The first phase of the college hockey season is almost over.  Within two weeks, nearly every NCAA program will shut down for a holiday break, then resume games just days after Christmas.  Each weekend in November included at least some conference play, and the standings are becoming ever more meaningful.  In Hockey East, Connecticut and Boston College have a slight edge on a three-team race for third.  Most ECAC programs were off until the early weeks of November, but that didn't stop Cornell from racing to a 5-1-0 conference start.

In the Big Ten, Michigan and Wisconsin show the way, with both programs featuring recent Black Hawks alumni.  Denver (Brendan McMorrow) and Western Michigan (Sam Huck) eacg have members of last season's Waterloo squad as current freshmen; those schools are the two most recent NCAA champions, and they share the top spot in the NCHC.  And in the CCHA, Minnesota State (and last season's Hawks Captain Reid Morich) has taken the early lead while boasting a 10-2-4 mark overall.
 

There's no reason to doubt that former Waterloo skaters will celebrate some conference championships in 2026 and probably help their teams during NCAA Tournament runs.  Here are the Hawks alumni who stood out with productive play during November.

#3 Star – Casey Severo, Sr.
Harvard

The Crimson officially opened their schedule on Halloween, finishing in a 1-1 tie against UConn.  In a midweek game November 4th, Harvard picked up their first win and the senior Severo scored his first goal of the season during a 6-2 non-conference tilt against Stonehill.

During back-to-back weekends of ECAC games which followed, Harvard went 3-1-0, and Severo scored in each of the three victories.  On November 14th, he broke a 1-1 tie in the final minute of the third period, lifting his squad to a 2-1 result.  The next night, a third period power play goal made the score 4-2, but turned out to be the game-winner again when St. Lawrence drew back to within a goal later in the period.

Severo also notched a goal and an assist versus Vermont on November 22nd before Harvard closed out the month with a pair of Thanksgiving weekend home losses to Michigan.  Overall, the senior tallied five goals and three assists in eight games with a +4 plus/minus differential.  The matchup with Michigan on November 28th was Severo's 100th NCAA game.

#2 Star – Emmett Croteau, So.
Dartmouth

Like their Ivy League colleagues, Dartmouth also started later than most of college hockey's other programs.  Also like Harvard, Dartmouth's first win was against Stonehill, 5-2 on November 1st.  Emmett Croteau was the backup goalie for that one, but when he played against Yale the next night, Croteau stopped 22 of 23 shots in a 6-1 victory to give the Big Green their first home win of the new season.

In two conference appearances for the month, Croteau backstopped Dartmouth for a pair of wins.  He made 23 saves during a close 2-1 affair with Cornell, then stopped 27 shots while visiting his former team – Clarkson – for a 3-1 win November 15th.  On November 29th in a non-conference tilt against Merrimack, Croteau delivered a 1-0 shutout with 24 saves.  It was his second career shutout at the college level after blanking Union last January.

Croteau has opened the year with a 4-0-0 record in four appearances.  His goals-against average (0.75) and save percentage (.970) are both among the best in college hockey.  As a team, Dartmouth has allowed very little; opposing squads have just nine total goals against the Big Green in eight games.

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

For the second consecutive month, Gaffney is the #1 star among Waterloo's NCAA alumni.  Back in October, he had 11 points in eight games.  Last month, Gaffney posted 10 more (six goals, four assists) across seven games.  That puts him at 11 goals and 10 assists during his graduate season at St. Thomas.  The Tommies benefitted with a 4-1-2 record last month which pushed them back to .500 overall.

Facing current conference leaders Minnesota State on November 1st, Gaffney set up one third period goal, then scored another, creating the opportunity for St. Thomas to eventually earn a 4-3 overtime victory.  It was the first of four multipoint games during the month.  Gaffney had the same stat line – plus the game-winning goal – on November 11th against St. Cloud State.  He also recorded a goal and assist during a 3-2 loss to Bowling Green but followed up with two goals (one shorthanded) as the Tommies evened up the series during a rematch.

With 21 points through 15 games, this is easily Gaffney's most productive season at the college level.  His previous high was 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) across 33 appearances for Harvard in 2022/23.  Now St. Thomas tries to go above .500 for the first time since their season opener with a pair of games at home against Lake Superior State this weekend.

Honorable Mention
Gavin Lindberg, So. – Colorado College: 9 GP, 5 G, 2 A, 7 Pts, +3
Mason McCormick, Sr. – Air Force: 8 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts, +1
John Mustard, So. – Providence: 9 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pts, +3
Garrett Schifsky, Jr. – Michigan: 9 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pts, +6

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