United Collegiate Hockey Cup  Day Two   March 6, 2026

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1:06podcast is a part of the ice time hockeywest.com network and here are your hosts, Scott Strandy, Tom Hardin and Paul Hornstein. Alright, welcome in hockey fans and you are that you may be joining us on this Friday evening. Scott Strandy with you live from the Send Keen Community Ice Center in beautiful Maryland Heights, Missouri as we just completed two more games of the United Collegiate Hockey Cup and it's time to talk about them. I'm waiting for my hosts, my co-host. I don't know where Paul Hornstein is but I think he'll be with us shortly so I'll give you a little breakdown of how things went today. This was day two of this three-day tournament featuring the independent teams from around the around the globe literally from Alaska to

2:07Massachusetts in New York to Missouri. We've had some incredible hockey played today and it's been a real pleasure to be here and to be visiting with all these great players and coaches and administrators and all of that but the play in the ice was incredible today, excuse me. We had two games, one of them the first one at three o'clock central time today was for the opportunity to get to the championship round. That was the number one seed Alaska Nanooks and they took on the Stonehill Skyhawks who were one yesterday in a pretty dominating fashion. It was three nothing with an empty net but they controlled play most of the time yesterday against Anchorage and found themselves up against a very good Fairbanks team, Alaska team and they ended up with an opportunity to

3:08advance and play. I want to talk about drama today was drama folks at least at least in the first game. The Nanooks started out strong and built the two nothing lead then they had a I think three two lead then they lost that lead and it was four to three then with one point one second left in the contest in regulation they just stormed the net. I mean completely everybody on both teams was within five feet of the goal mouth and and the puck goes in and they rule it a good goal at one point one second remaining and then we had overtime so we go the typical three on three overtime and play goes on and there was a penalty called and there was a power play and it seemed like that might

4:09that might end it it didn't it it ended overtime and regulation tied at four because this is considered a regular game in the NCAA they had to stick to the same NCAA rules so that meant a shootout a three round shootout both gold tenders were outstanding stopped the puck of all three of the shooters came down to the fourth shooter a freshman from Edina Minnesota and the Bismarck Wildcats of the North American Hockey League and yeah you got it you got it done Tommy Kronin a freshman was able to get things done and get the the Nanooks propelled on to the next round which is actually the championship round and they will face Lyndon Wood tomorrow at seven pm right here at the

5:11Centine Community Ice Center so we look forward to that what a battle it was I'll get to game two in a minute but I think what I'll do is maybe connect you with some sound and let you hear the press conference with Eric Lang that's Eric Lang how about Eric Larkin that coach from Alaska and also one of his players that was able to sit in with us too we get to that just a second year as I wait for Paul Hornstein I think he's he's coming on these he's on East Coast time so who knows anyway things at the estate sometimes take a while to get through anyway I'm gonna go see if I can track down this this post game because it was it was a lot of fun to listen to I think we got a cute up here we go Stonehill played exceptional I thought they executed to a tee it was a great hard fought hockey game but what I'd say about our team is just a resilience to

6:15be able to come back in that game you know after you know losing two two goal leads getting down in the third and then to be able to score with the second lap it's pretty incredible heck of a hockey game great showcase for college hockey and what the independent teams have to offer and just again kudos to Stonehill and how well they play it again it's you know comes down to the last shooter and a shootout right so fantastic game and just have you're on the right side of it yeah I would say the same thing we knew we were gonna get their best and that is a really good team we're not that is that's just unbelievable hockey and like Largy said it ends in a shootout at the end it kind of says a lot about our group though we we don't really quit at any point would have been easy for us with however many seconds there to kind of just throw it in and move on but that's not who we are that's not what the nooks are and it's good that people get to see that would come out on the right side. Eric he talked earlier this week about how important it would be to get a fast start you guys started very fast yeah

