After the first six weeks of the NCAA division 3 hockey season, we can say that the first half of the season is in the books. As expected, the MASCAC has been one of the more wide-open conferences in the nation. At the time of writing, the conference does not have any teams in either the USCHO or DIII Hockey news top 15 polls. Additionally, the highest rated program at the time of writing is Fitchburg State at 27th, which is not high enough to be on the precipice of an at large bid, meaning the MASCAC has close to a 100% of being a single bid conference again this season.
With all of that said, below I’m going to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly for all eight programs as they vie for a spot in the MASCAC’s top six in pursuit of a national tournament bid.
Anna Maria: 4-1-0 MASCAC (7-4-0 Overall)
In our preseason prediction on the D3 Bros. Podcast, I questioned how Anna Maria would perform without graduated star defenseman Derek Raposo (Currently playing tor Neuilly-sur-Marne in France2), and after a pair of surprising pair of losses to Worcester State (Woo Cup non-conference match) and Salve Regina, the Amcats found their footing to string together a five game winning streak, including their four MASCAC victories.
Overall, the team has been strong through their heavy, physical structure, but breakout performances from sophomore transfer Nolan Ring (10 pts in 11 gp) and returning sophomore Owen Barrow (10 pts in 11 gp) have certainly helped the team supplement the offensive efforts of Braedon McKinnon and Brandon Della Paolera. Also worth noting is that Pearce Baker has continued to produce at a respectable clip from the blue line. The most important question that needed to be answered for the Amcats was whether Matt Hennessey could get back to his 2023-24 form after a sophomore season that saw his save percentage dip to 0.915. Luckily, through the early season sample size, it appears that Hennesey has found his game, posting a career high save percentage of 0.938 through 8 starts.
December did send the Amcats into the break on slightly tumultuous ground, however. They ended the month with a 5-2 victory over NEC, but that stopped the bleeding after a brutal 9-1 loss to former conference mate Plymouth State. However, the most important game they’ve played this season was their 2-1 defeat against Fitchburg State on December 6th. I won’t put too much stake in the loss, as the game was tightly contested to the very end and could have gone either way, but in terms of playoff seeding in late February, there’s a chance this regulation defeat determines how strong an opponent Anna Maria will host in the second round of the playoffs.
Fitchburg State: 4-0-0 MASCAC (7-4-0 Overall)
After defeating MCLA in the 2025 MASCAC championship game, and a strong returning cast from that roster, expectations were high for the Falcons heading into the 2025-26 season. A tightly contested and emotionally charged series with Babson didn’t work out the way that Fitchburg state hoped to start the season, but it gave them a great measuring stick against a team that currently sits at 12th in the NPI. Following those two losses, the Falcons split a series with UMass Boston and dropped a home game against Assumption before finding their footing. Since that loss, the Falcons are 6-0-0 (4-0-0 in MASCAC) and have outscored their opponents 28 to 5 in that span. Most impressively, they posted three consecutive shutouts in that span, two of which were against MASCAC opponents.
As much as I celebrated the returning upperclassman like Christian Halbig, Alexandre Bauvais, and Marcus Macchioni, the freshman have been a huge part of the Falcons early success. Alexei Filimonov, Devin Niles, and Tye Battipaglia are all among the nation’s leaders in scoring through the first half of the season, recording 19, 18, and 14 points in 11 games respectively. The biggest story for the Falcons has been the breakout season of goaltender Freddy Soderberg. Last season, Soderberg’s 0.904 save percentage was a cause for concern for the team on a lot of nights that led to Max Macchioni’s incredibly playoff run. Soderberg has posted a 0.956 save percentage through the opening nine games of the season, putting him at the top of the nation of all starting goalies with more than 3 starts.
At the midway point in the season, with a regulation win over Anna Maria in their pocket, the Falcons have positioned themselves very well to win the MASCAC for the second year in a row. If the goaltending and the scoring continue at the pace they’re clicking at, there isn’t a single game left on their schedule that they wouldn’t be favored to win.
Westfield State 4-1-0 MASCAC (7-4-0 Overall)
In the three years that I have been covering the MASCAC, I’ve started to refer to them as the Westfield State Dark Horses because this team always finds a way to punch above their weight class down the stretch. Like the first two teams I mentioned, the Owls had a tough start to their season, dropping 3 of their first 4 non-conference games. After an explosive 8-5 win over WNE on opening night, the Owls dropped games to UMass Dartmouth, Franklin Pierce, and Johnson & Wales by scores of 3-2, 4-3, and 3-2. It was obvious they were a few lucky breaks away from an unbeaten record before their first MASCAC contest. The Owls won their last four contests of November, including three intraconference games. Their only loss since November 11th came against Anna Maria on the road by a margin of 7-3. Despite the rout, they were able to get back in their stride two nights later to defeat Rivier, and eventually Assumption to head into the break with their current record.
