Happy New Year and happy second semester everyone! NCAA games are back in full swing and that means we’re back in it too, with recaps galore. NEWHA didn’t have a ton of games this past weekend – and it wasn’t the most productive weekend for both teams playing in all honesty – but there are some positive takeaways from the two squads in action: so let’s hop in.
Series Rewind: Post’s Rowyn Ringor continues to perform
Even with the month-long layoff for the Eagles, freshman Rowyn Ringor didn’t miss a step over the break as she notched a goal and an assist in Saturday’s game against RIT. The forward scored her seventh of the season while Post was short handed, and her assist was her seventh of the season as well.
Ringor is now up to a tie for seventh overall in the conference in goals, two off the lead held by LIU’s Jeannie Wallner. The Shark is first in points with 16 – a mark Ringor is also only two away from, in sole possession of fifth place in the conference at the midway point of the season.
Out of all rookies in NEWHA, Ringor is the leader in total points, and is tied with Franklin Pierce’s Brynn Levinson in the goal department. For a player that only had two points through the first seven games of the season, the rise to the higher levels of the scoring table is a great sign for Ringor and an even better sign for the Eagles moving forward, with her dynamic play holding down their forward lineup.
When it comes to the overall performance of the special teams this weekend for Post, it’s definitely a two game set to forget. The Eagles gave up five power play goals in two games to the Tigers, and also allowed a short handed score on Friday in a 4-1 loss. Ringor’s goal while down a skater Saturday however was the team’s third short handed tally of the season, and their second in their last four games. Additionally, they converted on the advantage themselves, though over the course of the two games they went a combined 1-for-8.
A special shoutout is in store for goaltender Hannah Saunders, who over the course of two games made 74 saves, including 21 in just one period on Saturday. It wasn’t the best weekend for the netminder, however her stats all season speak for themselves. And against an opponent like RIT, the solid weekend bodes well for the remainder of the season, with only in-conference games remaining.
Special Shoutout: Anna Nelson, F, Saint Michael’s
Freshman Anna Nelson, dressing in her first ever NCAA game on Saturday, was the lone scorer for the Purple Knights in their 11-1 loss to Mercyhurst. The forward from Norwood, N.Y scored on her lone shot of the game. She added a second SOG the following day, though the entire team was held off the scoresheet. Congratulations to her!
Complete Scoreboard:
All games were out of conference
Friday:
RIT 4 (AHA) at Post 1
Saturday:
RIT 4 at Post 3
Mercyhurst (AHA) 11 vs. Saint Michael’s 1
Sunday:
Mercyhurst 6 vs. Saint Michael’s 0
What to Watch: Assumption/Franklin Pierce
Friday at Franklin Pierce, 7 PM | Saturday at Assumption, 6 PM
If we look at the standings heading into the next few weeks, these are two teams that have put themselves in great positioning moving into the end of the year. Franklin Pierce, after finishing in the top five last season, is solidly in third place as the second semester starts. They spent time in the top spot of the standings, before being passed by Sacred Heart and LIU (first and second respectively). The Ravens are only four points from first, however, and three from second – and we all know what one win gets you in the standings.
Assumption, after struggling to start the year, has found themselves in sole possession of fourth in the NEWHA rankings. Although, their lead is much more tenuous. There is a four point gap (27 vs. 23 points) between FPI and Assumption in third and fourth: the lead over Saint Anselm in the fifth slot is just one point. For the Greyhounds, there’s a lot riding on the games here, both in terms of their ability to secure points to lengthen the gap over Saint Anselm, and in how six points outright would allow them to leapfrog the Ravens for third place in the conference.
Both teams are coming off a long layoff over the semester break. Assumption last played Stonehill, where they ended the semester with a 2-2 tie in which they took the extra point in the shootout. Franklin Pierce on the other hand swept Saint Michael’s on their last weekend of 2024, with 5-0 and 3-0 wins over the Purple Knights.
Ravens Topple Purple Knights https://t.co/6KuiOx7tDU
— FPU Ravens (@FPUathletics) December 7, 2024
The Greyhounds are 4-2-1 in their last six, while the Ravens are a respectable 3-3, although their three wins came against Post and Saint Michael’s while the Greyhounds only fell to out of conference opponents Holy Cross (HEA) and RPI (ECAC).
Statistically speaking, the Ravens do have a slight edge. The team is scoring 2.7 goals per game on average, while Assumption is averaging just 1.6. They’ve also allowed fewer goals with 45 against (averaging 2.6 per game) to Assumptions 57 (2.9).
What could be a key factor here – and what I will think will be a key factor – is the goaltending. Both FPI’s Jill Hertl and Assumption’s Jadyn Weiser have been outstanding this season so far for their respective squads. Hertl is sporting a .924 save percentage in 13 games played this season, with that number bumped up to a .930 in conference play. Weiser, in fewer games started as a freshman, is riding a .933, but within NEWHA that number is as high as .947.
My one concern is how the layoff is going to impact the two teams when it comes to settling back into the pace of play. It’s been over a month between games, and for any player that return to action can be a learning curve. It can be an even larger learning curve when it comes to a freshman coming off their first of these breaks, and with as young of a squad as Assumption has, that might come back to bite them.
The last thing to keep in mind here is how close the two team’s already played one another this season. FPI did take a 4-1 victory over Assumption in their first matchup of the season back on Oct. 11th. However, that was at a time where Assumption was struggling altogether, and in the game started by Weiser the score was much tighter: a 1-0 loss in overtime on the 12th. I see a world where a similar close game exists, and I’d imagine this time it might go the other way in favor of the Greyhounds.
Prediction: I’m going with a split here, with FPI winning Friday’s contest and Assumption taking Saturday’s. It’ll take a second for the Greyhounds to find their footing again, but once they do I find it hard to see them not shutting things down against the Ravens. FPI will give them trouble to start, but the way Assumption played before the break will come in handy to secure them three points in the second game of the weekend.
Full Upcoming Schedule:
Streaming Details Available Here
Non-Conference Matchup is Bolded
Wednesday:
Sacred Heart at Brown (ECAC) – 7 PM
Friday:
Stonehill at LIU – 3 PM
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm – 4 PM
Assumption at Franklin Pierce – 7 PM
Saint Michael’s at Post – 8 PM
Saturday:
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm – 1 PM
Stonehill at LIU – 2 PM
Saint Michael’s at Post – 2:30 PM
Franklin Pierce at Assumption – 6 PM