7:18I'm starting fast again in the second then you had to kill a competitive start the third are we happy with the way you started each period yeah I you know I thought we played well I thought we had good starts I thought we were ready to go again give credit to them right like they played they played a very physical game they executed on the power play I mean again we're playing a really hot great team right now that played exceptional hockey down the stretch so I like the way that our team played I like the way that we started with how we started on time but again you know you have another good team on the other side and they push back and we're able to not the not the game a couple different times. Great and what did you see in the opportunity score that goal did you see the puck down there in that mess yeah I mean so much has to go right for that I guess I said my pick on the draw and I see Mike walking down Broadway with a great look there and I get to the block tonight I don't know where it ends up and kind of just report to the net hoping that it was gonna squeak out and I see it probably a couple inches from the goal line on the right side of it and I was

8:20tied up and it's kind of just thinking to myself like you can't go down like this you gotta get free and get a whack at it so fortunately I was able to get it and next thing I know I don't have a stick and I'm trying to get to the corner to let everyone know that one so yeah pretty cool pretty cool feeling sure yes it's awesome I mean I'm so excited that we get to do something like this obviously first year doing this and I think in the second half we've really been prepared for it every game that we've had on the stretch has been similar to this again beat against anchors we play L.I.U. it lending what to like those games haven't been easy I think they've prepared us for this environment and every every team in that independent race plays us tough like there's no off-nights there's no floating out there like it's hard no physical hockey and I think that's that's what playoff hockey is so it's good for us to

9:20feel but continue and have the spend yeah I thought it was exceptional today you know you know you look at that shoot alright I mean go in three for three and then a high-pressure situation my goodness you know the guys were stalking the guys on the bench if we wanted to shoot first or second they wanted to go a beat second just because they had so much confidence in Lassi and again just speaks to his leadership a fantastic human being and I'm glad to see him get rewarded for that he's been our backbone all year and it's good to see good to see the finish the way it was yeah I don't think there's any anything that I had to do there I again just is great players making great plays that's what I believe I thought the bench was

10:23really good tonight I thought we stuck with it about our process was good felt like we were gonna win that hockey game somehow some way and when it's that last face-off a 10 seconds you know you're wondering what we're gonna run out of time here but again give credit to to to break in and to chase and to Mikey all the guys that were on that ice in that situation to be able to execute and again it's a 51-49 we always talk about right and how do you find a way to be able to bang a puck in at the end of the game it's just you know who wants it a little bit more and lucky for us we had Bradenburg he there to be able to finish that goal so exceptional finish but I can't speak enough to just again how good that team was on the other side they're physical they're hard hitting I thought that they switched some things up from what yesterday when they played Anchorage they gave us everything I mean scoring on a face-off goal scoring on a you know on a on a power play go I mean I hats off the coach Barard and their staff that they did an exceptional job and like I said just lucky that we have some big time players to be able to make that job done

11:25that's a great question I think you just got to start with your process again right it's okay it's great we did a great job of being able to finish this one off find a way but now you got to flip I mean Lyndon Woods a fantastic team we played him up in Alaska they have some fantastic forwards you got the you know the independent player of the year they're up front that line can just absolutely go they get their deep in every position coach Fisher has done a fantastic job so we know we got our hands pulled but yeah and our preparation has to be the same we have to play our game got to stick with our process and yeah and I think we do that we're gonna have another you know tight check-in one goal game that for for a fun championship tomorrow yeah thank you all right welcome in Paul Hornstein how are you how are things on the island at the estate so I guess miss read the timing and and it's been pretty deep trying to

12:31keep up with all these over times whether they're on the yours or I mean I just like you you had two games going to overtime today where you are right the CCHA had a game going to overtime ECAC had a game going to overtime even the the big 10 even though that's their last regular season with two games go to overtime the loose and same cloud the NCHC go to overtime Holy Cross goes to overtime Air Force goes to overtime and Atlantic hockey playoffs Mercy Hurston Bentley or in the third overtime I get it it's called dirty and college hockey and you know and you said me on this and I'm like you guys be 10 all right so I looked at it it's like 11 o'clock all right well all right I got I'm gonna go a few minutes earlier I get frosted up on the time no problem

13:35anyway I just introduced and talked about the first game which was really exciting I mean imagine this a goal scored in 1.1 second remaining how you do that I mean I have a picture Paul of the both teams all 10 players on the ice and the goalie within five feet of the goal mouth and somehow it poked in before the buzzer sounded they reviewed it they verified it apparently and things went overtime and then there's a penalty call and I believe it was Fairbanks that went on the power play and didn't score was like a minute 27 left in the overtime so no now we go to the shootout the dreaded shootout player said that same thing they didn't really care for a shootout we go 10 minutes come on guys

14:36you're making though your own rules let go 10 minutes at least but here's the thing they had to go to standard rules because these were considered regular games so even though it was a tournament there was no special format so yeah they go to the shootout and it's a three three shooters each side um both or all three I should say were stopped and then they go to the freshman from a dina minnesota go ahead say it I don't know anyway call me groan and the freshman from a dina who also played with the Bismarck bobcats of the North American Hockey League gets a chance makes a dynamic move I don't know if you've seen the video that I sent you yet but man he was hop skipping in front of the goal and really made it look easy and gets the win um both teams were just ridiculous and shots it was over 40 shots each um it was just unbelievable hockey and for somebody to have to lose we

15:43always say that in overtime but this one was really heartbreaking because stone hill had played so well and I give coach barard a lot of credit because he told me yesterday he was going to be up probably all night watching film he was last night because he wanted to know what needed to be done to beat um Alaska the number one uh cd team in the tournament and he nearly pulled it off he nearly did um so if you give me one second I will pull up his video uh sorry his audio sound from that part you do video on these projects yeah I'm all over the place I don't know what I'm doing but we knew that that was years ago we knew that yeah his coach barard um it was a great hockey game um you know it was uh we didn't get off to the start that we wanted to get off to but our guys

16:44have a lot of character and a lot of courage and they um they really battle back and made it a hockey game and you know you go into the third grade down three two and you one shot away and you and we had a power play and our power play you know I had it really um done much uh this the first two games but it showed up and we always talk about you know it's not the percentage it's more scoring in big moments and that was a big moment and then you know at that point it's whatever was nineteen minutes left and we get the uh ten he makes a great play on the um the go ahead goal and and you know one point one seconds so um you know that's going to that's going to burn in our minds I think until we get the opportunity to play for a championship next year um but that's also the fine line between losing is one point one seconds so um you know credit to Fairbanks they played right through the buzzer and you know that's something we talked to our team about they got a bounce we didn't and um you know they they're moving on so but

17:47I'm really happy and proud of our guys and as I told them after the game I wouldn't want to be standing behind another group of guys in the bench so um I love their I love our team and everything we represent so just unfortunate tonight's been going away to come back and I mean it's everything I think it speaks to the character in the role I think it speaks for leadership I think it speaks to our belief as a as a team and what we're building and the culture that we're building um you know it's we've we've gained confidence throughout the course of the year in in our game and how we need to play to be successful and you know when we get down to nothing it was still 55 minutes left in the game so we got a lot a lot of game left but

18:47you know there was some urgency to get the next one and then and then we scored off that face off and made it to one I think at that point we settled in and had a great rest of the first period I thought we controlled the play terribly and then um you know then it's a hockey game you know they made a play to go up 3-1 we made it 3-2 and you know the third period it's a third period and over time it's over time but um yeah I think I think it speaks to the character in our room and the type of people we have in the hockey room and like I said I like I couldn't be more proud to be there for you yeah I just took the puck away from the guy I threw a line in that and then Kainston kicked in throw the hat in that ball we always there played together a lot and had to bring him to yourself it's a good play and it's a good kick of the lead at times yeah I mean it's super fun I mean we all dream of moments like this is a kid and it's a great

