New York Rangers college prospects reach NCAA holiday break
As several schools wrapped up the first half of their seasons before going on holiday break, many of the New York Rangers college prospects were in action over the weekend.
Let’s quick review their latest feats and where they stand at this juncture of the college season.
Related: Will Brennan Othmann get a call up this season?
New York Rangers prospects reach holiday break
2023 1st Round Pick Gabe Perreault and the Boston College Eagles were at home for the Hockey East Game of the Week on Saturday against the Providence College Friars. The freshman had his ninth multi-point game of the season in a 5-4 win. Perreault set up line mate Will Smith at 6:41 of the first period on the power play to get the scoring started. Fellow Rangers draft pick Jaroslav Chmelar was given a game misconduct at 4:47 after being called for a major “checking from behind” penalty.
While on the same power play, Perreault would be sprung for a semi-breakaway and bury a backhand shot at the 9:00 mark for his fifth goal of the season.
Providence scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead in the third period before defenseman Drew Fortescue earned his first NCAA career assist. The New York Rangers 2023 3rd round pick carried the puck into the offensive zone, where he dropped the puck off to Cutter Gauthier who fired a one-timer to tie the game at three a piece at 8:38 of the second period. Fortescue improved his season totals to three goals, one assist, and four points while finishing the game with one shot and a +1. Perreault had one goal and one assist for two points on the night while being credited with four shots on goal and a roughing minor. Perreault leads the team in scoring with twenty five points, which is tied for third overall in NCAA. His twenty assists are tied for second in the nation.
Boston College improved to 13-3-1 overall with the win, and their nineteen points in nine conference games played have them currently in second place of the Hockey East Men’s standings. The Eagles conference schedule resumes with a home and home series against Providence College on January 12th and 13th.
As for 2021 5th round pick Jaroslav Chmelar, the native from Czechia currently has five goals and nine assists for fourteen points in sixteen games played, which are all tops for the Friars. The team has a record of 9-5-2 overall and are fourth in Hockey East with fifteen points in nine conference games played. Up next for the Friars is the “Mayor’s Cup” against city rival Brown University on Saturday, December 30th.
Elsewhere in Hockey East, 2020 New York Rangers 7th Round Pick Hugo Ollas started in net for the Merrimack College Warriors against the Yale University Bulldogs on Friday. The junior netminder allowed four goals on twenty nine shots against in a 5-2 loss. The Swedish goaltender dropped his second straight start to bring his record to 3-5 with a 2.91 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Merrimack is 6-9-1 overall. The team’s nine points in nine conference games played has them towards the bottom of the standings of Hockey East, ahead of only Northeastern. The Warriors next game will be at Brown University on Friday, December 29th.
2022 5th Round Pick Victor Mancini did not record any points over the weekend. The junior defenseman currently has two goals and three assists for five points in sixteen games played with the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. The team has an overall record of 9-5-2 and will compete in the Desert Hockey Classic against UMASS Lowell on January 5th and Arizona State on January 6th.
Forward Brody Lamb of the Minnesota Golden Gophers had one goal and one assist on Friday during a 5-4 victory over Ohio State. His goal at 7:28 stood as the eventual game winner, his third game winning goal of the season. The 2021 4th Round Pick has been all over the lineup, playing all three forward positions while finding himself moving up and down the top three lines. The sophomore improved his totals to seven goals, six assists, for thirteen points in eighteen games played. His goal total is good enough for fourth on the team while his points total is fifth. The Golden Gophers have a record of 9-5-4 overall and will return from the break to host a pair of games against Colorado College on January 7th and 8th.
As for the Colorado College Tigers, 2022 4th Round Pick of the New York Rangers Noah Laba scored in overtime on Friday night to take down the number one team in the nation.
This was Laba’s fourth two-goal game of the season, as the sophomore center started the comeback for the Tigers in the second period, deflecting teammate Jack Millar’s shot from the point to get on the scoreboard. Though he was scoreless on Saturday, Laba went 13-2 on faceoffs with two shots on goal in a 3-2 victory. With the two wins, Colorado College completed the first sweep at North Dakota in thirty years, and the first sweep of a top ranked team since 2005. Noah Laba now has seven goals, five assists, and twelve points in fifteen games. His goal total is tied for first on the team. The Tigers will have an exhibition against Minot State on Friday, December 29th before travelling to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers on January 7th and 8th.
In the ECAC, Hank Kempf and the Cornell Big Red are off until the Adirondack Winter Invitational in Lake Placid on December 29th, when they will face the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. Cornell has a 6-4-1 record. The junior defenseman is not known for his offense, currently sitting at only two assists on the season through eleven games played. The New York Rangers 7th Round Pick from 2021 has also recently been dropped to the third defensive pair.
Captain of the Harvard Crimson Zakary Karpa has also seen his struggles so far this season as he has only one goal in eight games played, while also missing time due to injury. On a postive not though, the junior center has won 80 of 150 faceoffs for a .5333 winning percentage. Harvard has underachieved to date with a record of 1-5-3, struggling to replace talent lost to the professional ranks from last season. The Crimson will resume conference play against Princeton University on Saturday, December 30th before travelling to Storrs, Connecticut to face the Huskies on New Year’s Eve.
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