D2 Playoffs: N/A

Leading Scorer(s): #14 Mason Moree – 9 Goals, 20 Assists, 29 Points in 20 GP

– Kelly Kaelblein, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter

ACCHL AAU Nationals Representatives - Division 2

High Point Panthers – Seed #3 / Pool C / 22-6-2

Pool C Opponents & (Conference):

#8 Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions (Delaware Valley)
#13 Miami Hurricanes (College Hockey South)
#18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (College Hockey South)

ACCHL Tournament:

W vs George Washington in QF, 11-4

L vs West Virginia in SF, 3-2

Leading scorer(s): #98 Jack Slayton – 30 Goals, 19 Assists, 49 Points in 22 GP

Wake Forest Demon Deacons – Seed #11 / Pool A / 15-7-0

Pool A Opponents & (Conference):

#1 Florida Atlantic (College Hockey South)
#10 Farmingdale State Rams (Empire)
#20 Lynn Fighting Knights (College Hockey South)

ACCHL Tournament:

W vs Richmond in QF, 3-2

W vs Georgetown in SF, 3-2 F/3OT

W vs West Virginia in ACC CG, 2-1 F/OT

Leading scorer(s): #23 James McGregor – 8 Goals, 16 Assists, 24 Points in 22 GP

– Jyesha Nance, AAU Hockey Beat Reporter