20:00opportunity to play in the atmosphere tonight so it's not something going away but it's a lot of fun time on my brother's side what does it mean to be a skyhawk means the world to me I got a great opportunity two years ago to come here and it's been a blessing ever since and I've really enjoyed my time here so one more tomorrow try to leave the place better than I found it and do the best we can tomorrow try to get away thank you right Paul you probably recognize that boy so it was Teddy Lagerrack Lagerrack the name I know it was kind of old home week for former sun devils as I thought Blake Dango tonight was fantastic for Long Island I thought Matthew Roamer was all over the ice Paul he's a top line center at Stone Hill or was this here incredible job and you know we know the loss of his father right before his college career began and man it's a sad story but I'm sure he's looking

21:08down on I'm Matthew tonight very very proud of the effort he put in again it's one of those games somebody had to lose and you hate to see it but it is what it is so that sets up the championship game tomorrow between Lyndon Wood and Alaska and it seems to be as good as it could be I mean the games have been so good so close so exciting if you're your fan of college hockey and you're living in the same little area by all means get out here tomorrow and take advantage of both games well and again it proves the need for more teams all right here's you know the Stone Hill jumping up to D1 level gave another 25 to 30 guys a chance to play you know just like Maryville coming on board next year will

22:13uh you know give another 25 guys a chance to play um and you saw how you could just you could just feel the intensity of these games today even just through your Twitter posts and the text messages that you sent me yeah it just you know and obviously it helps that you know we've had interactions with the coaches and players but you could definitely feel even from long distance what this meant to these players you want to feel something a little bit closer to you from long distance let's hear it from Brendan Riley and and Noah Sirdackney who again is not a sun devil but he's a former Colorado college player that went to AIC and then went with Coach

23:16Riley from AIC over to Long Island so let's go ahead and and bring this one in as well um yeah it was an adventure we uh we thought we had it kind of locked up there at least it looked like that but uh yeah we let them claw back and we got to kill at a perfect time and um yeah credit to our guys we found a way to win that's the most important thing at the end of the day we found a way to survive until tomorrow and earn another day together as a team so proud yeah um I think like Coach said awkward all year found a way to get it done and um it's always a honor to put on the LAU jersey and play for each other and play for the coaches so definitely great for another opportunity with the guys to put about all one last time

24:19yeah yeah we didn't have our best stuff tonight I thought we looked a little tired at times um tomorrow will be a challenge for sure three and three but uh I'm no excuse don't tell us it's gonna be in the same boat but yeah tonight we didn't have our best stuff but we kind of bent down the hatches we knew we were gonna have to defend um they certainly had better jump than us and obviously outshot us I don't know what the final shots were but it felt like probably double yeah 42-22 so um they've got a really good team I think their their record is probably a little bit of fool's goal who are better than what their record says they have some really talented players and I know they're well coached so um but yeah our guys did did a good job defending and Danny was and he was just uh good enough and that

25:42yeah we've been through a lot this year lots of ups and downs we've been a pretty streaky team and for the most part we're really young a lot of freshman and sophomore so um I think that comes with the territory but uh I think you said it like it's it's it's really just a credit to our guys not getting down like I think as a coach you can say the right things but they're the one who who have to go out and do it so um yeah they certainly did that today it's this is like I'll be honest this is not an easy game to get up for and and to play hard and so um obviously last night was a roller coaster of emotions and it still hurts so um but again credit to these guys they had to go out and they uh they eventually found a way to get it done yeah um obviously yesterday it was a super emotional game for us all the boys and came here for one reason I was going to championship and um when you don't get it done and especially in that fashion uh that we did last night we felt we deserved better um but that's hockey that's life right so um I'm proud of the guys for sticking