The Owls offense is being powered by their own French Connection of Émile Pichette (14 pts in 11 gp), Louis Ouellet (11 pts in 11 gp). Raphaël Séguin (10 pts in 11 gp), and Émile Tremblay (8 pts in 11 gp). Séguin has been especially impressive since he’s currently third in the team in scoring as a defenseman and is only one point away from tying his career high in half as many games. In goal, Aiden Winslow is currently posting a career-low save percentage of 0.887; however, this reflects him seeing a lower shot volume than last season, as he has dropped from 32 saves a game to 26. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Winslow bump his number back into the 0.900s by the end of the season.
Looking ahead, January 29th is a key date for the Owls as it is their 2nd MASCAC game of 2026, but it is their first head-to-head with conference frontrunner Fitchburg State. If the Owls are going to make a run at a first round bye, they’re going to need to find a way to at least split with the Falcons and the Amcats. As plucky as the rest of the conference is, the Owls know better than to expect any help from their enemies down the stretch.
MCLA 2-2-1 MASCAC (3-5-2 Overall)
I’ve been covering MCLA closer than the rest of this conference since their return season in 2023-24, and they never leave me bored. A tough opening season tie/loss split with St. Michael’s continued last season’s winless streak against the Purple Knights on opening weekends, but a split with Hiram college the following weekend set the stage for MCLA to start their MASCAC play off on the right foot. A shootout win over Worcester State gave the Trailblazers a key early season win in the conference, but three straight losses to Anna Maria, Westfield State, and WNE had them back in familiar territory of chasing the win column. Unlike previous years, first year coach, Marcus Glosser and the upperclassmen found ways to win against Rivier and Framingham State in their only two games in September to position themselves in fourth in the MASCAC at the break.
Despite the coaching change, the recipe for success up front hasn’t changed for the Trailblazers. Sean Schifferl, Easton Moore, and Cade Herrera once again are setting the pace on offense with 7, 7, and 6 points respectively between them. Also, unchanged is that they are the first team I’ve mentioned not to have a point-per-game player in the conference, as their 22 goals for ranks last in the conference. The most pleasant surprise has been the play of Freshman goaltender Rocco Stolz, whose 0.939 save percentage has been a key part of the team’s new defensive system.
The Trailblazers will be tested immediately, coming out of the break in a home-and-home with UMass Boston, before another four non-conference games. Those games will set the stage for the MASCAC gauntlet that starts with Fitchburg State on January 24th. For the first time in their short history, at the break the Trailblazers aren’t punching upward to claw their way into the playoffs, and that should be a big boost of confidence for this group.
Worcester State 1-2-2 MASCAC (4-4-3 Overall)
Worcester State bucked the trend of the MASCAC this season by starting off the season on a high note before hitting a big wall as soon as the second weekend of the season. Defeating Assumption and Anna Maria back-to-back to win their first Woo Cup in program history was an incredible moment for the Lancers. However, consecutive shootout losses to Salem State and Johnson & Wales immediately took the wind out of their sails. A tough regulation loss to Keene State and their shootout loss of the season, to MCLA, painted them into a corner with a four-game winless streak. They battled hard against Westfield State but were unable to secure any points in a 4-2 loss before enduring a 4-0 shutout loss to Fitchburg State. Luckily, with November behind them, the Lancer bounced back to win consecutive games against Framingham State and King’s (PA) to get some momentum back before a tough loss to UMass Dartmouth to head into the break.
On offense, the Lancers haven’t had many bright spots. Leading the team in scoring are Freshman Sean Tyrie (7 pts in 10 gp) and Senior Shane Prifel (7 pts in 11 gp). At this point in the year, the team’s MVP is Donovan Alfama, whose 0.937 save percentage has been huge for them to be able to pick up points by making it to three shootouts.
Looking to the back half of the season, the Lancers are going to need to manufacture some goals like they did against Framingham state on December 4th. We’ve seen that this group can battle for sixty minutes, and we’ve seen that they can defeat Anna Maria head-to-head. I’m not sure what the coaching staff has to adjust heading into January, but this team does control its destiny by holding a playoff spot.
Framingham State 1-4-0 MASCAC (3-6-0 Overall)
Framingham State heads into the break holding the final playoff spot in the MASCAC. Their season started on a high note with an OT loss to SNHU and a resounding 5-0 victory of UMass Dartmouth. However, the Rams hit a three-game skid in the middle of November where they suffered two large losses to Westfield State (6-3) and Fitchburg State (8-0). In their most important contest so far this season, they muscled out an impressive 6-5 win over Salem State on the heels of the loss to Fitchburg State, which they rode into an OT win over Franklin Pierce. December was not kind to the Rams as they opened the month with a tough 5-1 loss to Worcester State. However, their home closer before the break was a heartbreaking regulation loss to MCLA that saw Framingham surrender a 2-0 lead late to lose 3-2.
On offense, the Rams have had more efficiency than the Trailblazers and Lancers as Scott Bugarin and Bobby Bernier have recorded 9 and 8 points respectively through 9 games played. The middle of the lineup hasn’t been able to score efficiently for the Rams, which is an area that they’ll likely target during the break. In goal, the Rams continue to search for who’s going to be their number one in 2026. Owen Swanbon has had his moments, despite his 0.904 save percentage in four appearances. Ben O’Keefe has gotten three looks this season, posting a 0.927 save percentage, and following his start against MCLA (stopping 30 of 33), he may continue to get a look into 2026.
