The first full month of action in the Atlantic Hockey America conference featured a lot of chaos and surprises. From Syracuse’s rise in the standings to Charlotte Payne’s great start, the AHA is packed with storylines to dive into.
Featured series: Robert Morris University vs. Lindenwood
The choice between this series and the Syracuse vs. Penn State series was close, but since the other series was discussed previously, let’s take a look into RMU and Lindenwood. These two teams sit in the middle of the AHA standings and looked to gain momentum in a late October matchup.
Taylor Storey stole the show in game one. The senior had a hat trick to lead RMU to a 4-0 victory in a game closer than the score indicates. With Lindenwood putting up 30 shots, goaltender Maggie Hatch had to come up big multiple times for the Colonials. Her biggest moment was in the second period, when she stopped a penalty shot to preserve the one goal lead. Hatch also earned an assist on Storey’s first goal of the night.
Despite how back and forth the game felt, RMU played a more systematic brand of hockey that put them over the top. The Colonials’ organized play shined most on the penalty kill, keeping Lindenwood scoreless despite five power play chances. Lindenwood’s penalty kill also held their own, killing off four of five penalties. Ultimately, they couldn’t hold back Taylor Storey’s seventh shot of the night to complete the hat trick.
Game two felt considerably less balanced, with a 41-27 shot total in favor of RMU. The Colonials aren’t typically a high shot volume team, breaking 40 shots only one other time this year. In this instance, the lopsidedness felt more due to Lindenwood’s defensive lapses than a step up in play from RMU. Despite RMU outplaying the Lions, Lindenwood pulled out a 2-1 win thanks to a spectacular game from goaltender Eva Filippova. Making her fifth start of the year, Filippova recorded a season-high 39 saves, including 22 in the second period. Grace Rentmeester got her first goal of the season, and Michaela Paulínyová added on for the game winner. The diversity in goal scoring is a trend for Lindenwood, who’ve relied on scoring by committee for their offense.
Monthly awards
The AHA named their monthly award winners here, with four very deserving players. Here are a few other players that could have been in the running or deserved to be elaborated on further.
Forward of the month: Zoe Ziotas (RIT)
Ziotas’ seven goals in ten games were a lifeline to an RIT team that’s currently averaging 1.79 goals a game. Emma Pickering and Tilli Keränen, who each had 25 points last year, were out for the start of the season. Someone needed to step up, and Ziotas did.
Before this year, Ziotas was primarily been a depth player for RIT. She only played seven games in her freshman year, followed up with a sophomore campaign where she had five goals in 30 games. Now, Ziotas is playing on the first line and has taken the opportunity in stride.
Ziotas always had a good shot, shooting at a rate of 16.7% last year, but didn’t have opportunities to get pucks on net and only averaged a shot per game. While her current shooting percentage of .296 is likely going to regress, some of her production should continue if RIT can keep giving her offensive opportunities. As of right now, Ziotas has 27 shots on goal, almost matching her total from last year. Emma Pickering returned at the end of the month for RIT as well, which should help their overall offensive game.
Defender of the month: Maryn Broderick (Syracuse)
Broderick has been brilliant as a depth defender for Syracuse. With two goals and six assists in ten games, The 6’1” freshman defender leads all Syracuse defenders in points thanks to her shot first mentality. In the final game of October, Broderick had nine shots against Delaware. She averaged 3.7 shots a game through September/October. Getting offense from a young defender who started on the third pairing is a big reason why Syracuse has had a hot start.
Goaltender of the month: Charlotte Payne (Delaware)
I didn’t want to choose a player that the AHA named for their awards, but I can’t imagine picking anyone else besides Charlotte Payne. She was the difference-maker in Delaware’s two biggest wins of the month. In the Blue Hens game against Union, Payne had a season-high 46 saves for the win. She followed it up with a 40 save shutout against the AHA’s second place team, Syracuse. In both games, the Blue Hens had a 25 shot deficit compared to their opponents and won by a one goal margin.
