Keene, NH – The CMCC Men's Hockey team defeated the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards, 6-4 in the NECHA semifinals on Saturday night at Keene Community Ice Arena in New Hampshire. Forward Aaron Higgins set a new program record for most points in a single season, tallying two goals and an assist to give him 59 points on the year. The Mustangs advance to Sunday's championship game against the Colby College Mules looking to repeat as conference champions.
Central Maine, the #2 seed out of the NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association's Colonial North division, paired off against Wentworth, the #1 seed out of the south, on the first day of the final four weekend. The Mustangs and Leopards split their regular season meetings. CMCC beat WIT 6-5 in overtime at home on December 8th before falling on the road 7-4 in their regular season finale on February 8th.
Wentworth showed why it has been one of the highest scoring teams in ACHA D3 play this season, putting up three goals in the first period. Nick Albrecht scored just 1:21 into the first period to make it 1-0. It was the sophomore's 21st goal of the season and fifth against the Mustangs.
Higgins tied things up at the 6:13 mark off an assist by Heath McLean, but Mikita Kalmykov was called for boarding shortly after to put the Leopards on the power play. Peter Carriuolo scored nine seconds into the five-on-four to put them back out in front 2-1.
Jack Connolly made it 3-1 just past the midway point of the period, scoring at 10:15. That marked an early end to goaltender Isaac White's day. The Westbrook High School product, who stopped 28 of 29 shots to defeat Dartmouth in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, allowed three goals on eight shots before being pulled for Sebastian Couturier. It was a reverse from the game at WIT two weeks earlier when Couturier was replaced by White after allowing three goals.
The move by head coach Jordy Knoren seemed to have the desired effect of waking up his team. Higgins scored a powerplay goal of his own with five minutes left to cut the lead to 3-2. It was the 32nd goal and 58th point of the year for the transfer from Liberty University, giving Higgins the new CMCC record for points in a single season, breaking the mark of 57 set by Gabe Poirier in 2023-24.
Nathan Johnson was then called for a slashing penalty at 15:27, setting the stage for a Kamlykov equalizer just ten seconds after the restart. The 18th goal of the season for the Minsk, Belarus native made it 3-3 heading into the intermission, capping an eventful first period.
Zach Jones gave Central Maine its first lead just 3:32 into the second frame, off an assist from Emmit Sullivan. Things had begun to unravel for Wentworth IT, and it went from bad to worse less than two minutes later when Brett Handley was given a five-minute major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct. There were four more penalties between the two teams in the period. Defenseman Ethan Blue scored on a 5-on-3 power play to put the Mustangs up 5-3 at 12:04.
WIT pulled one back with Connolly scoring his second of the game with just 2:09 to go before the intermission, but CMCC kept them from taking any momentum into the locker room. Michael Belleau restored the two-goal cushion with a strike just 18 seconds later, with assists by Colby Pawson and Evan Knowlton.
After ten goals in the first 40 minutes, the defenses took center stage in the third period. Jonathan Rioux was given a five-minute major for elbowing 28 seconds into the frame, but the Central Maine penalty kill unit held firm. The Leopards could not find a way past Couturier in the third period despite 15 shots on net, and penalties hampered any chance of a comeback in the later minutes. Albrecht picked up two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and Connolly received a five-minute major and game misconduct of his own for a boarding hit with 1:21 left on the clock.
When the horn sounded to end the game, CMCC had advanced to the NECHA Championship game for the third straight year. Couturier picked up his 12th win of the season. The junior out of South Portland, ME stopped 39 of 40 shots in his relief effort. Wentworth IT outshot Central Maine 48-38 on the night but could not overcome the 44 penalty minutes the team racked up.
CMCC has a short turnaround before facing Colby College on Sunday for the conference crown. The Mustangs and Mules faceoff in Keene, NH on Sunday at 1:00 pm.