26:47with it tonight and finding a way to get away and I think it says a lot about our guys and in our character like it's not a easy one to get up for like coach said but um proud of the guys to get it down and uh looking forward to tomorrow as well yeah uh kind of just uh I wanted to get get a puck in that they're um powerplay really good screen there but I look really so um kind of you credit to him on that one just wanted to get it to him and then he took his eyes and then the other one uh kind of just you kind of gonna turn over there and had a little bit of a break win and I could catch him off hard for five holes so um I had to ask him if he did it on purpose usually I'd move it back in but uh one through a great five hole it's good yeah coach when you get to overtime does it feel like you uh you can get it done in overtime uh overtime is the most stressful like I I found myself never know what can happen it's like a team has the puck for four minutes straight and then

27:48all it takes is one chance the other way so um yeah overtime especially three on three like I think every team would probably rather it be five on five when it's meaningful hockey today it was a little different but um yeah overtime is always really nerve-wracking exciting but um I think it was Lambo made a good play there and just found a way to get up by there and they're going to play well no and three on three for you do you like the open ice uh yeah I do I do in the regular season all I don't like to play off games besides like that but um I guess that's the way it grew on here with the Olympics and stuff like that so um yeah I do like the three on three in the regular season things exciting good for the fans good for the boys and showcase your skill a little bit but um in playoff settings I I would prefer five on five I'm sure um you ask anybody on any team here they tend to agree with me but um you don't we don't make the rules you just you just play and yeah you're right we haven't seen a lot of it but I'm four straight times

29:04on this stretch five so far this year so this will be number six um our record right now is to improve against those guys and I think it is the most natural rivalry that we have there are closest opponent inside of the independent rules so um I know the two teams really don't don't like each other um if you watch any of those games it's really clear to see but um yeah an opportunity for us to write some of the wrongs that uh kind of took place throughout the end of our season we can try and get one back on them so um it'll be important for us just to play hard both teams will be tired like I said three and three is not easy but um yeah and it's a chance to come out of the weekend two and one like obviously their consolation games not a lot of meaning behind them but if you can come out of here with a with a winning record against good teams that's that's pretty cool yeah I think it's more so just stick with the game plan no one will works against

30:16them um we've seen them a third amount this year so we know that we can kind of break them down be patient uh and when we get our looks hopefully capitalize so that's sort of thing but um yeah they they are a physical team but um I'd say we're pretty uh physical two especially when we're on so I'm kind of just waiting for for our chances and uh execute come just want to say before we end how proud I am of this guy I have see uh I'm new here this is my first straight LIU but I had the opportunity to coach Noah last year as well um and I I feel like um together we kind of rejuvenated his hockey career and now see what he's done for us in the second half here and like throughout the season as a leader and a player but uh most importantly as a person I'm really really proud to have known Noah and coach Noah and um I wish our time wasn't coming to an end so yeah I'm really happy for him yeah all right Paul you heard it um the long island guy yeah well we we knew early on and uh how this tournament uh changed

31:32uh the way their entire seasons were approached on top of all five of these teams um you know when I spoke to to to Brendan early in the season he's like heck yeah this matters a lot and I hadn't even gotten they weren't even close to it yet and you know those guys will be tired but there's going to be a lot of intensity just because of the situation as coach mentioned they play each other a lot they they have developed a rivalry because of not just playing each other a lot but their schools compete against each other on in the rest of their athletic programs so it definitely means something um and you you were there and so you had to feel the as the old line goes the agony of defeat

32:35and goodness yeah and they definitely need to figure out a way to get permission from the NCAA um to play this more as a playoff situation uh well that would be called a conference and a conference playoff but this is the first step in my opinion yeah I know I get all that but still yeah I get it but um it's the first step in coming together for the independent teams and now with Maryville coming on board next year um it just seems like things continue to grow and that's the best that we can ask for at this point so tomorrow that sets up a three o'clock and a seven o'clock game the three o'clock is for third place that will be um that will be Stonehill and Long Island the championship game at seven p.m. central time will feature Lyndon wood and Alaska so uh two teams that were that were near the top of the independent stuff all year long