Looking ahead, Framingham State is going to have to figure out either their scoring or their goaltending if they’re going to hang onto the last playoff spot in the MASCAC by the time February rolls around. Luckily, they have six non-conference games to tune things up before a critical game against Rivier on January 24th. When you’re hanging onto the last playoff spot, the easiest way to secure is to make sure you beat the teams below you, and with one win over Salem State already, the Rams are doing what they must to qualify for a playoff spot. If they can turn the corner in the new year, this team has a should be able to hold its playoff spot.
Rivier 1-4-0 MASCAC (1-10-1 Overall)
2025 was tough for the Raiders. Two difficult losses to Johnson & Wales and NEC to start the season (5-2 and 6-2 respectively) seemed to set the tone for River, but a late surge against Nichols before a 4-3 loss gave a sliver of hope that this team was going to surprise some people this season. Unfortunately, this was not to be as they would drop their next three games by a combined score of 21-6. However, the Raiders continued to be the plucky ream they’ve always been and beat Salem State 3-2 to pick up their first MASCAC win of the season. A tough loss to Anna Maria ended that weekend before a shootout loss to Saint Anselm before Thanksgiving. The Raiders got a great litmus test after the holiday in an 8-2 defeat to 7th ranked (nationally) Curry, giving them the strongest opponent in the MASCAC this season. Unfortunately, Rivier couldn’t take any momentum from playing such a strong opponent and dropped their last two contests of the year to MCLA and Westfield State.
Despite the early season struggles, the top of Rivier’s lineup has been a bright spot. Aaron Sawicki has 12 points in 11 games, while Mason Rudrud and Payton Kender have 11 and 10 points in 12 games respectively. Beyond the top of their lineup, the Raiders have struggled to score, and that will certainly be a point of emphasis on the other side of the break. In goal, Josh Kirton and Mason Meyer haven’t been able to steal games for River, posting 0.888 and 0.876 save percentages through five appearances each.
Heading into the back half of the season, the Raiders are going to need to figure something out between their depth scoring, defense, and goaltending statistics. At this point, they are technically tied with Framingham State, meaning their January 24th matchup could have significant implications for the last MASCAC playoff spot if the current situation in the standings continues into the new season. Rivier just needs to look at 2026 as a new season and fixate on being better than Framingham State and Salem State the rest of the way.
Salem State 0-3-1 MASCAC (2-8-1 Overall)
Oh man, how did we get here? After their MASCAC Semi-Final defeat to Fitchburg State last February, the Vikings felt like they were primed to challenge the Falcons and the Amcats for a conference championship, but after an impressive win against Suffolk on opening day, things just haven’t worked out. A tough loss to Endicott on day two of the season rolled into a shootout win over Worcester State and a win over Franklin Pierce. Then the Vikings slid into a brutal seven game losing streak. A 5-2 road loss to Anna Maria felt like a litmus test for where the Vikings were at in November, but close losses to Rivier and Framingham State put Salem State’s season into immediate jeopardy with three MASCAC regulation losses. They played four non-conference games to end the year, losing by a combined score of 22-4, scoring one goal in each of those contests.
Currently, the high-flying Salem State offense’s leading scorers are Johnathan Waselko and Aren Francis who both have 7 points in 11 games. Last season, the Vikings had three players who scored over a point-per-game but currently have zero. William Nepveu hasn’t been able to replicate his elite 2024-25 season as his save percentage has dropped from 0.934 down to 0.895 this season.
Looking ahead to 2026, coach Chris MacInnis must figure something out. This team has too much talent to carry a 7 game losing streak into 2026. A reset also isn’t in the cards for the Vikings as they’re straight into matchups against strong opponents with Endicott, Fitchburg State, and Salve Regine being on tap in the New Year after a they open the year at Saint Anselm. This team needs to get the scoring and the goaltending rolling as soon as the clock strikes midnight on the first, or this will be one of the most catastrophic seasons in program history.
Conclusion
As expected, Anna Maria and Fitchburg State have been strong teams with few weaknesses during the 2025-26 season, and assuming no major injuries in the back half of the year it is more likely than not that they will meet in the MASCAC Finals. Westfield State has proven that they’re able to pick up the difficult points in the MASCAC, based on the three point system, it’s easy to forget that every regulation win creates a six-point swing in the standings, and their 2-1 win over MCLA was a big piece of them holding a 4-point lead over the Trailblazers at the break.
MCLA’s come from behind win of Framingham State was reminiscent of the their run at the end of the 2023-24 season, but as evidenced by last season’s playoff run and their current record, the Trailblazers play much better with a lead. Getting behind early and chasing games has consistently been trouble for this group. For the rest of the field, the last two playoff spots will be won by the teams that address their aforementioned weaknesses as swiftly and adequately as possible. Unfortunately for Rivier and Salem State, having 65 and 53 goals allowed respectively at this point is a massive defensive burden to overcome. Luckily, the only games that matter are the ones ahead.
I look forward to seeing how this shapes out in our annual MASCAC Playoff Primer.
– Christian Bergeron
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