The 20th edition of the Atlantic Hockey Association is sure to be a memorable one, with 10 teams vying for a conference title and a spot in the NCAA tournament.
American International has been the recent cream of the crop, winning three straight AHA crowns. The Yellow Jackets again are the team to beat, but there are multiple conference teams up for the challenge.
Air Force reached the Atlantic Hockey championship game and plays its best hockey in March. Canisius was the only AHA team besides AIC to have a positive goal differential last year. Not to be forgotten are Army, Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst, programs that are on the rise and can knock off any team on any night.
Atlantic Hockey traditionally has been about parity until the Yellow Jackets began their run. Will this be the year the AHA has a new champion? Or will AIC do what no team has done before and win its fourth consecutive title?
Read on to learn how each team fared last year, key players to watch for and what each program hopes to build on this winter.
AIR FORCE
The Falcons (16-17-3) got hot at the right time last season, winning three road playoff games to reach the AHA Championship Game as a sixth seed. Frank Serratore’s group is always a tough out in March, and Air Force returns the majority of its roster.
Will Gavin (Durham, Conn.) led the Falcons with 29 points, adding four game-winning goals. In fact, all five of Air Force’s 20-point scorers are back, including All-Conference third-team defenseman Brandon Koch. Blueliner Luke Rowe blocked 57 shots last season and will assume a bigger role his junior year.
Roster continuity is a plus, but the Falcons have much to improve on to post their first winning record since 2019. They finished last in the AHA in goals-against average and in penalty kill percentage. Last year’s lone senior, goaltender Alex Schilling, leaves a big hole to fill in net.
AIC
It’s officially a dynasty in Springfield, as the Yellow Jackets (22-13-3) won their third straight conference championship in March. They’re the first AHA program to threepeat since Air Force in 2009.
AIC did nearly everything well last season, leading Atlantic Hockey in goals scored and allowed. AHA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Blake Bennett netted 34 points, the most in the conference. Defenseman Zak Galambos, forward Jake Stella and goalie Jake Kucharski all received All-AHA honors. The team won its last five conference games before losing to Michigan in the NCAA regional semifinal.
AIC has compiled 58 wins over the past three seasons. With Eric Lang behind the bench and a strong power-play unit, the Yellow Jackets enter this upcoming season as the favorites again. One thing to keep tabs on is how AIC replaces three of its top four scorers, including Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year Chris Theodore.
ARMY
After dropping both of its AHA tournament games to Air Force in overtime, Army has a chip on its shoulder this year. The Black Knights (14-17-4) were a well-balanced team last season, peppering the net with shots and thriving on special teams.
Leading Army is Anthony Firriolo, a senior defenseman who notched 21 points and made the All-Conference second team as a junior. Goalie Gavin Abric also returns after posting a .925 save percentage. The Black Knights had one of the stingier defenses in Atlantic Hockey and are primed to finish top three in conference GAA again.
The program might need time to figure out its attack, as head coach Brian Riley must replace his top three scoring forwards from a year ago. Sophomore center Michael Sacco is a candidate for more opportunities after finishing his rookie year strong.
BENTLEY
The Falcons (14-20-2) started last year strong, winning 12 of their first 21 contests. Yet a winless February resulted in Bentley finishing below .500 for the second season in a row.
Ryan Soderquist’s group aims to get its mojo back for October. The Falcons’ top scorer, Drew Bavaro, transferred to Notre Dame, but senior Matt Gosiewski (Wilton, Conn.) ranks fourth in career points among AHA skaters. Forwards Cole Kodsi and Dylan Pitera are a pair of 20-point scorers who can help Bentley improve upon a pedestrian scoring average.
Bentley will have plenty of new faces on campus, as nearly half of last year’s roster is no longer on the team. Look for some freshmen to earn playing time right away, like former Rivers School blueliner Pat Lawn (Waltham, Mass.).
CANISIUS
Canisius rode a strong offense and impressive goaltending to the second seed in the AHA tournament before dropping its quarterfinal series to Mercyhurst. The Golden Griffiths (16-16-3, 13-11-2) lost their last four games of the season, all of them to the Lakers.
The good news is the program brings back a lot of key players, including goalie Jacob Barczewski, forward Keaton Mastrodonato and blueliner David Melaragni. All three seniors made an All-Atlantic Hockey team last year. Junior forward Max Kouznetsov netted 23 points and was a plus-6 in 32 games.
