WORCESTER, Mass. – It was heartbreak for the two New England entrants at the 2022 NCAA Hockey Tournament’s Worcester Regional on Friday. Both Northeastern and UMass lost in overtime to Western Michigan and Minnesota, respectively, to end their seasons.
It was similar disappointment for the other local teams competing in this year’s NCAA Tournament as UMass Lowell, Harvard, American International and Quinnipiac lost in regionals played in Loveland, Colo., and Allentown, Pa. The River Hawks bowed out to Denver, the Crimson were taken out by Minnesota State, and the Yellow Jackets and Bobcats were ousted by Michigan.
The only New England team to win a game at the 2022 NCAA Tournament was Quinnipiac, the ECAC Hockey regular season champion. The Bobcats defeated St. Cloud State, 5-4, in the first round at the Allentown Regional before losing, 7-4, to Michigan in the regional final.
All that sets up the 2022 Frozen Four in Boston April 7-9 without a local team. College hockey fans converging on the TD Garden will witness Minnesota State, Denver, Minnesota and Michigan vie for the national championship.
I took in all three games of the Worcester Regional, played at the DCU Center. Both semifinals at this regional went to overtime with WMU skating past Northeastern, 2-1, and Minnesota outlasting UMass, 4-3.
The Golden Gophers are typically known for their skill, which they have plenty of on this 2021-22 roster. However, what struck me was Bob Motzko’s team prevailing against two teams that were significantly older and heavier. Trailing 3-1 against a heavy UMass team, Minnesota battled back to force overtime before winning it. The Gophers made fairly easy work of a big, bruising WMU squad in the regional final. Motzko’s team will go up against another big, older team with grit in Minnesota State in the second semifinal at the Frozen Four in a little over a week. Can the Gophers make it three straight against teams known for their heavy play?
Prospect watch
Heading into the regional, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the NHL prospects among the four teams. Northeastern senior captain and star defenseman Jordan Harris almost immediately inked an entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him in 2018. Also signed to NHL deals since losing Friday are UMass junior defenseman Matt Kessel (St. Louis Blues) and first line center Josh Lopina (Anaheim Ducks).
While all three of those aforementioned players were property of NHL clubs via the draft, there were three free agents that a lot of organizations had top brass into Worcester to watch. UMass leading scorer Bobby Trivigno, Minnesota leading scorer Ben Meyers, and Western Michigan starting goaltender Brandon Bussi were the main attractions. All three performed well on the big stage.
The drafted prospect who stood out most to me over the course of the three games was Minnesota sophomore left wing Matthew Knies, named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player. A second round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a U.S. Olympic teammate of Meyers, he scored a goal in each game. He’s got four goals in his last three games. Knies’ wrist shot in the UMass game was the tying goal in the third period. The puck came off his stink in the blink of an eye and was an absolute rocket. His goal Sunday in the regional final was the first of the game, which stood up as the game winner. The big winger can shoot the puck, he’s heavy on pucks, and has a pro frame. The Phoenix, Ariz., native has huge pro upside.
“You’re all seeing it. He’s a big-time player and he’s going to keep getting better,” said Motzko in the postgame press conference.
Top three undrafted free agents
Ben Meyers
Minnesota, 11/15/98, C, left shot, 5-11/194
There’s been a ton of hype around Meyers for a couple of years now. The Delano, Minn., native is already 23 years old. He graduated high school, captaining Delano while putting up 99 points in 25 games as a senior. From there, he spent two years in the USHL, scoring 34 goals and 32 assists in 61 games in his second season in Fargo. His production has steadily increased in all three seasons as a Gopher. He now has 17 goals and 24 assists in 33 games this season after his superb weekend. He tallied a goal and three helpers in the two games in Worcester.
This was my first time seeing the Gophers and Meyers live this season. I’ve seen him in the past, but this weekend had me believing the hype in person. In addition to his productive weekend, I loved Meyers’ compete in all three zones. There were a few backchecks that were textbook examples of how to track and break up plays. His motor just keeps going. He’s relentless and is all over the puck throughout the entire shift. On a team and program that has been known for soft skill over the years, Meyers breaks that trend. He’s hard, heavy and gritty.
For all youth hockey players going to the Frozen Four, watch Meyers play. He’s a great player to emulate for all the little things he does, his attention to detail, and his compete.
Brandon Bussi
Western Michigan, 6/25/98, G, catches left, 6-5/209
Bussi, a junior from Sound Beach, N.Y., had the rink buzzing after his 30-save win over Northeastern in the first semifinal Friday. He allowed just three goals on the weekend while making 53 stops. His size obviously stands out right away, but he made a couple of key saves throughout the weekend. He did a good job of squaring up to shooters and cutting down on rebounds. While he didn’t show a lack of consistency this weekend, that has been the one knock on him throughout the season. Bussi, a former St. Lawrence commit, has been on the upswing for a few years now. The Boston Bruins had both GM Don Sweeney and goaltending development guru Mike Dunham in the house Friday for the game against Northeastern. Could that mean the B’s are in on signing one of the top three undrafted free agent goaltenders in college hockey?
“I thought he was great, calm, and big. That save (on Sammy Walker) was exceptional. He stopped a breakaway, which was a huge save for us,” said WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler following Sunday’s game.
Bobby Trivigno
UMass, 1/19/99, LW, left shot, 5-8/152
Trivigno, a two-time Walter Brown Award winner as the top American born college hockey player in New England, had one assist in his final collegiate game. The Hobey Baker Award finalist is undersized, but plays big and has a huge heart. His assist came on a power play tally that gave UMass a 2-0 lead. Despite having just one point, he was all over the puck. His tenacity and relentless pursuit of the puck was evident throughout the game. He doesn’t have high-end offensive skill, but his grittiness, energy and compete level will surely land him a NHL contract. According to multiple news reports, the New York Rangers, his hometown team, has the inside track on landing the senior from Setauket, N.Y.
