Notable college hockey upsets this season

One of the greatest things in sports is the upset. If the better team won every time, it would be boring. In pro sports, the sheer number of games and relative parity mean that upsets aren’t uncommon.

In college, it’s a different story. The big school vs small school dynamic means that the best teams stay elite year after year, while less established programs may never achieve the title of contender.

Along with the shorter schedule, this means upsets are extra special in college. This NCAA men’s hockey season has seen an unprecedented number of exciting upsets, but what is causing this spike when college upsets are so rare?

10/9 Ferris St 3, No.1 Western Michigan 2

Ferris State was 0-2 at the time, and now sits at 3-11, which makes this triumph over the defending national champions that much more impressive. It's hard to excuse this as an early-season fluke because the Broncos were certainly warmed up after beating the USA 18u team 7-0 in an exhibition.

The key to the Bulldogs’ victory: Penalty killing. WMU went 0-for-5 on power plays. Getting five power plays isn't common, so when it happens, you need to capitalise on them to win.

Bulldogs goalie Hobie Hedquist also had a career night, stopping 48 of 50 shots. Ferris State, however, scored 3 on 18 shots. They played a defensive game and capitalised on their chances.

11/14 Ohio St 5, No. 7 Wisconsin 1

This one is a head scratcher. Wisconsin won more faceoffs and took fewer penalties. Ultimately, it came down to goaltending. Kristoffer Eberly stopped 30 of 31 shots, while Daniel Hauser only had 15 stops on 19 shots.

Hauser is technically a freshman, but he has five years of CHL experience. He may still be adjusting to NCAA hockey, but this was their 11th game of the season. While conference games are never a gimme, a ranked team getting blown out at home will always stand out.

10/9 New Hampshire 4, No. 2 Michigan St 3

After beating Windsor University 4-0 in an exhibition game, the Spartans dropped their season opener to UNH. MSU beat themselves by limiting their own opportunities to attack. They lost 62% of faceoffs and took five penalties, conceding two power-play goals.

One of Michigan State’s greatest strengths is its goalie, Trey Augustine, but they made it easier to beat him by giving New Hampshire easier scoring chances on the power play.

10/25 Northeastern 1, No. 7 Denver 0

Sometimes, the best offence is a good defence. Northeastern only took 14 shots, putting one in the net. Then, they parked the bus, blocking 19 shots while Lawton Zacher was a perfect 35-for-35 in net.

Northeastern forced Denver to choose shot quantity over shot quality, allowing their goalie to bear the brunt of the work, but giving him easy saves to make.

10/9 Clarkson 6, No. 4 Penn St 4

The Knights spoiled Gavin McKenna’s first home game by hanging around, then taking over in the third period. They shut down every player except for JJ Wiebusch, who had all four goals for PSU.

Clarkson was outshot 40-26, but their scoring chances were more dangerous, with plenty of breakaways and a shorthanded goal thanks to Penn State turning the puck over on sloppy passes.

The common theme between these games: capitalisation is key. When you don't take advantage of the opportunities you're given, you help the other team win.

Gabe Eisenberg is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email gfe5080@psu.edu