The sheer workload of Payne is something to admire. She averaged 32.40 saves per game in September and October, and made more total saves (324) than anyone else in the NCAA.
Rookie of the month: Sofia Ismael (Penn State)
The U18 Team Canada star has lived up to the hype in her first month at Penn State. Her six goals and eight assists in ten games made her Penn State’s goal and point leader. While her biggest moment was her hat trick against Robert Morris, she’s been just as impactful as a playmaker and has effortlessly fit into Penn State’s top six and main power play unit.
Team of the month: Syracuse
The Orange’s 8-4-0 record is a totally unexpected start for a team that was 15-18-4 last year. Even more surprising is how much of it is thanks to to their offense. Last year, their offense was holding them back, with a 1.86 goal per game average and a .063 shot percentage. Now, they’re scoring at a 2.83 goal per game rate with several players having breakout years. Syracuse are generating more zone time and shots compared to last seasons, increasing from 29.78 to 37.08 shots per game. Embracing a faster pace that taps into the potential of Jordan Blouin, Jackson Kinsler, and Rylee McLeod’s speed had led to a more effective offense.
Another fun note for the Orange is last year’s top goal scorer, Emma Gnade, has taken on more of a playmaker role. She still leads the team in points (15), but it’s primarily due to her eleven assists on the season. Gnade is on track to pass her 20 point total from last year before the holidays.
On the goal prevention side, Ava Drabyk has stayed just as sharp as she was last season. Drabyk’s biggest performance was her 40-save game to upset Penn State, but she’s given up two or less goals in nine of her 12 starts. She’s been Syracuse’s most consistent player for the last season and a half and it shows with how confident the team plays in front of her.
Storylines to track
- Mercyhurst has more shorthanded goals than power play goals against: The Lakers have a NCAA best four shorthanded goals and have only conceded one goal on the penalty kill.
- Goaltending struggles in RIT: Brenna McNamara had a .929 save percentage in 12 games last year and started some of RIT’s biggest games. However, she’s struggled to start this season with a .843 save percentage. As a result, rookie Océanne Thiffault-Michel has gotten the majority of the starts, and Tahlia Vasseur has gotten into games after sitting all of last year. None of RIT’s goaltenders have a save percentage above .900, but key injuries on defense haven’t helped. The problem persisted last week against RMU, where they gave up three goals on 25 shots and lost despite outplaying the Colonials.
- Freshman Katie Belk thriving on Delaware’s first line: Belk leads the Blue Hens with three goals on the season
Games to keep an eye on
Mercyhurst vs. Penn State – Nov. 13 and 14
A rematch of last year’s (and the year before that, and the year before that…) AHA final. Both teams will be shorthanded as they’re missing several players from the World Championships, giving them an opportunity to test their depth.
Syracuse vs. Clarkson – Nov. 24
Syracuse has a lot of momentum right now, but how do they stack up against some of the best teams in the NCAA? This is their opportunity to show how they look against the tenth ranked team in the polls. Syracuse will also get a similar opportunity against the eighth ranked team in Colgate a week prior.
D1 in DC – Penn State vs. Boston College (Nov.27) and Minnesota (Nov. 28)
Penn State will make the trip to the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Washington D.C. to face two ranked teams. If you’re in the D.C. area and don’t normally get a chance to catch these teams, now is your chance!
AHA on the world stage
- Magdalena Luggin (Mercyhurst) is playing for the Austrian Women’s National Team. This is her debut for the top division.
- Sofia Nuutinen (Mercyhurst) is making her major tournament debut for the Finnish Women’s National Team. She is playing alongside her sister, Emma, who is also a Mercyhurst alumna.
- Nicole Hall (Penn State) is playing for the Swedish Women’s National Team
- Brian Idalski (Syracuce) is coaching the Czech Women’s National Team