33:39they're going to get another shot um and you know it's getting dark in here yeah well well well myself I hope they don't walk the doors on you know they're going to shut the lights on you if they haven't done that the lights are already off all right we'll sit here in the dark but anyway we can write this up when it feels like yeah let's quickly get through what happened today if you can in our NCCCHA if you can run those scores by us that'd be great all right well here we go uh first of all by the way Bentley did win that game triple overtime though against mercy earth uh air force beat Robert Morris uh in double overtime these are lost uh best two out of three series as they open up at landed cockies tournament uh Denver got a three nothing shut out over Miami it was one nothing till there was about a minute and a half to go and Dan forgot an empty an empty net goal um western got the better of a very game CCT tonight um as we wait

34:44to find out what the fate is of Kaden and Barrico who left about halfway through the game with an injury I didn't I saw it but I just still don't think he might have gotten hit made the must the puck must have found his throat or something because he wasn't stepped on there was no collision and he definitely was hit with a puck so not a hundred percent sure how that worked out uh north to go to the point I didn't see that did they did he walk on his own power or how did that go he went off he yeah I mean he kind of skated with the head you know um you know wasn't a stretcher or anything he did skate off with some assistance so you know whether they did that just to make sure he stayed balanced and didn't hurt himself more it's probably more likely what happened there and then uh

35:45zamplant scores with about I don't know I want to say like a minute and a half to go and to end the loose uh it's about a half a minute to go and then uh gets a power play goal uh to give the loop the win in their first game uh so uh denvers western the luth and or kota with the one nothing leads in his tournaments and this is the next of three and of course those are the top four seeds correct with the head there was yeah it's all sure um in the cca j a tech beach bowling dream take a one nothing lead in that series you know that was a back and forth game uh minnesota state to care of ferris state

36:49it was three nothing midway through the third second period before ferris got on the board but that was as close as the guy um augustana the care of amidji um the midji tried to make a little comeback kind of get the four to two very early in the third period but that was as close as the guy and uh in the last game of the cca j tournament for the day saint tomis blows a two nothing lead it falls behind three two going into the third period midway through the third day tie the game up and win about halfway through the first overtime so saint tomis minnesota state michigan tack and augustana all the top four seeds win uh game one of those cca j tournament so uh a lot of close game for a lot of chalk what

37:52also best of three yeah it's really yeah did i say all right i didn't hear a lot of chalk though even though there were a lot a lot of close games okay well that's it for now from the sentin community ice center here in merrilland heights uh where it was uh right now Paul at 69 degrees oh okay i took this i'll take my jacket off and uh roll out uh they're expecting thunderstorms also how i hello well comes to the midwest yeah hollywood shorts taking away from trying to widget the rough it from the hawk good resort studios united collegiate hockey cup live podcasts and brought to you by flow hockey official streaming partner the united collegiate hockey cup saint king community ice center year-round ice use for hockey figure skating more servicing saint louis and saint charles areas home of the united collegiate hockey cup hollywood resort in saint louis golf the dining and top notch entertainment all the shores of the mississippi river make your reservations at hollywoodgolfpost.com jets pizza sign for our rewards club to

38:57own free food at jetspizza.com united collegiate hockey public live podcast from the hollywood resort studios and all of the isemhockeywoods.com podcasts are available for download at all the major platforms apple spotify i heart amazon or you download the pod bean afterlisten live all by searching it just up and podcast all one word it's it just up and podcast all one all right good stuff we'll say goodbye from uh the uh second day of the united collegiate hockey cup here at saint king community ice center tomorrow's championship day third place game at three o'clock central championship game at seven p.m. central i will be here for both of them if you want to see some really good content get on our uh college buck c to c x a channel i've got a nice dinner we're going up with uh lasty lasty lette um going up and just a little bit and uh also our instagram page at college buck c to c all right we'll say good night

39:58can i never buy