The weekend after New Year’s is a unique one on the Division 3 hockey calendar.
There are several holiday tournaments that not only give teams a chance to grab midseason glory, but also send them into conference play on a high or a low.
There was also a big non-conference matchup pitting top dogs from two of the region’s conferences against one another.
Here are our top takeaways from the holiday portion of the Division 3 season.
Will Nepveu, Salem State enjoy breakthrough title
The dominance of Plymouth State in the MASCAC has roughly coincided with Salem State’s slide in recent years, a title drought that’s lasted nearly a decade.
Chris MacInnis, who played at Salem State and served as an assistant under longtime coach Bill O’Neill, was named head coach in the fall of 2023 with a goal of changing that.
After a December that was highlighted by a significant 4-3 win at Endicott, the Vikings won the Boston Landing Collegiate Invitational over the weekend.
Zach Dill scored with 26 seconds left in regulation to force overtime in the semifinal against Nichols, and Mitch Wilkie finished off a 4-3 win in the extra session.
In the final, the Vikings snapped a five-game losing streak to Middlebury. Tournament MVP Will Nepveu made 40 saves and freshman James Tatro (Salisbury, Mass.) scored twice in a 4-1 win.
A trophy in hand, Salem State will now turn its attention to ascending in the MASCAC. It visits Framingham State on Saturday. At 7-4, it has already surpassed last season’s win total (6-18-1).
Hamilton claims Northfield Savings Bank championship
A pair of Phillips Academy products – one Andover, one Exeter – helped Hamilton lift the trophy at the Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Tournament.
Senior goalie Charlie Archer (Andover) allowed just one goal in two games, and made 16 saves in a 4-1 win over host Norwich in the final.
Sophomore Ryan Sordillo (Exeter) scored three goals over the weekend – two in a 4-0 semifinal blanking of Plymouth State – and won 8-of-12 face-offs in the final.
Hamilton (8-3) has established itself as one of the top challengers to reigning champion Trinity in the NESCAC. It travels to play at Bowdoin and Colby this weekend.
Curry opens new year with statement win over Trinity
Thursday’s battle between Curry and Trinity featured a pair of top-10 teams. But on this night, only one looked the part.
Host Curry scored three goals in the first period and built a 5-0 lead in the third period, before holding on for a 5-2 win. Freshman Karim Gayfullin scored twice and sophomore goalie Shane Soderwall made 21 saves, picking up his 10th win of the season.
The Colonels followed that win up by beating Anna Maria by the same score on Saturday to raise their record to 11-3.
Curry hosts independent Keene State on Friday and then it’s all Conference of New England games the rest of the way. Trinity (6-3-1) resumes NESCAC play this weekend with a trip to Middlebury and Williams.
UMass Boston comes up short in Codfish Bowl
The title in the 59th Codfish Bowl has left the region.
Host UMass Boston was hoping to translate the momentum of its December – which included wins over Bowdoin and 12th-ranked Skidmore – into a trophy. It came out firing in the semis, peppering UMass Dartmouth with 61 shots and getting a hat trick from junior leading scorer Jazz Krivtsov in a 5-2 win.
But the Beacons (5-8) got outclassed by Wisconsin-Superior in the final, spotting their opponent a five-goal lead and losing, 5-2. It’s now been a decade since their last Codfish title.
UMass Boston resumes NEHC play this weekend when it plays two games at Norwich.
@MikeZhe603
mzhe@hockeyjournal.com
