Happy holidays, Endicott. You’re ranked again.
The Gulls have played only two games in December, and won’t play again until after Christmas, but those two games have contributed to what should be a merry holiday season.
Five days week after taking down ranked conference foe University of New England on the road, 7-3, the Gulls stormed into previously unbeaten Plymouth State and scored seven straight goals in an 8-2 win last Thursday.
When the new USCHO.com poll was released Monday, Endicott was ranked for the first time all season -- at No. 13, nothing unlucky about it.
During their current four-game win streak, the Gulls have scored 27 goals. Their average of 5.08 a game ranks third in Division 3, behind only Plymouth State and Geneseo.
Senior forward Tommy Besinger (Milton, Mass.), who was limited to just eight games last season by injury after producing 48 points as a sophomore, ranks third in the nation with 19 assists and is tied for fourth with 22 points. Classmates Josh Bowes (11-8-19) and Daniel Kucerovy (7-12-19) also rank among the top 12 nationally in points.
While the win at UNE kept the Gulls (7-3-1, 5-3) from dropping too far back in the Commonwealth Coast Conference standings, the rout of Plymouth State caught everyone’s attention.
In a matchup between two of the highest-scoring teams in the country, it was Endicott that did the high scoring. After falling behind 2-1 after one period, it popped in three goals in the second period and four more in the third to win going away.
Bowes finished with a pair of goals on the night and Kucerovy set up four. The Gulls finished with a 38-36 edge in shots and converted on 2-of-5 power plays.
Since RJ Tolan (Waltham, Mass.) took over the program in 2014, a year before it elevated from club to Division 3 status, it’s become a popular landing spot for Division 1 transfers. Besinger began his career at Army-West Point and Kucerovy started at Bentley.
After winning the conference and reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 2016-17, the Guls were ranked as high as No. 2 in the early stages of 2017-18. But a 3-4-1 finish left them with an 18-6-3 overall record, which did not merit an at-large selection to the NCAAs.
As the Commonwealth Coast arrived at its holiday break, everybody is looking up at Salve Regina. One year after reaching the national championship game, the Seahawks are 6-1-1 (8-3-1 overall), and lead second-place Nichols by a half-game.
The Gulls return to action against Amherst on New Year’s Eve, but January is set up for them to do some damage -- and some climbing in the Commonwealth Coast standings. None of the eight opponents they’ll play that month are currently ranked.
Team of the Week
Colby
The Mules (4-2-2) charge into the holiday break with momentum after three straight shutout wins last week. Goalie Andrew Tucci stopped all 83 shots he faced in wins over St. Anselm (2-0), Conn. College (8-0) and Tufts (2-0). Tucci ranks 11th nationally in both goals-against average (1.72) and save percentage (.937).
Player of the Week
Mikhail Bryan, sr., F, Suffolk
Bryan notched four points (two goals) as Suffolk upset then-No. 12 Hobart in NEHC conference play Friday. He added two more assists a night later as the Rams took Skidmore to overtime before losing, 4-3.
Game to Watch
No teams from New England are in action this week. The next night of games is Saturday, Dec. 29.