With 15 seniors and graduate students on this year’s roster, Canisius will be one of the more experienced teams in the conference. That doesn’t mean there aren’t new faces; grad student Erik Urbank transferred in after playing 53 games in four seasons at Dartmouth.
HOLY CROSS
The Crusaders (12-23-2, 10-14-2) endured their sixth straight losing season last winter, but they won four of their last six regular-season games before getting swept by Mercyhurst in the conference tournament. Holy Cross struggled to generate scoring chances and graduated its top scorer, All-Conference forward Ryan Leibold.
Yet last season’s strong finish and plenty of returning talent could have Holy Cross poised to break .500 this year. Senior defenseman Nick Hale tallied 22 points as a junior and will work with junior Jake Higgins (Hingham, Mass.) to shore up the Crusaders’ defense. Juniors Jack Ricketts and Matt Guerra each had 18 points last season and need to hit the 20-point mark to keep Holy Cross in games.
Last year’s goaltender, Matt Radomsky, transferred to Alaska-Fairbanks, meaning the starting job is up for grabs. Look for transfer Jason Grande, who posted a .904 save percentage in three seasons at Bentley, to get the first crack in net.
MERCYHURST
A team that truly saved its best for last, the Lakers (16-19-4, 10-12-4) won eight of nine games, including two postseason series, before falling to the Yellow Jackets in the AHA semifinals. The scoring was impressive at 2.92 goals per game, but Mercyhurst struggled on the penalty kill, and its faceoff win percentage was the worst in Atlantic Hockey.
Last year’s leading scorer, Austin Heidemann, transferred to RPI, and talented forward Dante Sheriff left for the ECHL. But All-Conference member Carson Briere and senior forwards Rylee St. Onge and Jonathan Bendorf all tallied over 20 points and should keep the Lakers offense humming. Blueliners Cade Townend and Jake Beaune are expected to lead the defensive unit.
Rick Gotkin’s latest team will be one of the oldest in the conference, with eight seniors and five grad students on the roster.
NIAGARA
Last year Niagara’s goal differential was the worst in Atlantic Hockey, and the team lost six of its last seven games. The Purple Eagles (11-22-2, 10-18-3) improved on a frustrating 2020-21 season, but there’s still a ways to go before Niagara really competes for a conference title.
The team’s bright spot last year was forward Shane Ott, who made the AHA All-Rookie team after tallying eight goals and 10 helpers. Forwards Ryan Naumovski and Albin Nilsson reached the 20-point plateau and look to do even better in their senior seasons.
Goaltending might be a question mark for the Purple Eagles, as they saved less than 90 percent of shots last year. Sophomore Jake Sibell and senior Chad Veltri will battle for playing time in net.
RIT
The Tigers (18-16-4, 12-10-4) put together their fourth straight winning season last year, ultimately losing a hard-fought game to Air Force in the conference semifinals. RIT’s offense was a weakness, the team averaged 2.42 goals per game and struggled on the power play.
To make things more difficult for Wayne Wilson’s group, they’ll have to replace three of the Tigers’ top five scorers. That includes All-AHA first-teamer Will Calverley and solid blueliner Dan Willett.
This winter, the focus will be on the underclassmen. All-AHA Rookie of the Year Carter Wilkie returns after scoring 30 points. Classmate Grady Hobbs will earn a bigger playmaking role, and goalie Tommy Scarfone saved .919 percent of shots as a freshman.
RIT kicks off the 2022-23 campaign with some important conference series against Army, Air Force and Holy Cross.
SACRED HEART
A strong end of 2021 gave way to a middling 2022 for the Pioneers (15-18-4, 11-12-3), who lost five of six at the end of January. They battled with RIT in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals, ultimately losing the series in three games.
Sacred Heart has shown promise for a few winters now, and the team enjoyed success last year thanks to a strong back line and penalty-kill unit. Defenseman Hunter Salisbury blocked an impressive 63 shots as a rookie, while senior Justin Robbins led the conference with a 2.38 goals-allowed average.
On the other third of the ice, Northeastern transfer Neil Shea (Marshfield, Mass.) was named the AHA scoring co-champion with 27 conference points. Braeden Tuck and Logan Britt are back for their senior years having combined for 48 points as juniors.
The Pioneers hope to improve their power-play unit this year after scoring on .135 percent of their chances. They’ll also move into a new home, the Martire Family Arena, in early 2023.
