New England Hockey Journal has been keeping an eye on the ECAC, and with the holidays upon us, it is a good time to take stock of some of the surprising performances that have helped to elevate team success in the early portion of the 2021-22 season.
Quinnipiac goaltender Yaniv Perets has dazzled with scintillating numbers and nothing in the loss column 12 games into the new campaign. His stellar play in net has helped his team get off to a 5-0-1 start in the ECAC (14-1-3 overall), and makes for an intriguing story to follow as the season goes on and teams will look to find innovative ways to break through for goals against him.
In addition to Perets, we’ll look at four other players who have been contributors to their teams’ early success.
Yaniv Perets
Quinnipiac, G, 3/4/00, catches left, 6-1/181
Wow is the word. Jaw-dropping numbers in 12 games for the Bobcats- 9-0-2, 0.87 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage have made him one of college hockey’s real success stories. He and his good friend Devon Levi (Northeastern) are a pair of Quebec imports who have taken New England by storm with their play in net. The former Boston Jr. Bruins star finished his junior career in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees, but few saw this kind of dominant performance coming. He has done a great job of tracking pucks and anticipating where the most dangerous shots are coming from, then being set to make the save. It helps to be on a veteran team with structure as is the case with Rand Pecknold’s crew, but between Perets and Notre Dame transfer Dylan St. Cyr, they present a true 1-2 punch in net.
Scout’s take: “He plays on a good team, but Perets is a big reason for that success. He’s agile, quick and efficient in his crease. What he’s doing is going to be extremely difficult to sustain over a full season, but I thought he would have fallen off after his first few weeks and it hasn’t happened yet. You can see him growing in confidence and the puck must look like a beach ball to him with the way he’s playing. He’ll continue to get a balanced attack and layered, disciplined defensive play in front of him, so I’m interested in what he’s able to do with it. He’s put himself on the map as a free agent, we just need to see more of a sample size.”- Eastern Conf. NHL scout
Derek Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.)
Harvard, G, 3/20/01, catches left, 6-0/174
Former Dexter Southfield captain and top prep goalie came to Harvard this season after two years in the USHL with average numbers. Entering the season, Mitchell Gibson was firmly entrenched as the starter, with Mullahy and Derek Schaedig competing for the extra time in net. Mullahy has emerged in the early going as a capable backup, going without a loss in his first four appearances (wins against Dartmouth and Yale) on a talented roster. Whatever he may lack in ideal size and top talent, he makes up for it with his ability to see pucks and battle to make saves. The Crimson are 5-2-1 in the ECAC and have yet to hit their stride. Mullahy’s start gives the team options for more game action.
Ben Berard
Cornell, LW, 2/13/99, left shot, 6-0/192
The British Columbia product was always a highly skilled and productive player coming out of Canada and Powell River of the BCHL. After an up-and-down freshman season and lost sophomore year due to COVID-19, he’s broken out offensively behind Matthew Stienburg to help the Big Red start hot near the top of the ECAC standings. Expected to be a point producer even after missing much of his final year in juniors due to injury, he’s finding a rhythm, including a hat trick to secure a late win over Dartmouth in early Nov. Berard has a higher-end shot and the instincts to generate consistent scoring. With the top-to-bottom balance Cornell has on its current roster, look for him to continue to earn opportunities to add to his numbers from Mike Shafer and the coaching staff.
Mathieu Gosselin
Clarkson, RW, 5/18/99, right shot, 5-10/170
That the former BCHL 60-point scorer from Quebec is scoring in the ECAC this season is not all that surprising, but the fact that he’s leading a talented Golden Knights pack is. He’s using his speed and opportunistic knack to generate consistent offense this year after being a role player in his first two seasons at Potsdam. He’s got more points than four other NHL draft-pick forwards on the Clarkson roster and has found a way to make the most of his experience and assets. Whether the production is sustainable remains to be seen, but for now, he’s been a big part of his team’s 9-6-4 overall record with plenty of room to improve.
Aleksi Peltonen
St. Lawrence, C, 6/8/98, left shot, 5-10/180
On pace for a career season as a junior after a tough 2020-21 campaign with just two helpers in 16 contests during the pandemic-impacted year. The native of Finland and former Northwood School star is not a dynamic skater but compensates with tremendous vision and hockey IQ, with above-average puck skills. He’s a deft passer and setup man, and his eight points are currently leading the Saints in scoring with Kaden Pickering. The son of former NHL forward Ville Peltonen and whose twin brother, Jesper is at the University of Wisconsin was a late-bloomer in juniors, and appears to be on a similar glide path in college, but has bounced back nicely and has earned himself a bigger role.
