The 2025/26 NCAA hockey season is now well underway.  Eighteen players who were Waterloo Black Hawks at some point last season are currently college hockey freshmen.  Several have already made impressive contributions to their new programs.  Eight of them (Grady Deering, Sam Huck, Matthew Lansing, Brendan McMorrow, Landon Nycz, Hunter Ramos, Bradley Walker, and Ryan Zaremba) have scored their first collegiate goals.

Among that group, five of the freshmen found the net in their very first NCAA appearances.  October 3rd was the special night for Deering, Lansing, and Walker.  Lansing's second period score put Quinnipiac ahead for good and on the way to a 4-3 victory against Boston College.  Deering scored a four-on-four goal in the second period during a 3-0 Wisconsin shutout of Lindenwood.  Walker put in an empty-netter to seal a 6-4 Miami result against Ferris State.  The next night, Ramos had the game-winner for Lake Superior State in a 5-3 decision versus Stonehill.  Huck's initial goal also proved to be decisive on October 10th when Western Michigan defeated Ferris State 6-4.
 
Even with all those memorable moments, last month's NCAA Alumni Three Stars recognition is reserved for a veteran contingent skating at the college level.

#3 Star – John Mustard, So.
Providence

As a freshman last season, Mustard tied for fifth in Friar scoring with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) and was particularly productive during November and December.  The first month of his sophomore season suggests there are good things to come for the Chicago Blackhawks draft pick during the year ahead.  Mustard skated away from October with the team lead in goals (five) and points (seven), stacked up in just six games.

Providence opened with a pair of home losses to Michigan.  Mustard scored the only Friars goals in each of those contests, including a power play score in a 3-1 October 11th matchup.  Back on the ice a week later, he set up a power play goal during a 5-1 win versus RPI.  Mustard recorded goals in a pair of multigoal comebacks against St. Thomas (one ending in a 2-2 tie and the other a 7-4 win), and had the opener during a 5-2 victory over Massachusetts-Lowell on Halloween as Hockey East competition began.  That gave him at least one point in each of the Friars' October games.

#2 Star – Ben Robertson, Jr.
Michigan

The location may be different, but Robertson is doing what he does best: setting up goals from the blue line.  Across two seasons at Cornell, Robertson stacked up an impressive 31 assists in 71 NCAA games.  After a summer transfer to Ann Arbor, he raced among college hockey's assist leaders during the opening month of the season, producing 11 during his first nine games.  Robertson was also +9 last month, putting him among the top five Wolverines in that category as well.

On four different occasions, Robertson finished a game with multiple assists.  That included both games during an opening weekend sweep of Mercyhurst.  Then two weeks later, he had two on Friday and three on Saturday as the Wolverines cruised past Robert Morris.  While Robertson has certainly been a contributor to Michigan's power play, six of his assists have been tallied at even strength.  With just two more assists, he will equal his total from last season with the Big Red. 

#1 Star – Alex Gaffney, Gr.
St. Thomas

Gaffney is another Black Hawk thriving in new surroundings.  He spent a full four seasons at Harvard and was a steady contributor during three of them.  However, Gaffney was limited to just four appearances last season and did not record a point in his final campaign with the Crimson.  October suggests that this will be a bounce-back season with Gaffney playing as a graduate student for St. Thomas.  He had 11 points (five goals, six assists) to open the season, and after continuing his torrid pace into November, Gaffney is just three points away from already matching the highest scoring season of his college career.

The Tommies are 3-5-1, and Gaffney is the only member of the team currently with a double-figure scoring total.  He has notched three power play goals, plus another shorthanded.  St. Thomas opened the season by surprising St. Cloud State on the road 4-3 October 4th.  Gaffney had two assists.  His first goal came the next weekend on the road at North Dakota.  Gaffney scored three times and set up a pair of other goals during a two-game set with Air Force.  His six October goals came on 25 shots, yielding a 24 percent shooting percentage.

Honorable Mention
Gavin Lindberg, So. – Colorado College: 7 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts, +7
Mason Reiners, Sr. – St. Cloud State: 8 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 Pts, +4
Garrett Schifsky, Jr. – Michigan: 9 GP, 4 G, 1 A, 5 Pts, +4
Cooper Wylie, Sr. – St. Cloud State: 8 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts, +3

Where Are They Now features are presented by Karen's Print Rite, 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo.