Some college hockey teams didn't play much in December.  Schools took time off at the end of the semester, and some NCAA programs were without star players due to the World Junior Championships.  A few schools played non-Division I opponents to stay active before returning to conference play.

USA Hockey's most recent College Hockey Poll was released one week before Christmas, and it was frozen solid at the top.  The 12 best teams in the country were identical to the rankings from the week before.  The situation is partially due to the limited number of games in that part of the schedule.  Boston College currently sits at #1, but two other teams received first place votes: #2 Boston University and #3 Quinnipiac.  North Dakota and Denver round out the Top Five.
 
Here are the Black Hawks who had the biggest individual impacts in December.
 
#3 Star – Joe Cassetti, Gr.
Western Michigan

In just four games, Cassetti rolled up two goals and four assists.  The biggest performance was during a 6-5 overtime loss to Denver on December 9th.  Cassetti scored his second goal of the game with 14.1 seconds to go, pushing the matchup into overtime.  Besides the two goals, he also notched an assist for a three-point effort.

This is Cassetti's first campaign with the Broncos after playing previously for NCHC rival Miami.  For the season, he has five goals and seven assists with a +6 plus/minus differential.  Cassetti's assist total is already a personal best at the college level.  The December 9th game versus Denver was the 100th of his NCAA career.

#2 Star – Miko Matikka, Fr.
Denver

While Cassetti was having his big performance for Western Michigan, Matikka was making a substantial contribution to the Denver effort.  The Finnish Freshman scored in the first period, then again in the second.  Matikka also had two goals against the Broncos the night before during a game which Denver lost 7-3.  Adding in a December 1st loss against North Dakota, and Matikka was responsible for five points in three games. 

The first two weekends of December were a continuation of what Matikka had started a month earlier.  Starting with an assist on November 3rd, Matikka is on a continuing point streak, which has now reached 11 games.  His 11 total goals in 2023/24 rank third among college freshmen nationwide.

#1 Star – Gabriel Carriere, Sr.
Vermont

December was the best month for Catamount hockey in some time, and Carriere was right in the middle of it.  He played in all eight games, posting a 6-2-0 record, including a pair of overtime wins.  From December 9th to 30th, Carriere won five consecutive games, and his nine victories this year already match the best season of his college career.  For good measure, the senior's 2.17 goals-against average and .926 save percentage for the season are both personal bests.

Those goalie averages were even better during December.  Carriere stopped 187 of 201 shots he faced (.930), with a 1.74 GAA.  On January 2nd, he was name Hockey East Goaltender of the Week.

Honorable Mention
Patrick Guzzo, Sr. – Ohio State: 5 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 Pts, +1
Ryan O'Hara, Jr. – Bowling Green: 6 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 Pts, Ev
Owen Ozar, Jr. – Bowling Green: 6 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 Pts, +4
John Waldron, So. – Miami: 4 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 Pts, +3

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