NCRHA Division I Matchup of the Week

Arizona State University vs. Grand Canyon University

Saturday, November 12, 2022 – 11:00 am and 2:00 pm

Season Head to Head prior to this weekend: GCU leads season series 1-0 (3-2 win on October 29)

Season Head to Head after this weekend: ASU leads season series 2-1 (4-2 and 3-2 wins on November 12)

Grand Canyon University had the advantage heading into the weekend, 1-0 in regular season play this season against Arizona State University. In an amazing 2-game series, Arizona State reversed that advantage, taking both games and heading into the semester break with a 2-1 advantage against Grand Canyon.

In their first game, it was a tale of the first 14 minutes of the game. Arizona State scored 3 goals in that time, 2 goals from Andrew Hite and 1 goal/1 assist from Matt Cornish. But 3-0 wouldn’t last long. Late in the 2^nd and early in the 3^rd, Grand Canyon scored 2 goals, bringing the score within 1. Both power play goals, as were many on both sides this game, scored by Brydon Frisk and Aydin Schwetz. Arizona State would go up by 2 and stay up by 2 with a goal midway through the 3^rd by Matt Cornish, his 2^nd of the game, also on the power play, to take the 4-2 lead home.

Just a couple hours later, the teams would face off again. This time, it would stay close for the duration, within neither team ever leading by more than 1 goal. In fact, the score was tied for more than half of the game. Arizona State scored the only goal in the 1^st, 1 in the 2^nd, with 2 GCU goals early and late in the 2^nd, taking a tie score into the 3^rd period. 4:57 into the 3^rd and final period, a power play goal by Mason Parker put Arizona State up 3-2. Grand Canyon kept on the attack and had some quality chances down the stretch, but ASU goaltender Lane Hartwell was up to the task and earned the W.

All of the Arizona WCRHL teams completed their first semester of play this past weekend, and will start back up again at the WCRHL event in Queen Creek, AZ the weekend of January 28-29, 2023.

NCRHA Division II Matchup of the Week

Michigan State University vs. The Ohio State University

Saturday, November 12, 2022 – 8:00 pm and Sunday, November 13, 2022 – 12:00 pm

Season Head to Head prior to this weekend: 0-0, teams have not yet met this season

Season Head to Head after this weekend: 1-1, teams split the doubleheader on Nov. 12-13 (OSU with a 7-4 win on Nov. 12 and MSU with a 5-1 win on Nov. 13)

Another doubleheader on the weekend, this one featuring Division II rivals Michigan State University and The Ohio State University. This one, however, resulted in a split. Ohio State won the 1^st matchup on Saturday, with a 7-4 score. Michigan State answered back on Sunday with a 5-1 win of their own.

In game 1, it was Ohio State’s 29 shots to Michigan State’s 20, compounded with high scoring by Robert Strianese (2 G, 3 A), Jake Cook (3 G, 1 A) and Bradley Ryniawec (2G, 1 A). These 3 players accounted for all of the goals scored in the game. It was Michigan State getting on the board first, just 59 seconds into the game, with a goal from Sean Hastings. Ohio State then turned it around midway through the 1^st, scoring 3 straight goals in the 1^st. Michigan State and Ohio State traded goals late in the 2^nd, and then 3 Ohio State goals and 2 Michigan State goals in the 3^rd to close it out. The score was 7-2 until the last minute of play, when MSU added the 2 late goals, ending in a 7-4 score in favor of Ohio State.

In game 2, it was Michigan State taking the bull by the horns, scoring 2 in the first and 2 in the 2^nd, plus the first goal in the 3^rd, before Ohio State got on the board with just 22 seconds left in the game, spoiling MSU goaltender Sam Frelich’s shutout. MSU’s Sean Hastings, Jeff Keating, Parker Davidson each had 2 points in the game, while 5 more MSU players had a point as well, a good team effort. Goaltender Sam Frelich stopped 17 out of the 18 shots he faced in the game.

Next stop for Michigan State and Ohio State is coming up this weekend in Huntingdon, TN, where they will face each other one more time and other opponents the likes of Lindenwood D1, Bethel D1, Lindenwood AA Gold, and Lindenwood AA Black.

NCRHA Division III Matchup of the Week

Illinois State University vs. Missouri S&T

Saturday, November 12, 2022 – 10:00 am

Season Head to Head prior to this weekend: Missouri S&T leads season series 1-0 (10-3 win on 11/5)

Season Head to Head after this weekend: Missouri S&T leads season series 2-0 (12-5 win on 11/12)

This past weekend, Missouri S&T and Illinois State met for the 2^nd time this season. Their previous match was a 10-3 win for S&T, with Illinois State hoping to avenge that loss this weekend. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, it was another big win for S&T, who tallied 12 goals to 5 in the win. S&T’s Blake Becker (4 G, 2 A), Angelo Colombo (2 G, 2 A), and Tyler Bradley (2 G, 2 A) earned the Three Stars of the Game.

Missouri S&T heads into the semester break with a record of 8-1, and are undefeated in Division III play. Illinois State takes a 3-4 Division III record into the semester break.

NCRHA Division AA Matchup of the Week

University of Arizona AA vs. Arizona State University AA

Saturday, November 12, 2022 – 1:00 pm

Season Head to Head prior to this weekend: 0-0, teams have not yet met this season

Season Head to Head after this weekend: U of A AA leads season series 1-0 (7-3 win on 11/12)

This year is probably the best, closest rivalry between the Division AA teams from University of Arizona and Arizona State University. University of Arizona AA has greatly improved over the last few seasons and is not just competitive with Arizona State AA (something that all AA teams struggled with in previous seasons), but U of A AA is now 1-0 over ASU AA with a commanding 7-3 win last Saturday.

Arizona scored 3 goals in the first period to ASU’s 1, and carried that 2+ lead throughout the game. U of A’s Christian Michalowski and Patrick Moore each tallied 2 goals in the W, while playmaker Theo Hannah scored 1 goal and 3 assists on the game. U of A goaltender Ethan Valentine stopped 17 out of the 20 shots he faced in the game.

U of A AA and ASU AA will face each other at least one more time this season, at the WCRHL event in Queen Creek, AZ on the weekend of January 28-29, 2023.

Stay tuned to www.ncrha.org and NCRHA social media for the November 19-20 weekend NCRHA Matchups of the Week! Starting with November 19-20, we will add a Cross-Divisional Matchup of the Week!